[LIforrelaxin]

First to all previous contributors.. Thanks reading these posts brought a chuckle to my day.....

Second,

Well it is 1986 we had just moved from Washington, and where at Winnipesaukee staying at my Aunts camp, with the boat for the first time.
We had a map, and where learning our way around... Then we got over confident.

We had gone by pistol and where headed up between the neck and Spectacle Island when all of a sudden we noticed some big rocks... Luckily we where going slowly. But we put the engine up and paddle our way out of the mess we found ourselves in.... (but that isn't the best part) Then we argued about what went wrong.... Dad had one version, I had another, brother had a 3rd and Uncle was just confused (note that while they had a place on the lake, they had never ventured out of the are between Long Island and the neck, as they only had a small sail boat).... Then we finally decided we better look at the map... if you know the area you know there are 6 Spars, 3 Red and 3 Black... They are SPARs not channel markers.... very important to remember... because all of a sudden the Reds and blacks switch sides... because going up the side of the hazard you need to first be to the south west of it... Then you need to be to the North of it..... and oh wait there is a hazard on the other side that you need to be to the east of and then to the south of the next hazard.....

We never have gotten cocky and over confident again.... better to look at the map every once in a while..... The lake humbled all of us that day

Third,

Didn't directly effect me other then I had to tow the guy, but years later we bought the camp next to my Aunts.... She had here place rented with a very nice renter..... over beers one night he told us that he was going out past pistol , and cutting across the nice wide open bay towards Chase Island and Nineteen mile bay....We asked if he had seen the markers, he mentioned he had but didn't understand what the concern was all about.... We showed him on the map but some how he didn't heed the warning.. On the last day of his vacation we towed him to his trailer, after he had limped home... It turns out there are big rocks in the middle of that wide open bay.... I have never seen a grown man hang his head so low... he couldn't look us in the eye, as he asked if we could tow him to him to the ramp.... The lesson he learned.... Locals do know a thing or two..... And when they call an area the Graveyard there usually is a good reason....