Quote:
Originally Posted by Hivolt
Hi all, as a Winnipesaukee newbie (on my third year vacationing on Rattlesnake) I've had some pretty good weather, today is definitely the worst wind I've had to experience and am curious where you guys would rank a day like today on a 1-10 scale. I had to go out in it and it tested every bit of the non existent boat skills I have.
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The "wind scale" would depend on where you were located on the lake. An afternoon run from, say, Alton Bay to Rattlesnake Island would have had the wind directly "on the nose". This isn't so bad as having to "quarter" the waves in a smaller boat—you just have to throttle back and take your time. Fortunately, there weren't a lot of oversized boats out there to get you wet.
The wind started the day from almost due north, when it was good sailing weather. Then it shifted gradually around to about NW to WNW, and very rough. Its strength had picked up quite a bit in the middle of the afternoon. (This was easy to note, as I spent most the day on a dock repair).
As much as possible, navigate the less turbulent
lee of islands to get to your destination. Most often, winds are calmer in the early morning and towards sunset. But remember, you don't
have to get there. (Among aircraft pilots, a deadly condition called
get-there-itis).
A Rattlesnake Island couple impressed me when the wind came up strongly one afternoon, and the islanders decided to "weather it" overnight at the Wolfeboro Inn.
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