Laconia could build a roof top, hand carry only, boat launch, for kayaks, canoes and sup paddle boards on their Paugus Bay, tourist info shed property, on Weirs Blvd, next to Lillilukalani's Ice Cream.
Isn't this Laconia-Lake Winnipesaukee-Paugus Bay tourist info shed pretty much closed and no longer staffed, or in use, probably because 'inquiring tourists' use the internet for information, or use the rest stops information centers on Rt 93, or the racks located in local hotel lobbies.
Maybe this spot could be re-constructed into a hand carry, boat launch with parking for about 20 cars, for use by Laconia residents?
There's a Laconia sewer pumping station on one end, and Lillilukalani's on the other end, and the waterfront embankment is steep and heavily grown in with thin trees and bushes. The tourist info cabin looks to be a very old, maybe antique, smallish, all wood cabin with no foundation underneath that could be removed or re-purposed. Could a six foot wide path to the water be built, wide enough for moving kayaks and paddle boards, with some wood post barriers to keep boat trailers out? Lake Pemigewasset in New Hampton, on Rt 104, has a NH Fish & Game roof top, hand carry boat launch that is available to everyone, but if the City of Laconia built a similar launch, it could be limited to Laconia residents with windshield, transfer station, stickers.
With all the many homes in the area, it could be a good use for this unused waterfront city lot. This seems like a good use for that City land, so why not?
Paddle style boats are so much more affordable for many than a motorboat, and don't require a trailer for towing and launching, and are hand carried from a car roof top ....... why they be called 'roof top boats ..... like, no who knew!'
About ten years ago, the City of Laconia hired
www.piscopoexcavation.com to build a very well made, and very well designed concrete and stone, hand carry, kayak launch, on the Winnipesaukee River, just below the Avery Dam, where it flows for maybe 1/2-mile down river into Lake Winnisquam. This kayak/canoe hand carry launch ramp is directly across from Sawyer's Jewelry, and the now closed city parking garage. It seems to get almost no use, or very little use, as I've never seen it being used by anyone. It has a decorative, wrought iron gate that is always closed but not locked, and can be used by simply opening the gate and there's a sign that says 'Kayak Launch.'
Laconia could be thinking about hiring Piscopo (click on projects!) to get it done right for a hand carry launch on Weirs Blvd. It's on Paugus Bay just below the Weirs Channel on Lake Winnipesaukee at 918 Weirs Blvd, Laconia NH 03246 .... if you want to google map/photo it. Looking at google'earth-satellite, the tourist information cottage is directly across Weirs Blve, NH Route 3, from a bright blue, in-the-ground, swimming pool. The sewer pumping station is the red brick utilty style shed. The shoreline is trees and bushes, and there's no docks, no nothing in the water there, along the shoreline.
Maybe one of the last undeveloped Lake Winnipesaukee shorelines around, owned by the City of Laconia, and a possible spot for a roof top boat, town launch and parking area.