Life without Winni

[LIforrelaxin]

So those of you that know me on social media platforms, already know but others here that don't know have no Clue. While my winni property is safe for the time being and will be used by my family, I am having to take a break from the Winni lifestyle.... To be sure I am not leaving lake life behind, I have just relocated 1800 miles away. And I thought I would start this thread and take you along on my journey as I discover other boating opportunities and reflect on how they compares to Winni.

I have currently relocated to the DFW area in Texas... Specifically I now reside in the town of Rowlett.... Interesting fact about the DFW area.... all by itself it is comprised of as much land area as the state of Massachusetts.... And here there are several Lakes.

I decided to start my ventures in boating here on Lake Ray Hubbard.... where I have secured a slip for the next year.....And here is the first significant difference a slip for the year down here will end up costing me just under 5K.... The boat will be in the water for 12 months, and it sounds like really the only time I many not consider using it will be late January and February.... according to the Texans anyway....

I just got the boat in the water, and have taken a few trips, and at the start I will say boating is different down here.... I will soon get some pictures and start to do some compare and contrast posts between Winni, and Lake Ray Hubbard.......

I have had to cheat, but at least this year my boat will still be in the water when the C-Nile comes out!!!!!

[ishoot308]

That's a huge change in scenery...Just curious as to why you made the move?? Assuming work related...

Good Luck!!

Dan

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

So those of you that know me on social media platforms, already know but others here that don't know have no Clue. While my winni property is safe for the time being and will be used by my family, I am having to take a break from the Winni lifestyle.... To be sure I am not leaving lake life behind, I have just relocated 1800 miles away. And I thought I would start this thread and take you along on my journey as I discover other boating opportunities and reflect on how they compares to Winni.

I have currently relocated to the DFW area in Texas... Specifically I now reside in the town of Rowlett.... Interesting fact about the DFW area.... all by itself it is comprised of as much land area as the state of Massachusetts.... And here there are several Lakes.

I decided to start my ventures in boating here on Lake Ray Hubbard.... where I have secured a slip for the next year.....And here is the first significant difference a slip for the year down here will end up costing me just under 5K.... The boat will be in the water for 12 months, and it sounds like really the only time I many not consider using it will be late January and February.... according to the Texans anyway....

I just got the boat in the water, and have taken a few trips, and at the start I will say boating is different down here.... I will soon get some pictures and start to do some compare and contrast posts between Winni, and Lake Ray Hubbard.......

I have had to cheat, but at least this year my boat will still be in the water when the C-Nile comes out!!!!!

Oh, you think so, do you??

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[8gv]

How's the BBQ?

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

That's a huge change in scenery...Just curious as to why you made the move?? Assuming work related...

Good Luck!!

Dan

Yes the move is work related, an opportunity to work with a great group of people, and with a solid company. It was not a lightly made decision... But when your going to a solid company, and going to be with people you have worked with previously... it makes the transition easier.....

At the end of the day, this is a new area of the country for me with plenty of things to explore while I hopefully finish out my career, and then I will head back to NE for retirement.

[Susie Cougar]

Have you bought your first pair of cowboy boots, yet?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Yes the move is work related, an opportunity to work with a great group of people, and with a solid company. It was not a lightly made decision... But when your going to a solid company, and going to be with people you have worked with previously... it makes the transition easier.....

At the end of the day, this is a new area of the country for me with plenty of things to explore while I hopefully finish out my career, and then I will head back to NE for retirement.

Sounds like a well thought out plan!!

Good luck to you Jason!

Dan

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by 8gv

How's the BBQ?

Very available on almost every block!!!!

What we have sampled so far has been delicious..... but so far we have only been to 2 or 3 places, out of some unimaginable number of them that are available....

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

Have you bought your first pair of cowboy boots, yet?

Not yet, likely coming for Christmas along with a cowboy hat...

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Not yet, likely coming for Christmas along with a cowboy hat...

And a Dak Prescott jersey?

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[Denis D]

Texas lakes are great as long as you like brown water and no mountain scenery! Best of lick!!

[LIforrelaxin]

First stop on the comparison front... Marinas.... well on Winni for the most part we are used to full service Marina's on the lake with gas and service departments to help you. That is not the case on Lake Ray Hubbard. 1st the number of Marina's are limited, and on the plus side they do have gas.... But they don't have service departments.....

Size is another differentiator, I looked at 3 Marina's in my search... I think there are a couple of more but I am not sure....but at any rate the 3 I looked at ranged in size from the smallest having around 500 or so slips, to the largest and my choice with just over 1000 slips... all floating of course, and 90% of the slips are covered.

Note it takes me about 10-15 mins, to get from my slip to open water....

Slip availability is another difference, I had several to chose from.... it wasn't even a concern....

Last on this discussion point, I will bring up making your slip a second home.... I will have to get some picture but some people put decks over part or all of a slip, to make usable area for entertaining and living.... with little kitchenettes and entertainment areas......

Here is a shot of my boat in her new home....

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by steve-on-mark

And a Dak Prescott jersey?

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No, No Thanks......

[steve-on-mark]

I may just keep it in for spite!



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[Winilyme]

Having flown into DFW many times, I often looked down on the various nearby lakes wondering what they were like. Now I'll get to learn a bit about them - or at least one of them to start. Good luck with your new adventure.

Sounds like this will be a great thread.

[retired]

Have you encountered any of the local fauna yet? Snakes, scorpions, wild pigs, fire ants?

[Janet]

Originally Posted by Denis D

Texas lakes are great as long as you like brown water and no mountain scenery! Best of lick!!

and tree stumps to watch out for. Remember, almost all of the "lakes" in Texas are man-made and are just land that has been flooded over. Hench the tree stumps and other junk. Also, a lot more dangerous snakes in these waters than what you would find in Lake Winni.

[LIforrelaxin]

Today, we will talk about the view.... One of the nice parts of Winni is being surrounded by Mountains.... Well Texas is pretty flat..... Lake Ray Hubbard doesn't quite have the same feel to it....

Also as others have mentioned this is a completely man made lake by flooding low lying areas, which had previously bee developed to a point.... So yes there are dangers under the surface.

Enjoy...

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Janet

and tree stumps to watch out for. Remember, almost all of the "lakes" in Texas are man-made and are just land that has been flooded over. Hench the tree stumps and other junk. Also, a lot more dangerous snakes in these waters than what you would find in Lake Winni.

The guy across the street from me has a beautiful waterfront log cabin. He moved to Tennessee about 5 years ago and comes back for 2 weeks every summer. I asked him last year, "why don't you sell and buy something on a lake in Tennessee" his response, "too may snakes"!

[LIforrelaxin]

So I don't have pictures yet, but I will soon.... Yes the water here has many obstacles... It not really tree stumps you have to be concerned with, it is the entire try... which is helpful because at least you know where they are... There are also road beds which weren't entirely taken out.... etc. But really is this any worse then the Rocks of Winni..... nope.... however down here they don't mark the dangers because for the most part they are visible.

[LIforrelaxin]

Well today, I actually got my boat Registered down here in Texas... Unlike NH, down here I had to get a Tittle for not only the boat but also the engine. Interesting concept to me. But it makes sense an outboard doesn't have to stay with the boat....

Set all that aside, down here you get to register the boat for two years... for less then what you pay to register for just one year in NH....

There are no agent fees or local fees, etc. you simple go to your local office and Parks and Wildlife and register the boat.......And yes there appear to be ample offices around the state....

This weekend we will get the new numbers on the boat, and go for another ride... and see if I can locate some trees growing out of the lake to share with you all.... if I am really adventures I may even get to where the guard rails from the old road bed that the lake covered up are visiable...

[LIforrelaxin]

So its been busy the last few weeks.... so I haven't had a chance to update you all on the boating adventures....But they do continue....Today lets talk about low lake levels....

Winnipesaukee, with its 2 ft. normal operation band concerns start to get raised when the lake is about 1 ft below full pool.

Lake Ray Hubbard is currently about 2.75 Ft. below full pool.... and here no one thinks anything of that....

One of the streams that feeds into the lake that I drive by everyday gets to the point that it doesn't even make it to the lake, during really dry conditions once the lake falls to about 3 ft. below full pool.....

On the flipside of this the Aids to navigation down here become much more visible as the lake level drops.... And of course I mean Aids to navigation in the loosest terms possible.....As the Aids down here are really more of obstructions to Navigation....

[LIforrelaxin]

So This past Thanksgiving weekend, there was Time to boat and nice weather to do so done here in Texas.... We covered a lot of new ground on the lake Friday.... And then Sunday stayed close to home port.... Unlike Winnipesuakee there aren't any island, just wide open water, with of course the occasional Tree farm growing up through the lake....

With that said, there are also not really any towns on the water around the lake.... Only one seems to have capitalized on that... The picture I have attached is of Rockwall harbor.... and is really the only Boating destination for eating, shopping etc. via boat.... We will be exploring soon....

[Dave R]

Glad to see you are embracing the change and enjoying a different boating scene. Hope you have a blast down there. Can't beat the food in that part of the world.

I stopped boating on Winni at the end of 2018 and boat exclusively on the coast now. It's a huge change, but it's loads of fun to try something new. I miss the clear warm water, super easy boat maintenance, and lack of tides. I love the ability to anchor overnight, the practically limitless destinations, and the incredible wildlife. I've seen whales hundreds of times, yet they still astound me every time; but there's also basking sharks, blue sharks, seals, sunfish (Moa Moa) sturgeon, blue fin tuna, puffins, dolphins, osprey, loons, etc. It's really incredible.

[8gv]

No BBQ pics, no peace!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Dave R

Glad to see you are embracing the change and enjoying a different boating scene. Hope you have a blast down there. Can't beat the food in that part of the world.

I stopped boating on Winni at the end of 2018 and boat exclusively on the coast now. It's a huge change, but it's loads of fun to try something new. I miss the clear warm water, super easy boat maintenance, and lack of tides. I love the ability to anchor overnight, the practically limitless destinations, and the incredible wildlife. I've seen whales hundreds of times, yet they still astound me every time; but there's also basking sharks, blue sharks, seals, sunfish (Moa Moa) sturgeon, blue fin tuna, puffins, dolphins, osprey, loons, etc. It's really incredible.

A rental boat on Australia's Lake McQuarrie might suit you for overnights, ease of maintenance, lack of tides, and the clarity of its fresh water.

If Mother Nature's your thing, Lake McQuarrie even supports occasional 14' Hammerhead Sharks!

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Dave R

Glad to see you are embracing the change and enjoying a different boating scene. Hope you have a blast down there. Can't beat the food in that part of the world.

I stopped boating on Winni at the end of 2018 and boat exclusively on the coast now. It's a huge change, but it's loads of fun to try something new. I miss the clear warm water, super easy boat maintenance, and lack of tides. I love the ability to anchor overnight, the practically limitless destinations, and the incredible wildlife. I've seen whales hundreds of times, yet they still astound me every time; but there's also basking sharks, blue sharks, seals, sunfish (Moa Moa) sturgeon, blue fin tuna, puffins, dolphins, osprey, loons, etc. It's really incredible.

Honestly after over 30 years on Winnipesaukee, the change has been refreshing and welcomed with open arms. While Winni, has some undeniable charms.... they have also caused her to become a popular destination. It simply isn't the same lake I grew up on. With my family owning on the lake I was allowed some luxuries that kept boating enjoyable, such as the easy of early morning or late evening boat rides in the summer on the weekends before and after the crowds. My biggest joy here in Texas, is not feeling like I have to "Time" my rides to avoid high usage times.......

I do have a goal, in retirement to do some boating on the ocean..... time will tell if I get there or not.....Because I also want to spend time RVing around the country....

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Honestly after over 30 years on Winnipesaukee, the change has been refreshing and welcomed with open arms. While Winni, has some undeniable charms.... they have also caused her to become a popular destination. It simply isn't the same lake I grew up on. With my family owning on the lake I was allowed some luxuries that kept boating enjoyable, such as the easy of early morning or late evening boat rides in the summer on the weekends before and after the crowds. My biggest joy here in Texas, is not feeling like I have to "Time" my rides to avoid high usage times.......

I do have a goal, in retirement to do some boating on the ocean..... time will tell if I get there or not.....Because I also want to spend time RVing around the country....

Relaxin,

Glad you getting the most out of that Texas lake! Sounds like fun!

While I agree with you that Winni is certainly a busier place now than 30 years ago and yes timing your rides or destinations on "weekends" is certainly prudent... I do know that during the week, Winni is another place entirely. There are many many mornings I have been out fishing or boating someplace for breakfast and have said "I have the entire lake to myself". The difference between 2:00 PM on a Sunday when it's crazy busy and just a few hours later on Monday morning never ceases to amaze me!

Just curious...Do they have a 150' rule or similar on that lake in Texas??

Enjoy your time in Texas!!

Dan

[Winilyme]

I do have a goal, in retirement to do some boating on the ocean..... time will tell if I get there or not.....Because I also want to spend time RVing around the country....

You better hurry up and retire. You have a lot of work to do.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Relaxin,

Glad you getting the most out of that Texas lake! Sounds like fun!

While I agree with you that Winni is certainly a busier place now than 30 years ago and yes timing your rides or destinations on "weekends" is certainly prudent... I do know that during the week, Winni is another place entirely. There are many many mornings I have been out fishing or boating someplace for breakfast and have said "I have the entire lake to myself". The difference between 2:00 PM on a Sunday when it's crazy busy and just a few hours later on Monday morning never ceases to amaze me!

Just curious...Do they have a 150' rule or similar on that lake in Texas??

Enjoy your time in Texas!!

Dan

Dan,

There are very few local laws here, mostly they go off the Coast Guard... In short no 150' rule.... And with as Many boats as are in Marina's around the lake you would think it is crowded all the time.... But the reality is that Lake Ray Hubbard is right in the DFW metro-plex.... so it is not a "destination" driven..... I will have to get some pictures to share with you all, but many of these people have built up their slips to be able to enjoy time by the water, and take their boats out if they feel like it.... The party is at the Marina's not somewhere out on the lake... Although I have been told there are a few party coves around....

Also, believe me, I understand how different the lake is during the week.... My wife and I spent most of July and August living at the lake this summer after we had our home packed up, for the move. We went out most week days and had lunch somewhere on the lake.....For me it is not just the business of the lake, it is how busy the towns have become.... When I started coming to the lake in 1986 nothing was built up... The only time Traffic built up was on the 4th of July, Labor Day, and Memorial Day weekends.... hell the light at Moultonborough Neck Rd, didn't even exist.....
I digress, at the end of the day the lake is changing we all see it....I don't think it will ever be busy during the week... the question becomes can you live with the busy weekends.....

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Winilyme

You better hurry up and retire. You have a lot of work to do.

That is my goal, one of the reasons I took the job that landed me in Texas, was that it has the potential to get me back on Track to retire early!!!!!

The biggest obstacle is figuring out Health Insurance..... once I solve that puzzle I will know just how long I need to work, before setting off on retirement adventures....

[ChasesIslandOkie]

Sometime you should check out Broken Bow Lake up in my home state, Oklahoma. No, it's not Winni, but it's the lake with the prettiest setting in the region, in my opinion. It is a few hours from the Metroplex.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Honestly after over 30 years on Winnipesaukee, the change has been refreshing and welcomed with open arms. While Winni, has some undeniable charms.... they have also caused her to become a popular destination. It simply isn't the same lake I grew up on. With my family owning on the lake I was allowed some luxuries that kept boating enjoyable, such as the easy of early morning or late evening boat rides in the summer on the weekends before and after the crowds. My biggest joy here in Texas, is not feeling like I have to "Time" my rides to avoid high usage times.......

I do have a goal, in retirement to do some boating on the ocean..... time will tell if I get there or not.....Because I also want to spend time RVing around the country....

My switch to "coastal" boating coincided with a massive lifestyle change/simplification too. A year after my wife and I started boating exclusively on the coast, we sold our big country home (kids had grown up and moved out) and bought a small but comfortable Hampton Beach condo 1500 feet from the boat.

Hampton Beach is definitely not a place I would have wanted to raise my kids, but it's a blast to live here now, even in the Winter. That said, we hope to start cruising full-time next year, so our Winters will be spent down south and some future Summers will be spent lake boating, just on bigger lakes, like Champlain, Huron, Michigan, and Ontario.

Ping me if you ever want to discuss coastal/canal/river/big lake cruising, it's pretty special, but there's LOT more to think about and deal with compared to Winni boating. It's so cool to leave my slip and spend weeks away every Summer exploring the New England/NY coast, can't wait to turn those weeks into years and extend our cruising from 7 states to 20+ states and a couple of countries.

How cool is it that we can just anchor pretty much anywhere we want and take our dinghy out to explore stuff up close and personal?

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Dave R

My switch to "coastal" boating coincided with a massive lifestyle change/simplification too. A year after my wife and I started boating exclusively on the coast, we sold our big country home (kids had grown up and moved out) and bought a small but comfortable Hampton Beach condo 1500 feet from the boat.

Hampton Beach is definitely not a place I would have wanted to raise my kids, but it's a blast to live here now, even in the Winter. That said, we hope to start cruising full-time next year, so our Winters will be spent down south and some future Summers will be spent lake boating, just on bigger lakes, like Champlain, Huron, Michigan, and Ontario.

Ping me if you ever want to discuss coastal/canal/river/big lake cruising, it's pretty special, but there's LOT more to think about and deal with compared to Winni boating. It's so cool to leave my slip and spend weeks away every Summer exploring the New England/NY coast, can't wait to turn those weeks into years and extend our cruising from 7 states to 20+ states and a couple of countries.

How cool is it that we can just anchor pretty much anywhere we want and take our dinghy out to explore stuff up close and personal?

New Hampshire coast is a beautiful area but if you like to swim, the water is always cold. I could never swim at Hampton beach, too cold for me.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Biggd

New Hampshire coast is a beautiful area but if you like to swim, the water is always cold. I could never swim at Hampton beach, too cold for me.

Same for me, with the exception of Hampton Harbor, where I keep my boat. When the tide is ebbing on a hot Summer day, the water temperature in the harbor is really nice and I enjoy swimming in it. There are acres and acres of sandy beach (sandbars) in the harbor too, and you can only reach them by boat, so it's like having a private beach. My wife and I often go to a sandbar by dinghy with a big group of friends from the marina and have a nice bonfire. It's great fun when we are not out cruising.

The swimming on the south side of Cape Cod (Buzzards Bay and points south) and in P-Town is quite nice. P-Town is only 65 nautical miles from my slip and Buzzards Bay is only 80 nautical miles away. We cruise to both often. P-Town has a HUGE anchorage where hundreds of boats could spend the night on the hook, typically there's only 4 or 5 boats there all night though. It's a deep anchorage and whales come right up to the boat when we are anchored there, it's pretty cool.

Photo is the anchorage in P-Town

[ApS]

...I do have a goal, in retirement to do some boating on the ocean..... time will tell if I get there or not.....Because I also want to spend time RVing around the country....

When I started RVing (out West) about 1991, US National Parks were starting to fill up earlier and earlier. Some reservations were "booked-out" over a year ahead. Maybe that's changed for the better, but plan ahead anyway.


Fortunately back then, equally-interesting alternatives were available nearby. Also, fortunately, I'd purchased a two-inch-thick directory of RV sites. (Some are practically-unknown sites funded by the U.S. Government).

Our first overnight (in Alabama) had only three spaces but no others showed up. There was no noise of any kind and no fee. The Memorial camping site had been extended by a grant from a lifelong fisherman.

It got more interesting as we drove west. Somehow, we consistently (and unknowingly) found relatively uncrowded spots that were immediately on a lake or river.

Be sure to take that "road less traveled".

I'm reminding myself of a recent Internet opinion that, "the US could support a population of 5 Billion people".

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