Beware of the unmarked rocks!
 

Has anyone had a problem going through the no wake zone between Whaleback Island and the mainland side of the Town of Moultonborough ( not the channel between Whaleback and Moultonborough Neck) ? There are unmarked rocks very close to the obvious navigational course. Please email me at peg.frame@gmail.com. This area needs more clear markings.

I don't think the channel you describe north of Whaleback Island is a channel at all. The Bizer chart says Caution and shows a rock in there..... although there does appear to be a dashed line through there, inferring it's a channel.

The old Green chart shows a rock and NO dashed line which could be construed as a channel. I would NOT go through there except maybe in a canoe. Much too scary. :)

BTW: There is a nautical term called "Local Knowledge" that applys here.

I have gone through there, but on a still day with direct sun overhead. I would have to recommend going around the other side of the island.

We have gone thru there several times, but if I remember correctly there are rocks that have been marked by area residents using gallon jugs. When the lake is lower you can usually see the rocks breaking the surface in this area.

Peg, we have been going through there for over 25 years (before it was an official NWZ) and never had a problem. It is obviously popular since it is shorter in time and distance than going the long way around. Years ago there were only a couple of bottle markers and everyone knew to stay on the island side of the "channel". Hope you didn't have a mishap.

As far as official markers are concerned, don't you think there are more important things to worry about?

I think the bizer chart actually marks the ones in the middle. There is a metal "stick" in the largest rock there that is usually just under the surface. There usually is a clorox bottle too. The other rocks are close enough to shore so they probably don't mark them. Most people at that end of the lake use that side rather than the marked one.

Since that is not really the preffered channel there is no reason to put a marker in there.

Whaleback Island
 

When traveling north on the right side of Whaleback just stay in the middle and you will be OK. You may have to wait until a boat traveling the opposite way passes through. If you go on the left side of the island just stay within the markers ( right side of black and left side of red). I have been traveling by Whaleback for over 50 years.

There are much more dangerous and unmarked spots on the lake that I think would be closer to the front of the line in the idea of "needs to be marked". I hate to tell you, but I don't think MP is going to make a low traffic area with an optional detour their top priority :rolleye1:

Watch For Unmarked Rocks
 

Have you ever been up by Whaleback Island? I am constantly traveling all over the lake. In fact today I traveled on my PWC all the way from the top of Green's Basin to Center Harbor and back. You would be surprised to see the number of boats that are up in Green's Basin. It can get very crowded and many of the channels are very narrow.

I jet ski up there once in a while, usually map-less :\

It's a whole different world up there - GREAT RIDE! :)

The only thing is, although you may see a lot of traffic that way, it's still fairly low traffic compared to the rest of the lake. I've noticed in Green's Basin there is at least one of the original wooden red markers up there and there are a few lighted number markers on poles in rocks that could use some repair.

My only point is that, compared to the rest of the lake, the area doesn't see a ton of traffic, at least not enough to make it worth MP time to put a marker in by Whaleback. As a matter of fact, after this issue was brought up the first time, I intentionally went on that side of the island to look for this rock (mid-August). I couldn't find it, but I did generally stay in the middle of the channel. I think the thing you have to keep in mind is the closer you get to shore, the more likely it is to hit a shoal or a rock.

EDIT: I also just voted in the poll, and according to that pole 1 in 71 people have hit a rock there. If you take that same ratio to the total number of boaters on the lake, that's, well, not a lot :P