Originally Posted by fatlazyless
Ok, so I got very lucky today and found a set of Pentax 12 x 50 binoculars over at Saint Vincent de Paul's in Laconia for the bargain price of 15.50, and these are like the best long range binocs I've ever used.
Having nothing better to do, I head down Route 11 to the Gilford-Alton border line, just across from Riley Rd, where the Town of Alton has a public waterfront deck set about 10' above the water. I wanted to test out the new binocs to see if if could see the spot on the granite ledge outcropping where the infamous smash-up of June, 2008, took place, and sure enough it was pretty clear from maybe one mile away, across the water.
Next stop: Lincoln Park in Gilford and a visual test to look at the Castle in the Clouds' red roof mansion about 1/3 way up the Ossipee Mtns, and ditto these binocs work good.
Next stop: the white lifeguard tower seat at Gilford Town Beach looking out Saunder's Bay to Welch's Island (oopsie-correction, make that the south end of Timber island). Lo and behold, what do I see, but way out at what would be the entrance to Saunder's, there is one lone guy in a blue kayak, paddling by himself, through the windy whitecaps. Then, all of a sudden, coming from the south and turning left into Saunders, there's a big, maybe 30' orange-red-yellow graphics on white performance boat w/ inboard engines looking like it's in the same zone as the kayaker. It came close, but didn't hit, and I could tell by the body language of the kayaker that he was at least a little shocked. It all happened pretty fast what with the boat going about 45-mph as it headed into Silver Sands.
Did the boat actually see the kayaker? Cannot say? Did not appear to change course, but as I was viewing from maybe 500-600 yards away, cannot really say if the boater was ever aware of the kayaker. No harm done as close does not count in motorboating....it just makes it all look scary!
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