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Rattler · 09-30-2005, 12:47 PM

Hi, tomboymom.

A few comments about the wind...

My wife and I purchased a place on broads side of Rattlesnake in 2003. This was our first adventure in waterfront property -- and boating, for that matter.

There are certainly trade-offs being on the broads side. While the views are spectacular and the water clarity is amazing, you become a real weather watcher. It does get windy -- particularly when high pressure systems arrive with their NW winds. Given the northwest-to-southeast positioning of the lake, a NW wind has 20 or so miles of water to push to create some sizable waves before it reaches the broads. So it's not the wind but the waves that we look out for. Interestingly, strong winds from any other direction are pretty inconsequential wave-wise on that side of the island.

We are at our place every weekend from ice-out until late October, and, while we have not yet had to cancel a trip out to the island because of the weather nor gotten stranded while we were out there, we have heard stories from our neighbors that it happens. We have been out there a handful of times when high winds developed and the waves and water action were, frankly, scary. However, the beautiful days with the views and the large expanse of crystal clear water at your doorstep make up for them. We wouldn't trade our experience on Rattlesnake for anything.

Our rule-of-thumb around the wind is that anything greater than 15 mph out of the NW raises a red flag -- in terms of our ability to dock our boat on the island (even with breakwater protection). This rule might vary depending on location on the broads side (as well as boating skills), but it's been a good rule for us.

09-30-2005, 12:47 PM	#4
Rattler Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 35 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Life with the Wind on Rattlesnake Hi, tomboymom. A few comments about the wind... My wife and I purchased a place on broads side of Rattlesnake in 2003. This was our first adventure in waterfront property -- and boating, for that matter. There are certainly trade-offs being on the broads side. While the views are spectacular and the water clarity is amazing, you become a real weather watcher. It does get windy -- particularly when high pressure systems arrive with their NW winds. Given the northwest-to-southeast positioning of the lake, a NW wind has 20 or so miles of water to push to create some sizable waves before it reaches the broads. So it's not the wind but the waves that we look out for. Interestingly, strong winds from any other direction are pretty inconsequential wave-wise on that side of the island. We are at our place every weekend from ice-out until late October, and, while we have not yet had to cancel a trip out to the island because of the weather nor gotten stranded while we were out there, we have heard stories from our neighbors that it happens. We have been out there a handful of times when high winds developed and the waves and water action were, frankly, scary. However, the beautiful days with the views and the large expanse of crystal clear water at your doorstep make up for them. We wouldn't trade our experience on Rattlesnake for anything. Our rule-of-thumb around the wind is that anything greater than 15 mph out of the NW raises a red flag -- in terms of our ability to dock our boat on the island (even with breakwater protection). This rule might vary depending on location on the broads side (as well as boating skills), but it's been a good rule for us.