Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dave R
I do agree that small boats are becoming less prevalent, but as a former "smaller" boat owner, I can assure you it has very little to do with other boats and far more to do with typical, afternoon, wind-driven chop, one sees on such a large lake, and the comfort a larger boat provides in said chop.
|
Small boats are the Winnipesaukee norm after Ice Out. Since the frigid rain, fog and wind are often msierable in April/May, you'd expect to see large boats. But they're not out there. Everybody out there is in those aluminum 12, 14, 16, and 18 foot boats. In late June, those mostly disappear and are replaced by "fair weather" boats double their size and larger.
As to comfort, watch the stats for "falls in boat". Exclude the wake jumpers because wake jumping is illegal on Lake Winnipesaukee. But planing boats that have struck a rogue wake? (To coin a term). If occupants are airborne for two seconds after hitting a wake....then are dropped back onto the boat, you can expect serious injury. Broken backs are a more commonly reported injury on this lake. Who knows how many other "falls in boat" injuries go unreported.
There's nothing wrong with proceeding at "semi-displacement speed" while quartering wakes and waves. That is how I manage heavy weather boating for my lower back condition.
An effort to control wake size and intensity is needed for other reasons than pulling dirt from islands and other Winnipesaukee shorelines. Bucketloads of fresh dirt won't make that problem go away. For many, still-bigger boats won't help an afternoon's enjoyment on the lake either.