The Wind, The Waves

[Island Girl]

The cold front came through and brought the incredible wind and waves. It is still howling out there sounding more like the ocean than a lake. Very few boats came but and were tossed around. One such boat (see photopost) came straight up out of the water more than once. It was full of people, none of whom wore lifejackets.

I got completely soaked trying to take pictures of the sunset.

Here is one of the pictures, as I have said before, the real height and fury of these waves just does not show in pictures.

Enjoy!

[Lin]

Island Girl, thanks for the photos. I was checking the Bearcam and a the weir's cam earlier and it looked like it was starting to get rough. Cooled off fast.

[DRH]

We recorded several wind gusts of 38 mph late yesterday afternoon (6/19), and a gust of 39 mph at 11:19 PM last night. At 8:30 AM this morning the wind is averaging 10 - 15 mph.

[Island Girl]

I have to get my anemometer plugged in. We were recording up to 20 mph on the hand held, but I knew it had to be more than that with the great gusts we had. The wind today was not nearly as bad and we escaped much more easily than anticipated.

I did not get much sleep last night, worrying about the boat, but it fared very well. It is much worse in the fall when the water is lower and the boat is further out. The breakwater is not as protective.

I was amazed that there were boats out late last night in those waves. They were just bobbing up and down! I would have been very afraid.

Happy Summer Solstice to all

[Island Girl]

Here is a little movie from Saturday's windy day. If you turn on your sound, you can hear the wind blowing. Again the waves do not look as large as they really were. Note the waves coming over the breakwater in the distance at the end of the movie. You need windows media player or quicktime installed to view this.

http://islandgirl.smugmug.com/gallery/145601

[DRH]

Wow, those were some waves coming in! Now I understand how your water intake pipe gets pushed all around!

[Lin]

Island Girl Wow!! What a great lil movie. Instead of being on the lake I felt like I was transported to York Beach. Do you have to bring your boat into that side? That's pretty rough when the wind is blowing like that.

[Island Girl]

The boat is protected by a breakwater, but the wind wants to push the stern away from the wind, so landing is a challenge. I do not go out is that kind of weather. It would have to be an emergency.

I will try to do a movie of boats bouncing around next time the wind is high. It is quite a sight!

[jrc]

After enjoying a great meal at Jo greens, my wife almost lost it over the side coming back. We were crossing from Wolfeboro to Samoset in Gilford Saturday around 6:30, it was a mess. As soon as we cleared Barndoor it was pretty much constant wind and big waves all across the Broads. Once we got near Ship Island it let up a little as Rattlesnake provided shelter. I thought if was a good idea to sneak behind Sleepers, but rounding Smith Point the waves were bigger than the Broads. It was hell all the way past Ames Farm and into the dock. It always fun to navigate the moored boats and then try to dock when the waves are on the docks.

So now this is the third time, I've had to cross the broads in big wind. My weather expert freinds tell me that the big winds usually come the day after a rainy spell. The north winds push out the rain.

Any lake experts out there. I've been thinking that my course selection was less than ideal. Would I have had a better time going up the east side of the broads and crossing near Diamond or even Welch instead of crossing south of Rattlesnake. Do the waves get bigger the further south you go?

[Just Sold]

Island Girl

Thanks for the movie. It brought back memories of when I camped on Rattlesnake in the early 90's at lot #129. Many a time I have been there with such waves and a few times I chose not to land for obvious safety reasons. We had a good breakwater/dock but as you said the challenge of landing is really something.

One time in 1990 the broads was so rough that I actually had the carberator on the OB loosen and after landing at the island the boat never re-started. We towed it in to shore with another other boat.

Just Sold

[Island Girl]

It is usually just a question of how fierce the wind will be. Sometimes in the summer it is not so bad, sometimes just ridiculous. Take a peak at the photopost in my gallery where I posted a couple of pictures of boats that braved the broads.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Island Girl

It is usually just a question of how fierce the wind will be. Sometimes in the summer it is not so bad, sometimes just ridiculous. Take a peak at the photopost in my gallery where I posted a couple of pictures of boats that braved the broads.

We went from Alton Bay to Meredith that (Sat) day. I didn't see anything as bad as your photos (yikes). I believe our passage was around 5:30 or so. I'm guessing your pics were from earlier that day. I expected the winds to settle as the sun set and on the mean I think they did, but the gusts sure kicked up a notch or two that night.
The return trip, Sun evening, was a piece of cake. No waves and maybe 5 -6 other boats.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by jrc

{snip} ... I've been thinking that my course selection was less than ideal. Would I have had a better time going up the east side of the broads and crossing near Diamond or even Welch instead of crossing south of Rattlesnake. Do the waves get bigger the further south you go?

When the winds come from the NW as they often do you'll find big waves at the south/east end of the lake, just more lake for them to fetch up on. That said, wave action around Rattlesnake and Diamond Is isn't much better in my experience. Your suggested route makes sense when the wind comes from more N than W as you can go up to Sandy I. (or Long I even) and then "surf" the following sea towards home. Find the back of wave and stay stationary relative to it. Might be a longer distance but I'd bet the same or less time. Not sure the different course would have helped this past weekend as I think the winds were coming straight down the lake ??