Need Ideas For Boat Day Trips With Family of 5

JasonG · 05-12-2006, 07:38 PM

Hello!
My family & I love the lake & visit frequently for many 1-2 week stays every year. We just moved closer to the lake recently making day trips now a reality. However as much as my family & I have visited over the past 8 years, we have never taken the time to just "chill" on the boat with the family at a sand bar, beach etc. We always have a location to speed to... Meredith, weirs for the kids, etc. We want to make a lot of day trips this year and use a boat for relaxing.

My question is this. With an 18 ft boat, no bathroom or cuddy, and 3 kids ( ages 14, 5, 2 ), am I heading in for a stressful day with no place for the 2 year old to take a nap/get out of the sun + no bathroom for the rest of us?

Also, where are the popular sand bars to anchor off and hang out for a few hours to swim, etc? Take the kids to weirs for lunch/games, etc, head back to the sand bar, etc.

Thanks!
Jason

HomeWood · 05-12-2006, 08:40 PM

My family would usually go from Moultonborough Neck to Weirs Beach and hang out and be in what we used to call the "boat parade" in the Weirs channel. It has been years since a family boat ride, but they were a lot of fun and most of the time we were asleep on the way back. If we needed to use the bathroom..well...there was always off the side of the boat

. It is hard to tell little kids to hold it on a bumpy boat ride. My dad would take us to camp grounds he used to go too when he was a kid and we would also just drive around to look at the houses. One trip we saw a moose swimming across the lake. The lake is certainly big enough to not see the same thing twice in one vacation. Have fun!

Kevin C · 05-12-2006, 10:25 PM

In Paugus Bay there's a popular sandbar down in front of the Margate Hotel where you might see 20 - 30 boats on any given weekend day. From there it's a 2 minute boatride to Burger King that has plenty of public dockspace. Or you could just wade ashore and go into the Margate for lunch or the facilities.

sum-r breeze · 05-12-2006, 10:31 PM

Jason,
There is an area in front of the cemetary (next to the Margate) in Paugus Bay
that is all sand and no rocks. You can anchor there, swim,picnic on your boat,you can even grab an empty dock at the Margate and have lunch at the outside Cabana Bar. It's a nice shallow area to hang out. The only problem is it's a little wavey on a Sat or Sun. Boat Traffic down th Bay bounces you around a little.

Good Luck,
The Breeze
Make sure to wave 'cause I'l be waving back

sum-r breeze · 05-12-2006, 10:34 PM

Good Job Kevin

jrc · 05-13-2006, 08:56 AM

You can search for sandbars on this site and find a bunch of info. The most popular are in Braun Bay, behind Sleepers near West Alton Marina, near the cementary in Paugus Bay, and up near Center Harbor, I think it's called Patrician shores. There are tons of smaller ones and probably other that I don't know about.

I don't know what you have for a boat but I've seen these for several boats:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/acc...temdetail.aspx

As for bathrooms, you can always get one of these

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11

Or more likely, one of these:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11

chocophile · 05-13-2006, 09:44 AM

We did a lake tour on a weekday during which we visited Center Harbor, Meredith, and Weirs Beach. We intended to visit Alton Bay also, but we ran out of time. There's some fun shopping in Center Harbor. We went thru Sally's Gut. We had lunch at the Lakeshore Deli in Meredith and did more shopping. We played some games at Weirs Beach and watched the Mount arrive and leave. It was a fun day.

It proved important to have a navigator and get the kids to be lookouts for important upcoming buoys, since the entire trip was in unfamiliar water. I would not recommend this kind of trip on a weekend. We are familiar with Wolfeboro so that wasn't on our tour, but it would be a great stop as well.

It might be difficult with a 2-year old, but it is definitely one of the stand-out memories for our family.

ghfromaltonbay · 05-13-2006, 11:25 AM

Center Harbor is a great spot to stop after lounging out in the boat. During the week a dock is usually available for smaller boats, and there is a park and town beach right there with a bathhouse with flush toilets. There are also swings and a large lawn area, a very kid friendly beach, and a pavilion with lots of picnic tables in the shade. Across the road is the Heath Supermarket which has a great deli counter (try the rotisserie chicken) where you can buy a great and inexpensive picnic lunch.

Misty Blue · 05-13-2006, 11:42 AM

Jason:

You can have a real fun day with a trip to Stonedam Island. The Lakes Region Conservation Trust keeps a dock by their interperative center. It is located on the Northeast side of the island about 200 yards south of Sally's Gut's eastern enterance. There are maps and information for a fun hike around and over the island. There is a cool swim beach on the western side looking past Eagle Ialsnd at the Weirs. Lots of nature stuff. It is an easy hike and a lot of fun and to be a real hero take 'em through the "gut" and up to Meredith for ice cream at the Town Docks!

Misty Blue

secondcurve · 05-13-2006, 01:58 PM

Misty:

How many boats can dock there at any one time?

Thanks

jrc · 05-13-2006, 04:22 PM

Stonedam has a single pier about 30' long. So, only two boats can dock at the same time. Also the the dock area is very shallow. My 26' bow rider only had a few inches under the skeg. I couldn't pull all the way in and had to leave 5 feet, sticking out beyond the dock. This was last year around 7/4. The good part is that the bottom is sandy with a few leaves and sticks, no rocks. I did see a see a big sailboat anchor in that general area and they swam in.

Kevin C · 05-13-2006, 06:22 PM

Sum-R-Breeze....I'm wavin' back...

sum-r breeze · 05-13-2006, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

You can search for sandbars on this site and find a bunch of info. The most popular are in Braun Bay, behind Sleepers near West Alton Marina, near the cementary in Paugus Bay, and up near Center Harbor, I think it's called Patrician shores. There are tons of smaller ones and probably other that I don't know about.

I don't know what you have for a boat but I've seen these for several boats:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/acc...temdetail.aspx

As for bathrooms, you can always get one of these

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11

Or more likely, one of these:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11

After a few trips to Braun Bay at the height of Summer heat,we made a disturbing observation..... 100 people in the water......drinking lots of beer.....no one getting out of the water to use the potty....all day....YUCK

The Breeze

secondcurve · 05-14-2006, 07:38 AM

JRC:

Thanks for the information.

northforty · 05-14-2006, 09:38 AM

Excuse me...!!!!

Is it just me, or do other forum members have an "issue" with day boaters (or any one else for that matter) using the Lake as a toilet?

I thought this was illegal, not to mention inconsiderate, unsanitary, gross, etc.

Please, please, please bring along some kind of accommodation for these calls of nature.

Thank you.

jrc · 05-14-2006, 10:04 AM

Breeze, we had a discussion is this forum of the lack of "flushing" at Braun Bay a few years back. The more open sand bars like West Alton and Paugus Bay get a lot of wave action which keeps the water fresh.

Northforty, are you really shocked that people pee in the water while swimming?

northforty · 05-14-2006, 11:03 AM

First of all, I should applaud JasonG for being considerate of his family and the rest of us for looking for boat trips that do take into account the "calls of nature" and their consequences.

Secondly, me personally being shocked about what people do when they swim is not the issue. I was trying to find out if we as a Lake and forum community are willing to sanction, without comment, the deposit of personal waste into the water.

Campmor, REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, most marina's on the lake, carry a range of products which allow boaters to take their waste with them. I for one am asking that they do. Anybody else?

Aquadeziac · 05-14-2006, 11:28 AM

Please be careful what you say. There may be Legislators out there with way too much free time on their hands and they will start drafting Bills to prohibit all bowriders, pontoon boats and any other boat without proper waste disposal accomodations. And don't laugh, you've all seen what they have done in the past.

jrc · 05-14-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northforty

... I was trying to find out if we as a Lake and forum community are willing to sanction, without comment, the deposit of personal waste into the water....

Well I'm not going to encourage peeing in the lake. But I'm pretty sure it can't be stopped. I did suggest practical equipment to dispose of human waste, appropriate to JasonG's 18 foot boat.

Aquadeziac, maybe we should ban boats without toilets, that's a good way to address all the safety concerns of kayakers. Well at least until they make a porta-pottie for a kayak

I'm just kidding, don't want to stir up that hornets nest again

05-12-2006, 07:38 PM	#1
JasonG Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 310 Thanks: 48 Thanked 45 Times in 33 Posts	Need Ideas For Boat Day Trips With Family of 5 Hello! My family & I love the lake & visit frequently for many 1-2 week stays every year. We just moved closer to the lake recently making day trips now a reality. However as much as my family & I have visited over the past 8 years, we have never taken the time to just "chill" on the boat with the family at a sand bar, beach etc. We always have a location to speed to... Meredith, weirs for the kids, etc. We want to make a lot of day trips this year and use a boat for relaxing. My question is this. With an 18 ft boat, no bathroom or cuddy, and 3 kids ( ages 14, 5, 2 ), am I heading in for a stressful day with no place for the 2 year old to take a nap/get out of the sun + no bathroom for the rest of us? Also, where are the popular sand bars to anchor off and hang out for a few hours to swim, etc? Take the kids to weirs for lunch/games, etc, head back to the sand bar, etc. Thanks! Jason

05-12-2006, 10:25 PM	#3
Kevin C Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Billerica, Ma Posts: 103 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sandbar Idea In Paugus Bay there's a popular sandbar down in front of the Margate Hotel where you might see 20 - 30 boats on any given weekend day. From there it's a 2 minute boatride to Burger King that has plenty of public dockspace. Or you could just wade ashore and go into the Margate for lunch or the facilities.

05-12-2006, 10:31 PM	#4
sum-r breeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Burlington Ma / Laconia NH Posts: 396 Thanks: 155 Thanked 201 Times in 97 Posts	Sand Bar Jason, There is an area in front of the cemetary (next to the Margate) in Paugus Bay that is all sand and no rocks. You can anchor there, swim,picnic on your boat,you can even grab an empty dock at the Margate and have lunch at the outside Cabana Bar. It's a nice shallow area to hang out. The only problem is it's a little wavey on a Sat or Sun. Boat Traffic down th Bay bounces you around a little. Good Luck, The Breeze Make sure to wave 'cause I'l be waving back

05-12-2006, 10:34 PM	#5
sum-r breeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Burlington Ma / Laconia NH Posts: 396 Thanks: 155 Thanked 201 Times in 97 Posts	Kevin's faster than I Good Job Kevin

05-13-2006, 09:44 AM	#7
chocophile Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 19-Mile Bay Posts: 111 Thanks: 15 Thanked 30 Times in 13 Posts	Lake Tour We did a lake tour on a weekday during which we visited Center Harbor, Meredith, and Weirs Beach. We intended to visit Alton Bay also, but we ran out of time. There's some fun shopping in Center Harbor. We went thru Sally's Gut. We had lunch at the Lakeshore Deli in Meredith and did more shopping. We played some games at Weirs Beach and watched the Mount arrive and leave. It was a fun day. It proved important to have a navigator and get the kids to be lookouts for important upcoming buoys, since the entire trip was in unfamiliar water. I would not recommend this kind of trip on a weekend. We are familiar with Wolfeboro so that wasn't on our tour, but it would be a great stop as well. It might be difficult with a 2-year old, but it is definitely one of the stand-out memories for our family.

05-12-2006, 08:40 PM	#2
HomeWood Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Clayton,NC / Sanbornton,NH Posts: 611 Thanks: 126 Thanked 137 Times in 75 Posts	My family would usually go from Moultonborough Neck to Weirs Beach and hang out and be in what we used to call the "boat parade" in the Weirs channel. It has been years since a family boat ride, but they were a lot of fun and most of the time we were asleep on the way back. If we needed to use the bathroom..well...there was always off the side of the boat . It is hard to tell little kids to hold it on a bumpy boat ride. My dad would take us to camp grounds he used to go too when he was a kid and we would also just drive around to look at the houses. One trip we saw a moose swimming across the lake. The lake is certainly big enough to not see the same thing twice in one vacation. Have fun!

05-13-2006, 08:56 AM	#6
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	You can search for sandbars on this site and find a bunch of info. The most popular are in Braun Bay, behind Sleepers near West Alton Marina, near the cementary in Paugus Bay, and up near Center Harbor, I think it's called Patrician shores. There are tons of smaller ones and probably other that I don't know about. I don't know what you have for a boat but I've seen these for several boats: http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/acc...temdetail.aspx As for bathrooms, you can always get one of these http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11 Or more likely, one of these: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/715/209/11

05-13-2006, 11:25 AM	#8
ghfromaltonbay Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clifton, NJ, Alton Bay Posts: 827 Thanks: 255 Thanked 225 Times in 131 Posts	Head for Center Harbor Center Harbor is a great spot to stop after lounging out in the boat. During the week a dock is usually available for smaller boats, and there is a park and town beach right there with a bathhouse with flush toilets. There are also swings and a large lawn area, a very kid friendly beach, and a pavilion with lots of picnic tables in the shade. Across the road is the Heath Supermarket which has a great deli counter (try the rotisserie chicken) where you can buy a great and inexpensive picnic lunch.

05-13-2006, 11:42 AM	#9
Misty Blue Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 658 Thanks: 121 Thanked 283 Times in 98 Posts	Day tripp'en Jason: You can have a real fun day with a trip to Stonedam Island. The Lakes Region Conservation Trust keeps a dock by their interperative center. It is located on the Northeast side of the island about 200 yards south of Sally's Gut's eastern enterance. There are maps and information for a fun hike around and over the island. There is a cool swim beach on the western side looking past Eagle Ialsnd at the Weirs. Lots of nature stuff. It is an easy hike and a lot of fun and to be a real hero take 'em through the "gut" and up to Meredith for ice cream at the Town Docks! Misty Blue

05-13-2006, 01:58 PM	#10
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,329 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	Misty: How many boats can dock there at any one time? Thanks

05-13-2006, 04:22 PM	#11
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Stonedam has a single pier about 30' long. So, only two boats can dock at the same time. Also the the dock area is very shallow. My 26' bow rider only had a few inches under the skeg. I couldn't pull all the way in and had to leave 5 feet, sticking out beyond the dock. This was last year around 7/4. The good part is that the bottom is sandy with a few leaves and sticks, no rocks. I did see a see a big sailboat anchor in that general area and they swam in.

05-13-2006, 06:22 PM	#12
Kevin C Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Billerica, Ma Posts: 103 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sum-R-Breeze....I'm wavin' back...

05-14-2006, 07:38 AM	#14
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,329 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	JRC: Thanks for the information.

05-14-2006, 09:38 AM	#15
northforty Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Over the side of the boat...? Excuse me...!!!! Is it just me, or do other forum members have an "issue" with day boaters (or any one else for that matter) using the Lake as a toilet? I thought this was illegal, not to mention inconsiderate, unsanitary, gross, etc. Please, please, please bring along some kind of accommodation for these calls of nature. Thank you.

05-14-2006, 10:04 AM	#16
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Breeze, we had a discussion is this forum of the lack of "flushing" at Braun Bay a few years back. The more open sand bars like West Alton and Paugus Bay get a lot of wave action which keeps the water fresh. Northforty, are you really shocked that people pee in the water while swimming?

05-14-2006, 11:03 AM	#17
northforty Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	over the side of the boat First of all, I should applaud JasonG for being considerate of his family and the rest of us for looking for boat trips that do take into account the "calls of nature" and their consequences. Secondly, me personally being shocked about what people do when they swim is not the issue. I was trying to find out if we as a Lake and forum community are willing to sanction, without comment, the deposit of personal waste into the water. Campmor, REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, most marina's on the lake, carry a range of products which allow boaters to take their waste with them. I for one am asking that they do. Anybody else?

05-14-2006, 11:28 AM	#18
Aquadeziac Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Concord NH Posts: 239 Thanks: 19 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Please be careful what you say. There may be Legislators out there with way too much free time on their hands and they will start drafting Bills to prohibit all bowriders, pontoon boats and any other boat without proper waste disposal accomodations. And don't laugh, you've all seen what they have done in the past. __________________ "He who dies with the most toys wins"