Overnight docking

itchin for fishin · 09-02-2004, 06:52 AM

Is there overnight docking in Merideth after midnight?

Island-Ho · 09-02-2004, 11:38 AM

I think it would be safe to say that there is no overnight docking allowed at any public town dock on the lake.

Mee-n-Mac · 09-02-2004, 11:52 AM

Island-Ho is correct. I think you used to be able to get away with it occasionally but I heard that the town started cracking down on it this year.

Dave R · 09-02-2004, 02:04 PM

I don't own a boat I can sleep on so this does not really affect me, but I think it would be worthwhile for towns to offer transient slips for occassional use. There are plenty of trailerable cruisers on the market and the towns could make great use of the docks at night and make a little money too. Obviously, the price would have to be steep enough to not compete with marinas and daylight tie up time limits would need to be enforced but the concept has worked well for years in coastal towns. Out of curiosisty, do local marinas have transient slips???

KonaChick · 09-03-2004, 07:32 AM

Good idea possibly but I can't see it happening here..we barely have enough MP to enforce the current rules and regulations!

CentreHarborEric · 09-03-2004, 09:25 AM

Given the enormous beaurocracy that would necessarily come along with something administered by MP/Dept of Saftey/State of NH, I don't think it would ever be a money maker.
It was never a big money maker for us in the marina business. You might get $2 or $3/SF/night...

CentreHarborEric · 09-03-2004, 09:58 AM

Sorry, I am a commercial real estate guy and think in square feet or SF all the time. $2-$3/foot/night for transients back in the day.

Dave R · 09-03-2004, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CentreHarborEric

Given the enormous beaurocracy that would necessarily come along with something administered by MP/Dept of Saftey/State of NH, I don't think it would ever be a money maker.
It was never a big money maker for us in the marina business. You might get $2 or $3/SF/night...

I figured since it was at town docks, the local police would enforce the laws at the docks leaving the MP to continue to do what ever it is they do in the evenings. Just seems crazy to me to not allow people to tie up to town docks overnight if they are not breaking any laws (assuming ordinances were changed to allow overnight docking). I guess a few bad apples have eliminated the possibility of this for the rest of us by being loud and obnoxious. Same folks that ruined spending a night "on the hook" on the lake too I suppose.

This brings up a thought, since the lake is public property and there are laws against disturbing the peace etc. already on the books, why do we need a law that says it's illegal to anchor overnight on the lake? How is said law worded? Do I have to pull up my anchor from sunset to sunrise or is it just necessary to have someone awake at all times? I can recall spending night at anchor as a kid on my parent's cruiser back in the 70s (when it was legal). It was fun and we were polite and quiet. Be nice to able to share that sort of thing with my own kids someday. Be nice to have a cruiser too...

pmj · 09-04-2004, 05:36 PM

I agree that you should be able to anchor overnight on the lake. I do not see the reasoning behind this law and think it just one more strike against the "Live Free or Die"slogan. Government making laws that have no substance.
If someone knows the reasoning behind this please explain this one to me. Oh, and if it has anything to do with waste,

I don't buy it. We have holding tanks for this purpose.

pmj

NightWing · 09-04-2004, 06:01 PM

It might turn parts of the lake into a campground.

pmj · 09-05-2004, 08:09 PM

They allow this on Lake Champlain and I haven't read anywhere that this poses a threat to any particular issue, safety wise or environmentally.

Dave R · 09-08-2004, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmj

I agree that you should be able to anchor overnight on the lake. I do not see the reasoning behind this law and think it just one more strike against the "Live Free or Die"slogan. Government making laws that have no substance.
If someone knows the reasoning behind this please explain this one to me. Oh, and if it has anything to do with waste,

I don't buy it. We have holding tanks for this purpose.

pmj

Pretty sure it has everything to do with noise levels coming from the anchored boats and unhappy residents on the shore hoping for a peaceful nights rest. As much as I don't want anyone to be disturbed, I personally think banning overnight anchoring is in general a bad idea on a public lake. If noise is a problem, tickets (and very large fines) should be issued by the MP or local police since disturbing the peace is already against the law and something that should be punished more severely than it presently is.

There does not seem to be any regard for the quiet, law abiding boaters who would go unnoticed all night on the hook. That said, perhaps plenty of people do anchor overnight and the MP ignores it unless they get a complaint. I imagine it would be easy to get away with on a weeknight, especially if one were to carefully choose their spot and keep quiet.

Sschaar · 09-08-2004, 01:00 PM

The reason the law is on the books is cause they don't want people sleeping on the lake, they want them in area hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts. At dinner time they don't want them on the lake, they want them in area restaurants spending money and paying taxes to support the local economy and goverment. Besides if people can stay over night on the lake what's to keep them from partying up a storm, and being loud. Then there would be a need for more law enforcemnet, hence more money having to be spent. They just don't want to go there. Can't say I blame them for that.
But I do acknowedge your point. What right do they have to infringe on your comings and goings on public property.

islandAl · 09-08-2004, 01:53 PM

You are not allowed to pull over to the side of a highway and camp overnight, so the same thing goes on the lake, you can not just drop anchor and spend the night.

madrasahs · 09-09-2004, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave R

"...plenty of people do anchor overnight and the MP ignores it unless they get a complaint."

Usually, one's only "clue" is a noisy engine start-up in the morning, when it's too late to do anything about it.
.

When I did spot one, they had time to brush their teeth, pee, shampoo, and wash up before the MPs arrived (to wonder about the only boat they passed while getting to the scene).
.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sschaar

"What right do they have to infringe on your comings and goings on public property."

Last night's winds would have had your boat dragging its anchor.

Depending on the makeup of the bottom (which you wouldn't have known for sure when anchoring) you could have collected, disconnected, tangled, or damaged lots of mooring lines, lakewater supply pipes, moorings, swim lines, moored boats, docks, and docked boats before you knew it. (And woke up and were able -- perhaps -- to discover what was happening in the dark.)

Seems as though NH considered the unforeseen costs of LFOD. Some folks have not.

Sschaar · 09-10-2004, 08:41 AM

Madrasashs
You seem to relish in any law/regulation that limits peoples access or usage of the lake.
In many lakes throughout the country it's not an issue. Lakes are for the general public to use. Day use, night use, whatever.
That doesn't mean people have the right to violate laws. If somebody's boat is to loud they should get a ticket. If their speeding or driving in an unsafe manner they should be cited. If they want to spend a night on their boat they should be able to. It's done everywhere else.
Now that doesn't mean their not held accountable for their actions. If they wreck something, they pay.
Maybe residents/taxpayers should hold local law enforcment more accountable for the laws that are currently on the books. If there's not enough of them, who's fault is that. ( Let me guess, the boaters )
I think the vast majority of boaters are responsible and safe.
You seems to always be pointing out the exception.

marcucci · 09-10-2004, 03:44 PM

I think you can anchor overnight. You just have to:

1) Keep you anchor light on
2) Don't sleep

This is what I believe to be legally true and what I have been telling people for years.

-Dave

ghoti · 09-10-2004, 04:28 PM

I was told by a sailboater friend (non-property owner) that he had checked with the MP and was told by them that if they knew an on-shore property owner, they could anchor in front of their place and sleep overnight. Never checked into it myself so can't vouch for it personnally.

Not sure it makes sense

, but laws aren't always logical unless you know the context of how they were passed. BTW, he rarely does it.

Just offering this as food for controversy, I guess.

Skip · 09-10-2004, 04:47 PM

I have attached the applicable RSA's below governing overnight anchoring.
The law is somewhat ambiguous, but rest assured...whether you are in a forty foot cruiser or a sixteen foot whaler, if you're asleep on a seat, bucket,blanket or bed (its all considered bed) and no matter where you go or what you use (the Lake included) its will be considered "toilet facilities", and you will be moved along (with or without paperwork). So, if its after dark and you are asleep in or on it, its probably going to be considered a "houseboat".

Anyway, hope the below posted info helps and as always, please feel free to e-mail me offline if you would like any further information....

Skip

CHAPTER 270-A
USE OF HOUSEBOATS
Section 270-A:1
270-A:1 Definitions. – The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
I. "Person' means any individual, firm, co-partnership, company, association or joint-stock association, including any trustee, administrator, executor, receiver, assignee or other personal representative thereof.
II. "Houseboat' means any ship, boat, raft, float, catamaran or marine craft of any description upon or within which are located sleeping and toilet facilities, regardless of whether such facilities are of a permanent or temporary nature.
III. "Overnight period' means the period of time between the termination of daylight in the evening to the earliest dawn in the next morning.
IV. "Mooring' means beaching, grounding, or tying of a houseboat to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state, and the anchoring of a houseboat on any of the inland surface waters of the state.

CHAPTER 270-A
USE OF HOUSEBOATS
Section 270-A:2
270-A:2 Where Overnight Mooring Permitted. – A houseboat may be beached or grounded, or tied to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only when on or at a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the houseboat or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location. An unoccupied houseboat may be anchored on the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only in an area reasonably adjacent to a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the houseboat or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location

CHAPTER 270-A
USE OF HOUSEBOATS
Section 270-A:3
270-A:3 Where Overnight Mooring Prohibited. – No houseboat shall be beached or grounded, or tied to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period or any part of an overnight period, except as permitted in RSA 270-A:2 or in cases of emergency. No houseboat shall be anchored on any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period or any part of an overnight period except as permitted in RSA 270-A:2 or in cases of emergency.

09-02-2004, 06:52 AM	#1
itchin for fishin Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 105 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Overnight docking Is there overnight docking in Merideth after midnight?

09-02-2004, 11:38 AM	#2
Island-Ho Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 176 Thanks: 19 Thanked 14 Times in 11 Posts	No Overnight Docking I think it would be safe to say that there is no overnight docking allowed at any public town dock on the lake.

09-02-2004, 11:52 AM	#3
Mee-n-Mac Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,943 Thanks: 23 Thanked 111 Times in 51 Posts	Not legally Island-Ho is correct. I think you used to be able to get away with it occasionally but I heard that the town started cracking down on it this year. __________________ Mee'n'Mac "Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by simple stupidity or ignorance. The latter are a lot more common than the former." - RAH

09-03-2004, 09:25 AM	#6
CentreHarborEric Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Tough to administer Given the enormous beaurocracy that would necessarily come along with something administered by MP/Dept of Saftey/State of NH, I don't think it would ever be a money maker. It was never a big money maker for us in the marina business. You might get $2 or $3/SF/night...

09-03-2004, 09:58 AM	#7
CentreHarborEric Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Foot, Not Square Foot-Sorry Sorry, I am a commercial real estate guy and think in square feet or SF all the time. $2-$3/foot/night for transients back in the day.

09-02-2004, 02:04 PM	#4
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,984 Thanks: 246 Thanked 743 Times in 443 Posts	I don't own a boat I can sleep on so this does not really affect me, but I think it would be worthwhile for towns to offer transient slips for occassional use. There are plenty of trailerable cruisers on the market and the towns could make great use of the docks at night and make a little money too. Obviously, the price would have to be steep enough to not compete with marinas and daylight tie up time limits would need to be enforced but the concept has worked well for years in coastal towns. Out of curiosisty, do local marinas have transient slips???

09-03-2004, 07:32 AM	#5
KonaChick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 518 Thanks: 19 Thanked 62 Times in 15 Posts	Good idea possibly but I can't see it happening here..we barely have enough MP to enforce the current rules and regulations!

09-04-2004, 05:36 PM	#9
pmj Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 240 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I agree with DaveR I agree that you should be able to anchor overnight on the lake. I do not see the reasoning behind this law and think it just one more strike against the "Live Free or Die"slogan. Government making laws that have no substance. If someone knows the reasoning behind this please explain this one to me. Oh, and if it has anything to do with waste, I don't buy it. We have holding tanks for this purpose. pmj

09-04-2004, 06:01 PM	#10
NightWing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 410 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	It might turn parts of the lake into a campground.

09-05-2004, 08:09 PM	#11
pmj Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 240 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	overnight anchoring They allow this on Lake Champlain and I haven't read anywhere that this poses a threat to any particular issue, safety wise or environmentally.

09-08-2004, 01:00 PM	#13
Sschaar Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 40 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The reason the law is on the books is cause they don't want people sleeping on the lake, they want them in area hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts. At dinner time they don't want them on the lake, they want them in area restaurants spending money and paying taxes to support the local economy and goverment. Besides if people can stay over night on the lake what's to keep them from partying up a storm, and being loud. Then there would be a need for more law enforcemnet, hence more money having to be spent. They just don't want to go there. Can't say I blame them for that. But I do acknowedge your point. What right do they have to infringe on your comings and goings on public property.

09-08-2004, 01:53 PM	#14
islandAl Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mountonboro Posts: 200 Thanks: 12 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Not on Roadway, not on lake You are not allowed to pull over to the side of a highway and camp overnight, so the same thing goes on the lake, you can not just drop anchor and spend the night.

09-10-2004, 08:41 AM	#16
Sschaar Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 40 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Madrasashs You seem to relish in any law/regulation that limits peoples access or usage of the lake. In many lakes throughout the country it's not an issue. Lakes are for the general public to use. Day use, night use, whatever. That doesn't mean people have the right to violate laws. If somebody's boat is to loud they should get a ticket. If their speeding or driving in an unsafe manner they should be cited. If they want to spend a night on their boat they should be able to. It's done everywhere else. Now that doesn't mean their not held accountable for their actions. If they wreck something, they pay. Maybe residents/taxpayers should hold local law enforcment more accountable for the laws that are currently on the books. If there's not enough of them, who's fault is that. ( Let me guess, the boaters ) I think the vast majority of boaters are responsible and safe. You seems to always be pointing out the exception.

09-10-2004, 03:44 PM	#17
marcucci Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 78 Thanks: 1 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	I think you can anchor overnight. You just have to: 1) Keep you anchor light on 2) Don't sleep This is what I believe to be legally true and what I have been telling people for years. -Dave __________________ ----------- Boat #3: Premier Sunsation 220 Tritoon Boating on Winnipesaukee since 1989 Vacationing on Winnipesaukee since 1975

09-10-2004, 04:28 PM	#18
ghoti Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 29 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I was told by a sailboater friend (non-property owner) that he had checked with the MP and was told by them that if they knew an on-shore property owner, they could anchor in front of their place and sleep overnight. Never checked into it myself so can't vouch for it personnally. Not sure it makes sense , but laws aren't always logical unless you know the context of how they were passed. BTW, he rarely does it. Just offering this as food for controversy, I guess.

09-10-2004, 04:47 PM	#19
Skip Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 1,615 Thanks: 256 Thanked 514 Times in 182 Posts	When is a boat a houseboat? I have attached the applicable RSA's below governing overnight anchoring. The law is somewhat ambiguous, but rest assured...whether you are in a forty foot cruiser or a sixteen foot whaler, if you're asleep on a seat, bucket,blanket or bed (its all considered bed) and no matter where you go or what you use (the Lake included) its will be considered "toilet facilities", and you will be moved along (with or without paperwork). So, if its after dark and you are asleep in or on it, its probably going to be considered a "houseboat". Anyway, hope the below posted info helps and as always, please feel free to e-mail me offline if you would like any further information.... Skip CHAPTER 270-A USE OF HOUSEBOATS Section 270-A:1 270-A:1 Definitions. – The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: I. "Person' means any individual, firm, co-partnership, company, association or joint-stock association, including any trustee, administrator, executor, receiver, assignee or other personal representative thereof. II. "Houseboat' means any ship, boat, raft, float, catamaran or marine craft of any description upon or within which are located sleeping and toilet facilities, regardless of whether such facilities are of a permanent or temporary nature. III. "Overnight period' means the period of time between the termination of daylight in the evening to the earliest dawn in the next morning. IV. "Mooring' means beaching, grounding, or tying of a houseboat to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state, and the anchoring of a houseboat on any of the inland surface waters of the state. CHAPTER 270-A USE OF HOUSEBOATS Section 270-A:2 270-A:2 Where Overnight Mooring Permitted. – A houseboat may be beached or grounded, or tied to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only when on or at a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the houseboat or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location. An unoccupied houseboat may be anchored on the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only in an area reasonably adjacent to a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the houseboat or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location CHAPTER 270-A USE OF HOUSEBOATS Section 270-A:3 270-A:3 Where Overnight Mooring Prohibited. – No houseboat shall be beached or grounded, or tied to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period or any part of an overnight period, except as permitted in RSA 270-A:2 or in cases of emergency. No houseboat shall be anchored on any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period or any part of an overnight period except as permitted in RSA 270-A:2 or in cases of emergency.