Overnight on the Lake

NoBozo · 07-07-2010, 12:03 PM

I think the NO anchoring overnight, or NO hanging on a "Mooring" overnight comes from a simple reality. If people are given free and unregulated access to the lake...they WILL Take It.

Picture this: I live in the big city and it gets hot in the summer. I think I'll build myself a Barge with a "Cabin" on it ..maybe two stories high. I'll drag the barge up to Winni and launch it in June or so and tow it out to the nicest spot I can find and drop a large anchor over the side and ....Spend The Summer.

It's like I have Waterfront Property without the taxes and upkeep. I'll invite my friends up and they will see what a great idea this is and they will bring their own barge up next year....And so it goes.

Picture an All Summer Long Woodstock '69 in Braun Bay. Hundreds of Tie Dyed T-shirts flying from improvised clothes lines on improvised floating summer "Homes".

NB

alsadad · 07-07-2010, 01:21 PM

A man from the Island of Bear
Told Mass Camper “Come anchor right there.”
Have fun all the night
But stay out of sight
Because I have neighbors who stare.

Dave R · 07-07-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoBozo

I think the NO anchoring overnight, or NO hanging on a "Mooring" overnight comes from a simple reality. If people are given free and unregulated access to the lake...they WILL Take It.

Picture this: I live in the big city and it gets hot in the summer. I think I'll build myself a Barge with a "Cabin" on it ..maybe two stories high. I'll drag the barge up to Winni and launch it in June or so and tow it out to the nicest spot I can find and drop a large anchor over the side and ....Spend The Summer.

It's like I have Waterfront Property without the taxes and upkeep. I'll invite my friends up and they will see what a great idea this is and they will bring their own barge up next year....And so it goes.

Picture an All Summer Long Woodstock '69 in Braun Bay. Hundreds of Tie Dyed T-shirts flying from improvised clothes lines on improvised floating summer "Homes".

NB

It's legal in Sebago, nobody does it.

NoBozo · 07-07-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave R

It's legal in Sebago, nobody does it.

Maybe there's no reason to go to Sebago..? Personally ..I like Winni and I have the choice to go anywhere. Just sayin.

NB

Mee-n-Mac · 07-07-2010, 07:10 PM

here.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/.../270-a-mrg.htm

Now we've had definitions and discussions re: just what a "houseboat" is but if you can sleep on it ... it's got "sleeping facilities" and no doubt a porta-pottie falls under the ruling of a "toilet facility" (albeit a temporary one).

Frankly if you're tied up at a dock or beached onshore next to a house I doubt the MP will bother to check on you. An anchor in the water and a line to a tree onshore in the woods may not go so unchallenged. I'd have to say Broadhopper got lucky.

(ps - a galley makes no difference whether a boat is a "houseboat")

no-engine · 07-07-2010, 09:18 PM

This situation is hard to believe. What happened is that a few legislators living on or owning lake front property decided they'd write legislation stopping anchoring off their own property, and it all passed, b/c the remaining to make the required vote did not understand and so voted in favor of the proposed laws.

As I once wrote, as a kid on coast between just south of Boston and all around the many sheltered bays & coves on Cape Cod, we anchored overnight many times. My late father used to say the floating summer cottage. We were self contained 32' sail boat with galley, cook top stove (fuel was safe liquid alcohol), icebox (yes with ice blocks), bunks, a head (the toilet facilities), swimming ladder, and so on. Everyone had respect for the shore property; sometimes it was public park lands. I can be more specific about locations, but who cares. Certainly NH State Legislators do not.

It seems ludicrous that a boat at mooring can be there, but as soon as people are aboard, a mast head white light is required at night! I used to have a 19' sailboat; I'd use a porta-potty and occasionally sleep aboard while on my own mooring. I never abused where I was and never was "inspected" or ticketed during the night. As one wrote, depends on who the MP officer is working and where they are patrolling.

NoRegrets · 07-07-2010, 09:35 PM

How sad when politicians vote on issues when they have no knowledge about the topic. How infuriating when they take advice from special interest groups and limit everyone!

November should be a very telling time for our country and then maybe we can all go back to a more common sense society.

Still would like to hear about the night out with your wife and I am sure there are many on the forum that will insure you have a safe celebration!

VtSteve · 07-07-2010, 09:42 PM

I think the perception is one of worry, since so very few people on Winni overnight on boats. It's so common over here, that I try to plan to be out of the way soon enough on a Friday night that I don't get caught in the myriad of pocket cruiser wakes as they rush out for the weekend.

There are many "Special Designated Anchorage areas" as well. They are all on the chart from Canada all the way South. Obviously, Winni's problem since the heyday of the 70's building boom onward, is that there aren't that many areas left that are undeveloped.

Boaters in general have very little voice or advocates on Winni, which shows up in spades.

BTW, thanks to whomever showed the link to the Long Island campground, I somehow missed them in my searches for places to stay and boat.

jrc · 07-07-2010, 10:10 PM

The law cited was written in 1967, not exactly a new restriction.

Laws like this and no rafting are not about safety. It's like prohibiting camping in a park. Yellowstone would be silly but Central Park maybe not.

ApS · 07-08-2010, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by no-engine

"...This situation is hard to believe...as a kid on coast between just south of Boston and all around the many sheltered bays & coves on Cape Cod, we anchored overnight many times..."

...Not too many water-lines extending out into salt water.

07-07-2010, 12:03 PM	#1
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	Summer Place On The Water I think the NO anchoring overnight, or NO hanging on a "Mooring" overnight comes from a simple reality. If people are given free and unregulated access to the lake...they WILL Take It. Picture this: I live in the big city and it gets hot in the summer. I think I'll build myself a Barge with a "Cabin" on it ..maybe two stories high. I'll drag the barge up to Winni and launch it in June or so and tow it out to the nicest spot I can find and drop a large anchor over the side and ....Spend The Summer. It's like I have Waterfront Property without the taxes and upkeep. I'll invite my friends up and they will see what a great idea this is and they will bring their own barge up next year....And so it goes. Picture an All Summer Long Woodstock '69 in Braun Bay. Hundreds of Tie Dyed T-shirts flying from improvised clothes lines on improvised floating summer "Homes". NB Last edited by NoBozo; 07-07-2010 at 12:42 PM. Reason: SP

07-07-2010, 01:21 PM	#2
alsadad Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 45 Thanks: 8 Thanked 41 Times in 10 Posts	Warning A man from the Island of Bear Told Mass Camper “Come anchor right there.” Have fun all the night But stay out of sight Because I have neighbors who stare.

07-07-2010, 07:10 PM	#5
Mee-n-Mac Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,943 Thanks: 23 Thanked 111 Times in 51 Posts	The RSA is ... here. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/.../270-a-mrg.htm Now we've had definitions and discussions re: just what a "houseboat" is but if you can sleep on it ... it's got "sleeping facilities" and no doubt a porta-pottie falls under the ruling of a "toilet facility" (albeit a temporary one). Frankly if you're tied up at a dock or beached onshore next to a house I doubt the MP will bother to check on you. An anchor in the water and a line to a tree onshore in the woods may not go so unchallenged. I'd have to say Broadhopper got lucky. (ps - a galley makes no difference whether a boat is a "houseboat") __________________ 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

07-07-2010, 09:18 PM	#6
no-engine Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West side Winnipesaukee, Lakes Region Posts: 516 Thanks: 20 Thanked 52 Times in 40 Posts	This situation is hard to believe. What happened is that a few legislators living on or owning lake front property decided they'd write legislation stopping anchoring off their own property, and it all passed, b/c the remaining to make the required vote did not understand and so voted in favor of the proposed laws. As I once wrote, as a kid on coast between just south of Boston and all around the many sheltered bays & coves on Cape Cod, we anchored overnight many times. My late father used to say the floating summer cottage. We were self contained 32' sail boat with galley, cook top stove (fuel was safe liquid alcohol), icebox (yes with ice blocks), bunks, a head (the toilet facilities), swimming ladder, and so on. Everyone had respect for the shore property; sometimes it was public park lands. I can be more specific about locations, but who cares. Certainly NH State Legislators do not. It seems ludicrous that a boat at mooring can be there, but as soon as people are aboard, a mast head white light is required at night! I used to have a 19' sailboat; I'd use a porta-potty and occasionally sleep aboard while on my own mooring. I never abused where I was and never was "inspected" or ticketed during the night. As one wrote, depends on who the MP officer is working and where they are patrolling.

07-07-2010, 09:35 PM	#7
NoRegrets Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hudson - NH Posts: 408 Thanks: 233 Thanked 212 Times in 88 Posts	How sad when politicians vote on issues when they have no knowledge about the topic. How infuriating when they take advice from special interest groups and limit everyone! November should be a very telling time for our country and then maybe we can all go back to a more common sense society. Still would like to hear about the night out with your wife and I am sure there are many on the forum that will insure you have a safe celebration!

07-07-2010, 09:42 PM	#8
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	I think the perception is one of worry, since so very few people on Winni overnight on boats. It's so common over here, that I try to plan to be out of the way soon enough on a Friday night that I don't get caught in the myriad of pocket cruiser wakes as they rush out for the weekend. There are many "Special Designated Anchorage areas" as well. They are all on the chart from Canada all the way South. Obviously, Winni's problem since the heyday of the 70's building boom onward, is that there aren't that many areas left that are undeveloped. Boaters in general have very little voice or advocates on Winni, which shows up in spades. BTW, thanks to whomever showed the link to the Long Island campground, I somehow missed them in my searches for places to stay and boat.

07-07-2010, 10:10 PM	#9
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	The law cited was written in 1967, not exactly a new restriction. Laws like this and no rafting are not about safety. It's like prohibiting camping in a park. Yellowstone would be silly but Central Park maybe not.