...where are the boats?

[MAXUM]

Hmm, have you actually gone to the ramp on Squam lake? Sure it'd really nice, and yes they have a very nice faciity there, but parking for only a handful of trucks and trailers, once the lot is full the ramp cannot be used. So if you want to use that ramp get in before 7:00 AM during the summer or forget about it. There was plenty of room to allow for more parking but rumor has it (I cannot confirm this to be true but wouldn't surprise me one bit) the Squam Lake Assoc had a big part in making sure there was limited parking after it was clear they had lost the battle to all out block the ramp from being constructed.

End of the day, everything is relative, the biggest challenge to putting in a large lauching facitlity is that it requires a combination of decent shore frontage AND contigious acreage to construct a parking lot. There aren't exactly to many spots left on the lake that provide both those features, price points aside. Even if that all could be secured, as FFL admits and I agree, abutters are NOT going to want to have something like that next door, just look what happened to Ames Farm. Shutting down the pubic boat launching had little to do with zoning and everything to do with the neighbors saying not in my back yard. Let's be honest here, if you're shelling out all that property tax $$ last thing you want to deal with is a launch next door.

I do think that a good launch could be put in at Ellacoya, to do it right the state would need to put in a large breakwater and do some dredging. While I understand the idea of both may get DES a little excited, in the interest of public access this would be one case where I think it could be done in a responsible manner and should be at least considered. Heck look at all the money wasted studing crap nobody cares about spending some money to consider the impact of doing something like I suggested would be at least spent looking at something useful.

[ITD]

Less, you sound like a go getter, solve the problem type of guy, offer up your cottage for a free launch to Winni. I would fight tooth and nail to make sure everything got permitted including dredging if needed and parking, whatya say, put your money where your mouth is?

[AC2717]

i posted this in another thread, and I wanted to put it here as well

Why do people say public access to the lake with boats is limited:
at almost every marina on the lake you can get into the lake with a boat - irwins, thurstons, channel, lakeport, meredith, shep browns, to name a few
also at hotels such as christmas island. then you have all the town launches such as meredith, center harbor, meredith, alton, ellacoya

I can count in my head (i know amazing I can count without my fingers and toes) 5 in paugus bay alone, then over 10 around the lake, and I am sure I am missing some

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by AC2717

i posted this in another thread, and I wanted to put it here as well

Why do people say public access to the lake with boats is limited:
at almost every marina on the lake you can get into the lake with a boat - irwins, thurstons, channel, lakeport, meredith, shep browns, to name a few
also at hotels such as christmas island. then you have all the town launches such as meredith, center harbor, meredith, alton, ellacoya

I can count in my head (i know amazing I can count without my fingers and toes) 5 in paugus bay alone, then over 10 around the lake, and I am sure I am missing some

Because most people do not want to pay the $15.00 or $20.00 to put their $30,000.00 + boat in the water! Go figure!

[fatlazyless]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/.../bo...-okay-struggle

Boo-hoo....another non-working link to this April 11, 2012 article on the ten year or so struggle to get a state boat launch built on Lake Sunapee.

"boat launch gets boards okay struggle"

Can you-all, someone, make a link that works......pretty interesting article....about the State Fish & Game Dept efforts to build a free-to-use state launch facility.

[AC2717]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Because most people do not want to pay the $15.00 or $20.00 to put their $30,000.00 + boat in the water! Go figure!

That is what I figured and think it is crazy, it is part of the game, so you want free access to a state owned lake that others pay taxes on to use, hey even those with places on the water have to pay to get the boat into the lake.

Lake winni is different from all the rest, with its size, type of boating, and what not. you want it for free, go put your 25 foot boat in a 4 square mile lake like Lake Pemi or somethign like that, oh wait there is no ramp there to be maintained. Launch fees are apart of the culture, it is what it is

[NoBozo]

In keeping with some above attitudes, maybe the towns on the lake should ALL have a Dockmaster to collect Dock Fees @ say $1.25 or so a foot for two hours docking. Would you go over to Wolfeboro for ice cream then..?

In the yachting capitol of the world, Newport, RI, there is NO Free docking anywhere. Want to go ashore..you gotta pay someone. NB

[SIKSUKR]

You can't even bring a dingy to shore without paying?

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

You can't even bring a dingy to shore without paying?

NOPE. If you rent a mooring out in the harbor for the night you call a Launch Service (and pay) to go ashore......leave the dinghy with the big boat. I think there is one dock you can leave a dinghy downtown but you still pay something.

Kinda like the Jersey Shore. Everything is privately owned. The beach is FREE..but you can't GET to the beach without paying someone...even if it's only for parking. NB

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

How much does it cost to use a bathroom?

Nothing: Because there are no public bathrooms....("Too difficult to maintain") I expect the visitors center has them but you have to know where it is...at one end of town. BTW: Newport has a TAX on Cruise Ship passengers going ashore. I think the ship pays for that though. We used to have cruise ships all the time, before the Passenger Tax...sometimes 4 or 5 at a time anchored in the outer harbor. Now we see one every now and then. NB

[jrc]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

In keeping with some above attitudes, maybe the towns on the lake should ALL have a Dockmaster to collect Dock Fees @ say $1.25 or so a foot for two hours docking. Would you go over to Wolfeboro for ice cream then..?

In the yachting capitol of the world, Newport, RI, there is NO Free docking anywhere. Want to go ashore..you gotta pay someone. NB

In some ways I would welcome a fee for reserved docking. We seldom go to Wolfeboro by boat even though we love it there. It's at least $50 in fuel for me to go there and back. And if I get there and can't get a dock, then I'm hot, grumpy and out $50.

Now I'm not suggesting we make this change, I'm just saying it's not all bad. It would raise some money for the town and it would probably increase the money spent by boaters in the town. Boaters willing to pay a docking fee, likely really want to visit and buy something.