Chase island obstacles

[Descant]

All these memory jogs are great, BUT...
In front of my camp there is a red and a black buoy. Yes, you go west of one, and east of the other. But in practice, you go south of both. Just read the chart and follow the dotted lines. Then look at your compass and assemble ALL the info. There are too many places where NEWS is an over simplification. It works, but you have to see the whole picture and understand why that buoy is red, not black.
I recall visiting a friend in Moultonborough. There was a (red?) buoy in front of their camp. Which side to go? They said "it doesn't matter. Just don't hit the rock under the buoy. Same story from a friend on Ossipee. Local knowledge is prime.

[Barney Bear]

The red top bouy just west of the no-wake buoy in Glendale harbor replaces a black top buoy which was in the same location. The buoy denotes the location of a large rock which threatens some sail boat keels. For many years, there was no buoy at this location. ⛵️

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by Descant

All these memory jogs are great, BUT...
In front of my camp there is a red and a black buoy. Yes, you go west of one, and east of the other. But in practice, you go south of both. Just read the chart and follow the dotted lines. Then look at your compass and assemble ALL the info. There are too many places where NEWS is an over simplification. It works, but you have to see the whole picture and understand why that buoy is red, not black.
I recall visiting a friend in Moultonborough. There was a (red?) buoy in front of their camp. Which side to go? They said "it doesn't matter. Just don't hit the rock under the buoy. Same story from a friend on Ossipee. Local knowledge is prime.

Absolutely. I am on the Tuftonboro side of Moultonborough Bay, and we have a number of counterintuitive buoys. Dangerous if you have not studied the chart--people should not rely upon buoys alone.

[Phantom]

The biggest lesson that I have learned from the 35+yrs of boating Winni is nothing beats local knowledge. I always teach new drivers to NEVER blindly follow another boat because "they must know what their doing" (8/10 don't)

So to Sundancer, I suggest - on a sunny morning when the water is calm & you can see well below the surface--- slowly & carefully maneuver around the various markers to get a better understanding of what lies beneath (and at what depth - which Seasonally adjusts)

The Bizer Chart and a good compass will always keep you safe .........but is not always the only way to travel (once you know the particular area & what the markers are indicating).

-Markers can indicate a single rock cluster adjacent to the stick
-Markers can indicate a rock field from the stick to shoreline
-Markers can indicate a rock field between a pair of red/black tops
-Markers can indicate simply deep water and the area inside the stick is perfectly safe for shallow draft pleasure craft (classic example is FL#1)

Enjoy your time on the water !! It's a Great Lake to explore

and YES -- you will ding a prop here and there, We all have or we weren't exploring ……. just hope it's when at no wake speed the other way is quite disturbing (I can assure you first hand) !


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[ursa minor]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Absolutely. I am on the Tuftonboro side of Moultonborough Bay, and we have a number of counterintuitive buoys. Dangerous if you have not studied the chart--people should not rely upon buoys alone.

Like when heading from the direction of Nine Acre Island and passing between Spectacle Island and Moultonboro Neck the colors on the bouys swap sides? That kind of counterintuitive? I've always enjoyed that one... I would imagine the technical reason is because of a change in course direction, even though you really don't change course in any manner that I can notice.

[kawishiwi]

Originally Posted by ursa minor

Like when heading from the direction of Nine Acre Island and passing between Spectacle Island and Moultonboro Neck the colors on the bouys swap sides? That kind of counterintuitive? I've always enjoyed that one... I would imagine the technical reason is because of a change in course direction, even though you really don't change course in any manner that I can notice.

Very close to that spot is the passage between Dow island and the "mainland". My first week on the lake I tooled into that stretch and was baffled, befuddled, & possibly even flabbergasted. Ahead of me was a colorful mish-mash of numerous black and red markers in what appeared to be a wholly random pattern. After long study it appeared to turn into a slalom course that STILL didnt make sense. I tried to take a picture but I couldnt capture the feel of being in a maze of markers. I still take the first couple of trips each year through that stretch slowly & carefully.

[ursa minor]

Originally Posted by kawishiwi

Very close to that spot is the passage between Dow island and the "mainland".

I believe the area you're referring to was called "the wiggles" by the old timers (steamboat days) because of the twists and turns needed. It gets my full undivided attention as well, you're in good company.