Depth Question

[tis]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. You guys are right. Rather, wait and find the perfect house. I will keep looking around.
My only other thought is, no matter where we go, am I gonna face this same issue? Our boat is quite big, and does not do good in shallow water. I'm assuming no matter where I go, I'm gonna have a few issues. Can anyone relate to this? MaybeI am the issue here We are still new to the lake and learning stuff as we go.

For anyone who has a deal dock vs and seasonal one. Pros/cons? Im curious if this should factor into my decision at all. Thanks everyone

I don't think shallow in itself necessarily means elimination. My parent's is very shallow walking right out to over your head with no drop off. It is all sandy and we knew where the very few rocks were. When we were young our first boat was a Century 27' and we spent weekends in it there. A couple weeks in the fall could make it tough if not impossible to go all the way in. Our house now has deeper water but still no big dropoff. I personally, as Samiam said, would rather have a nice place to swim than deep water at the dock. Of course personal preference is important.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by tis

I don't think shallow in itself necessarily means elimination. My parent's is very shallow walking right out to over your head with no drop off. It is all sandy and we knew where the very few rocks were. When we were young our first boat was a Century 27' and we spent weekends in it there. A couple weeks in the fall could make it tough if not impossible to go all the way in. Our house now has deeper water but still no big dropoff. I personally, as Samiam said, would rather have a nice place to swim than deep water at the dock. Of course personal preference is important.

For $5M, there should be no "could make it tough" caveats.

Also, I always looked at Island property as a decision for value. I know it's not the case for everyone, but, again, $5M should buy a mainland property with year-round/much simpler access.

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[tis]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

For $5M, there should be no "could make it tough" caveats.

Also, I always looked at Island property as a decision for value. I know it's not the case for everyone, but, again, $5M should buy a mainland property with year-round/much simpler access.

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WEll, as you know, no matter how much you pay you are not likely going to find a house that's perfect. Close, maybe but never perfect. If a couple of weeks of shallow water bothers one, then that's not the house for them. We could have extended our dock but the issue of shallow water didn't bother us that much to do that. I do believe it is still allowed to extend a dock if you have shallow water. When we bought our house, the most important things to me were not to be in the broads due to the rough and cold winds in the winter, no association, and no steep hill to the water. We also didn't want a tiny lot. Yet how can you beat the views in the broads? So what I am saying is you have to decide what is important to you.

Something else to think of is if the color of the water is important to you. Alton Bay and Melvin Village up to Moultonboro tend to have a brownish color. I never knew why? Minerals? Somebody else had mentioned this before and I was surprised because you don't hear of it often.

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by tis

WEll, as you know, no matter how much you pay you are not likely going to find a house that's perfect. Close, maybe but never perfect. If a couple of weeks of shallow water bothers one, then that's not the house for them. We could have extended our dock but the issue of shallow water didn't bother us that much to do that. I do believe it is still allowed to extend a dock if you have shallow water. When we bought our house, the most important things to me were not to be in the broads due to the rough and cold winds in the winter, no association, and no steep hill to the water. We also didn't want a tiny lot. Yet how can you beat the views in the broads? So what I am saying is you have to decide what is important to you.

Something else to think of is if the color of the water is important to you. Alton Bay and Melvin Village up to Moultonboro tend to have a brownish color. I never knew why? Minerals? Somebody else had mentioned this before and I was surprised because you don't hear of it often.

I agree with this, the house is not gonna be perfect. I think I will have issues with depth on this lake, no matter what, with my boat. About the seasonal dock, I am going to assume that this area does not have any problems with wake, because every dock in this cove is a temporary one. I assume if everyone is doing it, I would be ok, but the last thing I want is damage to that and damage to my boat. Something I would have to think about.

About island living... I don't think I am ready for that. I think the goal for the family would be quick and easy access. Not only to the house itself, but the stores and whatnot. I am also the only person in the family who drives the boat, so if I am not there, there would be issues. Curious to hear what people's opinions are on living on an island
Additionally, some people mentioned the house is not facing the sunset. Is this a deal breaker in your opinion? I would say as a family, we are not morning people, so light in the morning isn't a huge deal. How much does not facing the sunset really affect things? Not everyone can face it on the lake, so undoubtedly some people don't and must like it.

[tis]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

I agree with this, the house is not gonna be perfect. I think I will have issues with depth on this lake, no matter what, with my boat. About the seasonal dock, I am going to assume that this area does not have any problems with wake, because every dock in this cove is a temporary one. I assume if everyone is doing it, I would be ok, but the last thing I want is damage to that and damage to my boat. Something I would have to think about.

About island living... I don't think I am ready for that. I think the goal for the family would be quick and easy access. Not only to the house itself, but the stores and whatnot. I am also the only person in the family who drives the boat, so if I am not there, there would be issues. Curious to hear what people's opinions are on living on an island
Additionally, some people mentioned the house is not facing the sunset. Is this a deal breaker in your opinion? I would say as a family, we are not morning people, so light in the morning isn't a huge deal. How much does not facing the sunset really affect things? Not everyone can face it on the lake, so undoubtedly some people don't and must like it.

As I said, our house is very open so although we don't face west, we get all day sun. But although I can live without the sunset, the sunrise is also beautiful, it is nice to have afternoon sun when you are out there. That being said, how many of us dare bake in the sun anymore.

Our first house was on an island and it was fun and we loved it, but you have to be prepared for the extra work and expense for instance if you need to hire a barge. It doubles up everything so you have to be prepared, like getting groceries-it's bad enough to put it in your car, then into you house, now you have to take it out of your car and into your boat. But as I get older, I feel I am trying to make everything easier.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

I agree with this, the house is not gonna be perfect. I think I will have issues with depth on this lake, no matter what, with my boat.

After you buy the house, the boat you have may not be the boat you keep. I had a large flybridge cruiser at Mountainview for many years. We thought of it as a small summer home and used it on most weekends and summer vacations.

In 2004 when I bought the Gilford house we no longer needed a boat to sleep on. Since then, I have had bowriders in the 26 to 31 foot range. There is plenty of room for family, friends, and guests, and we can go under the Governor's Island and Long Island bridges again.

An added benefit, a smaller boat will use about 1/3 the fuel the large boats use. It is also much easier in a smaller boat to find docking when visiting the towns on the lake. If you end up in an area that is sometimes rough (I did) a boat that weighs less will do a lot less pulling on the dock on rough days. There are many houses that have more than 5 feet or depth at the end of the dock.

Since you mentioned jet skis, unless you are in a relatively calm area, jet skis are sometimes difficult to tie to a dock without damage when they move around. Jet ski lifts are inexpensive and secure them much better than tying them to a dock. I bought lifts and put Harbor Freight electric motors on them so we didn't have to hand crank them up and down.

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

After you buy the house, the boat you have may not be the boat you keep. I had a large flybridge cruiser at Mountainview for many years. We thought of it as a small summer home and used it on most weekends and summer vacations.

In 2004 when I bought the Gilford house we no longer needed a boat to sleep on. Since then, I have had bowriders in the 26 to 31 foot range. There is plenty of room for family, friends, and guests, and we can go under the Governor's Island and Long Island bridges again.

An added benefit, a smaller boat will use about 1/3 the fuel the large boats use. It is also much easier in a smaller boat to find docking when visiting the towns on the lake. If you end up in an area that is sometimes rough (I did) a boat that weighs less will do a lot less pulling on the dock on rough days. There are many houses that have more than 5 feet or depth at the end of the dock.

Since you mentioned jet skis, unless you are in a relatively calm area, jet skis are sometimes difficult to tie to a dock without damage when they move around. Jek ski lifts are inexpensive and secure them much better than tying them to a dock. I bought lifts and put Harbor Freight electric motors on them so we didn't have to hand crank them up and down.

You are right. I don't know if I see myself keeping the boat we have. Honestly, as the boys get older, I want to have a wake boat. Those seem awesome. Again, this is our second summer on the lake, so we are still learning. Maybe the boat we have isn't what we will need in the future.

[Biggd]

A lot more property will be coming on the market this spring than in the past 5 years. Prices will be high, but more supply will mean sellers will have to be willing to negotiate.

[Susie Cougar]

Have you checked out Governor’s Island in Gilford?

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

Have you checked out Governor’s Island in Gilford?

Yes, I have. In fact, I would say that area is one of our favorites on the lake. Finding a house there would be awesome for us.

[beagle]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned regarding the cove properties is how clean is the water? I seem to recall in previous years the presence of cyanobacterial blooms in some of the coves up in Moultonborough. Of course, last year the blooms were everywhere.
We enjoy the afternoon sun as well. Helps warm you up when you come in from swimming in 70 degree water!
In terms of drive distance, we are happy that we bought in Wolfeboro although we saw several houses we really liked in Moultonborough. The drive to Moultonborough would have been 45m to 1hr longer and that would have been a real pain.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by beagle

One thing that hasn't been mentioned regarding the cove properties is how clean is the water? I seem to recall in previous years the presence of cyanobacterial blooms in some of the coves up in Moultonborough. Of course, last year the blooms were everywhere.
We enjoy the afternoon sun as well. Helps warm you up when you come in from swimming in 70 degree water!
In terms of drive distance, we are happy that we bought in Wolfeboro although we saw several houses we really liked in Moultonborough. The drive to Moultonborough would have been 45m to 1hr longer and that would have been a real pain.

That's the reason I bought in Meredith. We looked in Moultonborough also but I was still working at the time and the drive up on Friday nights would have added another hour. Now that I'm retired, I can leave whenever I want but I'm still happy to get to my lake house from Waltham less than 2 hours.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

You are right. I don't know if I see myself keeping the boat we have. Honestly, as the boys get older, I want to have a wake boat. Those seem awesome. Again, this is our second summer on the lake, so we are still learning. Maybe the boat we have isn't what we will need in the future.

Depth will definitely be a concern with a wake boat. Our 24’ Supra drafted 28” and that was one of the more shallow ones I could find as we had depth concerns on Bear. Even still we had issues and damage to the boat from grounding.

[jayhawk_nation]

You guys are right. We also mapped out the drive, and the extra 40 minutes sounds like it would be annoying at times. I would say I highly prefer something in a different area. I also don't like that area on the boat... too many rocks and such. I am hoping more things come on the market soon. In the meantime, we will just enjoy the boat that we already have up there.

[Descant]

Whether it's the lakes region or elsewhere, desirable locations don't always "go on the market". The association or HOA internal communications pass the word around, and deals are made.

[jayhawk_nation]

Question for you guys. If my boat can fit at a dock in early June, with no depth problems. How much does the lake go down throughout the year? Let's say the dock is around 5 or 6 feet deep right now. Come September, what do you guys think it would be? I don't think I'll see our family boating after October, but if we did, would it get considerably worse?

Another question: how do people store their Jet Skis? Both wintertime and what your dock looks like in season. We are unsure if we want to get those in the future, and I'm wondering how easy it would be to get a jet ski lift/dock added onto a current dock.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Question for you guys. If my boat can fit at a dock in early June, with no depth problems. How much does the lake go down throughout the year? Let's say the dock is around 5 or 6 feet deep right now. Come September, what do you guys think it would be? I don't think I'll see our family boating after October, but if we did, would it get considerably worse?

Another question: how do people store their Jet Skis? Both wintertime and what your dock looks like in season. We are unsure if we want to get those in the future, and I'm wondering how easy it would be to get a jet ski lift/dock added onto a current dock.

In early June the lake is usually at "full lake". By the end of September I would say on average the lake is 15"-18" below the full lake level. By November even slightly lower and could be 24" lower like it was this past fall. Here's a water level graph to show what it typically does.... http://www.bizer.com/bztnews.htm

Jet Ski's are usually garage stored or at a local marina or dealer. For example I have and have had jet ski's and for a nominal fee HK Powersports winterizes and stores my jet ski. If you have a dock already, it should be no issue putting a jet ski lift along side of it...

Hope this helps...

Dan

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Question for you guys. If my boat can fit at a dock in early June, with no depth problems. How much does the lake go down throughout the year? Let's say the dock is around 5 or 6 feet deep right now. Come September, what do you guys think it would be? I don't think I'll see our family boating after October, but if we did, would it get considerably worse?

Another question: how do people store their Jet Skis? Both wintertime and what your dock looks like in season. We are unsure if we want to get those in the future, and I'm wondering how easy it would be to get a jet ski lift/dock added onto a current dock.

What is the draft and type of your current (or intended) boat? If you have 6 feet of water, unless you have a really large, deep vessel you should be fine no matter what. At my last place we had 42" at the end of the dock at full lake. I never had a problem with my pontoons or Eastern. My surf boat could be a bit problematic as the levels dropped because of the v-drive setup and 28" draft.

[Descant]

We just tie the jet ski between two docks in the summer with rubber snubbers. At one point we had a homemade ram p with a trailer winch so we weren't taking up dock space, but the in and out was more of a nuisance, so we discontinued the ramp. Trailer to a barn in the winter. Be careful with jet skis. Many families gat one and miraculously, the next year they have two.

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by Descant

We just tie the jet ski between two docks in the summer with rubber snubbers. At one point we had a homemade ram p with a trailer winch so we weren't taking up dock space, but the in and out was more of a nuisance, so we discontinued the ramp. Trailer to a barn in the winter. Be careful with jet skis. Many families gat one and miraculously, the next year they have two.

Fair warning I have a feeling if we choose to get them, I have a feeling we would get two. The ramp you have is a good idea, but it seems a little complicated. My wife would definitely prefer an easy way to access them. I would say I'm confident that we could attach a jet ski lift to the dock, but the dock is a seasonal one. Does that complicate things? Another thing to note is that it comes up to a beach, so maybe we could drive it right up and store it on a dock situation on the sand? Not sure if that helps at all.
Another thing on jet skis is the maintenance required on them, anything worse than my boat already? Are they a huge hassle?

[Descant]

Less complicated is why we stopped using the ramp and just leave it in the water. Note that if you have a lift that is on the bottom, you m ay have to relocate it as water level drops. If you're beaching, there are often recommendations about not running the engine in shallow water so you don't suck sand or weeds through the pump.

[GusMan]

There are two types of jetskis: those that are money pits and those that will be money pits!

Somewhat kidding!

Certainly depends on the skis...

Newer skis, normally aspirated: pretty reliable/low maintenance.
Older skies, supercharged: typically higher maintenance.

All of them require regular maintenance such as oil changes, winterization, new plugs etc. Also, supercharger rebuilds, impeller and electronics replacements will happen as well.

Then add registrations, winterizations, storage and GAS.... lots of GAS!

Like most watercraft... best two days are when you buy them and when you sell them!

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Descant

Less complicated is why we stopped using the ramp and just leave it in the water. Note that if you have a lift that is on the bottom, you m ay have to relocate it as water level drops. If you're beaching, there are often recommendations about not running the engine in shallow water so you don't suck sand or weeds through the pump.

Did that, ended up sucking up a small rock and bending the impeller.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Descant

Less complicated is why we stopped using the ramp and just leave it in the water. Note that if you have a lift that is on the bottom, you m ay have to relocate it as water level drops. If you're beaching, there are often recommendations about not running the engine in shallow water so you don't suck sand or weeds through the pump.

Years ago when I had a jet boat, I went in shallow water, having never been told it could suck up sand.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Fair warning I have a feeling if we choose to get them, I have a feeling we would get two. The ramp you have is a good idea, but it seems a little complicated. My wife would definitely prefer an easy way to access them. I would say I'm confident that we could attach a jet ski lift to the dock, but the dock is a seasonal one. Does that complicate things? Another thing to note is that it comes up to a beach, so maybe we could drive it right up and store it on a dock situation on the sand? Not sure if that helps at all.
Another thing on jet skis is the maintenance required on them, anything worse than my boat already? Are they a huge hassle?

Jet ski lifts are usually free standing and not "attached to the dock". As someone else said, when the water level changes you may need to move the lift or adjust the legs to maintain the right height.

My lifts have usually been placed next to the dock to make it easier to climb on and off.

The last few jet skis I have had have been Yamahas. They seem pretty bullet proof to me. Other than annual oil changes they never need anything.

I have noticed in Florida most of the rental companies have Yamaha jet skis. There must be a reason, I assume dependability.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Jet ski lifts are usually free standing and not "attached to the dock". As someone else said, when the water level changes you may need to move the lift or adjust the legs to maintain the right height.

My lifts have usually been placed next to the dock to make it easier to climb on and off.

The last few jet skis I have had have been Yamahas. They seem pretty bullet proof to me. Other than annual oil changes they never need anything.

I have noticed in Florida most of the rental companies have Yamaha jet skis. There must be a reason, I assume dependability.

Everyone mentioned Yamaha when I was buying my new jet ski, but Sea-Doo just makes a better designed machine. Their front access panel and GTX hull are literal game-changers, and well-maintained machines are all exceptionally reliable.

I took the "I'm just going to pay a bit of money to make this as enjoyable as possible route," which meant I paid DaSilva's to service and store it every year and to keep it maintained. The yearly cost for that was under a grand, which I thought was short money to pick up in spring, use it all summer without issue, and return it in fall without having to think about anything else but having fun.

I do the same with my pontoon with Melvin Village Marina.

To me, getting into an activity means having the money to enjoy it without worrying about the money.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Everyone mentioned Yamaha when I was buying my new jet ski, but Sea-Doo just makes a better designed machine. Their front access panel and GTX hull are literal game-changers, and well-maintained machines are all exceptionally reliable.

I took the "I'm just going to pay a bit of money to make this as enjoyable as possible route," which meant I paid DaSilva's to service and store it every year and to keep it maintained. The yearly cost for that was under a grand, which I thought was short money to pick up in spring, use it all summer without issue, and return it in fall without having to think about anything else but having fun.

I do the same with my pontoon with Melvin Village Marina.

To me, getting into an activity means having the money to enjoy it without worrying about the money.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

I agree, I had Sea-Doos also, no issues other than the ones self-inflicted. Sea-Doos also have enclosed cooling system with antifreeze running thru the motor, which is more benificial for ocean use. You can't really go wrong with either one in the lake, Yamaha makes a great ski also.
Personally, I would stay away from the supercharged models, they require more maintenance, and you can get a non-supercharge model that will do 60mph plus.
I had one of each and I had just as much fun on the one that went 60, plus I felt more stress when my grandson was out on the supercharged sea-doo which did 75mph!

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Jet ski lifts are usually free standing and not "attached to the dock". As someone else said, when the water level changes you may need to move the lift or adjust the legs to maintain the right height.

My lifts have usually been placed next to the dock to make it easier to climb on and off.

The last few jet skis I have had have been Yamahas. They seem pretty bullet proof to me. Other than annual oil changes they never need anything.

I have noticed in Florida most of the rental companies have Yamaha jet skis. There must be a reason, I assume dependability.

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

There are a few different types of lifts to consider.

Standard crank up lifts can be purchased from many vendors and just sit on the bottom. The legs are adjusted with a few bolts and holes to the desired height, based on water depth, wave action, etc. Really no install. A few people can pick them up and maneuver them.

Hydraulic lifts (Sunstream Sunlift) are somewhat similar to the crank ups in that they sit on the bottom on adjustable legs. They have a wider lift range and don't need adjustment as the lake level changes. These are powered by batteries, either plugged in or solar charging. A bit heavier to move, but still 2-3 people can handle them. I consider these the best.

Floating ports- shore port, wave port or others, attach to the dock and float with the lake level. You simply drive up onto them and push them off to launch. They work very well as long as you are in calm water. They work great with Sea Doo hulls, but I would suggest not putting a Yamaha on them. I split the hull on mine last year. The wheels on the ports don't line up well with the bottom design and cracked it along the chines.

Crank up shore ramps, such and the slide-n-go or roll-n-go work great for areas with beaches and gradual shorelines. Easy to install and remove.

At our last place we had 2 slide-n-go's on the beach and 2 Wave Armor ports on the dock. We didn't have good depth to use the hydraulic sunlifts and I am not a fan of crank ups as I lost 2 machines once when the lake level came up sharply in a short timeframe and the machines floated off and away.

HK in Laconia sells both Yamaha and Sea Doo and can service and store them. Don't use North Water for that.

As far as brands are concerned, both are good. I own 2 Sea Doo's and 1 Yamaha currently.

[Winilyme]

We have a standard manual crank up abutting our dock. As mentioned above, you'll need to monitor the water level and (usually) move it further out as the summer and lower water levels run their course. That's an easy one-person job which does however get increasingly uncomfortable as fall and colder water approaches.

I do urge you to carefully assess your planned lift location. In our case, out of necessity, the lift is on a side (left) of our dock which, in October, requires us to move it out and around the far end of the dock and back to an over-the-water deck on which we store it for the winter. That's a two-person job and a pain to drag it over a rocky bottom that in places is five/six feet of cold water at the end of the dock. My wife and I do it now but I'm sure we'll be hiring someone in the not-too-distant future. A steep and rocky bank prevents us from dragging it up onto land from the left side of the dock (it's also a pain getting it back in position in the spring though we somehow manage to do that mostly from the dock itself).

Someday soon, we'll need to have the dock/deck rebuilt and hope to work with a contactor that can figure out a better solution to our situation. There are inflatable airbags made to float a lift if you need to move it a significant distance for set-up or removal (as in our case). This, supposedly, would make the process much easier by simply floating the lift around the dock to where we need to lift it up onto the deck. They're costly however.

Does anyone have any simpler home grown solutions to our type of dilemma?

Nothing is easy.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

A big part of the choice of jet ski brands is personal preference. I have had Sea Doos in past years but they have changed a lot since I had them.

My last three have been Yamahas and they have been trouble free. HK Powersports in Laconia sells both so it might be worth a trip to look at them. They also winter store and pick up and deliver jet skis for customers. They have been great to deal with for the last 30 plus years.

The type of lift you buy will depend upon the property you purchase and the shorefront it has. In some cases crank ups are best, especially if it gets real rough where you are. You can look at lifts at HK too, but I wouldn't buy until I secured a property. That has to be first and will impact the rest of your decisions.

[jayhawk_nation]

Thank you all for all this help.

Which of the jet ski storage options- lift, electric lift, or dock situation is the easiest? The spot we are looking at is in a super calm cove, and I'm pretty sure getting waked out would not be a problem. Also, does one brand of jet ski work best with that situation?

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by codeman671

What is the draft and type of your current (or intended) boat? If you have 6 feet of water, unless you have a really large, deep vessel you should be fine no matter what. At my last place we had 42" at the end of the dock at full lake. I never had a problem with my pontoons or Eastern. My surf boat could be a bit problematic as the levels dropped because of the v-drive setup and 28" draft.

I believe the draft of the boat is just over 20 inches without the engines. Shouldn't be a huge issue, right?