Sleeper's No Rafting Zone

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by jrc

Ramjet, yes, the way I read the rule, anchoring for any reason, including fishing, is prohibited within 150' of shore. But remember this rule only applies to the "No Rafting Zones". On the rest of the lake you can anchor as close to shore as you want.

jrc provides a good reference. But wait, there's more. Not all the rules regarding the No Rafting Zones are the same. For instance the NRZ in Braun Bay allows anchoring 75 feet from shore not 150'.

Dave R, a few years ago Marine Patrol was cracking down on NRZ anchoring violations. No matter who anchored first if you became in violation of the 25' or 50' rule both (or all) "offenders" were in jeopardy. Highly unfair in my opinion.

My anchor lines have colored markers every 10 feet. Easy for me to tell the crew how much line to pay out and pretty easy for me to measure my anchoring distances. It doesn't stop others from anchoring too close to my boat in NRZs, putting me in violation even though I was legal when I dropped anchor(s).

Even worse are those boaters who don't follow the "fine points" of NHs easy to understand boating rules . They believe that some of us are Capt. Boneheads anchoring 75 feet from shore in Braun Bay NRZ because they believe it is a 150 foot anchor rule. Or when I zoom closer than 150 feet to rocks and navigational aids (some consider those to be rule violations when they are not - but that's for a different thread).

Hope I've helped add to the confusion

P.S. Aquadeziac, if your PWC is not anchored (or stationary) I believe you are not subject to the anchoring rules. GO for it

[jrc]

Originally Posted by Skipper of the Sea Que

jrc provides a good reference. But wait, there's more......

That's why I posted the link to the rules http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/saf-c400.html

There are always confusing and conflicting rules in NH.

In Braun Bay the rules say that the NRZ starts 75' from shore. So if you are 76' from shore, you are in a NRZ and the rules say you can't anchor 150' feet from shore, very confusing.

On who anchored first, the rules says:

...no person....shall, in a prohibited location...Anchor a single boat ....Less than 25 feet away from any other single boat...

So the violation is anchoring near another boat, not letting another boat anchor near you.

Unfortunately, if the MP tickets you, you have to take time off to go to court and fight it. And just like traffic and parking tickets, these tend to be prove you are innocent battles, and your word against the MP.

[jrc]

I screwed up on Braun Bay. The NRZ ends 75' from shore, so if your 76' from shore you are outside the zone and can anchor.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by jrc

I screwed up on Braun Bay. The NRZ ends 75' from shore, so if your 76' from shore you are outside the zone and can anchor.

I think you are in the confusion zone

In Braun Bay, there is a whole area that is considered a No Rafting Zone. There is NO 150 foot anchoring distance rule applicable in Braun Bay. In the NRZ you can anchor or build a raft of no more than TWO boats starting 75 feet from the shore (and 300 feet from the Fish and Game markers ). To help, the rules vary depending on the NRZ.

Why it's as easy to understand as the IRS income tax forms.

[jrc]

Originally Posted by Skipper of the Sea Que

I think you are in the confusion zone ...

That's hard to argue.

The written rules are consistent on rafting in most areas.

The Braun Bay situation is confusing and I can't remember the topology well enough to figure it out. It seems like two NRZ overlap.

Another wrinkle is the new Advent Cove NRZ, which allows three boat rafts, as long as they are 100' from each other or shore. Plus they added a sunrise/ sunset time restriction.

[chmeeee]

How do they actually expect people to know the specific regulations for each NRZ? They're not posted, and most charts only show that it is a NRZ, not the specific rules.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by jrc

Another wrinkle is the new Advent Cove NRZ, which allows three boat rafts, as long as they are 100' from each other or shore. Plus they added a sunrise/ sunset time restriction.

I'd like more info on the Advent Cove NRZ. Did I miss it written in the rules link you provided? I asked Marine Patrol about it and they did not seem to know what I was talking about.

Allowing a three boat raft in the alleged new No Rafting Zone in Advent Cove is something new to the Lake, if it's true.

Where is Advent Cove anyway (or did I miss some overly obvious or tongue-in-cheek)?

[jrc]

It's in the Saf-C 400 link but it's after all the other Winni rafting rules.

Saf-C 407.05 Lake Winnipesaukee Rafting Restrictions.
(a) The following rafting restriction shall apply to that area known as Advent Cove:
(1) The location of a raft shall be more than 100 feet and stand apart from the closest shoreline or another formed raft;
(2) Rafting shall be limited to 3 boats; and
(3) Rafting shall be limited between the hours of sunrise to sunset.

Advent cove is one the east side of Meredith Neck about half-way between Pine and Beaver Islands. Try this link:

http://gws.maps.yahoo.com/MapImage?a...mw=620&imh=500

I've never been there, but by coincidence, late last fall some boater buddies were telling me how they had a great time there. And bang, this year it's a NRZ.

[Gavia immer]

Originally Posted by jrc

I've never been there, but by coincidence, late last fall some boater buddies were telling me how they had a great time there. And bang, this year it's a NRZ.

Sounds like you've got the wrong kind of boater buddies.

[jrc]

It was the good boating buddies, not the bad boating buddies

[John A. Birdsall]

I am a bit confused. I had thought that the term rafting meant more than one boat tied to each other at an anchorage, Now I am seeing or hearing that no more than 3 can do this in a NRZ. If it is a NRZ then how can three tie up?

[Nauset]

Originally Posted by John A. Birdsall

I am a bit confused. I had thought that the term rafting meant more than one boat tied to each other at an anchorage, Now I am seeing or hearing that no more than 3 can do this in a NRZ. If it is a NRZ then how can three tie up?

The rule is that no more than two can tie up. Or as the way it is writen three or more boats makes a raft. At Advent cove you can tie three together.

[jrc]

Rafting is tying boats together. Our NH "No Rafting Zones" are really restricted rafting areas. The details of the restrictions are the subject of this thread. When you get to one of theses areas, there's usually a bouy that says "No Rafting" but it really means "follow the rafting rules"

[KnotKnormal]

Is there a listing somewhere in one place of all the NRZs on the lake? Or, do you have to search through the NH rules?

[jrc]

The standard 2 boat rafting areas are listed below and don't forget Advent cove the new and only 3 boat rafting area. Lake Sunapee and Ossipee have there own places.

Saf-C 407.03 Prohibited Areas.
(a) Rafting as defined in RSA 270:42, V, shall be prohibited in the following areas of Lake Winnipesaukee unless covered by one of the exceptions specified in RSA 270:45:
(1) The Kona Mansion, so-called, in Moultonborough, east of an imaginary line running north and south from the red top mark buoy located on the western tip of Avery's Point on the south to the Kona Farm gas docks on the north;
(2) Small's Cove in Alton, southwest of an imaginary line running southeast-northwest from light 75 on the northwestern end to the northernmost point of land marking the entrance to the first cove, south of Small's Cove on the south;
(3) Wentworth Cove, southwest of Governor's Island Bridge west of an imaginary north-south line, running from light 43 on the north to the black top buoy, located off Wentworth Cove Estates on the south;
(4) Braun Bay, within 300 feet of both fish and game property lines, to be delineated by marine patrol with orange mooring balls;
(5) Braun Bay, at a distance less than 75 feet from shore, to be delineated by marine patrol with orange mooring balls;
(6) The area known as Cedar Cove, specifically identified as the area opposite Plum Island which borders the town of Alton tax map 18, lot numbers 12 through 20 and 55;
(7) The area of Winter Harbor from the southern boundary of the town of Tuftonboro tax map 63, lot number 14 to the southern boundary of tax map 15, lot number 20.
(8) The entire area known as Green’s Basin, in the town of Moultonborough;
(9) Orchard Cove, on the east side of Cow Island, in the town of Tuftonboro;
(10) The entire area known as Buzzell Cove, in the town of Moultonborough;
(11) Brickyard Cove, encompassing a described area that would run south of an imaginary line running about 2,300 feet from the northern tip of Clay Point to the southern tip of Barndoor Island; and
(12) The entire area known as Black Cove, in the town of Meredith, encompassing an area in Meredith tax map S-7, east from the northern most point of Lot 5-1 to the southeastern most point of Lot 1.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by jrc

The standard 2 boat rafting areas are listed below and don't forget Advent cove the new and only 3 boat rafting area. Lake Sunapee and Ossipee have there own places.

Saf-C 407.03 Prohibited Areas.
(a) Rafting as defined in RSA 270:42, V, shall be prohibited in the following areas of Lake Winnipesaukee unless covered by one of the exceptions specified in RSA 270:45:

Thanks jrc. I would not have found the Advent Cove NRZ rules without your direction.

I continued to read Saf-C 400 rules through the Lake Sunapee No rafting rules and stopped after Saf-C 407.04 regarding Ossipee Lake Rafting Restrictions. I assumed that 407.03 covered ALL of the NRZs on Lake Winnipesaukee. I'll bet the MP dispatcher I spoke with did the same thing. He did say that he was reading the rules on-line and told me how I could find links to them.

Saf-C 407.05 Lake Winnipesaukee Rafting Restrictions.
(a) The following rafting restriction shall apply to that area known as Advent Cove:
(1) The location of a raft shall be more than 100 feet and stand apart from the closest shoreline or another formed raft;
(2) Rafting shall be limited to 3 boats; and
(3) Rafting shall be limited between the hours of sunrise to sunset.

Source. #8807, eff 1-23-07

Sigh, now why didn't I look there in the first place