Another Quiet Year?

tis · 07-14-2007, 05:29 PM

I thought the lake was quite busy today. I was very happy to see it. I think it was a normal Sat. as in past years.
While out on the lake today, I had a couple of questions in my mind and thought I could ask on this forum. First, there is a boat docked at Bear Island called Jersey Girl. Could that belong to our Jersey Girl here? Second, there was a helicopter on a raft also in the same area of Bear Island. Do those people always come to camp by helicopter? Anyone know anything else. I found it interesting and and curious where they come from, if they come every weekend, etc.

Mee-n-Mac · 07-14-2007, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tis

I thought the lake was quite busy today. I was very happy to see it. I think it was a normal Sat. as in past years.

I'd agree. Seemed fairly busy today and, who'd a thunk it, mostly family runabouts. I thought they had all been scared off the lake. In any case I wonder how much the back to back timing of Bike Week and the 1'st Nascar race had to do with people not starting as early as "usual" ?

gravy boat · 07-14-2007, 07:15 PM

We are lucky enough to live up here and noticed the weekends don't seem to be as busy as years past. Also, we were on vacation this past week and it seemed more like March than July! We took the girlies on the Mount on Tuesday night -- for the first time in our 4 years of taking the Family Night cruise we noticed that the cruise was virtually empty -- no lines at the buffet, no lines at the bar, etc. We also asked some Weir's business owners and employees if they noticed anything different with the number of vacationers -- each indicated that it was down from last year and the year before especially. One noted that the Fourth week was down from last year, and last year was down from the prior year.
Hope this isn't a trend for our local business owners!

We did notice more folks in the area today -- maybe this year will be a late July/early August crowd?

ApS · 07-16-2007, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gravy boat

"...We are lucky enough to live up here and noticed the weekends don't seem to be as busy as years past..."

I live here all boating season, and use two criteria for how local weekend crowding is in my 3 square miles of view. I'd previously listed shoreline picnic anchoring—which is nearly absent—so here's the other:

Q: How many boats are operating simultaneously, crammed right between Wolfeboro's Camp Keewaydin and Tuftonboro's "Wingate" shore?

A: The "record for crammed boats" off Keewaydin is fourteen, making it way-impossible for any boat to be 150-feet from one another: just four Jet-Skis could not be in compliance there.

Saturday, a large cruiser was anchored in the gap there (!) but still, no more than two boats passed through together that day.

(Sunday was a "wash"—pardon the expression

—with some very big lightning strikes).

Yes, boating is down—way down.

Weirs guy · 07-16-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gravy boat

We also asked some Weir's business owners and employees if they noticed anything different with the number of vacationers -- each indicated that it was down from last year and the year before especially. One noted that the Fourth week was down from last year, and last year was down from the prior year.

Its funny how this always seems to work out, all the owners at the Weirs I've talked to say this years better then last. I've always found that no matter what the year or owner is, its always "too slow".

I still say we have more land visitors then last year, or at least more hanging around longer.

This'nThat · 07-14-2007, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tis

I thought the lake was quite busy today. I was very happy to see it. I think it was a normal Sat. as in past years.

Today (14 July) has been very busy in Alton Bay -- the busiest I have seen in quite a while. It started out with the Loons, then the Party Boat, big boats, fast boats, jet skis, airplanes, and even the HOOD Blimp went by.

Must have been the perfect storm boating/flying conditions today.

Weekend Pundit · 07-15-2007, 08:40 PM

At first I thought it was just me noticing this trend, but I've heard too many other folks saying the same thing. A few of the marina owners/personnel I've talked to have also said business is down considerably as compared to last year, and last year was down some from the previous year.

I was out on the lake today and traffic was a fraction fo what I would normally expect for noon on a Sunday, and that's taking into account the less than optimal weather we had.

chipj29 · 07-16-2007, 06:58 AM

FWIW, I think traffic is down everywhere. I spend a lot of time on the Merrimack in Bow/Hooksett, and traffic has been very light down there all year. Everyone I have spoken to has noticed the same thing. But no one knows why...

07-14-2007, 07:15 PM	#3
gravy boat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Gilford year round, West Alton summers Posts: 589 Thanks: 596 Thanked 199 Times in 100 Posts	Crowds?? We are lucky enough to live up here and noticed the weekends don't seem to be as busy as years past. Also, we were on vacation this past week and it seemed more like March than July! We took the girlies on the Mount on Tuesday night -- for the first time in our 4 years of taking the Family Night cruise we noticed that the cruise was virtually empty -- no lines at the buffet, no lines at the bar, etc. We also asked some Weir's business owners and employees if they noticed anything different with the number of vacationers -- each indicated that it was down from last year and the year before especially. One noted that the Fourth week was down from last year, and last year was down from the prior year. Hope this isn't a trend for our local business owners! We did notice more folks in the area today -- maybe this year will be a late July/early August crowd?

07-15-2007, 08:40 PM	#7
Weekend Pundit Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Gilford Posts: 345 Thanks: 26 Thanked 69 Times in 42 Posts	Lake Traffic Is Way Down At first I thought it was just me noticing this trend, but I've heard too many other folks saying the same thing. A few of the marina owners/personnel I've talked to have also said business is down considerably as compared to last year, and last year was down some from the previous year. I was out on the lake today and traffic was a fraction fo what I would normally expect for noon on a Sunday, and that's taking into account the less than optimal weather we had.

07-14-2007, 05:29 PM	#1
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,696 Thanks: 751 Thanked 1,451 Times in 1,008 Posts	I thought the lake was quite busy today. I was very happy to see it. I think it was a normal Sat. as in past years. While out on the lake today, I had a couple of questions in my mind and thought I could ask on this forum. First, there is a boat docked at Bear Island called Jersey Girl. Could that belong to our Jersey Girl here? Second, there was a helicopter on a raft also in the same area of Bear Island. Do those people always come to camp by helicopter? Anyone know anything else. I found it interesting and and curious where they come from, if they come every weekend, etc.

07-16-2007, 06:58 AM	#8
chipj29 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bow Posts: 1,874 Thanks: 521 Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts	FWIW, I think traffic is down everywhere. I spend a lot of time on the Merrimack in Bow/Hooksett, and traffic has been very light down there all year. Everyone I have spoken to has noticed the same thing. But no one knows why...