40 MPH...Straight into The Witches!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Woodsy

...You are absolutely lucky the lake is pretty full.... usually when you let off the throttle on the wrong side of a marker you hear a VERY LOUD BANG as the boat settles in the water..."

The Voice of Experience?

Originally Posted by MAXUM

"...I hear the graveyard is just as nasty..."

I got a scare in my catamaran—while zipping right along—at Middle Ground Shoals, another trouble spot.

The bottom kept jumping into view repeatedly on one occasion, but I was sure I'd left those shoals behind. Shortly afterwards, I discovered that the bright sun was reflecting off the white jib, then being re-reflected off the water that made those huge "boulders" rise up to the surface! What a relief!

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

"...Or have them filled in Like Silver Duck suggested. Or we could put mooring balls all around the Witches so the rafting set would have someplace offshore to raft..."

All are good ideas, but recall that concept originated in 2005:
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...7&postcount=13

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

All are good ideas, but recall that concept originated in 2005:
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...7&postcount=13

Yup, that's where I recall Silver Duck suggesting the Witches be filled in to create your sandy isle.


There are other places that are, right now, navigational hazards that could, if "we" really wanted to, be converted into recreational mooring fields / rafting areas. With less free shoreline it might be fun and necessary to exploit them. Maybe we could get Bizer to issue super detailed charts of these areas with GPS waypoints for safe passage routes in between the rocks. I'll bet the fishermen already know such routes. Perhaps the next time () sa meredith finds himself amongst the rocks, it'll be on purpose and not so gut wrenching.

[Silver Duck]

Actually, my suggestion for filling in the Witches with rocks and sand to make a rafting location was kind'o "tongue-in-cheek" . Besides, once it was done, someone would turn it into "Witches Estates", build a few McMansions, and apply for a no-rafting area in order to boost the prices!

I do, however, strongly second the earlier posting(s) that the Navaids on Winni could use a good bit of improvement (read, bigger and more visible.) I think that the fact that the present ones just don't cut it in terms of visibility is borne out by the number of broken Navaids I see around the lake.

IMHO, the best way to navigate the lake is to have a GPS chartplotter (with the Bizer Chart, of course ) which is used to show one exactly where to look for the Navaid, but to rely on the Navaid itself to tell you exactly where the safe water is. And, of course, slow down (way down) if necessary until you actually see it!

Silver Duck

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Silver Duck

I do, however, strongly second the earlier posting(s) that the Navaids on Winni could use a good bit of improvement (read, bigger and more visible.) I think that the fact that the present ones just don't cut it in terms of visibility is borne out by the number of broken Navaids I see around the lake.

Silver Duck

I think we can all agree that the markers could be improved but what could be done with reasonable economy ? Toppers ala ApS's CD reflectors could make the buoys stand out more especially in the rough water ... so long as the Sun was out. There are more visible colors than the red and black tips presently used but that would require a wholesale changeover, all at once and not just on Winni. (Then again maybe not .... hmmmm) I guess you could always put in more buoys (there are places other than the Witches which IMO need them more desperately) but that's $$s to do and maintain each year. Mylar helium balloon affixed to the buoys would stand out as well ... but then the kids would be stealing them.

Ideas anyone ?

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

I think we can all agree that the markers could be improved but what could be done with reasonable economy ? ...the buoys would stand out as well ... but then the kids would be stealing them.

Ideas anyone ?

Let's see the kids steal one of these...

P.S.- They would definitely leave a mark if Capt Bonehead were to hit one.

P.P.S.- The ocean markers would work well at the Lake.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by GWC...

Let's see the kids steal one of these...

P.S.- They would definitely leave a mark if Capt Bonehead were to hit one.

P.P.S.- The ocean markers would work well at the Lake.

If we used those on the Witches, how would we know if we are coming or going (red, right, return)? Those are used to mark channels, not obstructions. Plus the seal would not be happy here.

What about a bunch of these all around the dangerous areas, like the rest of the country uses?:



These are much bigger in diameter and much easier to spot than the spars. When you see a few, you know not to go between them. Combined with our current spars, they would probably make everyone happy and add no ambiguity.

[brk-lnt]

I've often wished that NH would not try to invent its own marker system and go with the standardized navigable waters marker system. The black spars can be especially hard to see in sunlight at times.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

... Mylar helium balloon affixed to the buoys would stand out as well ... but then the kids would be stealing them.

Ideas anyone ?

Posts with pink flamingos on them. Just like when you put them in your yard, everybody notices them. Put a ring of them around the Witches and everybody will notice.

[macshpman]

How many trips, seasons of boating do you think it would take if we all took a 5 gallon pail of beach sand and dumped it each time by the Witches to create our own safe haven?

[Sman]

I think it could be argued that based on the size of the area and the location they should increase the amount of markers around the area.

My opinion.... the problem is that the witches span an area that is bigger than other lake shoals and they are right in the middle of an area that I tell people is like a highway going from weirs to wolfeboro or the broads. There are no roads on the lake but draw a line from the weirs to the broads and beyond and it is like a highway on the weekend, right in that path is the witches.

Good thread, I am glad that all sa meredith lost was his/her lunch.

[fatlazyless]

The old wood spar markers could weigh 250lbs after getting water logged. The old tapered spar markers were a 14'x8"x8" timber at center, and could really bash in a boat's hull. The new pvc tube spars, about 8'x 6" diameter, weigh maybe 10lbs.

It could be that boaters have learned through observation that hitting one of the new spars will not do any damage to a boat hull.

The new pvc spars have enough flotation inside to support a swimmer with his/her shoulders out of the water, sitting on it bicycle style.