Conference unifix::sailing

Sailing on Winni is easy and you will certainly enjoy it. You should get a
cruising map to know where to look for hazards (snagging a rock with the
sunfish daggerboard is no fun) and after that all you need to know is to stay
west and south (warm directions) from red (warm color) markers and east and
north (cold directions) from black (cold color) marks. 

Alton Bay is almost four miles long and, unless you are located near its
opening to the lower Broads you, may have a long sail to the more open areas
of the lake. Ames Farm Inn located on Route 11 in Gilford, just over the
Gilford town line, is very popular with smallboat sailors and provides
excellent access to the lake. You may wish to call them to discuss sailing
from their beach. See note 309.2 for a recommendation from Hobie sailors. 

- Bob

    Sailing Lake Winni this time of year can get mighty cold in a sunfish,
    especially if you get out into open waters with lots of wind (that's
    where the real action is).
    
    If you get a real warm day, put the sunfish in nearer to the entrance
    to Alton bay and sail around Rattlesnake island. There's nothing like
    the Broads of lake Winni to challenge a small sail craft!
    
    Remember though that you are required to have an approved life jacket
    on board. Not required to wear it just have it with you. See the
    nautical map for req'd type of life jacket. And the sunfish must be
    registered with the state, $12 at any marina and many local gas
    stations.

I just got back from * 10 days * up at the lake!  

Boy was it nice.  I'v never been there before.

One day I did leave Alton bay in the morning, and sail out to the "broads",
skoot around Rattlesnake island and Sleepers island and come back.

The Broads were a real kick!  Lots of big waves there.  That day was pretty
windy.  The trip took around 8 hours in the sunfish.. It was great fun.

I think if I go there again, I'll try not to be in Alton bay, or at least
not down near the tip. It was 4 miles just to get out of the bay each
time I wanted to go anywhere.  Now, 4 miles doesn't sound like much, but
in a sunfish, it takes a long time to go 4 miles (always into the wind, so
lots of tacking).

Thanks for all the advice.  Oh, I didn't know about the boat registration.
Good thing the Lake Patrol didn't get me!  I wonder what the fine for that
offense is?

            Regards,
                Steve Cloutier

    The fine for not being registered or having the req'd PFD was
    $30 a couple of years ago. Could be more now. The lake patrol
    will either tow you or escort you to the nearest marina to get
    registered and to buy a life jacket in addition to the fine.
    If you don't have identification on you or money for the fine
    I'm not what they do!
    
    Next time try going back and forth between RI and Wolfboro in
    heavy wind. Bet your arm feels like it'll fall off by the time you
    get to the other side!

    A question on "Sail New Hampshire".   (re: note 1701)  
    
    Are the "Broads" the area where all the 600+hp thunder boats
    play ?     I remember reading that it was getting so bad in
    some places on the lake that the state of NH was looking at
    speed restrictions.
    
    

Although I can't imagine why anyone would need to go from Alton Bay to Center
Harbor at 90 knots, there are a few of those around. The lake is so big that 
they aren't a real problem. After a few $200 trips to the pump they learn that
running at top speed up and down the lake isn't as much fun as anchoring in a
small cove.

Sailing around the Weirs, Saunders Bay, and Wolfboro can be interesting (but
not really dangerous) because of the traffic, but the Broads is usually 
sparsely populated even on a sunny Sunday. That's where we do most of our
sailing.

    My experience with powerboat traffic:
    
    If you took a chart of Winni[pesaukee, and drew lines in the water between 
    the ceenters of activity / harbors (Alton bay, Glendale, Weirs, Meredith,
    Center Harbor, and the major marinas, that's where the vast majority
    of the summer weekend traffic is. Winnipesaukee is a big and convoluted
    place. Anytime it has been my objective to stay away from the powerboat
    traffic, I am largely able to, once I am out of the boatyard area.
    The powerboaters seem to be mostly concerned from getting from this
    "place" to that "Place" where place is definded as where there is
    something to do. The open spaces away from shore are more populated
    with the sailboats who just want to sail. I must admit however, that
    some of the sailors (even from this conference) are going from place
    to place - around these inflatable orange things multiple times,
    which are arranged in some kind of triangualr pattern. ;^)
    
    Bill
    
    
    Now in May and October (November too) and especially on weekdays that
    I have been able to get away to burn vacation days, I have felt like
    I owned the whole lake.

    Official Ice out was Yesterday afternoon (4/21). I think the radio
    said 2:50 p.m.
    
    Bill
    

    Can anybody recommend a repair yard on Lake Winnipesaukee?
    
    I'm looking for somebody to leave my boat with over the next winter,
    somebody who will do a decent job fixing the gelcoat, painting the
    bottom, repairing a damaged spreader, and maybe fix a flaw in the main
    sail.
    
    Thanks.
    
    John H-C

    Try Lakes Region Fibreglas in laconia. I know of 3 different people who
    are all really finicky about their boats, and they all swear by the
    guy. One, who we sent him there a couple of weeks ago is having fun
    watching his neighbors figure out where the repairs were made.

    For the mainsail, I continue to swear by Scott Loomis who now works out
    of the Doyle loft in Marblehead. Drop them off in the fall and pick up 
    later in the winter. Phone # 508 741 8732. 
    He can tell you if it can be repaired, and he is open on Saturday mornings.