Newfound Lake photo from Heart of New Hampshire
http://www.heartofnh.com/
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Click HEREfor the latest NEWFOUND WEATHER FORECAST.
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OR Click HERE for Steve Gunn's very entertaining local (Bristol) Weather page.
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September 7, 2009
Labor day - how does it come so fast? Seems like it was only yesterday that we were watching the ice disappear from the lake and starting to uncover the boats. Not to worry, there's still a lot of nice weather left and the "official" end of the boating season is Columbus Day weekend - October 10 - 12. That's six weeks away! Meanwhile, although the nights are getting cool, the days are warm and the weather lately has been near perfect.
There was a recent tragic drowning in Newfound Lake involving a person swimming from his boat out in the Lake. PLEASE be aware of boating and swimming safety issues. Have life preservers as well as a throwable cushion readily at hand. Don't go swimming off your boat in deep water far from shore unless you are a strong swimmer and be sure that someone on the boat is able to operate it and assist you if you get into trouble. Deep water is often much colder than shallow water and you may tire more quickly. Most experts will tell you to never go into the water to assist someone unless you have had life saver training. Remember, that person may be panicked and you can easily lose control of the situation. Better to try to get a floating cushion or life ring to the person or reach out to them with an oar or boat hook. It may be quite difficult to get the person back into the boat as well. If you have communications, call for help right away. Consider taking a life saving course from the Red Cross or other agency. Learn CPR. For more information on swimmer safety go to http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.htm
We just got in a couple of very nice and pretty inexpensive "sit-on" kayaks. Kayaking is a great way to see the lake when the weather is nice. Very early morning is particularly enjoyable when there is no boat traffic and the lake is perfectly quiet.
We will continue to have boats available for rent right through September. This is a great time of year to get out on the water with much less boat traffic, and the foliage coming into fall colors. And don't forget, you MUST have a NH Safe Boater Education Certificate A.K.A. a boater's license, or an equivalent from your home state in order to operate any boat with more than 25hp. To see if your state license is accepted by NH, you can call the Safe Boating Education office at 603-267-7256. There is more information on rentals on the Boat Rentals page. If you do not have a NH Safe Boating Certificate, you can take a test at West Shore Marine on our computer to get a 14 day license. This is a one-time only from the State of NH and after it expires you must get the permanent license in order to operate a boat in NH. More details at http://www.boat-ed.com/nh/ .
We are looking for boats to sell. Lots of buyers, but we are nearly sold out of pontoon boats and bow riders. If you want to sell your boat, call us or e-mail us from the "Contact" page.
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NEWFOUND MARINA
OUT OF BUSINESS
The big news is that Newfound Marina in Hebron, after struggling for a long time, has gone out of business. You can read the letter to their customers at http://www.newfoundmarina.com/.
This situation poses a dilemma for many in the Newfound community. West Shore marine is doing what it can to assist those boaters who have been displaced. Here are some of the things that we can - and can't - do:
Winter storage - We should be able to accommodate everyone who needs winterizing and/or winter storage. This past fall, West Shore Marine bought a 7 acre parcel of land just down the road from the yard for additional boat storage. The parcel already had a rack storage building on it which can accommodate around 50 boats. This represents a major step forward for West Shore since we can now store many more boats, both outside and inside, and it frees up space in the main boat yard. In addition, the space at the back of the West Shore main building is now available for expansion of our workshop. If you are going to need winter service or storage, please contact us soon so we can get your information into out computer system. You will receive a winter contract in the fall.
Valet service - Sorry, but we have very little dock space and we can only provide this service for a few people. We are booked up for this year and have a waiting list for 2010. We are actively looking at possible ways to expand our valet offerings and we will publish any updates here.
Dockage - We do NOT have any docks that we rent, but we may know of a private dock that is available. Call us for information. Also, you can try the Newfound Boat Club at www.newfoundboatclub.org. This is a condo dock association that often has docks available for sale or rent.
Gasoline - Our gas dock will be open and manned every day from 9am to 5pm. If no one is at the fuel dock, please call us on the dock telephone.
Emergency service - We will try to respond as quickly as we can to emergency service calls. Since we have limited resources, you will have to be patient.
Repair services - Our mechanics are trained on all of the popular engine and drive systems as well as other mechanical parts of boats. We can usually turn the work around quickly, but during the spring, when boats are coming out of storage, you may experience some delays. We also have expert fiberglass repair service and canvas repair and replacement available.
Parts and accessories - Our ship's store is well stocked, and if you need something that we do not stock, we can order it and, in most cases, have it the next day. Weekend orders normally arrive on Tuesday.
If you have any questions or issues that we may be ably to assist you with, please call us at 603-744-2900 or e-mail us from the Contact Us page.
A note on Newfound boat launching. Wellington State Park has a free launch ramp but the parking lot fills up in good weather and there is often a long line to get in. If you want to launch on the weekend, come early. West Shore Marine has a launch ramp, but we do NOT have any parking available. The charge for a launch is $10 but you have to find a place to park your rig and there is nothing close by. Some days, when we have a lot of boats to launch, the ramp is closed to the public. And just a reminder to be sure that your boat is clean of any weeds before you launch. Newfound Lake has avoided being infested with things like milfoil so far and we want to keep it that way. The group that has led the battle to protect the lake is the Newfound Lake Region Association. We encourage you to take a look at their website and see what you can do to support their efforts.
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For 2008 and beyond New Hampshire requires all operators of boats with motors of more than 25hp to have a valid NH Safe Boater Education Certificate. Here is more from the State of NH:
Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Who May Operate a Vessel
A vessel powered by 25 horsepower or less does not require the operator to have a Safe Boater Education Certificate.
A “ski craft” (motorized vessel less than 13 feet long that is capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour and has the capacity to carry no more than an operator and one other person) may be operated only by persons who are 16 years old or older and who have a valid Safe Boater Education Certificate as required by the “Schedule for Required Safe Boater Education.”
A vessel powered by more than 25 horsepower (other than a “ski craft”) may be operated by:
- A person under 16 years of age only if he or she is accompanied by a person 18 years old or older who has a valid Safe Boater Education Certificate. The accompanying person is responsible for any injury or damage caused during operation of the vessel.
- A person 16 years of age or older only if he or she has obtained a Safe Boater Education Certificate as required by the “Schedule for Required Safe Boater Education.”
A Safe Boater Education Certificate may be obtained by persons 16 years of age or older only and must be carried on board.
For more information on how to get a Safe Boater Certificate, go to:
http://www.boat-ed.com/nh/ .
