Getting the boat sorted for the summer!

Each and every year we go through the ritual of preparing the boat for the summer season on the lake. After a long winter of being tucked away in storage it makes us ridiculously excited to cut away the plastic shrink wrap and get that first glimpse of our awesome watercraft. De-winterizing the boat is a relatively painless process. After waxing and washing (a five hour ordeal), we reconnect the battery terminals, replace the hull plugs, roll it down the boat ramp, and fire up the engine. It had fresh oil, seals, and filters from when we winterized it so after a quick spin to make sure there were no leaks and everything worked we were all good to go!

If we were any typical boat owner that would be it. Having a commercial boat, though, requires us to get a commercial inspection from NH Marine Patrol. Each year they check to make sure we have the specially required modifications and equipment necessary for commercial operation in our great state. This includes a fuel cutoff valve installed outside of the main engine compartment, an automatic fire extinguisher installed in the engine compartment, extra life jackets, extra paddles (good luck paddling a 5000 pound boat), functional horn and navigation lights, and a type 4 throwable floating cushion.

Most years the M-Pat officers would come to the lake for the inspection but through new procedures stemming from cost cutting they wanted us to trailer the boat to them this year. 

I loaded up the trailer, topped off the tire pressure, and drove off to Gilford, NH for the inspection. Throughout the 45 minute ride I got a steady stream of honks and fist-pumps as other drivers and pedestrians saw our boat cruising down the streets.

I won't claim to be the best trailer driver around but I did a pretty good job of getting it out back behind their headquarters for the inspection. While the officer was going through the inspection checklist the Marine Patrol mechanics came out to oogle the Centurion. They were fascinated by the ballast system and v-drive configuration of the motor so we had some fun chatting about wake surfing, our camp program, and boating in general.

It is good to have the boat back in operation with fresh inspection stickers.  It is hard to believe that it has been stored away since last September and in just a month our first round of campers will be heading out on it to start shredding.

A little bit of spring lake fun

Well there are still a few weeks to go until our boat gets back in the water but that could not stop us from enjoying some high 70's temps this week on the lake.

As you can see from these pictures there is literally no one out on the water!

The water is higher than usual at this time of the year due to some extra snow melt we were lucky to have from the winter.

The water is chilly, though.  It has been stubbornly stuck in the high 40's/low 50's but is warming more recently after a string of almost 80 degree, sunny days.

It is good to be back out on the water and we cannot wait until the boat is unwrapped!

New Paddleboards!

Spring has officially sprung here in NH.  As camp gets closer we start stocking up on new gear for all of our campers to play with. Below are some pictures of our new paddleboards.  They are made by F-One from France and are super fun to use.

Inflatable is definitely the way to go for our needs.  These boards are capable of tearing it up in the ocean or in whitewater and will be more than sufficient for the lake in NH.  Once inflated to 70psi, the board is stiff, light, and maneuverable.

Choosing a camp for teens

We found this short blog post (link below) from U.S. News and World Report with advice on picking a summer camp for teens. Navigate Summer Camp Options for Teens - US News & World Report

There are definitely tons of options out there for teens these days...we just happen to offer one that mixes fun, adrenaline, high level watersports instruction, and awesome people.

"Spring" Hiking

It is technically spring up here in NH but you would not know it by the weather and lingering snow.  The slopes are all still open but when I'm not on my snowboard I like to explore the networks of trails around the lake.

While hiking on one of the paths I found this carpet of leaves, revealed under the melting snow.  It was pretty cool.

A few miles around the back of the mountain I came across this little frozen pond and a stand of white birch.

In Goffstown, NH there are two little peaks called the Uncanoonucs.  In an otherwise urban and populous area these two mountains feel like you are far away from civilization.  The above ice cave was about a quarter mile up the trail on North Uncanoonuc.

From the top of North Uncanoonuc you get a nice view of the south peak.

Have fun!