Best time to schedule boat or dock repairs? Now

LACONIA — The staff at Watermark Marine are experts in problem-solving. They can construct their offerings in any of New Hampshire’s lakes, and guide customers through an often confusing and archaic permitting process.

A severe drought last summer contributed to low water levels in Lake Winnipesaukee, causing boaters and marine professionals alike to get creative to overcome associated challenges. One way? Boat lifts.

Just like every technology, they change with the times. Boat lifts used to be hand-cranked by a cable, now many are hydraulic. Modern boat lifts tend to be faster, sleeker units.

“We provide a modern version,” Watermark Marine owner Paul Goodwin said. That's just one of their many services.

Another is docks, which are big business on the Big Lake, and throughout the state.

Last summer's drought brought marine engineers a new challenge: shallow water, making it difficult to use docks safely.

“It created a lot of problems,” Goodwin said.

Many customers had to pull their boats out of the water early, and the state authorities won’t just let anyone build a longer dock. That’s a thorough permitting process.

The hurdles continue. This weekend, for example, the Weirs Channel is frozen and the dam is closed. Long story short, New Hampshire could use a lot of rainfall.

Though many agree droughts are part of a natural cycle, it presents a challenge, as many lakeside residents want larger boats, but may not be able to navigate them locally because of water depth. While building a longer dock takes permitting, there are other solutions, but they may not be convenient. For example, Watermark Marine could build a mooring, meant to secure a boat to a fixed point father out, like a buoy.

They’ve also got solutions for other problems, like those brought about by wave action. The boat lift, when applied correctly, can prevent damage to a boat from rough waters. Large waves can cause pounding against the lake bottom, but a lift can protect a boat.

“At least the wave action isn’t damaging the boats,” Goodwin said.

Watermark Marine is the largest marine contractor in the area. And when the real estate market is busy, so is the demand for dock constructions. In the winter, ice can continue to cause problems for boaters and their docks, and spring ice floe can exacerbate it. This winter, they’ve seen earlier-than-normal, wind-driven ice damage.

“We always have some ice damage repairs,” he said.

Marina staff can set up ice-bubblers, contraptions that mechanically prevent ice from forming around a dock, and they can perform construction fixes, too.

“In the end, you can’t really stop springtime ice floes,” Goodwin said. “That is the nature of the beast.”

Watermark Marine stays busy year-round. Goodwin said in an interview there are just three months until spring, and recommended dock owners plan ahead, noting permitting takes time. If someone is concerned about ice damage, they should contact them now.

“Design, permit, construct,” he said.

For Julie Crawford, executive director at Winnisquam Marine, winter is a busy time. In fact, it's their busiest selling season of the year. They're bringing 50 boats down to Boston for a boat show. 

"Right now is the best time to purchase," she said. "Manufacturers will only give rebates in the winter."

If you want a custom boat, you need to order sooner rather than later, as it can take four to six months to build. Boats are handmade, not automated, like the auto industry. 

"How many people that it employs, and how many people we get out on the water," Crawford said when asked what the average reader doesn't know about the industry. Winnisquam Marine employs around 90 people. "I don't think people realize what a big chunk it is for tourism in this area."

For Frank Roche, a Realtor who's worked throughout the Lakes Region for decades, this season isn’t necessarily anything new.

“We’ve had years where the lake alters its course in terms of depth,” Roche said.

While lake levels are high in some years, “this fall, it was the opposite,” Roche said. “New Hampshire got hit with a really serious drought.

“There were obviously some properties that had problems.” 

Some coves on Winnipesaukee, for example, have lots of sediment built up on the bottom, and boats could get caught. You’d need to dredge and fill, requiring a permitting process. Roche, when working with a client interested in buying lakefront property, recommends simply measuring the depth, and deciding which sort of boat would fit their needs. 

They should look at what the rocks are like — in parts of the lake, like around the island, boaters need to be very careful. Buyers should also look for other hazards, like milfoil. 

“What’s the customer looking for?” he asked, which will point them to the right property location.

Some customers want deep-water docking, while others might want shallow beaches, and construction in either situation likely requires permitting or land-use board approval. He recommended speaking with experts in marine construction, like the folks at Watermark Marine. 

“Breakwaters are very popular on the lake,” he said. Breakwaters are large stones arranged to protect a dock or boats, and also require permits. “It’s a nice asset to have in many cases.”

Breakwaters can prove particularly helpful during spring ice floes, but they themselves can be damaged, as can a property’s shoreline.

“It’s big business on the lake,” Roche said. “Lake Winnipesaukee, this past year, had 85 sales of waterfront properties, and that’s across all the communities.” The median sales price was $2.75 million, he said, and total sales volume increased $55 million over 2024. 

“I can remember when I was selling waterfronts for $100,000,” Roche said. “We’re New England’s playground up here.”

Roche also recommends shoreline property owners work with their local lake association, like Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance, whose missions are to protect water quality.

“They’re all focused on keeping the quality of lakes intact for future generations,” he said. “These associations are doing great work. If we didn’t have our lakes, what would we have up here?”

Bruce Wright, president and general manager of Irwin Marine, said low water levels haven’t presented much of an issue for boating on Lake Winnipesaukee, but jet boats, for example, are popular for boating in shallow waters.

“The lake is extremely low,” he said. 

During a drought, customers should monitor their docking situation, and be prepared to take their boats out early, he said.  

While there isn’t much boating going on through the harsh New England winter, the staff at Irwin Marine stay busy all the same. They operate indoor storage and, during the winter, lots of customers have maintenance, repairs and other work done on their vessels. 

“We encourage them to, because we have the ability, and the time,” he said. “It’s a critical component to the business.”

And for all things marine-related, customers can check out the New England Boat Show, Jan. 7-11, at the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston’s Seaport district.

As far as trends in boat sales, Wright said they continue to see a growing market for pontoon boats and outboard motors. 

“That’s the primary change,” Wright said.