Boat activity greater than usual; pandemic means uncharted waters for marinas

LACONIA — Ice Out on Lake Winnipesaukee was declared just 11 days ago. The water temperature is a frigid 41 degrees. Even so, activity on the state’s largest lake is picking up more than usual.

And it’s busier than usual for this early in the boating season, said Capt. Tim Dunleavy, the head of state Marine Patrol.

“We’re seeing lights on on the islands, and in seasonal homes along the shore … and the Gilford Town Docks are busy,” Dunleavy said. “It’s very unusual for this time of year.”

A couple from the southern part of the state who were loading items onto their boat at the Gilford Docks on Thursday said they've been quarantining at their place on Lockes Island for more than a week.

“With the virus, it’s a safer place being here,” one of them said as they boarded their boat.

They asked that their names not be in the paper for personal reasons.

A big question as the 2020 boating season gets underway is what effect the coronavirus pandemic will have on an aspect of summer recreation that is an important segment of the region’s economy.

Don Thurston, who with his three brothers owns Thurston’s Marina in Weirs Beach, is cautiously optimistic.

As he sees it, boating is one form of outdoor recreation that people can enjoy while still practicing social distancing. At the same time, he wonders what the economic ramifications of the pandemic will mean in terms of people’s ability or willingness to spend this summer on the lake.

On the plus side, he said, “Sales are good.” In addition, all of Thurston’s slips in the Weirs Channel are rented for the season.

Other marinas are reporting the same experience.

“People are looking to get out,” said Julie Marsh, executive director of Winnisquam Marine, with locations in Belmont on Lake Winnisquam and on Lake Winnipesaukee in Weirs Beach.

However, the restrictions prompted by Gov. Chris Sununu’s order closing non-essential businesses and the federal guidelines designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus have forced Winnisquam and other marine dealers to operate their businesses differently.

Interactions with customers are now mostly conducted over the telephone, or through email.

Instead of coming to the showroom, people thinking of buying a boat can watch videos featuring different makes and models, either on the marina’s website or the website of individual manufacturers.

Because service technicians work some distance apart from each other, social distancing in the service departments is not a problem, according to Thurston and Marsh.

But Bruce Wright, president of Irwin Marine, said the government guidelines have meant a certain loss of efficiency. For example, if two employees are needed to bring a boat from an off-site storage facility back to the marina, those workers now go in their own individually assigned vehicles.

Also, because some boat manufacturers either shut down their factories or severely cut their workforce in recent weeks, some customers may have to wait longer for the boat they ordered to be delivered, Wright explained.

Thurston said because his marina ordered most of its boats during the winter, it was unlikely that most customers would encounter any delays in delivery.

Both Thurston and Wright said boat manufacturers are expected to be back up and running at full capacity soon.

“People understand,” Wright said of the inconveniences.

For Marsh, hope is the key.

“You’ve got to stay positive,” she said.