Storm sinks seven late-season boats

The nor'easter that hit earlier this week did most of its damage to the Lakes Region's south, but there were several boats that suffered catastrophic damage.

Marine Patrol Sergeant Nick Haroutanian said that most boaters are on to other seasons by the time that nor'easters arrive, but this fall's fair weather has inspired some to leave their boats in the water even as November looms.

"Nor'easters, they can be very disastrous, yesterday was an example of that," Haroutunian said on Thursday. By Wednesday, at least seven boats had been sunk by the storm or blown up onto the rocks, the winds of the storm breaking the boats free of their docks or moorings. Boats were also damaged on the Seacoast, Haroutunian said.

Most of the locally affected boats were in Gilford, and had been secured near the wide open section of the lake known as The Broads.

All of the boats were unmanned, so there were no injuries associated with the damage, and none of them leaked oil or gas, Haroutunian said.

Boat recovery contractors, working with commercial divers, got four out of the lake on Wednesday, and three remained on Thursday.

Haroutunian said winds were sustained at around 30 miles per hour during the storm.  Peter Chiklis, a recovery boat captain with Tow Boat US, said he suspects that gusts, especially around 3 a.m., were much higher, in the 60 miles per hour range.

"It was a Northeast wind, coming over the White Mountains and blasting the lake," Chiklis said. He said one pontoon boat was still on the rocks on Thursday afternoon, the deck disconnected from the pontoons.

"All of the welds had been torn off," he said.

Just a bit to the west of that boat, near the beach by the Greystone Motor Inn on Scenic Drive in Gilford, one boat was sunk in four feet of water, resting on the rocks, while another had been completely ejected from the lake and was sitting on dry land.

"That's the power of water and wind, the lake just threw the boat up on the land," Chiklis said. He added that the damage should serve as a reminder to people who venture out onto water that the forces of nature shouldn't be underestimated – especially when a storm is coming.

"If they knew what this lake was capable of, they would think twice," Chiklis said.