Dee Morrissette: Out-of-staters creating chaos at Opechee boat launch site

To The Daily Sun,

I have taken up kayaking this summer, partly due to Covid-19 — because of everything else either being cancelled or restricted. I find it very enjoyable, and it is the best way to have fun in the summer and still social distance, so therefore I have spent many hours this summer on the water, and plan to into November. However, there's an ongoing concern of people using the boat launch as a beach and swimming spot.

There was one particular weekend where I couldn't even get my car into the boat launch area on Lake Opechee to put my kayak in. This was due to an enormous amount of out-of-staters using the launch area as their own private country club. They were swimming in the ramp area where boats go in and out, they were drinking, smoking pot, and using foul language in front of several kids there. This went on for two days. The Marine Patrol had to finally go in there and say enough. They even issued tickets to those who were operating PWC without the N.H. Safe Boater Certificate. The next day, on Monday there were five or six bags of trash they left behind.

I don't mind them coming here to have a good time, but the boat launch is NOT a safe place to congregate. All it's going to take is someone getting severely hurt or killed over there, either by getting hit by a boat embarking/disembarking, being sucked into a propeller blade, or cutting their feet on the many shards of glass and rocks in there, and then one of them suing the electric company, which owns the launch, and they'll shut it down. In that case, only people with lakefront property will have access to the launch.

There's two gorgeous beaches that can be used for picnicking and swimming — or three if you have a parking pass to access Bond Beach, which leads me to another issue. Why on earth does a CITY RESIDENT required to pay for a sticker to park at Bond Beach? I already pay taxes as a resident of Laconia, which should cover the cost of the sticker. All I should have to do is show my ID to show I live in Laconia.

Fortunately I can just paddle to Bond Beach, but only when there's no lifeguards, who by the way, don't allow a tired paddler to park their boat on the far end of any of the beaches out of the way, rest, and/or take a quick dip. I'm hoping some things change next summer.

Dee Morrissette

Laconia