It was the first of May, the temperature was flirting with 80, but Winnipesaukee "ice out" had not been declared yet. We didn't care. The winter had been a little too long, and we were going boating. Bill rounded up the cast of die-hards, and they were all in without question. Destination: Meredith for dinner at one of their fine Restaurants.
The boat of Choice a Brand new 25' Fountain
Center Console. 
We decided to launch at Silver Sands Marina
($15). They have a decent paved ramp with parking. We loaded up
and trolled out of the marina and we were staring out at the Ossippee Mountains
and Mount Washington. 
All Boaters know that Winnipesaukee is a nice when viewed by land, but awesome
when viewed by water.
We got the boat up on plane and headed for Governor's Island. Governor's
Island has some of the grandest mansions on the Lake, 
and
their splendor is in full view from the water. Past Governor's is the
popular Weirs Beach. Usually we
would pull into their large public docks, stroll down the boardwalk and play at
least one game of pin-ball. However, most of the boardwalk is closed until later
in the season.
Without hesitation, down we went through Meredith Bay. At the Mouth of
the bay is an old lighthouse. I think it is non-operational, and lucky for
us there was no fog in sight. 
Some of the crew got a little thirsty so luckily we had a few Budweiser's on
board. 
We
passed a few around, but none to the Captain. There was still a little
debris in the water so we wanted him to be sharp.
Into Beautiful Meredith Harbor we rolled. We powered back for two
reasons. One: the end
of the Harbor is a no-wake zone, and two: to soak in the classic New England
Village. The often busy town docks were empty so docking was a
breeze. 
Meredith has a lot of fine Restaurants within walking distance of the Town
Docks (The Boat House Grill, Guiseppe's, Mame's),
but if you want one with a real Winnipesaukee feel you should try Camp
(directly across the road from the town docks). 
It's decor and menu gives the feel of an authentic summer camp on on one of New
Hampshire's Lakes.
After Dinner, it was getting dark, so we decided to hit the water while we still
had a little light. 
Luckily we got a pretty good Sunset for the ride home. Even with the temperatures in the 80's, the 40 degree water temperature made for
a cold ride.
We arrived safely back into Saunder's Bay. 
Although we all agreed the winter was too long, being back on the waters of
Winnipesaukee made it well worth the wait.