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Boats Coming Out for the Season

Vikingstaff

Vikingstaff

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Our water level is too low to keep the boat in on Houghton Lake.  We barely got it off our lift for Labor Day weekend (and that is after sinking the lift about 6" two weeks ago.  With at least a solid 8 weeks of boatable weather ahead of us, it is a real bummer. That said, we had an AMAZING first summer on the water in our new Bennington!


Here are a few images of it from this past month at our cottage:


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Very nice! Boat and lake house look great!!! 


Is the water level due to lack of rain or do they let the water out at the dam at the end of the season?!? 
 
BigKahuna said:
Very nice! Boat and lake house look great!!! 


Is the water level due to lack of rain or do they let the water out at the dam at the end of the season?!? 
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Thanks!  We've absolutely LOVED having it this summer. Truly have been living the dream this year with the cottage and boat.


Our lake level drops naturally in late summer between evaporation and basic water management, and is a very big but shallow lake to begin with.  From Memorial Day to Labor Day its about a 2' drop naturally.


This is compounded by in the fall when they open the dam and drop it another 6"-1'. 
 
To bad, we might be in a similar situation.  In the past we have been able to float the boat into November.  This year when we modified our lift from a pontoon to tritoon it added around 6 inches onto the height of the bunks.  This 6 inches may mean a shorten boating season for us.  BTW is the tow bar you are using worth upgrading and the the added expense of the conventional one?
 
Mike31406 said:
BTW is the tow bar you are using worth upgrading and the the added expense of the conventional one?
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I'll be honest, I'm not sure. It is stronger and rated for more stress than a normal tow bar. That said, I have not known anyone to ruin a normal tow bar either. We sprung for it with the idea we would be towing tubes more than anything else, and this is rated for that so we are covered if there is ever an insurance issue.


We can report that it works great, and we do like it better than a normal tow bar. The rope is on a roller that can slide all the way around the turbo swing, and it is totally out of the way of everything. Those are postitive factors to weigh against the substantial cost of it. 


We also wanted to get "our last boat first", so this was one of those items we said lets do it and be as beefed up structurally as we can be on our S-series for our main intended use.
 
That sure is a beautiful boat, Jeff!
 
Beautiful boat, but that is why I'm so glad I live in the south. We boat as long as the weather is above 50*, and that's most of the winter. Last year, we were out on our boat the day after Christmas, and in short sleeves shirts and shorts. Glad you enjoyed your first boating summer. 
 
Beautiful boat for sure. Sad the season is coming to an end. Our lake is getting pretty low as well. I have to lower the lift as low as it will go in order to get the boat off. We really haven't had much rain down where I am. Grass is crispy.


Hopefully I get another month of use. The weather this summer sucked. I'm taking mine to the dealer tomorrow for my F200 ecu recall.
 
Was out twice on the holiday weekend and we usually don't go out on the weekend OR a holiday. But it was so nice out with low humidity and temps in the low 80's we couldn't help it. We just pick a different nice No Wake zone cove to anchor in and eat, swim, and sleep........
 
Beautiful day here too. Mid to upper 80's and sunny! Boat day tomorrow!
 
We are at the lake house now in Traverse City and will get in a couple more last trips. Weather is wonderful now - upper 80s and 90! Will be taking out Sunday though :( since we are too busy next several weeks and don't want to chance waiting til later. This will be the earliest we've pulled it out.
 
We went out last Sunday, I'm going out this Sunday. Water temp was low/mid 70's, should be a bit warmer this weekend.
A little cold but still felt great to be out in it. Some leaves were changing color also.
 
This summer sucked! Waited 10 months for summer and it never showed up. Pure Michigan
 
I'm glad so many are still getting in some great boating in before winter. :)

If we could have kept ours in the water, I'd be right there with you. Cannot believe the best days of summer are happening at the start of fall, and our boat is put away for the winter due too low water level at shoreline. Ugh! :(
 
Was out all day yesterday. Explored the northern part of the lake above the 150 bridge. This is our 3rd season and although we've been all over this lake there are still coves we haven't been in. The water temp was much better than it was last week. I gauge it by how long it takes my wife to get in. The water level is about 2 to 3 feet low. A neighbor told us that in anticipation of the remnants of the hurricane Duke power lowered the level. It rained but we didn't get as much as they thought........Still plenty of boating days left.
 
94 degrees now - hottest of the season here! Nothing in 90s this summer until the past few days! Sadly, I just returned from dropping off the boat to shrink wrap. We did go out for one last beautiful ride for a couple hours earlier today.
 
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