After cruise ships ran aground this week on Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Sunapee on obstacles that usually are safely underwater, the New Hampshire Marine Patrol is warning boaters to be careful due to low water levels caused by the drought.
“Submerged hazards that are not typically of concern under normal conditions should be taken into consideration when operating a vessel,” the Marine Patrol cautioned in a press release.
Shortly after noon on Friday, the 76-foot Sophie C ran aground on rocks in Lake Winnipesaukee, near Loon Island in Meredith, while it was moving slowly “in a normally traveled, navigable channel,” the Marine Patrol said.
The day before, the M.V. Mt. Sunapee II became stuck in Lake Sunapee when it hit the intake pipe that feeds lake water to the Mt. Sunapee Ski Area snow-making system.
The Sophie C had six people aboard, while the Mt. Sunapee II was carrying an afternoon cruise with 58 passengers and two crew members, according to reports. Nobody was hurt in either accident.
The Sophie C was pulled off the rock with the assistance of its sister ship, the Doris E, and traveled under its own power to its hailing port of Center Harbor for further evaluation. The Mt. Sunapee II was free Friday.
“Limited snowmelt in the spring combined with lack of rainfall this summer has resulted in lower than usual water levels in the majority of the state’s waterbodies,” the Marine Patrol noted.