Navigating Treacherous Waters

Loughborough Lake can be difficult to navigate, especially for guests that are new to the lake. All too often, what was supposed to be a fun day on the water, especially in the East Basin, can end up with a broken propellor or worse. Last summer saw an influx of guests new to the lake, who have experienced first hand the west basin is the road better travelled. We often hear people asking: “Why are there no buoys indicating the shoals?” Well, there are lots of reasons, not the least of which is our liability if we start taking responsibility for this. Shoals can change with the seasons as the lake levels change, and rock formations that were once navigable can become unnavigable. Us placing a marker on such formations would pose a legal liability. The second reason is that all these markers need to be removed and put back in place every season, for otherwise they would be carried by the ice floes. Finally, we would like to keep the lake as natural as possible. This not only means that guests should clean up after visiting an island to enjoy the pristine nature on this lake, but also refrain from marking shoals on their own as this could lead other boaters to falsely assume all shoals are marked. So, what to do when you are out and about on the lake?

Navionics app with a view of shoals along the beach of Loughborough.

There is a simple answer for this question, and that is bring your cellphone (handy in case you run out of gas, anyway) and run the Navionics app for Android or iPhone. It has a map of the entire region, which is helpful if you want to explore other lakes in the region, Prince Edward County, or the St Lawrence River. Just go to the iPhone App Store and download the Boating Marine and Lakes app, also on Google Play. Be sure to download the map prior to heading out into unknown territory, and be sure to clean your boat of possible invasive species prior to putting it in the water. All the rock shoals are marked in the app, but do yourself a favour and buy some polaroid sunglasses that allow you to peek through the surface in times of low lake levels. Be sure not to speed as, especially in the East Basin, it can be all too easy to ruin your brand new propellor, or worse. Happy boating!