redneck joe
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2009
- Messages
- 11,133
No fishing planned, just first trip out of the season wanted to test handling in rough water which as you can see there was plenty of.
Got just under the bridge ahead of the bigger storm that was coming, motor dies, wind blowing directly at the marina about half mile across the lake. Normally that would be a good thing but the waves and speed at which I was moving would not be conducive to meeting the marina?s breakwater docks. Tested starting for about 45 second, no action, formulated plan.
Then it got even more windy, waves got bigger.
Climbed to the bow, threw the anchor which promptly got tangled up under the bow - first time deployed since I?ve put everything back together. Back around, in the cabin, open the door to the locker, untangled and back up top to tie off on center bow cleat (not railing).
That didn?t grab anything.
Grabbed the back-up anchor, put on life jacket (30+ mph winds now) crawled back up to the bow, threw in, tied off. In conjunction with the main anchor, slowed me down but did not hold either. I?m halfway back to the marina breakwater. Called Kevin (friend at the marina has a houseboat and a pontoon). No answer.
Called the marina, their tow boat was up for the winter. He stated he would see how fast he could dewinterize the boat. I suggested he go see if he could find Kevin as I was not holding and would be crashing sooner than he could dewinterize.
Anchor still not holding.
Kevin calls, he?s on his way. Looking at my possible trajectory I?m going to hit in one of three places ? the breakwater docks that has no access other than by boat so I?m going to hit that with no help; would have to jump in and swim around into the marina. Might hit the submerged Indian mound just in front of the breakwater dock ? on a normal day that would stop me as it?s about 1.5-2? deep depending on the lake level but the waves would have pushed me over it, then into the breakwater ? see above. Best hope was right into the main marina entrance which would still put me into a dock but would have been able to have several people fend me off/grab me, fenders, whatever. As Spock would say ?your chances of survival are approximately 36.038746758399393 to one?. I would have survived however the boat wouldn't have and the short time I would have been in the water would not have been fun at 52 degree surface temp.
Kevin appears from around the back side of the marina, taking water over the deck, occasionally over the railing on his 28? pontoon. We start yelling various scenarios to hook the boats together. The plan was tie the rope to a fender, tie to the center bow cleat and he would pick up behind me, cruise up and away we go. I crawl back to the bow to retrieve the secondary anchor to either use that line or at least get it out of the way. I hook it to the horns and went back to get the bumper. As I was starting back, a big wave and off she slid into 25? of water.
The first anchor has suddenly grabbed; I?m approx. 200? from the breakwater/Indian mound aka boat death.
Kevin gets close enough to me to throw me his 25? line, I tie my six 10? dock lines together, attach bumper and climb back to the bow. Tie off and throw the bumper and line to the seas. Now I have a hooked anchor so the question then becomes - can I pull a 5000 lb boat into 2-4? waves and 30+ mph wind? I think not. If he tries to pull me towards the anchor we run a good chance of him getting his motor tangled up and in a pontoon as there will just not be enough finesse control to stay comfortably clear of the anchor line. Double oh s*** scenario. Climb back to the cabin and grab my dykes. He makes four passes to the bumper before he is successful. As he tries to straighten out and motor towards me I try to keep the rope out of his motor. Not looking good I yell for him to abandon the pass and pitch the rope back to the water. Two more attempts he gets straight and heads towards me.
?How?s this feel? I think I hear him yell as he passes about 10? off the port. I cut the anchor line, keeping tow rope out of his prop. ?'*'ing GO!?
We went.
Longest 45 minutes I think I?ve experienced. Don?t have the kicker on yet if I did I would have had time, going with the wind, to get to safety. Not going out on a bad day again without a kicker.
If the motor had not died when it did, I was less than a minute from being in a wind protected area where I was going to stop and sit for a few before I headed back in.
By the way, the boat handles rough water very nicely.
Got just under the bridge ahead of the bigger storm that was coming, motor dies, wind blowing directly at the marina about half mile across the lake. Normally that would be a good thing but the waves and speed at which I was moving would not be conducive to meeting the marina?s breakwater docks. Tested starting for about 45 second, no action, formulated plan.
Then it got even more windy, waves got bigger.
Climbed to the bow, threw the anchor which promptly got tangled up under the bow - first time deployed since I?ve put everything back together. Back around, in the cabin, open the door to the locker, untangled and back up top to tie off on center bow cleat (not railing).
That didn?t grab anything.
Grabbed the back-up anchor, put on life jacket (30+ mph winds now) crawled back up to the bow, threw in, tied off. In conjunction with the main anchor, slowed me down but did not hold either. I?m halfway back to the marina breakwater. Called Kevin (friend at the marina has a houseboat and a pontoon). No answer.
Called the marina, their tow boat was up for the winter. He stated he would see how fast he could dewinterize the boat. I suggested he go see if he could find Kevin as I was not holding and would be crashing sooner than he could dewinterize.
Anchor still not holding.
Kevin calls, he?s on his way. Looking at my possible trajectory I?m going to hit in one of three places ? the breakwater docks that has no access other than by boat so I?m going to hit that with no help; would have to jump in and swim around into the marina. Might hit the submerged Indian mound just in front of the breakwater dock ? on a normal day that would stop me as it?s about 1.5-2? deep depending on the lake level but the waves would have pushed me over it, then into the breakwater ? see above. Best hope was right into the main marina entrance which would still put me into a dock but would have been able to have several people fend me off/grab me, fenders, whatever. As Spock would say ?your chances of survival are approximately 36.038746758399393 to one?. I would have survived however the boat wouldn't have and the short time I would have been in the water would not have been fun at 52 degree surface temp.
Kevin appears from around the back side of the marina, taking water over the deck, occasionally over the railing on his 28? pontoon. We start yelling various scenarios to hook the boats together. The plan was tie the rope to a fender, tie to the center bow cleat and he would pick up behind me, cruise up and away we go. I crawl back to the bow to retrieve the secondary anchor to either use that line or at least get it out of the way. I hook it to the horns and went back to get the bumper. As I was starting back, a big wave and off she slid into 25? of water.
The first anchor has suddenly grabbed; I?m approx. 200? from the breakwater/Indian mound aka boat death.
Kevin gets close enough to me to throw me his 25? line, I tie my six 10? dock lines together, attach bumper and climb back to the bow. Tie off and throw the bumper and line to the seas. Now I have a hooked anchor so the question then becomes - can I pull a 5000 lb boat into 2-4? waves and 30+ mph wind? I think not. If he tries to pull me towards the anchor we run a good chance of him getting his motor tangled up and in a pontoon as there will just not be enough finesse control to stay comfortably clear of the anchor line. Double oh s*** scenario. Climb back to the cabin and grab my dykes. He makes four passes to the bumper before he is successful. As he tries to straighten out and motor towards me I try to keep the rope out of his motor. Not looking good I yell for him to abandon the pass and pitch the rope back to the water. Two more attempts he gets straight and heads towards me.
?How?s this feel? I think I hear him yell as he passes about 10? off the port. I cut the anchor line, keeping tow rope out of his prop. ?'*'ing GO!?
We went.
Longest 45 minutes I think I?ve experienced. Don?t have the kicker on yet if I did I would have had time, going with the wind, to get to safety. Not going out on a bad day again without a kicker.
If the motor had not died when it did, I was less than a minute from being in a wind protected area where I was going to stop and sit for a few before I headed back in.
By the way, the boat handles rough water very nicely.
