Great day on the boat, then ran aground.....What to have checked?

[lrdchaos]

Pulling the kids on a tube in the middle of a long cove in 18ft deep when all the sudden the boat came to a quick stop on an island that was 8-10 inches under the water. We were eventually able to get the boat off by using another boat to tow it off. It was high centered on large rocks and such. The boat started and ran back to the ramp which was a couple of miles away. Once the boat was out of the water I began to inspect the damage. I noticed a number of areas on the v that had gelcoat knocked off and fiberglass showing, and scratches all along the bottom of the hull where it ran up on the rocks. The props sustained some light scratches and dings, but actually came out someone better than I had thought they would. The bottom and front of the lower unit on the bravo 3 is beat to heck, and missing a lot of paint. I'm going to file a claim and get the process started. Other than taking it to a fiberglass\gelcoat repair shop, and taking it to a dealership to have them check the engine mount, coupler, and everything on the back before they start replacing drive parts, WHAT else should I look for or check?

 

[Chris1956]

Rocks are bad. Look for cracks in the fiberglass and aluminum. In FG they usually show as concentric scratches. Any leaks in the boat? Any gear oil leaks in the outdrive?

At tube towing speed, a depth finder probably will not give sufficient warning of the shallows. In the future it makes sense to check out the tube towing route at slow speed until you are sure it is safe. You do not want the tube to hit anything either.

 

[mr 88]

" WHAT else should I look for or check ? " I would start looking in the glovebox , drawers , for a chart. Then I would study it before shoving off. There is also a app for current up to date charts that cost maybe 10.00 a year , I would look for that as well.

 

[poconojoe]

That must have been a scary experience.
Thank goodness no one was hurt, both in the boat and on the tube.
I dont even want to think about what those rocks could have done to those on the tube.

Get the boat fixed and be careful.
Do a couple of practice runs at idle to get a better idea what is under the water.

 

[lrdchaos]

Pretty crazy, been on this lake for 15 years and thought I knew all the hazard points. I will probably get a chart finder after this. Still can’t believe that the corp doesn’t have a buoy on the island that is 8 inches underwater. I had 300 yards Of water in each direction to the bank.

 

[poconojoe]

The lake we boat at is used to generate power. They are constantly drawing down water throughout the season.

In the Spring, the water level is high from the Winter thaw.
But by September, you better know where the hazards are lurking since the water level is so low by then. Many boats are gone for the season at that point, which makes boating more enjoyable.

Maybe this is what happened to you. Has the water level dropped? Could even be evaporation or run-off to small streams or rivers that has depleted the water.

Our lake is managed by the power company. They do set buoys near some of the hazards, but not anywhere near all of them.

A couple of weeks ago I was idling in a no wake zone and hit a rock with my outdrive. The drive was ok, but I chipped up the prop. I was lucky that I was just at an idle.

 

[isaacs]

I have iNavX on my iPhone. The app was cheap and NOAA charts are free. For "off the beaten path" inland lakes you may want a subscription to Navionics. I think you can cancel it after the first year and still use the chart even though it will show up as "expired".

 

[Beagleville]

We've had a few boaters hit obstructions on my lake and then scamper up to the town hall to try to collect damages. I don't believe anyone's been successful....yet. As such, the town put up a sign at the boat launch stating, "Not all obstructions are marked...use at your own risk." Or something like that.

 

[Grub54891]

Alas, I snagged bottom twice a few weeks ago with mine. I was going slow but have been boating on the lake for over 30 years. The areas I hit were never an issue in the past. One on the bigger part of the lake, the other by my dock. The water level are low but not as low as other times back in the day. The lake is spring fed, and rain runoff. No rain the springs can't keep up. Luckily it only dinged up the prop but at higher speed it wouldn't have been good.