Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Mabe I'm being bit arrogrant, or just in a grumpy mood , but shouldn't these reefs be marked? And yes, I probably should've found some maps for the area....but I honestly had no idea I could ground my boat 500 yds from shore in Lake Erie. And I sure didn't think there would be a sunken ship to deal with! (not market either)

They are marked. Take a look at the chart. I'm 99% sure any reef that's shallow enough to take out your outdrive is clearly marked on the chart. Obviously, the depth is about a foot less than would normally be the case, but the chart has that info as well.

Please don't tell me you're going out on Lake Erie without a navigational chart.

Grouse

 

[LiquidAssets]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Yep, I'm that guy.....never ventured more than a couple miles from the slip, I'm not going out 10-20 miles from shore. But obviously in hindsight it was stupid of me not to have a chart. I'm sure they are marked on the charts, but I'm talking about some sort of "hazard" buoy. This was nobody's fault but my own....but for others who might not have charts or unfamiliar with the waters, it would be nice.

Where can I find charts like these? At least I can make sure I don't make the stupid mistake twice.

I might have to invest in a fishing atlas too!

Anyway, thanks for the comments. This has been helpful and a good learning experience.

Just glad I had the tow insurance, anchor, cell phone, etc. or it could've gotten ugly!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10113&subdeptNum=10733&classNum=11082

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Yep, I'm that guy.....never ventured more than a couple miles from the slip, I'm not going out 10-20 miles from shore. But obviously in hindsight it was stupid of me not to have a chart.

OK, you weren't supposed to tell me that. :facepalm:

Here's a link to a very handy NOAA website that lets you view and print "booklet charts". I find these charts much easier to use than the traditional broadsheet charts.

Here's the index for Lake Erie: http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/GreatLakesBookletCharts.htm

Here's the main index page for other areas: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/BookletChart.html

Obviously it's even better to have a GPS / chart plotter, but for near-shore navigation, it's a huge step forward to use the charts to at least know where the danger zones are and then use pilotage and/or dead reckoning to stay clear of them.

Now please tell me that you are carrying the required flare kit and signal gear? Please!

Grouse

 

[LiquidAssets]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Great, thanks......yes I have all required coast guard items on board.

 

[haley]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Grouse,
Great links! Thanks.

Liquid,
I live in Rochester. There is a pier that juts out into Lake Ontario where the Genesee river empties into the lake. The pier has the appropriate nav lights on it and is on the charts. Despite that once a year someone drives a boat into it - usually at cruising speed or faster. The pier has not lost a fight yet. I always like to know where the skinny water is, underwater obstructions like the wreck you mention, and even creek/river outlets (logs and such) etc.

With that said I also prematurely launched by bowrider after taking the safety chain off. :facepalm: 20' short of the water. Very bad day. This is what I love about this site. I learn from your misfortunes and you can learn from mine. Afterwards we are both better boaters.

As for where to find a fishing atlas, try Bass Pro, Gander Mountain or even your local bookstore.

jh

 

[nlain]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

For the fishing maps go here, click on shop, click on a state, I did New York, that gave Ontario and Erie maps.

http://www.fishinghotspots.com/shop/shop.html

You can also buy a chip for your electronics.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

As a practical matter you can't mark all the underwater obstructions. They change. They are, or aren't, obstructions as the water depth varies. They are, or aren't, obstructions depending on the size and speed of the boat. And once "they" start marking them, "they" become responsible if one isn't marked, or if a marker drifts off, light burns out, etc.

This is why it is better, instead, to mark safe passage (channels) and leave it at that. There are exceptions, of course, such as a rogue rock or wreck, but better to keep the warnings at a minimum so they will be more effective (think about the ridiculous safety warnings we see every day--we don't want our waterways over-marked as well.)

In some places, like where I do a lot of boating, people will mark both deep water and shallow water (bars, oyster rocks, etc.). Problem one is, they use the same marker. Problem two is, the hazards/channels move but the markers don't.

Local knowledge, including charts, is the first line of defense. Second is staying in marked safe areas until you learn. But marking hazards to replace those two things is a bad idea IMO.

And I'm not criticizing the guy who ran aground. I do it all the time--and am eternally thankful that I boat mostly over mud and sand!

 

[oops!]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

lets find out what is wrong first......

im guessing that the lower is gone but we dont know that....

we need pics......lower....nose cone on the lower....then pull the lower and lets look

 

[PS94]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

if your boat was in gear, the prop (or whats left of it) will turn one way, and not the other...Might not be as catastrophic as you think..
Like Oops! Says, we need pics, and you need to start tearing down...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

It doesn't really matter how bad it is, it's going to have to be fixed. It's all part of owning a boat.

 

[Philster]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

I never -- and I mean never -- run hard through any area that I don't know very well, unless it's a very deep channel that is clearly marked and clearly run through by other vessels.

I had to learn all new waters when I took my life-long boating knowledge of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean near Cape May, NJ, Intercoastal water ways and the Delaware Bay and tossed it all away when I started boating the Chesapeake.

I have done a lot of puttering lately! Still learning! There are many nuances, and that is the word I always use to describe local waters. You can't be taught them. Like aging wine, it just takes time.

As for SEI and aftermarket companies building drives: There are some good ones. I know companies like SEI have very solid reps and have a good business model. They are good at what they do. Talk to the insurance company, and if they give you any nonsense....get you own adjuster! It won't cost you anything (well, it shouldn't)!

Insurance companies are better at this than you are. There are nuances (see what I did there) to navigating an insurance company/claim. Get an adjuster of your own.

Good luck.

.

 

[LiquidAssets]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

I'll try to get some pics up when I pull her out of the water....just sitting in the slip for now. I was in gear when we hit, but probably only going 5mph or so....I was kind of iffy on the spot in the first place because it was unfamiliar territory. Just wanted to put the comments on the forum so others don't make the same mistake I did! I do appreciate all the comments though.

Like someone else posted....the reef normally isn't a problem for most botors, but we had a pretty dry second half of the summer and the water level was down. Oh well, time to learn and move on. But I'll get it fixed up and be back out there.

 

[laotou]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

I lost my prop last weekend in the middle of a lake. I cruised in the lake non-stop for about two hours at 10-15 mph and stopped the engine for 10 minutes. I started the engine again and the boat did not move an inch. I could not switch to the forward or backward gear. I used my trolling motor to drive my boat to the dock. It took 40 minutes to get there. A nice boater offered me to tow my boat. There were good people out there in the lake.

I had a depth finder. The shallowest place was at least 3 ft deep in my course. I don't know what happened. I like to have a fishing map.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

I was in gear when we hit, but probably only going 5mph or so....

at that speed 99 times out of 100.... If you'd had an aluminum prop, a spare and a prop wrench, you wouldn't have hurt your drive and you could have put on the spare and continued boating. ....... just something to consider for the future when you are prop shopping

 

[ewenm]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

to the OP, your still not telling us if you are insured or not, as has already been stated if you are insured you can make a claim.

your not stating if you are insured leads me to believe your NOT, geez the first thing i did when i bought a boat was get insurance,

to scary not to, i hit a submerged something and the ins co was great came to the party and really looked after me

 

[LiquidAssets]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

...

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

if your in a body of water that can be 3 feet deep 500 yards from shore you need to rethink your prop choice. SS doesnt belong on the boat...chances are, as stated above, if it was aluminum it probably would be a quick prop swap and keep going....SS props transfer ALL the shock into the driveline when they strike objects, aluminum tends to absorb it much better.....

last summer i was on a river going about 40 mph (wot) when i nailed a sunken tree with my outboard. the whole boat jumped out of the water, i smashed my face off the windshield and busted my lip and gums, all while in 25 feet of water. once i stopped my bleeding, i limped the boat to the shore with the one prop ear i had left, swapped on my spare knee deep in water and kept on boating, had i been running SS and not aluminum, i think that boat would be in the junkyard.

 

[Water logged]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Is there a place to get charts like this for inland waterways (rivers)?

Glenn

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Grounded Boat....HOW bad is it?

Is there a place to get charts like this for inland waterways (rivers)?

I certainly haven't found any for my local river.