Ran aground... boat stopped like I had breaks! :-(

[gnealon]

Everybody... I truly appreciate the advice given in this thread (at least most of it haha). I got a lot of side PM's encouraging me to stay on board and trek through. I appreciated those very much. I had NO IDEA what this was going to turn into.. WOW! I was hoping that maybe i would get a little more advice on possible damages (regarding oil leak) and hearing from other's who went through these types of repairs. Anyways... the boat is coming out of the water today and will be checked out. I can either start a new thread if people are interesting in cost/damage... post it here... or not post it at all. I'll leave it to you guys.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Vince_nj1]

So what are you going to do next week to top this? Here is a thought. :grin:

 

[gnealon]

So what are you going to do next week to top this?

I can tell you one thing... it's going to be hard haha.

There is a narrow piece of land on fire island separating the GREAT SOUTH BAY (haha) and the ocean. I am going to try and jump it. :grin: I am just hoping that my GPS takes me directly over the ramp in the water.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Please post what the damages are so we can all learn.
Live and learn...we have all done it and will continue in many areas. Sometimes its expensive! There are those that have and those that will. The people who think they don't need to learn anymore or know it all...SCARE me.
Best of Luck,

 

[gnealon]

Good luck!!! Make sure at some point you also jump a tank of sharks so that we may forever be entertained.



Please let us know what the damages to your boat are (so that we may make more fun of you:grin I can offer a morning toast, "May your marine mechanic be wise, and inexpensive!"

I'm glad to see that you kept your sense of humor through this learning experience.

:lol: Thanks for the toast! Since a few are interested, I'll def post the results.

I think going through life w/o a sense of humor is tough!

I'll only do the shark tank jump at night, generator chained to the swim platform, nav lights off, and my 3 week old son on the bow :thumbsup:

 

[PMC]

You need to throw the beer into the mix - no fun without

 

[comsnark]

in calm water, i can plane my boat at 13mph. It's not a nice plane and i'm burning more fuel, but I can flatten it out and cruise at nice slow speed.

Wow. My *ugly plane* speed is 24-26 mph. I never really run there. . .as the boat really wants to sink down at the stern and come off plane. Lowest realistic plane speed for me is 28-30mph.

So yeah. . coming home at night I really don't have any good choices between 8 mph and 28 mph. And the crew is typically tired, and cold. So yes. . the temptation is there.

But one thing I feel the need to point out. . .the "charts" for my area shows all the lit bouys. . but does not come close to showing all the unlit bouys. Certainly does not show the unlit daymarker sticks. Doesn't show the unlit nowake bouys. unlit sailing racing barrels, etc. And yes. . those hazards are close enough to the ICW to be a concern.

 

[gnealon]

Wow. My *ugly plane* speed is 24-26 mph. I never really run there. . .as the boat really wants to sink down at the stern and come off plane. Lowest realistic plane speed for me is 28-30mph.

So yeah. . coming home at night I really don't have any good choices between 8 mph and 28 mph. And the crew is typically tired, and cold. So yes. . the temptation is there.

But one thing I feel the need to point out. . .the "charts" for my area shows all the lit bouys. . but does not come close to showing all the unlit bouys. Certainly does not show the unlit daymarker sticks. Doesn't show the unlit nowake bouys. unlit sailing racing barrels, etc. And yes. . those hazards are close enough to the ICW to be a concern.

comsnark - agreed. I had updated(i think at least since i just bought them) charts on board. They were missing A LOT of the daymarker stickers.

Anyone seen that Mythbusters episode where they drove the boat that was still attached to the trailer? That would come in really handy when running aground! :lol:

 

[Nehalennia]

.....the "charts" for my area shows all the lit bouys. . but does not come close to showing all the unlit bouys. Certainly does not show the unlit daymarker sticks. Doesn't show the unlit nowake bouys. unlit sailing racing barrels, etc. And yes. . those hazards are close enough to the ICW to be a concern.

Is it unreasonable to spend a day marking the "day" markers on your GPS or if returning at night just following the GPS bread crumbs return route?

We don't have daymarkers out here so I'm not sure how many you are talking about.

 

[comsnark]

Todd;

Well, in fact on *my* GPS, I have all the local hazards plotted. I make a point of logging each new marker that pops up in the area. Thank goodness for Garmins Mapsource Program! There are far more of these local markers than markers on my chart. And yeah. . I do also use breadcrumbs.

A few times a season, I download all my "tracks", and remove all non-essential tracks from the unit to remove clutter. What remains are the "bounds" of proven safe runs, as well as a few "we went here once" tracks.

What I have found at night in my area is that merely having the breadcrumbs is inadequate. The local unlit channel bouys are very, very hard to see at night due to local light pollution. . .generally it requires both GPS and the spotlight to locate them at any distance of more than 75'.

As I said before, it does build confidence with the crew when you can say "There is a marker right there!". . nobody can see it. . .but you turn on the spotlight and BINGO there it is.

But again. . .I use the GPS as a tool. I have a number of times slowed the boat to idle to visually find a marker. I do not want to pass within 100yards of a marker without visually ensuring that I really am not going to hit it.

There is one restaurant we like in the Barnegate Bay area called the Pilot House. To get there by water, you have to travel a tight (30-40') channel in a water way maybe 100-200' wide. Outside the channel, you see ducks walking. Although this channel is reasonably well marked with day sticks. I sweat when I run this channel in the day. I am not going to run it at night, GPS or not.

I think the Original Poster is going to learn lots of expensive lessons from this experience.

 

[AKBASSKING]

No. . .although you made a few boneheaded decisions. . .you are posting in a rational manner. You don't qualify for the village idiot slot.

Yet! Many of us are competing for that slot you know.....get in line.:smt043

 

[gnealon]

Yet! Many of us are competing for that slot you know.....get in line.:smt043

Please... you don't stand a chance against me :lol:

 

[AKBASSKING]

There is a narrow piece of land on fire island separating the GREAT SOUTH BAY (haha) and the ocean. I am going to try and jump it. :grin: I am just hoping that my GPS takes me directly over the ramp in the water.

Hey now, I have a jet boat too and there have been times in "skinny water" (for you really shallow) in which I have jumped over a tree or a small sand bar.

It is possible.

But you must have a one of those kind of engines that "suck and blow!" (OK I know the picture shows us drinking brew and eating salmon jerky but you aren't suppose to notice that...)