Submerged object Sandusky Bay

B

bblack

Member
Jul 23, 2007
226
Canton Ohio
Boat Info
2012 470 DA
Engines
Cummins Diesels QSB 480 Zeus
There have been several incidents of boats hitting a object below the surface to the east and south of green can 13 in Sandusky Bay. One of these vessels was a 63 Sea Ray which sustained a 5 foot gash out of the hull. MM Catawba has seen several of these boats among other local marinas. They don't know exactly what it is or exactly where it is but they believe it is something substantial and they believe it's moving. (submerged floating dock or ice shanty) The recommendation is to remain in the channel until you get near green can 15 and then proceed eastward along the shoreline. Apparently there is not a problem going west out of the channel.
 
Last edited:
I'll have to add this to the list... thanks for the heads up.
 
Thanks for the heads-up! I'll mark that on AC.

I looked at that 630SSS on Sunday. I didn't see the gash, but her port prop took heavy damage. Bummer.

FWIW, charting of the Sandusky Bay area is hopelessly inaccurate. The bottoms shifts way too much to rely on soundings outside of the channel. If the 630 was heading to CP, he was probably taking the cautious route of staying south until he rounds the range marker (which many people mistake as a channel marker) and then taking a NE course into CP.

Most CP'ers (including me) follow a fairly direct route from the marina entrance toward Red-12 to enter the channel.
 
Years ago in a marina that i was docked at, we had a number of boat tear up some prop in the alley between the slips. Turns out someone's portable dog house blew off the dock and was drifting around. Someone had some "splanning" to do.
 
I pulled out of a boathouse and heard a horrible cracking sound from stbd. I thought I lost a transmission, but I was on my way to the lift well to pull for bottom paint anyway. We lifted her up and I found a blue and white patio chair (or the remains of it) wrapped around the stbd shaft. That was the same side that picked up a full-size beach towel in PIB the next year - unfortunately that time the lift was 17 miles away instead of 700 ft.
 
The obstruction is still there. They believe it is still moving. Here is the last known position. N41 280.000 W82 420.000. The Coast Guard came in and looked with sonar but didn't find anything. 3 more boat hit it this weekend. When I went in and out this part weekend I avoided the area. The lake is 37 inches above LWD, so there is plenty of water.
 
Hi, is there a online navigation chart for Sandusky Bay. I have the 268 at Cedar Point Marina and would like to avoid the object if possible.
Thanks!

bblack said:
The obstruction is still there. They believe it is still moving. Here is the last known position. N41 280.000 W82 420.000. The Coast Guard came in and looked with sonar but didn't find anything. 3 more boat hit it this weekend. When I went in and out this part weekend I avoided the area. The lake is 37 inches above LWD, so there is plenty of water.
Click to expand...
 
Heard yesterday that they found a submerged pipe and hope that is what is causing the problems. They are pulling it out early in the week.

Dan
 
The obstruction has been found and moved, It was a 12" pipe around 12' long. It was 3 1/2' under the water. They got it over to the coal docks and are going to get a crane to pull it out.
 
Many theories as to the source of the pipe. One of them involves a freighter that went aground in this area a few months ago, and that she might have dredged this submerged pipe out of the bottom muck.
 
That makes as much sense as anything else. The water is way up and the problem has only happened this year.
 
But........ how was a 12" steel pipe moving around? Was it sticking in the muck on one end?
 
I'll bet that the "moving around" part was inaccurate reporting on the position of the incidents. Who knows.
 
bblack said:
The obstruction has been found and moved, It was a 12" pipe around 12' long. It was 3 1/2' under the water. They got it over to the coal docks and are going to get a crane to pull it out.
Click to expand...

I hope they put it on dispaly somewhere, lol!
 
Nothing new to report other than apparently nobody hit anything over the weekend. The pipe must of been it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,120
Messages
1,426,612
Members
61,037
Latest member
wojozobl
Back
Top