"The Cut" - New construction warning... Almost found out the hard way....

[skibum]

There has been quite a bit of work going on in the area around Pleasure Island since last spring. This article describes the work being done. It looks like they are finally dredging.

My boat had been sitting in the water for about 2 weeks and I hadn't been able to get down there to see it. Last Friday evening, I made it to the marina to check on her. I was sitting on deck looking out at a picture perfect, calm, quiet night with a bright moon thinking that the engine hadn't been run in 2 weeks. I only had about an hour before I needed to head home, so I thought to myself, "what the heck? I'll go out the channel, head over to the green marker by Hart Miller Island, make a u-turn, and head on back just to give the engine 10 minutes of on plane time.". I fired her up, cast off, and headed out of "the cut" towards Middle River. I exited the cut and was easing the boat on plane with a slow, deliberate, throttle advance when I heard a loud bang from inside of the cabin right as I hit 3000 RPM. I pulled the throttle back to forward idle, pointed the bow far to the left of the marker I was headed to, and went below to investigate. I had left a bottle of Bacardi on the counter, and it had hit the floor. I left it there and headed back to the cockpit.

As I got behind the wheel, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of something slowly gliding by above the rubrail about 3 feet off my port side. I dropped into neutral and used reverse to come to an immediate stop. I hit the spot light button and started sweeping the area. There were 4 steel poles sticking about 5-6 feet above the water ahead of me and to port, and 4 or 5 more off my starboard and starboard bow. They were approximately 2.5" diameter and BLACK or DARK GREEN (WTF???) in color with little 1.5" tall strips of green or red relective tape that didn't even go all the way around the pole on them.

If that bottle hadn't fallen off of the counter, I would have come damn close to taking out 3 of those poles while on plane. That would have sunk me for sure. The one that I almost hit had the green reflective tape on the "out" side, so I was able to see it on the way back in.

So... Heads up if you are cruising in the area and use "the cut", particularly at night. I advise that you drop off of plane at least 100 yards or so before the entrance and make your way in at idle speed. People run right up to the entrance on plane every day. These poles are in the area outside the cut that was previously "safe". It looks like the "new" cut will extend about 100' further towards HMI. I have no idea what is happening on the other end, probably the same.

 

[jason78]

Geeze, you are lucky man. I wonder why they would not mark something like that.

 

[320Bob]

You should now put "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" under your avatar!:grin:

 

[Alex F]

......As I got behind the wheel, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of something slowly gliding by above the rubrail about 3 feet off my port side. I dropped into neutral and used reverse to come to an immediate stop. I hit the spot light button and started sweeping the area. There were 4 steel poles sticking about 5-6 feet above the water ahead of me and to port, and 4 or 5 more off my starboard and starboard bow. They were approximately 2.5" diameter and BLACK or DARK GREEN (WTF???) in color with little 1.5" tall strips of green or red relective tape that didn't even go all the way around the pole on them.

If that bottle hadn't fallen off of the counter, I would have come damn close to taking out 3 of those poles while on plane. That would have sunk me for sure. The one that I almost hit had the green reflective tape on the "out" side, so I was able to see it on the way back in. ......

I'm glad that the luck was on your side. If I understand the night was unfolding and it was getting dark when you attempted to take the cruise. If this is correct, then use this as a positive experiance and reminder for yourself what are the safe masures you need to take to avoid putting yourself in the same situation again, specially with the rest of the crew on board.

Rule #1: never outrun your vision. If you follow it you'll minimize your risk of collision.

I used this rule on my 240DA, which didn't have a radar and I assume your 260 doesn't have one either. As soon as it was getting dark I would come off plane and travel at 6-7mph.

P.S.
Please correct me if my understanding was wrong about the conditions.

 

[hack4alivin]

Ski, we use "the cut" all the time... Double thanks for the heads up!

 

[skibum]

No, it was 8PM and dark already. The entire "cruise" would have the course indicated by the yelow line with a U turn at the end. Maybe 2 miles round trip. The blue line is in the "old" channel, about the 1st 1/4" of the yellow line is where things happened. This is a place that I have travelled literally hundreds of times both night and day. I know the area very well, including the locations of the smaller speed limit bouys, etc.. That is why this was so scary.

If they're gonna plant steel poles in a previously obstacle free area where it is well known that folks travel at night, then they really need to mark them. Even a couple of blinking LEDs at the tops would have helped. It was light enough that I could see some detail on both shores, and I could clearly see the hull outline of one other boat travelling along my intended route. Lighting was not the entire problem. If the poles were white, yellow, orange, etc., and if the reflective tape was put on so that it was a 8" band that went all the way around the poles, then I would have been able to see them. These were also very thin poles. Much smaller than a daymarker pole. More like the size of a pole in a chain link fence.

 

[jcoll]

And who said drinking was bad for your health? Like you said if it hadn't been for the rum, your story might have ended differently. Glad it worked out okay. I'm on the eastern shore for the summer and there's been alot of dredgeing going on off of Pooles Island too. I haven't checked but were there any Notice to Mariners posted about the cut being dredged? I ususally don't check them myself but once in a while I'll look - it's interesting what you find out. Still, I would think poles like that should be better marked.

 

[comsnark]

Speaking as someone else who routinely travels at plane at night on VERY familiar waters. . . .YIKERS!

I am having a drink right now to your lucky near miss.

 

[Alex F]

Skibum,

I know what you mean. But I think if you think about this situation at different time, may be year from now you'll agree with me. The biggest issues come up are in waters people know very well and feel too comfortable. I think there's a statistic (at least that's what I've heard) that very high % of accidents happen just minutes away from home, when people coming back from long trips.

I travel thruogh a channel leading to my marina every single time I go out and back. The channel is marked with narrow metal cans dark red and dark green with 2" reflecting stripe. It's only about 40-50' wide, which fits with GPS margin of error. The channel positioned in such direction that it's always 100% pitch black when I travel through it at night hours. I have to go very slow, b/c radar sometimes misses the markers (the reflecting tape is just too small), even when I change the range to 1/8 of a mile. I don't use the search light only b/c I have the radar, but on my 240 I couldn't travel thru there without using the search light.

The bottom line is that this time there were markers tomorrow there will be something else. I've came across number of small boats that travel with no navigation lights. Slow speed was the saver on number of occasions.

You should always remember that there could be just something floating in the water that could be on a colission course. You could travel only 500 yards away from your slip and hit it. So, being able to have clear vision is the key regardless where and how far you're going. This is just the safest way to travel.

As you've seen we've had number of threads on the cruising at night subject. Your situation is another reminder for all of us that we must practice safest approach to get our crew to a destination safe and sound. You're the captain, it's your responsibility.

 

[Lady Ashley SR560]

Hey guys just wanted to give everyone in the same area a heads up on the entrance to fairlee cr. I was down last week and wanted to baltimore for the eve. and grab some drinks with the boys. Now the tides were exceptionaly low... but even at mid tide i couldent get out the chanel. There has been a crap load of sand and gravel deposited both inside and out of the creek. At 9 pm (again aprox 1 hr shy of mid tide) i cruised past the fuel dock from e-dock (bulkhead past travel lift) Bang... hit bottem slightly. At low tide i have churned mud here in the past but i could hear the screws churning in the gravel tonight. Disenguaged transmissions and coasted over.. no biggie there. Out the mouth bang the hard left as usual. 20 ft prior to the rt. turn to the red marker where the shoal grabs the sail boat keels(u all know the spot )I came to a dead stop. Now i draw aprox 60 inches and again have churned a lil mud here at dead low tide. But i have never seen it this shallow. 3.5 maby 4 feet. I was screwed and i knew it. I shut down droped anchor and cracked a beer. at midnight i was tired as hell. Set anchor alarm and lightly slept in the master stateroom listening for my anchor chain to start making noise as we started to become free and move. 1 am. heard the chain .. jumped to the helm and with tail between the legs headed back to the slip. I think the spoilage from the work there doin is washing in and setteling in and infront of the mouth of the cr. So captians beware at Great Oak Landing on Fairlee cr. I hope to god this is a temp. problem and or they dredge the chanel prior to april when i unwrap her or i may need to find a new marina

 

[billnpat]

Speaking as someone else who routinely travels at plane at night on VERY familiar waters. . . .YIKERS!

I am having a drink right now to your lucky near miss.

Make that 2 :smt009:smt009

 

[skibum]

Alex, I haven't disagreed with you at all.

The problem can be broken down into one fact: If you haven't traversed an area within the past 24-48 hours and know for certain that nothing has changed, then you no longer know the area "very well". I hadn't taken the boat out in 2 weeks. I knew that they were dredging by Pleasure Island, and had heard a rumor that they might dregde the cut. I saw the dredges on the side of the island when I was in the cut. It appeared as though they were still working in that area, not where I was. I goofed. I left the slip without all of the available data.

I slept on the boat last night. When the sun came up, I checked out the cut through the binocs. There are steel marker poles all over the place. I counted at least 16 of them. They are running down both sides of the channel. I saw at least 5 with NO markings at all on them, and 1 that had a green "flag" made out of reflective tape that was about to fall off.

Do you mean to tell me that in 2010, we can't use markers that are visible both day and night on survey poles? Like I said, even a couple of blinking LEDs on the top of each one would be better than nothing.

And yes, my rum habit seems to have saved the day. Funny thing was that I took the bottle out of the cabinet intending to mix a drink. I forgot about it when I decided to take a ride. If I had actually made that drink, the bottle would have been properly stowed when I was done resulting in a punctured hull. One more vote for no drinking before boating.

 

[Bodkin Creek George]

That's why I only run at night if it is absolutely necessary. We NEVER use the cut on a week ends or holidays. Too many NUT's in the Cut. Retirement does have it's advantages. I remember years ago when I was in my 20's (just after the Civil War) and sticks were the only markers into many places. Reflective tape was not yet invented and we ran from South River to Deale just to get a cold beer. Beer was 50 cents a bottle and gas was 26 cents a gallon.
George

 

[mistercomputerman]

...gas was 26 cents a gallon.
George

You sure that wasn't the War of 1812 or maybe the Revolutionary War?

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]War of 1812 (1812 to 1815)
[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]American Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783)
[/FONT]​

That's some inexpensive gas compared to today.

 

[hack4alivin]

That's why I only run at night if it is absolutely necessary. We NEVER use the cut on a week ends or holidays. Too many NUT's in the Cut. Retirement does have it's advantages. I remember years ago when I was in my 20's (just after the Civil War) and sticks were the only markers into many places. Reflective tape was not yet invented and we ran from South River to Deale just to get a cold beer. Beer was 50 cents a bottle and gas was 26 cents a gallon.
George

You sure that wasn't the War of 1812 or maybe the Revolutionary War?

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]War of 1812 (1812 to 1815)[/FONT]​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]American Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783)[/FONT]​

That's some inexpensive gas compared to today.

Well I may be right behind George; I do remember gas at 25 cents a gallon as well. I can’t tell you about the beer, as I was too young to buy it. I used to walk up to the corner gas station for gas for the lawn mower; coke was 10 cents a bottle! George, “too many NUT’s in the cut”???? I usually run into them after the cut, behind Hart Miller!

 

[skibum]

You took the words right out of my mouth, Bill. After having the cut right out of the marina "window" for 3 years, I can honestly say that most people behave like humans beings going through it. You get the occasional nimnut that likes to ride right down the center regardless of how many other boats happen to be passing through, but for the most part, people behave themselves. The real problem is always that last 1/4 mile or so (on either end) where the folks that want to be doing 6 kts in front of everyone else instead of behind them do some really funky stuff to get there first. Once you are actually in the cut, all is good.

I'm going out for my last ride of the season this afternoon. I'll try to snap some pics of the work in progress while I am out there.

I guess I am a little younger than you guys, I remember my Dad getting gas at .29 per gallon, but it was above $1 by the time I was filling my own tank...

 

[Bodkin Creek George]

Hi Bill,
We never did hook up this year so we will plan on it next season. Put CJS'S TOO to bed on thursday. As for the gas it was 16 cents a gallon when I was 17. Beer was 15 cents for draft and a bottle was 25 cents.
George

 

[skibum]

Update on the Cut: They have been dredging 7x24 for the past 2 weeks. I left the marina just after sundown today and they had fired up the lights on the barges to continue work on the northern entrance, right where my mishap almost occurred.

On Sunday, October 31st, I took my last ride of the season to Fells Point for lunch. There were a lot of poles running down both sides of the cut. They were even smaller in diameter than I had thought, maybe 1". The important thing was that as I pulled out of the marina and made the turn into the cut towards BIH, I noticed that my depth gauge was reading 8' and it was LOW tide. My depth finder is not calibrated to the waterline, so add the extra 18" or so inches that my transducer is below the waterline and that means that it was approximately 9'8" deep. This did not last all the way to the end of the channel. The stretch between the last 2 sets of markers was back to the usual 4' to 5 1/2' deep range.

I spoke with one of the owners of our marina today. According to him, the "new" Cut is going to be 150' wide and 8' deep at low tide. They have added a red nun - with a flashing red light :thumbsup:, very close to Pleasure Island. I'd guess that it was between 30' and 60' off of the beach. They have a couple of obsolete markers to remove now.

I'm really looking forward to this next year. I've never had any problems going through, but there is the occasional nimnut that likes to take his half of the channel out of the center. I tend to piss folks off going through during the week, though because I always (ok... 98.5% of the time) do 6kts until I am out of it. People buzz through on plane all the time and I don't like the idea of playing chicken with folks to get a little piece of the channel at 50+ MPH closing speeds. There just wasn't anywhere to go without killing your props if it got too close.

Looks like you big boat guys (along with the rest of us) will finally be able to pass through without any pucker factor next year. :smt038

 

[Overextended]

Near number green three for most of the summer I would have to take up the far left (eastern) side of the channel due to shoaling on the western side of the channel near the day mark. The west side of that channel was terrible this year.

So if I was one of the "nimnuts" with a 40" draft forcing someone with a shallower draft to switch up then sorry. I had so many folks in 14 - 26' center consoles with outboards flipping me off. Got to love people and the understanding of a stand-down vessel in such a situation. I even had a jet ski yell at me to which I told him that that he was number one in my book with a hand gesture...:smt017

 

[skibum]

You weren't one of the nimnuts I was referring to. I also have a 40" draft, so I understand the difference between working one's way around shoaling and just being oblivious to where one is in the channel.

You are correct, the western side was a real mess this year. It started getting bad last September. Whenever it was near low tide the rule was hug red "4" on the way out to avoid the shoaling.

Here's some pics of the work I snapped on my cell phone Sunday afternoon.

The "southern end" - not much to see in the way of construction, but on the very far right edge you see a boat near the end of the pier. The western edge of the cut is now about 25' closer to that pier than it was.



The center -this is directly opposite my marina. Red marker "8" has been removed. There is a red nun with a flashing light very close to the beach in this photo that takes its place. The tilted green marker "5" is about 5'-10' inside of the channel. It will be have to be moved east. The red nun in the foreground on the left is not a marker for the main part of the cut, it is for the marina entrance.



The "northern" end - not much to see in the photo other than the barge and dredge pipes. Its been really busy up there. On the far left outside of the final set of markers is where I almost took out the survey poles.