SearayPaul
Active Member
I met this group of Sea Ray owners on the internet and agreed to go to Charleston with several of them. After signing on one of them admitted to being a pyromaniac. Are marinas expensive to replace?
What's Your Strangest Boating Experience?
- Thread starter Sadler
- Start date
Bridog
Well-Known Member
Run Paul and run fast
Hey Paul, that comment I made about the running next to Sadler so he could listen to our country music on the trip... I take it back now, not sure I want to be that close to him :lol: :smt043 :lol:
SearayPaul said:
Paul,
See it really had nothing to do with the salt afterall - I knew the group that was going and well you know...just joking of course... :smt043
Wesley
Sadler
Member
- Nov 29, 2006
- 907
- Boat Info
- 2005 Nordic Tugs 37 FB
Mercury RIB dinghy with Honda 2 hp 4 stroke,
sold: 1997 290DA,
- Engines
- Cummins QSB 380
Don't worry guys. You're safe with me. We got the fire out and the boat didn't sink, right? Right? :huh: :lol:
Converse48
Well-Known Member
Atta boy, Sadler! Don't take any crap from these guys. It's just a little fire... 
islandhopper00
Active Member
HEY Sadler do I have anything to worry about on the Bald Head I sland trip??? Maybe I just need to confirm my insurance policy covers fire. :lol: :wink:
jarhead
New Member
Last summer my wife and I had an experience similar to lorenbennet. We were anchored in a bay on Castle Rock flowage when I woke up to the boat spinning around 180 degrees. I got up and out of the cabin to find both anchor lines tight but we were spun around. I never did figure it out since there was no current or wind. About 5 hours later a horrible thunderstorm hit and we headed for the landing to have a miserable time getting the boat on the trailer.
Times Like These
New Member
Late night screams & an outboard...
My family of five grew up on Watts Bar Lake in East TN. We would spend almost every weekend tied up with other houseboats at various islands and coves. The days were filled with swimming, fishing jet skiing,tubing and the like. Nights would bring campfires and plenty of good food and stories.
One summer we spent the entire week tied up alone at one of our favorite islands just off the main channel. My parents had the master bed room on our 53' Jamestowner Aluminum housebout. My sisters shared the bunk beds in the middle and I got the pull out couch in the salon with the dog. July in East Tn is downright hot. My father being frugal with fuel despite the pleas from the kids refused to run the generator at night. Late one night with every window open I laid in bed lisening to the various creatures of the night sing their chorus. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, the dog began to growl. I immediatly strained to listen and look for what might have awoken her. Through the crickets and tree frogs I heard voices coming from the other side of the island. At 2:00 am I figured it must be bass fishermen, but then I heard a blood curling scream of a woman. The dog went nuts barking a nd whining, and I made a b-line to my parents stateroom. Dad was up in a flash although no one else had heard the womans screams. After a few moments we both heard it. My dad walked over to the helm and lit the 5 million candlepwer spot light toward the noise. Within a few seconds we heard an outboard engine fire and a small craft race off into the night.
We never learned what happend that night. I have always thought the worse, but hoped for the best. As wonderful as our lakes, rivers and oceans are, we are still a part of a world that can be cruel and down right evil. You never know who might be out there in the still of a hot summers night.
My family of five grew up on Watts Bar Lake in East TN. We would spend almost every weekend tied up with other houseboats at various islands and coves. The days were filled with swimming, fishing jet skiing,tubing and the like. Nights would bring campfires and plenty of good food and stories.
One summer we spent the entire week tied up alone at one of our favorite islands just off the main channel. My parents had the master bed room on our 53' Jamestowner Aluminum housebout. My sisters shared the bunk beds in the middle and I got the pull out couch in the salon with the dog. July in East Tn is downright hot. My father being frugal with fuel despite the pleas from the kids refused to run the generator at night. Late one night with every window open I laid in bed lisening to the various creatures of the night sing their chorus. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, the dog began to growl. I immediatly strained to listen and look for what might have awoken her. Through the crickets and tree frogs I heard voices coming from the other side of the island. At 2:00 am I figured it must be bass fishermen, but then I heard a blood curling scream of a woman. The dog went nuts barking a nd whining, and I made a b-line to my parents stateroom. Dad was up in a flash although no one else had heard the womans screams. After a few moments we both heard it. My dad walked over to the helm and lit the 5 million candlepwer spot light toward the noise. Within a few seconds we heard an outboard engine fire and a small craft race off into the night.
We never learned what happend that night. I have always thought the worse, but hoped for the best. As wonderful as our lakes, rivers and oceans are, we are still a part of a world that can be cruel and down right evil. You never know who might be out there in the still of a hot summers night.
rondds
Well-Known Member
- Oct 3, 2006
- 8,859
- Boat Info
- 2001 380DA
- Engines
- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
wow! i've been on boats for my 40 years of life but NEVER had anything as interesting as prodigal! but here's three OK stories.
1. when i was about 6yo, we (parents and sister, my maternal grandparents and an adult cousin of my mom) piled into the 28' Owens for a circumnavigation of scenic and beautiful Staten Island. apparently cap'n ron (my dad) was unaware of the shoaling that exists just south of great kills harbor. so we ran pretty hard aground and in about 3 hours, we were HIGH AND DRY (picture the Minnow in Gilligan's island). and there we stayed until the 6' tide released us (at about 4am) and we headed back to sheepshead bay. i remember eating a sandwich on the back deck, with the boat on the sand, tilted probably 30 degrees to port. i also remember my dad and mother's cousin walking to shore for something (mayo? fuel?)
2. that same owens - sold it in 1975 to someone who kept it in sheepshead bay on a mooring. shortly after the sale, the boat sank at the mooring (very erie - we puttered over it in the dink for a closer look). the boat was re-floated and sat tied to that mooring, all scuzzy, for the rest of the summer of '75. then it was gone. YEARS LATER (probably the early 80s) we swam ashore in dead horse cove and walked around the shoreline to the foot of the Riis Park Bridge. and there was the owens, wrecked, 1/2 buried in sand, flybridge gone. we know it was ours b/c my father had a "relief" sign on the head door. we salvaged the door (mahogany veneered plywood) and used it on the Chris Craft as a platform for the newly required "holding tank" that was installed.
3. same chris craft - during a two week cruise (circa 1979?) up the hudson river, one stop-over was at west point, where we anchored and took the dink in for a tour of the academy. several hours later, we returned and said chris craft was GONE. well, she wasnt exactly gone - only about 2 miles up the river. as we motored back to her, a cadet came by and told us that he noticed the boat drifting up river, so he caught up to her, let out some scope and reset the anchor. we had apparently anchored on some sort of "shelf" and with a shift in wind the anchor had broken free and was now literally dangling freely in an additional 30 feet of water. God only knows where that boat would have wound up if it were not for the good samaritan army cadet!
btw, for some visuals on all these vessels (including the dingy) check out the website listed below.
next...
1. when i was about 6yo, we (parents and sister, my maternal grandparents and an adult cousin of my mom) piled into the 28' Owens for a circumnavigation of scenic and beautiful Staten Island. apparently cap'n ron (my dad) was unaware of the shoaling that exists just south of great kills harbor. so we ran pretty hard aground and in about 3 hours, we were HIGH AND DRY (picture the Minnow in Gilligan's island). and there we stayed until the 6' tide released us (at about 4am) and we headed back to sheepshead bay. i remember eating a sandwich on the back deck, with the boat on the sand, tilted probably 30 degrees to port. i also remember my dad and mother's cousin walking to shore for something (mayo? fuel?)
2. that same owens - sold it in 1975 to someone who kept it in sheepshead bay on a mooring. shortly after the sale, the boat sank at the mooring (very erie - we puttered over it in the dink for a closer look). the boat was re-floated and sat tied to that mooring, all scuzzy, for the rest of the summer of '75. then it was gone. YEARS LATER (probably the early 80s) we swam ashore in dead horse cove and walked around the shoreline to the foot of the Riis Park Bridge. and there was the owens, wrecked, 1/2 buried in sand, flybridge gone. we know it was ours b/c my father had a "relief" sign on the head door. we salvaged the door (mahogany veneered plywood) and used it on the Chris Craft as a platform for the newly required "holding tank" that was installed.
3. same chris craft - during a two week cruise (circa 1979?) up the hudson river, one stop-over was at west point, where we anchored and took the dink in for a tour of the academy. several hours later, we returned and said chris craft was GONE. well, she wasnt exactly gone - only about 2 miles up the river. as we motored back to her, a cadet came by and told us that he noticed the boat drifting up river, so he caught up to her, let out some scope and reset the anchor. we had apparently anchored on some sort of "shelf" and with a shift in wind the anchor had broken free and was now literally dangling freely in an additional 30 feet of water. God only knows where that boat would have wound up if it were not for the good samaritan army cadet!
btw, for some visuals on all these vessels (including the dingy) check out the website listed below.
next...
Sadler
Member
- Nov 29, 2006
- 907
- Boat Info
- 2005 Nordic Tugs 37 FB
Mercury RIB dinghy with Honda 2 hp 4 stroke,
sold: 1997 290DA,
- Engines
- Cummins QSB 380
islandhopper00 said:
Fire, lightning, vandalism, grounding, every kind of scary thing--reading all these stories Mike, I think it'd be a good idea to be covered for everything! Maybe a boat umbrella policy?
jrirvine1
Member
No fire, grounding or other assorted catastrophe stories here but I do have two “When Bats Attack†incidents.
It was a hot and steamy summer night, set the hook late after fishing until dark in a quiet cove, then put all camper canvas on and tried to sleep. It was just way too hot, so I unbuttoned the canvas from the hull snaps and flipped them up on top of the double bimini to get some air and decided to sleep topside. In the AM, I saw what looked like mouse dung on the swim platform and thought that seemed quite odd. All was fine until when I grabbed the canvas from the top to fold up and stow away, when about 12 bats fell out onto the deck of the boat. Apparently, they thought the rolled up canvas would be a good place to spend the day after a busy night of feasting. When aroused, instead of flying away, they made their way into any dark crevasse available such as, under seats, side storage pockets and even empty bait buckets. It took me at least an hour to coax them all out of their new homes with the boat hook.
Next night out and trying to learn from this experience, set the hook in another cove and left the canvas on. Woke up about 3 AM to the sound of a Bat inside the boat trying desperately to get out by flying around in aimless panic at the camper canvas. Somehow he found a way in and then realized this was not a good place to be. Then his or her friends showed up flying around and landing on top of the boat and on the bow rails. It was about this time that I thought this must be a sequel to an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was able to open up one of the isinglass panels to let my new pet out and rejoin the group. This was actually quite interesting, because the large group of bats outside would not leave until their trapped member could escape.
No animals or humans were injured or killed in the making of this documentary. :grin:
It was a hot and steamy summer night, set the hook late after fishing until dark in a quiet cove, then put all camper canvas on and tried to sleep. It was just way too hot, so I unbuttoned the canvas from the hull snaps and flipped them up on top of the double bimini to get some air and decided to sleep topside. In the AM, I saw what looked like mouse dung on the swim platform and thought that seemed quite odd. All was fine until when I grabbed the canvas from the top to fold up and stow away, when about 12 bats fell out onto the deck of the boat. Apparently, they thought the rolled up canvas would be a good place to spend the day after a busy night of feasting. When aroused, instead of flying away, they made their way into any dark crevasse available such as, under seats, side storage pockets and even empty bait buckets. It took me at least an hour to coax them all out of their new homes with the boat hook.
Next night out and trying to learn from this experience, set the hook in another cove and left the canvas on. Woke up about 3 AM to the sound of a Bat inside the boat trying desperately to get out by flying around in aimless panic at the camper canvas. Somehow he found a way in and then realized this was not a good place to be. Then his or her friends showed up flying around and landing on top of the boat and on the bow rails. It was about this time that I thought this must be a sequel to an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was able to open up one of the isinglass panels to let my new pet out and rejoin the group. This was actually quite interesting, because the large group of bats outside would not leave until their trapped member could escape.
No animals or humans were injured or killed in the making of this documentary. :grin:
PMvdb395DA
New Member
- Oct 12, 2006
- 1,165
- Boat Info
- 360DA '03 6,5 kw kohler generator, AC, etc.
- Engines
- Yanmar 315Hp diesels
I think this guy has a story also.....
Last edited:
PMvdb395DA
New Member
- Oct 12, 2006
- 1,165
- Boat Info
- 360DA '03 6,5 kw kohler generator, AC, etc.
- Engines
- Yanmar 315Hp diesels
chuck1 said:
Hey Sadler, you know these guys? :smt043
Last edited:
Sadler
Member
- Nov 29, 2006
- 907
- Boat Info
- 2005 Nordic Tugs 37 FB
Mercury RIB dinghy with Honda 2 hp 4 stroke,
sold: 1997 290DA,
- Engines
- Cummins QSB 380
PMvdb395DA said:
Peter,
That's me climbing up on the bow of the sinking boat. Didn't want to loose my deposit, so I pulled it back out of the water. That boat up on the bank? That's just where I left my boat waiting for the forklift to pick it up for the drystack. And the middle photo, that's just a fast way we use to wash the cockpit out after we get it sandy; don't worry, we haven't even turned the bilge pumps on yet in that picture.
jhild
New Member
- Nov 2, 2006
- 350
- Boat Info
- 1999 BW 18 Ventura /
Sold: 2003 176BR
- Engines
- Current: 135 OptiMax /
Sold: 3.0L Alpha
As a relative novice, I don't have much to contribute on this topic, but this whole thread has been a great read. Thank you!
Noleball
New Member
I have a few but then I have been on the water for fun and work for nearly 30 years:
1. Got lost on Apalachicola River system near Port St. Joe when I was about 11 or so. Spent half of the night looking for the entrance to the creek where the boat ramp was located. To add insult to injury, the rain started and fell most of the night and it was around 40 degrees out. I think we finally found a dry spot under a river house and built a fire to try to keep from freezing to death.
2. When working on the shrimp boat, we caught a sawfish in the net. If you have not seen one, you really need to google up a picture of one. So, we have a 20' sawfish, with a temper, tangled up in a shrimp net hanging from the rigging. In the end, he died while we were trying to cut him out but not before he nearly beat us all to death and tore up the net and all of this was at about 2:00 in the morning.
3. We caught a sea turtle in the net one night... three different times. Don't worry, he lived.
4. Rode out Storm of the Century in March 1993 in Tampa Bay. Nothing like 12' seas in the bay and having to keep the motor turned upwind at 2/3 throttle to keep from tearing the bow off of the boat with the anchor shoot. I have many memories about this night and none are good except the one where we lived and a bunch of other boaters did not. We could see the boats and hear the maydays but could not get to them and could not have helped them if we had.
The list goes on but these are a few of the bad ones. A few of the good ones are here too:
1. Heading in to the dock on the shrimp boat, we skirted several thunderstorms and even got to watch a waterspout from about 3 miles away. We noticed two different rainbows and discovered one end of one was actually on the deck of the boat. Sorry, there was not a pot of gold anywhere in the boat.
2. Came out of the cabin to find several gulls and pelicans on the deck. One of the pelicans actually stood there and let me walk up to it only to discover it has a 9" trolling lure lodged in its wing and side. It actually ley me remove the hooks without beating me to death with its wings and then stayed on the deck for about two hours afterwards and we fed him fish.
3. When shrimping, we worked at night and slept in the day. One night, we were all dozing and the boat was on autopilot and the captain was even dozing now and again while we trawled with the nets. All of the sudden it sounded like someone had thrown a board through the wheelhouse and the captain was shouting obscenities and all he(( broke loose. Turns out, about a 12" flying fish had flown into the open door of the wheelhouse and hit the captain and knocked him out of his chair. That was good stuff.
Sorry this is so long....
1. Got lost on Apalachicola River system near Port St. Joe when I was about 11 or so. Spent half of the night looking for the entrance to the creek where the boat ramp was located. To add insult to injury, the rain started and fell most of the night and it was around 40 degrees out. I think we finally found a dry spot under a river house and built a fire to try to keep from freezing to death.
2. When working on the shrimp boat, we caught a sawfish in the net. If you have not seen one, you really need to google up a picture of one. So, we have a 20' sawfish, with a temper, tangled up in a shrimp net hanging from the rigging. In the end, he died while we were trying to cut him out but not before he nearly beat us all to death and tore up the net and all of this was at about 2:00 in the morning.
3. We caught a sea turtle in the net one night... three different times. Don't worry, he lived.
4. Rode out Storm of the Century in March 1993 in Tampa Bay. Nothing like 12' seas in the bay and having to keep the motor turned upwind at 2/3 throttle to keep from tearing the bow off of the boat with the anchor shoot. I have many memories about this night and none are good except the one where we lived and a bunch of other boaters did not. We could see the boats and hear the maydays but could not get to them and could not have helped them if we had.
The list goes on but these are a few of the bad ones. A few of the good ones are here too:
1. Heading in to the dock on the shrimp boat, we skirted several thunderstorms and even got to watch a waterspout from about 3 miles away. We noticed two different rainbows and discovered one end of one was actually on the deck of the boat. Sorry, there was not a pot of gold anywhere in the boat.
2. Came out of the cabin to find several gulls and pelicans on the deck. One of the pelicans actually stood there and let me walk up to it only to discover it has a 9" trolling lure lodged in its wing and side. It actually ley me remove the hooks without beating me to death with its wings and then stayed on the deck for about two hours afterwards and we fed him fish.
3. When shrimping, we worked at night and slept in the day. One night, we were all dozing and the boat was on autopilot and the captain was even dozing now and again while we trawled with the nets. All of the sudden it sounded like someone had thrown a board through the wheelhouse and the captain was shouting obscenities and all he(( broke loose. Turns out, about a 12" flying fish had flown into the open door of the wheelhouse and hit the captain and knocked him out of his chair. That was good stuff.
Sorry this is so long....
ImpulseIII
Active Member
Rafted up with 5 other boats at the "secret spot" in Barnegat Bay, NJ for an "overnighter" last July. Sunday morning while everyone was on my boat having coffee, one of the members of our raftup had an epileptic seizure and lost consciousness (this was his first seizure and no one (including him) had any idea that he had a problem).
I immediately called the Coast Guard and declared a medical emergency providing them with lat/lon info, description of the raft up, and landmarks on the shore marking our location. The CG dispatched a RIB with 3 persons aboard. After about 10 minutes we received a call from the RIB asking for more detailed information as to where we were. Turns out that they were totally lost and did not believe we were where we told them because "there is no water in there" according to them (NOT according to the charts that showed 5 feet or so). Anyway, we could see the RIB through our binoculars and gave them a course to steer to our boats. They refused citing "too shallow water" and a new "do not scratch bottom paint" edict from the local CG commander.
One of our raft (a 310 Sundancer) broke off and ran to the Coast Guard RIB and told them to "follow me". They refused , again citing the "no scratch" policy and called HQ for advise. At that point my friend had regained consciousness but had no idea where he was or what had happened. The Coast Guard then decided to dispatch a chopper from Atlantic City for an airlift.
To make a long story short, after an additional 30 minutes or so we see this orange chopper approaching the raft up. He drops a paramedic on the bow who accesses the situation and then drops a basket to take George to the hospital. Bottom line the entire fiasco took almost 2 1/2 hours from the initial call to George arriving at the hospital. The good news is that George is OK and is getting his situation treated and dealt with but, all in all, it was quite a learning experience not only for me but for the other captains that were rafted up and their crews.
What we learned is that if you are withing a reasonable distance of a shore facility, dial 911 on your cell phone and make arrangements to meet a paramedic at some local dock or water front restaurant or marina. This is not a slur on the fine men and women of the US Coast Guard but rather a quicker way of getting medical assistance under certain circumstances. Local EMT's are better equipped to deal with medical emergencies if you can get the patient to them or they can get to the patient quickly. They have all the necessary equipment in the ambulance and can render assistance immediately.
The local Coasties were only "following orders" and as such, had their hands tied so far as getting the RIB to our raftup was concerned. They were as frustrated as we were and were absolutely dumb struck that they were instructed to stand down and await the chopper. My hat goes off to them for a valiant try. I also have nothing but the highest praises for the men and women who do S&R for the Coast Guard. These brave men and women risk their lives to try to save folks like us when we get into trouble and the do so with little regard for their own safety.
Sorry to be so long winded but we learned valuable lessons here.
I immediately called the Coast Guard and declared a medical emergency providing them with lat/lon info, description of the raft up, and landmarks on the shore marking our location. The CG dispatched a RIB with 3 persons aboard. After about 10 minutes we received a call from the RIB asking for more detailed information as to where we were. Turns out that they were totally lost and did not believe we were where we told them because "there is no water in there" according to them (NOT according to the charts that showed 5 feet or so). Anyway, we could see the RIB through our binoculars and gave them a course to steer to our boats. They refused citing "too shallow water" and a new "do not scratch bottom paint" edict from the local CG commander.
One of our raft (a 310 Sundancer) broke off and ran to the Coast Guard RIB and told them to "follow me". They refused , again citing the "no scratch" policy and called HQ for advise. At that point my friend had regained consciousness but had no idea where he was or what had happened. The Coast Guard then decided to dispatch a chopper from Atlantic City for an airlift.
To make a long story short, after an additional 30 minutes or so we see this orange chopper approaching the raft up. He drops a paramedic on the bow who accesses the situation and then drops a basket to take George to the hospital. Bottom line the entire fiasco took almost 2 1/2 hours from the initial call to George arriving at the hospital. The good news is that George is OK and is getting his situation treated and dealt with but, all in all, it was quite a learning experience not only for me but for the other captains that were rafted up and their crews.
What we learned is that if you are withing a reasonable distance of a shore facility, dial 911 on your cell phone and make arrangements to meet a paramedic at some local dock or water front restaurant or marina. This is not a slur on the fine men and women of the US Coast Guard but rather a quicker way of getting medical assistance under certain circumstances. Local EMT's are better equipped to deal with medical emergencies if you can get the patient to them or they can get to the patient quickly. They have all the necessary equipment in the ambulance and can render assistance immediately.
The local Coasties were only "following orders" and as such, had their hands tied so far as getting the RIB to our raftup was concerned. They were as frustrated as we were and were absolutely dumb struck that they were instructed to stand down and await the chopper. My hat goes off to them for a valiant try. I also have nothing but the highest praises for the men and women who do S&R for the Coast Guard. These brave men and women risk their lives to try to save folks like us when we get into trouble and the do so with little regard for their own safety.
Sorry to be so long winded but we learned valuable lessons here.
osd9
New Member
Frank:
I'm glad your friend is OK....I remember seeing all the commotion that day and wondered what the heck was going on. Then I read about it in the papers the next day............but heck....he nearly gave away the "secret spot"....Whew that was close.....hope you guys let him have it....after he was all well of course..... :grin:
I'm glad your friend is OK....I remember seeing all the commotion that day and wondered what the heck was going on. Then I read about it in the papers the next day............but heck....he nearly gave away the "secret spot"....Whew that was close.....hope you guys let him have it....after he was all well of course..... :grin:
Strangest experience I ever had was about 35 years ago; Myself, two friends and three ladies rented a 40' Triton for a weekend at Catalina (Istmus). We left Marina Del Rey late Friday evening, got clear of the causeway just before dark, under power. Raised sails, cut power, very light breeze, seas calm. I was the only one on board with any sailing experience and by midnight everyone was below, asleep.
The wind died off, I was sitting in the cockpit, at the tiller - the gentle rocking of the boat started putting me to sleep. I was in that state of not quite asleep, but not really awake when I heard the most horrendous roaring/gurgling sound just off the port stern. I jumped bolt upright - the sea was foaming and the phosphoresence was extremely bright. Visions of every sea-monster story were dancing in my head, when the 'monster' broke the surface. It took a minute for my mind to clear enough to make out the dorsal of a submarine - I never heard any engines start and the wake was clearly visible because of the phosphoresence as it sailed away from me.
Without waking any of the others, I went below and got a change of underwear and a shot of cherry brandy. I didn't sleep the rest of the night.
The wind died off, I was sitting in the cockpit, at the tiller - the gentle rocking of the boat started putting me to sleep. I was in that state of not quite asleep, but not really awake when I heard the most horrendous roaring/gurgling sound just off the port stern. I jumped bolt upright - the sea was foaming and the phosphoresence was extremely bright. Visions of every sea-monster story were dancing in my head, when the 'monster' broke the surface. It took a minute for my mind to clear enough to make out the dorsal of a submarine - I never heard any engines start and the wake was clearly visible because of the phosphoresence as it sailed away from me.
Without waking any of the others, I went below and got a change of underwear and a shot of cherry brandy. I didn't sleep the rest of the night.
