Leo Seitlinger
New Member
- Aug 21, 2023
- 9
- Boat Info
- 1973 SRV 220
- Engines
- Mercruiser
I had barrowed a friend's new 1974 Sea Ray weekender to meet some of my friend's for a 4th of July weekend in 1975. We met
at Las vegas Marina on Lake Mead. We were water skiing in one of the large bays. I was in the sea ray and one of my friend's was towing all the kids that were with us in a large circle around me. He would tow for awhile and then come over and trade kids while I made snacks and provided water and soda pop. Things were going great when I felt a strong puff of wind on my cheek and looked out to see large thunder heads on the far mountains to the NE. My buddy had noticed the sudden change in the weather and came over to me to drop his load of kids off and head to our camp site on shore. The chop was building fast and I turned on the blowers and both bilge pumps. I told the kids to put their lifejackets. The kids were all young teenagers and I got a lot of static but they all complied when they saw I was not having time for any backtalk. I always take a sniff at the bilge vent at the stern before starting and all was ok. I started back to the camp site which was upwind and in that short period of time had waves breaking around the bow and spray over the hardtop. When I got to the camp it was amazing to see everything blowing down the beach and everyone chasing their stuff. I had backed in near the beach so the kids could get out and felt the outdrive hit bottom once and I knew I couldn't stay there. My friends gave me a push and some of the kids ran back including my son to get on the boat because they felt safer with me than the beach. I went out to the middle again and dropped the anchor, all the chain and all the line and set it hard and it held good. The kids were all tired and slept in life vests. I sat at the helm all night and kept the boat pointed into the wind and wave action. Hard to do because the wind changed faster than the waves and I had to compromise. The boat handled perfectly and I felt it would do anything asked of it. The hardest thing about a storm seems to be staying awake. when I got back to the marina the next day the dock was sunk and chunks of foam were all over that end of the lake. The old floating cafe was on the bottom and telephone poles for power at the dock had been snapped off. this is a picture like I saw at the ramp.
at Las vegas Marina on Lake Mead. We were water skiing in one of the large bays. I was in the sea ray and one of my friend's was towing all the kids that were with us in a large circle around me. He would tow for awhile and then come over and trade kids while I made snacks and provided water and soda pop. Things were going great when I felt a strong puff of wind on my cheek and looked out to see large thunder heads on the far mountains to the NE. My buddy had noticed the sudden change in the weather and came over to me to drop his load of kids off and head to our camp site on shore. The chop was building fast and I turned on the blowers and both bilge pumps. I told the kids to put their lifejackets. The kids were all young teenagers and I got a lot of static but they all complied when they saw I was not having time for any backtalk. I always take a sniff at the bilge vent at the stern before starting and all was ok. I started back to the camp site which was upwind and in that short period of time had waves breaking around the bow and spray over the hardtop. When I got to the camp it was amazing to see everything blowing down the beach and everyone chasing their stuff. I had backed in near the beach so the kids could get out and felt the outdrive hit bottom once and I knew I couldn't stay there. My friends gave me a push and some of the kids ran back including my son to get on the boat because they felt safer with me than the beach. I went out to the middle again and dropped the anchor, all the chain and all the line and set it hard and it held good. The kids were all tired and slept in life vests. I sat at the helm all night and kept the boat pointed into the wind and wave action. Hard to do because the wind changed faster than the waves and I had to compromise. The boat handled perfectly and I felt it would do anything asked of it. The hardest thing about a storm seems to be staying awake. when I got back to the marina the next day the dock was sunk and chunks of foam were all over that end of the lake. The old floating cafe was on the bottom and telephone poles for power at the dock had been snapped off. this is a picture like I saw at the ramp.
