convergent
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
- Messages
- 385
I'm sure you saltwater guys wouldn't be phased by this story, but it was pretty terrifying to me and my daughter. A big lesson learned by this captain too.
We went out last night fishing in my 17' fish and ski and went to the larger lake here which I've only been to once since getting the boat. We went to a new ramp on the advice of another fisherman who was having some luck here. There's a large bridge right beside the ramp which leads to another section of the lake. We went 3 or 4 miles up past the bridge and were back in some coves fishing. The conditions were nice... water was very, very calm.
It was kind of cloudy when we went out, but not like a storm. Over time, I saw a storm that was way off to the side and not in place that would pass us based on the wind direction. It stayed out there for well over an hour and the sky above and up wind from us wasn't changing much. I also never saw any lightening in the storm, but heard a rumble now and then. The storm looked to be about 10 miles from us at least, but like I said... the wind wasn't blowing it towards us and in NC the weather can be different just a mile away this time of year.
My daughter wanted to keep fishing and it was nice, so we did. After a couple of hours it started to look a little worse and I told her we should probably go... but she won out and we stayed a little longer. Then all of a sudden, what we could see up wind changed dramatically. It got a lot worse all at once. In the cove we were in, the trees were I guess blocking my ability to see far away in that direction. The cove was still calm... no wind, calm water, but the sky looked horrifying. We immediately pulled up the trolling motor and turned for the dock. As we came out of the cove and turned toward the launch, I knew we had messed up. Thy sky was black, lightening... no rain yet, but the wind was heavy and the water was rough. I put the hammer down and headed for the launch... nothing stowed... just trying to get back quick.
When we came under the bridge to the bigger part of the lake, it was a lot worse. I looked at the docks at the launch and the waves were about 3' high coming up over the deck. I am usually picky about boat fenders and such, but I told her just to grab the bow line and don't worry about protecting the boat... just get onto the dock and tie the rope off quick. It was difficult, but she managed to do that and I got out and tied the stern line. I ran and got the truck and trailer and looked like an idiot trying to back it down in a hurry... usually have no trouble backing, but the adrenaline got to me. I decide to walk the boat on the trailer figuring driving it on would be a disaster. I untied the bow line and almost went for a swim ... I could barely hold it the pull was so hard. Thankfully I untied before my daughter did. Another guy who had just pulled out had come down to help the rest of us and he took the stern line she was going to do and helped me get it on. I then pulled out and packed and ran back down to help the next guy. We got him on pretty easily and we all ran back to the cars. The rain wasn't hard yet in spite of how nasty it was. Visibility was dropping off too. Just as I got in the jeep to leave, I saw a navigation light on the water. I told my daughter I had to go back to help because they were totally hosed if someone wasn't on the dock.
I ran back down and it was a mastercraft ski boat with a couple and two younger boys. I managed to grab their bow line and get it tied off... no way I could hold it otherwise. The dad got out to get the trailer and conditions were getting worse. I asked them to give me a stern line, and they all looked at me like I had three heads. They didn't have any other ropes except a ski rope, and they didn't seem to know where they could tie it on the back of the boat. A big bolt of lightening hit right near us, so I suggested they get out of the boat and wait it out. The woman was happy to do so and we carefully got them out of the boat as the dad showed up with the trailer. I suggested to him that he wait it out, and he said he would just drive it on. I thought that was a really bad idea so I said I'd stay and help him walk it on. Without a stern line, I just grabbed the back of the boat as best as I could as he pulled the bow line and we got it on the trailer and he then jumped in and drove it up a ways while I held the bow line. I then winched him the rest of the way on and by now the rain had gotten very heavy and lightening was hitting all around, so I told him his boat was up to the bow stop and I was done and took off back to my jeep.
My daughter was terrified and thought I was nuts to run back and help the other guy, but I asked her who was going to help them if I didn't. No one else was there and they were really going to be in trouble if someone didn't help them. In my haste I forgot to pull the plug on the boat and by the time we got home we had a lot of water in there, which ended up in my garage floor, but all things considered we got out of this pretty well. She told me she will NEVER ever ask to keep fishing again if there is even one cloud in the sky. She also truly learned the meaning of the saying, "the calm before the storm".
As I said, I'm sure for the ocean going boaters on here this was nothing, but for us it was a life lesson and I don't ever want to be out there when a storm hits again. I thought I was watching things closely, but I messed up big time on this one.
We went out last night fishing in my 17' fish and ski and went to the larger lake here which I've only been to once since getting the boat. We went to a new ramp on the advice of another fisherman who was having some luck here. There's a large bridge right beside the ramp which leads to another section of the lake. We went 3 or 4 miles up past the bridge and were back in some coves fishing. The conditions were nice... water was very, very calm.
It was kind of cloudy when we went out, but not like a storm. Over time, I saw a storm that was way off to the side and not in place that would pass us based on the wind direction. It stayed out there for well over an hour and the sky above and up wind from us wasn't changing much. I also never saw any lightening in the storm, but heard a rumble now and then. The storm looked to be about 10 miles from us at least, but like I said... the wind wasn't blowing it towards us and in NC the weather can be different just a mile away this time of year.
My daughter wanted to keep fishing and it was nice, so we did. After a couple of hours it started to look a little worse and I told her we should probably go... but she won out and we stayed a little longer. Then all of a sudden, what we could see up wind changed dramatically. It got a lot worse all at once. In the cove we were in, the trees were I guess blocking my ability to see far away in that direction. The cove was still calm... no wind, calm water, but the sky looked horrifying. We immediately pulled up the trolling motor and turned for the dock. As we came out of the cove and turned toward the launch, I knew we had messed up. Thy sky was black, lightening... no rain yet, but the wind was heavy and the water was rough. I put the hammer down and headed for the launch... nothing stowed... just trying to get back quick.
When we came under the bridge to the bigger part of the lake, it was a lot worse. I looked at the docks at the launch and the waves were about 3' high coming up over the deck. I am usually picky about boat fenders and such, but I told her just to grab the bow line and don't worry about protecting the boat... just get onto the dock and tie the rope off quick. It was difficult, but she managed to do that and I got out and tied the stern line. I ran and got the truck and trailer and looked like an idiot trying to back it down in a hurry... usually have no trouble backing, but the adrenaline got to me. I decide to walk the boat on the trailer figuring driving it on would be a disaster. I untied the bow line and almost went for a swim ... I could barely hold it the pull was so hard. Thankfully I untied before my daughter did. Another guy who had just pulled out had come down to help the rest of us and he took the stern line she was going to do and helped me get it on. I then pulled out and packed and ran back down to help the next guy. We got him on pretty easily and we all ran back to the cars. The rain wasn't hard yet in spite of how nasty it was. Visibility was dropping off too. Just as I got in the jeep to leave, I saw a navigation light on the water. I told my daughter I had to go back to help because they were totally hosed if someone wasn't on the dock.
I ran back down and it was a mastercraft ski boat with a couple and two younger boys. I managed to grab their bow line and get it tied off... no way I could hold it otherwise. The dad got out to get the trailer and conditions were getting worse. I asked them to give me a stern line, and they all looked at me like I had three heads. They didn't have any other ropes except a ski rope, and they didn't seem to know where they could tie it on the back of the boat. A big bolt of lightening hit right near us, so I suggested they get out of the boat and wait it out. The woman was happy to do so and we carefully got them out of the boat as the dad showed up with the trailer. I suggested to him that he wait it out, and he said he would just drive it on. I thought that was a really bad idea so I said I'd stay and help him walk it on. Without a stern line, I just grabbed the back of the boat as best as I could as he pulled the bow line and we got it on the trailer and he then jumped in and drove it up a ways while I held the bow line. I then winched him the rest of the way on and by now the rain had gotten very heavy and lightening was hitting all around, so I told him his boat was up to the bow stop and I was done and took off back to my jeep.
My daughter was terrified and thought I was nuts to run back and help the other guy, but I asked her who was going to help them if I didn't. No one else was there and they were really going to be in trouble if someone didn't help them. In my haste I forgot to pull the plug on the boat and by the time we got home we had a lot of water in there, which ended up in my garage floor, but all things considered we got out of this pretty well. She told me she will NEVER ever ask to keep fishing again if there is even one cloud in the sky. She also truly learned the meaning of the saying, "the calm before the storm".
As I said, I'm sure for the ocean going boaters on here this was nothing, but for us it was a life lesson and I don't ever want to be out there when a storm hits again. I thought I was watching things closely, but I messed up big time on this one.
