*cry*

[yensid]

Had a great day boating on labor day at the beach with a bunch of friends. Took turns tubing, wwent out fishing, etc. great time! After packing things up at the end of the day, it was just one couple left with my wife and myself, and we decided to go for a last leisurely cruise around the lake. The wives climbed on the boat and the other husband and I pushed it off the beach. We got going, but I couldn't get the boat to plane out, which shouldn't really have been a problem. It's a 15' bass boat with an 85hp engine. Well, I figured maybe it's because three of us were in back. I had the other husband go up front with his wife. Still wouldn't plane out very well. Ah well, we're just cruising around anyways, I don't mind burning some extra gas....<br /><br />Well, about half way across the lake, suddenly I see I'm standing in water. Oh no!!! I quickly turn around and head back to the landing, and have my wife go up front, too, and finally can plane out and get some speed. We get the boat out of the water, and I see that somehow (I can only guess while pushing it off the beach) we pulled off about a 4 or 5 foot strip of the gel coat (just fibers showing now), starting at a place where the previous owner had patched the bottom. The site of the patch is where the water had been coming in. I guess that extra water weight is what keeping us from planing. <br /><br />Very very sad. And a lesson - be really careful if you beach your boat!!!!<br /><br />Anyways, does anyone have any idea how much something like that will cost to fix?<br /><br />Ah well, that's what insurance is for, right?

 

[anne]

Re: *cry*

yensid, my heart goes out to you. What a bummer. Even if it did happen when you pushed it off the beach (and who knows -- maybe, maybe not) if it came off that easily, it was going to at some point, so I'm glad it's to that point and you made it back okay and now it can be fixed -- this time more durably!<br /><br />I don't really like fully beaching my boat. I boat on inland lake / river waters where the shorelines can be rocky; I've done it, but prefer not to... So, I found something that works well for me -- an Anchor Buddy line. It's a stretchy line specifically made for setting an anchor off the stern of a small boat, then it stretches enough to allow you to power close enough to the beach, shut the engine down and quickly hop off the bow and tie a long line from the bow to a point on the shore. The elastic line pulls the boat back a bit and keeps the boat at anchorage just a bit off the shore, but allows you to pull the boat in close enough to board again without getting all the way in the water (assuming the beach is steep enough to allow all that).<br /><br />I really like it, I've had it for 2 years and it's worked well for us all that time. I'm sure I look pretty silly sometimes trying to hurdle myself over the bow of my bowrider boat from lower than you'd be if fully beached but it's worth it to me to have the boat secure but not scraping the bottom when we want to hit the beach! I got it from West Marine, it was about $25 or so.<br /><br />Good luck with your hull repair, I hope you're out boating safe, secure and happy again very soon!<br /><br />-anne

 

[yensid]

Re: *cry*

That's a great idea, thanks!<br /><br />Yeah, that definitely could have been worse, I could have ended up at the bottom....

 

[crazyray2]

Re: *cry*

think I would invest in a good high volume bilge pump in case you have more problems of leaks or heaven forbid hit an under water obstacle.

 

[Deerdog]

Re: *cry*

Yensid,<br />I hope you get it fixed. It could have been alot worse. Anyway, I also do not like beaching my boat for fear of rocks as well as ingesting sand into the cooling system ( I have seen folks use the motor as a rear anchor for a beached boat). I bought a neat little anchor called a crab claw (sold at Bass Pro) that is super. I will throw it out and it holds immediately. I tether the boat a little ways off the beach. Good luck getting your boat fixed.<br /><br />Deerdog