Longfisher
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 11
Re: Have you ever been in trouble on the water in your boat?
Several times, but only hangnails (as defined by others above).
#1. Was fishing atop spoil islands in Galveston Bay and ingnorant of the effects a large vessel's wake would have there. Happily (or luckily) had the bow of the boat pointed towards the channel when three large waves reared up over the spoil island and filled my 21 Cuddy with water. Cut out transom, self-bailing cockpit and a little push from the 200 Merc offshore did the trick until the bilge pump could take over.
Very scary for us as we were new to boating. When we fish such places now we're much smarter and we keep out a keen eye for passing vessels.
#2. Got impatient wanting to fish early one season and launched from small marina into the ICW near Matagorda, Texas. Headed to main Matagorda bay but the wind made that unfishable so turned around and was hit by a massive thunderstorm. Just made it into the marina and was putting out the fenders when lightning stuck the boat. Loudest sound I ever heard, and I was in the Marine infantry.
Recovered my senses and saw several men waving me into a covered berthing area. I didn't need to be asked twice. Sat out the storm and traded lies with the old guys the rest of the day then pulled the boat out and "low-tailed" my way out of there.
#3. Again, got impatient with a large cargo vessel in Galveston Channel and decided to pass. Seemed like there was plenty of room too. Only when I got to the top of the first stern wave and was headed down, decidedly down, did I realize that a) the trough between them was huge and my boat was going to fall directly into it and b) there were at least three other waves of comparable height and steepness with which I was going to have to contend to get through the stern wake pattern.
But gritted my teeth and played it as cool as I could and all was well. Wife was with me and never suspected how close we came to pitch-polling, which was very close. She was just in awe of the waves and the skill of the dauntless skipper (me).
#4. Was tearing down the ICW near Bolivar Roads near Galveston and didn't know the difference between the wakes of a power boat on plane and a displacement hull. If you don't know either, a boat on plane has very little wake at all and it can be easily quartered at WOT. A displacement boat which appears to be much less of a threat sits deeply in the water, moves relatively slowly and throws a huge wake in a pattern of several waves.
Anyway, hit the first one and the boat was airborn for about 3 seconds with the prop out of the water and the outboard screaming. Came down atop the last one with the hardest hit I've ever had in a boat and it buckled my and the wife's knees sending up onto the deck in a sprawl.
Now, the ICW is never more than about 200 - 250 ft. across in that area. A boat like ours traveling about 35 mph would cross that in seconds. Had I not been wearing the cut-off lanyard which killed the engine we'd have proceeded on following a course set by the impact of the landing almost directly perpendicular to the waterway and into either the shore or the berthed vessels along the shore.
Luckily, I was wearing that thing and the engine cut out almost immediately allowing us to come to a quick stop. I can't say enough good things about that thing and I never boat without it on.
#5 Was kingfishing with a buddy and his law-enforcement friend. Friend was a real prick and a know-it-all who wouldn't pay attention to anything safety related. Reminded me of a major I knew once who drowned in some rapids during survival training immediately after telling us all how easily he could handle things without the guide's admonitions.
Anyway, we were dragging lures near the surface and kingfish are notorious for following lures right up to the boat and leaping at it when it leaves the water as the angler retrieves it. So, I demand my anglers don't reel it up to the transom only to lift it from the water and then aboard. There could be a huge kingfish with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth after that thing that launches itself into the air (called skying or kamikaziing) and into the boat to land who knows where.
Instead, I demand that everyone retrieves the lures out to the side of the boat by pointing the rod tip abeam during the retrieve. That way any skying king will just miss the lure if he launches himself at it and land harmlessly in the drink alongside the boat.
Ahole didn't listen, didn't comprehend, or didin't care to follow hard-won advice and reeled up a KingGetter (Russellure) directly behing the helm station with me at the helm. A big king (about 40 inches and 25 - 26 lbs.) launches at the lure as it's pulled into the boat and just misses this dope but slams into the backrest of the captain's chair in front of which I was standing with my back to the stern.
I couldn't have been madder outside of combat. Cut all the lines from all the rods told everyone to sit down in the stern seats and took the boat to the ramp over 20 miles of rough ocean without saying a word. Didn't speak a word to that dope the 2 hours back to the neighborhood either. Never spoke to him again.
Damned know-it-all cops.
#6 Was a passenger in a 2200 Hydrosports doing some pelagic fishing offshore of Freeport, TX when we hit a log or a telephone pole or something equally as massive with the lower unit. Motor literally flips into the boat breaking free of the transom and still screaming at what must have been 4,000 rpm. Prop struck and shredded to pieces the leaning post against which the helmsman was leaning throwing him to the deck (I was already there).
Bits of the post, upholstery, the fiberglass top of the elevated fish box and the prop were sent flying like shrapnel. Amazingly, neither of us was hurt any worse than what a small first aid kit could handle. Entire 230 hp outboard was laying on the deck in the middle of the cockpit. Transom damaged but holding the sea back OK.
Got a tow from the CG Aux back to shore (about 10 miles). Never was invited out with him again but heard he ran aground on the Jetties near Quintana some years later...Jonah?
What's the moral. I don't know other than keep up your guard because things can and do change in a microsecond out there. Experience is your best teacher, so long as it doesn't kill you. When you first get a boat go out with an experienced old salt who's made all the mistakes above and maybe you're going to come back alive too.
LongFisher
Several times, but only hangnails (as defined by others above).
#1. Was fishing atop spoil islands in Galveston Bay and ingnorant of the effects a large vessel's wake would have there. Happily (or luckily) had the bow of the boat pointed towards the channel when three large waves reared up over the spoil island and filled my 21 Cuddy with water. Cut out transom, self-bailing cockpit and a little push from the 200 Merc offshore did the trick until the bilge pump could take over.
Very scary for us as we were new to boating. When we fish such places now we're much smarter and we keep out a keen eye for passing vessels.
#2. Got impatient wanting to fish early one season and launched from small marina into the ICW near Matagorda, Texas. Headed to main Matagorda bay but the wind made that unfishable so turned around and was hit by a massive thunderstorm. Just made it into the marina and was putting out the fenders when lightning stuck the boat. Loudest sound I ever heard, and I was in the Marine infantry.
Recovered my senses and saw several men waving me into a covered berthing area. I didn't need to be asked twice. Sat out the storm and traded lies with the old guys the rest of the day then pulled the boat out and "low-tailed" my way out of there.
#3. Again, got impatient with a large cargo vessel in Galveston Channel and decided to pass. Seemed like there was plenty of room too. Only when I got to the top of the first stern wave and was headed down, decidedly down, did I realize that a) the trough between them was huge and my boat was going to fall directly into it and b) there were at least three other waves of comparable height and steepness with which I was going to have to contend to get through the stern wake pattern.
But gritted my teeth and played it as cool as I could and all was well. Wife was with me and never suspected how close we came to pitch-polling, which was very close. She was just in awe of the waves and the skill of the dauntless skipper (me).
#4. Was tearing down the ICW near Bolivar Roads near Galveston and didn't know the difference between the wakes of a power boat on plane and a displacement hull. If you don't know either, a boat on plane has very little wake at all and it can be easily quartered at WOT. A displacement boat which appears to be much less of a threat sits deeply in the water, moves relatively slowly and throws a huge wake in a pattern of several waves.
Anyway, hit the first one and the boat was airborn for about 3 seconds with the prop out of the water and the outboard screaming. Came down atop the last one with the hardest hit I've ever had in a boat and it buckled my and the wife's knees sending up onto the deck in a sprawl.
Now, the ICW is never more than about 200 - 250 ft. across in that area. A boat like ours traveling about 35 mph would cross that in seconds. Had I not been wearing the cut-off lanyard which killed the engine we'd have proceeded on following a course set by the impact of the landing almost directly perpendicular to the waterway and into either the shore or the berthed vessels along the shore.
Luckily, I was wearing that thing and the engine cut out almost immediately allowing us to come to a quick stop. I can't say enough good things about that thing and I never boat without it on.
#5 Was kingfishing with a buddy and his law-enforcement friend. Friend was a real prick and a know-it-all who wouldn't pay attention to anything safety related. Reminded me of a major I knew once who drowned in some rapids during survival training immediately after telling us all how easily he could handle things without the guide's admonitions.
Anyway, we were dragging lures near the surface and kingfish are notorious for following lures right up to the boat and leaping at it when it leaves the water as the angler retrieves it. So, I demand my anglers don't reel it up to the transom only to lift it from the water and then aboard. There could be a huge kingfish with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth after that thing that launches itself into the air (called skying or kamikaziing) and into the boat to land who knows where.
Instead, I demand that everyone retrieves the lures out to the side of the boat by pointing the rod tip abeam during the retrieve. That way any skying king will just miss the lure if he launches himself at it and land harmlessly in the drink alongside the boat.
Ahole didn't listen, didn't comprehend, or didin't care to follow hard-won advice and reeled up a KingGetter (Russellure) directly behing the helm station with me at the helm. A big king (about 40 inches and 25 - 26 lbs.) launches at the lure as it's pulled into the boat and just misses this dope but slams into the backrest of the captain's chair in front of which I was standing with my back to the stern.
I couldn't have been madder outside of combat. Cut all the lines from all the rods told everyone to sit down in the stern seats and took the boat to the ramp over 20 miles of rough ocean without saying a word. Didn't speak a word to that dope the 2 hours back to the neighborhood either. Never spoke to him again.
Damned know-it-all cops.
#6 Was a passenger in a 2200 Hydrosports doing some pelagic fishing offshore of Freeport, TX when we hit a log or a telephone pole or something equally as massive with the lower unit. Motor literally flips into the boat breaking free of the transom and still screaming at what must have been 4,000 rpm. Prop struck and shredded to pieces the leaning post against which the helmsman was leaning throwing him to the deck (I was already there).
Bits of the post, upholstery, the fiberglass top of the elevated fish box and the prop were sent flying like shrapnel. Amazingly, neither of us was hurt any worse than what a small first aid kit could handle. Entire 230 hp outboard was laying on the deck in the middle of the cockpit. Transom damaged but holding the sea back OK.
Got a tow from the CG Aux back to shore (about 10 miles). Never was invited out with him again but heard he ran aground on the Jetties near Quintana some years later...Jonah?
What's the moral. I don't know other than keep up your guard because things can and do change in a microsecond out there. Experience is your best teacher, so long as it doesn't kill you. When you first get a boat go out with an experienced old salt who's made all the mistakes above and maybe you're going to come back alive too.
LongFisher
