Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

[QC]

We have all done stupid stuff boating. This pic is from late this summer. We were on a section of the Colorado called Parker Strip. It's the river just below Lake Havasu and Parker Dam. The water level below the dam rises and falls with electricity demand. From 1:00 PM to after dark it is at the grass line on the beach below. The water starts to drop around 10:00 PM and by 2:00 AM it is down to a trickle. We've learned over the years and these guys were obviously newbies, but we actually heard one of them say on the beach, "why are those guys setting their boats out so far?". As they watched us reset our anchors and swim in from our boats in the dark . . .

So . . . Oops, Dummy or Both? I say oops with an honorable mention for dummy. If you don't know, you just don't know, and big clues may not register. Post yours too. Oopses and/or dumb stuff that we have seen or done ourselves, but that others can learn from. I still feel bad for not warning them as they didn't get their boat off until noon the next day . . .

 

[tiller7104]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I guess we could throw that right back at you....LOL If you heard them ask themselves why you were throwing anchor where you were....why did you not explain to them why? Who know s this guy may join this forum and see your picture and comment. I vote for Ooops and that is aimed at you my friend for not being a the guy who may have warned this guy !! Sorry just my simple opinion!

 

[tiller7104]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I just read the last line of your post, which I should have read before I wrote ^^^^^^^^^^^the above...... LOL you still get my vote for the ooppps though!!!

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

[colour=blue]Saw a similar thing with a 15 ton houseboat (sorry, no pics). They parked on the beach for 2 weeks not realising that the lake was dropping 6" per day (too many chardy's maybe!!!). When we came upon them the boat was all but high and dry. Took 4 hours of digging and 3 tow boats to drag him off the shore.

We reset our ropes every night.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I have a picture somewhere of a houseboat hanging from two trees along the Wisconsin side of the St Croix river. Although that river doesn't rise and fall much, it can be quite high in the spring after ice-out and snow run-off. The owner apparently tied off to the two trees at high water and then didn't return for some time. As the water level dropped his boat didn't. It wasn't entirely in the air but half the bottom was in a good position to be cleaned and painted if necessary.

 

[QC]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I am serious about feeling bad, as I usually help out everybody I see, wife says I help too much on the water . . . I can't recall exactly, and I am sure my group talked about it, but somehow their gang didn't look real inviting to walk up on at night at the time. I can't think of why else I wouldn't have said something.

 

[tiller7104]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

OC I was ribbing you ! If we butted in everytime we saw someone doing dumb crap on the river we would never have fun.

 

[QC]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I vote dummy. Looks like a rental, also this summer:

 

[ziggy]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

i vote for oops. i run the missouri river and have seen to many to count boats just like that one. i assumme the owners go away and come back later to find their issue at hand. i myself have found my boat 3-4' more inland the next morning after camping on the river. so far i've always been able to get back out. though with difficulty sometimes. my new procedure is the mark the water level with a stick trick. at least over a few hours i can tell if the water level is on the move. i also watch the river level online prior to my trip and make my speculation if i will have issues with water level during my trip. these things i've learned thru experience as boatin on the river ain't boatin on a lake......
this is what i call dummy....http://www.omahariverfront.com/gall... can be hazordous to yer boat i guess........

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

Bet it was a "night ride" and either foggy or looking through foggy eyes from too many adult beverages.

 

[QC]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

Night and boos makes sense.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

i don't know, though i would like to find out. at the very least, too much speed was involved i'd think. i passed by it on the way up river, "dummy" me didn't take any pics. camped overnight and went back down river to find it gone the next day. had the camra ready that time. oh well, someone posted the whole sequence of gettin it off the jetty and posted it on omhariverfront.com as river rescue....that boat was perched so percariously it was amazing to see........they just draged her right off that perch and directly to the trailer waiting at the marina not far away.......

 

[rondi]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I vote dummy then oops then LUCKY
this one has an amazing finish - a must see!
www.koti.mbnet.fi/~soldier/towboat.htm

(copy/paste into browser) . . won't link because of the sqiggly ~

 

[AguaSki]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I saw the same thing at Canyon Lake just outside of Phoenix this past spring. When I launched my boat, the campground host warned me that the lake levels can change by several feet each day. I anchored in deep water, but others were beaching their boat. They had to wait until the water level raised enough to float their boat.

 

[QC]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

I found that slide show ziggy:

August 7, 2005 - Missouri River Boat Rescue

Good thing he has that fender out . . . 8)

 

[ziggy]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

thanks QC, i couldn't seem to get it to paste for me......

 

[bucky7680]

Re: Oops, Dummy or Both (pic)

If he would have been going faster he would have made it all the way across. I saw James Bond do it once.