Confession time. One of our most entertaining boating events occurred when we took our 18 foot SeaRay to Luddington Michigan. We decided to picnic on a state park about 9 miles north. The lake was running about a 3 foot chop that day which is just over our comfort limit, but not the boats. The beach itself was protected from the waves by several sand bars that we maneuvered around on our way in. <br /><br />We had a great day sunning, swimming, eating and even watching a pair of coyotes hunting in the dunes behind us. But as all great things come to and end time to go crept up on us. We had two choices, go out the way we came around the sand bars or take a “short cut” and simply push the boat our over the sandbars with the outdrive up. We naturally took the short cut. (Play scary foreboding music now). The boat floated fine over the first sand bar, but got stuck on the second. When a wave came by the boat was lifted up, but pushed back at us, when there was no wave the bottom of the outdrive drags in the sand and we could not push forward. Not much of a problem. I send my wife and three kids to the front of the boat to lift the rear up so I can push it out between waves. The dog stayed in the back to encourage me by licking my head as I pushed the boat. Problem solved, I pushed the boat out between waves, then the wave would push it back, but overall we were making progress. The only problem was my wife kept yelling she was getting wet when the waves came. I did not thing much of this as she always complains when she gets splashed, as she does not think the Great Lakes get warm enough for here swimming preference. <br /><br />About now I noticed a problem, the water was getting deeper but the boat was still not floating well or pushing easily. My wife finally yelled, we were over deep enough water, get in and she would drive away. With one last push we were free of the bar and I jumped in the boat. The engine started, but sounded strange, and I noticed that I was still standing in almost knee deep water. I had assumed that the lake should be outside the boat not in the boat, but here it was, a good foot deep in the cockpit. I asked my lovely wife “where did all this water come from” to which she responded “we were sinking on that stupid sand bar!”. The water was sloshing around with floating picnic supplies, coolers etc. about level with the part of the seats you sit on. I turned the boat parallel to shore so we were only in about five feet of water and had my son drive. The boat rolled with the waves and took on no more water, and we were near shore so we were not in terrible danger but still not feeling too safe. <br /><br />Time to get rid of the water. My daughter thought enough to now turn on the bilge pump and I did a quick mental calculation, 500 gph pump, 2000 gallons lake water (maybe a little less) 4 hours to dry. We all grabbed what ever we could and started bailing. 20 minutes later it was at a level where we could not bail much more and let the pump finish. The motor was sounding better too, now that most of it was out of water. <br /><br />Another 20 minutes passed and the bilge pump ran out of water to pump so we picked up the pace and headed to the boat launch. Latter we enjoyed a good laugh. More specifically, it was two months latter, after my wife pushed me into a 26 foot Regal cruiser that we were able to look back and laugh. When ever we get together with boaters “the time we sunk the SeaRay” is still my wife’s favorite story. (Mine favorite story is about someone, other than me who I will not name because my love life may suffer, who ran the Regal aground on sand point). I am still impressed with how that little boat handled, as full of water as it was.
