Sandbar Damage Stories?
Charles Ledbetter
We've all heard these stories that go something like this: "I knew this guy
once who hit a sandbar in his ski boat. It cost him $2000 to get it fixed."
I'm looking for someone who has actually experienced hitting something
submerged. Sandbar, stump, log, etc. and what the ACTUAL damage was all
about. Any good stories?
Thanks: Charles
BugHunter
Took my brand-new 21' boat out on a lake in Holland. Although it was fun
tugging along the water at 10mph, the strictly enforced speedlimit, I wanted
to at least get on plane once that day. I looked on the map, because I knew
there was this small area, marked with buoys, where there was no speed
limit. When we just crossed the line marked with the buoys, I said to my
wife: 'hold on baby, here we go'. I had better looked at the map twice, the
better part of this area was only 2 feet deep... Ripped the outdrive apart,
including a broken axle.
A couple of bruises and $3000 worth of damage thought me an important lesson
that day; study the maps and when in doubt, idle through while keeping an
eye on the depth-finder.
Eddy Celis
Charles Ledbetter wrote in message ...
Bob McMahon
Last year my wife hit something submerged, we are not sure what it was, but took
one blade off my four blade OJ, bent my shaft, bent the strut. No gel coat
damage luckily.
I replaced it all myself for about $700 bucks.
That is another advantage of a inboard over I/O's and Outboards. If this had
been a outboard or I/O the cost would had been closer to $2000 to $3000.
Paul Oman
Bob McMahon wrote:
> That is another advantage of a inboard over I/O's and Outboards.
I don't often see less running gear damage cited as an inboard
_advantage_. I hit a stump a few years ago with mine and it cost the
insurance company more than $2000 to replace the bent prop shaft and
rudder. A friend hit the same obstacle a few years earlier with an
outboard and got by with no damage because the outboard was able to
bounce over it. The kind of accident that would do $2000 to $3000
damage to an outboard or I/O might likely do even greater damage to an
inboard.
Bob Scibienski
This story made the local news a few years back (the guy could have been
nominated for the Darwin award had he killed himself).
A novice boater was out in the Sacramento river Delta area for his first ride in
his brand new stern drive runabout. As he was crusing along he noticed a ferry
ahead, crossing from his starboard to port. Rather than follow the rules he
went WO on the throttle to beat the ferry. What he did not know was that it was
a cable ferry and that the cable was rising from the depths ahead of the ferry
as it moved along. At the the instant that he reached the cable it was just
high enough to scrape along his keelson and pop up in front of the outdrive.
According to the news story the entire drive unit, engine included, remained
with the cable as the boat proceeded to continue forward under its accumulated
momentum. Luckily no one was injured. Apparently the sheriff's deputies got
quite a kick out of this one.
Bob
Kevin R Baugh
Both system have there advantages. Inborads have much less to damage in
parts cost. ($2000.00 is a bit much for a shaft and rudder) If you hit a
solid enough underwater object to knock off a lower unit a fairly common
thing on the river around this area your price would be a $4000.00 or more
depending on the lower unit. On the other hand a small log or a large stick
that gets lodged between the prop rudder and strut could bend all 3 when the
boat is put in gear. with a lower unit the worst that could happen would be
a bent prop.
Just my 2 cents
Kevin R Baugh
krb...@ezl.com
http://www.ezl.com/~krbaugh
http://www.ezl.com/~krbaugh/carla
Paul Oman wrote in message <356313...@medtronic.com>...
life_...@hotmail.com
In article <35630621...@sheltonlink.com>,
Bob McMahon <bm...@sheltonlink.com> wrote:
>
> Last year my wife hit something submerged, we are not sure what it was, but
took
> one blade off my four blade OJ, bent my shaft, bent the strut. No gel coat
> damage luckily.
> I replaced it all myself for about $700 bucks.
> That is another advantage of a inboard over I/O's and Outboards. If this had
> been a outboard or I/O the cost would had been closer to $2000 to $3000.
It would have only cost $2K if you brought it to a shop, and got reamed. You
can repair a log-struck stern drive for the same cost as your inboard.
- Lifespeed
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Pieter Ganzer
I've got one. We were out on the Williamette River in Oregon barefooting off
of the boom and my buddy had just dropped off the boom. As I was about half
way through the turn to go pick him up I caught a dead head that was about 6
inches under water. This thing was a log about 2' in diameter. After I got
the stopped I started to idle back to my friend to share the bad news, it was
his boat, and realized I didn't have any steering. After increasingly large
circles and some swimming on his part, we finally meet up. I shut the boat
down and Chris was feeling around the prop to check the damage when he
realized that there was no rudder between himself and the prop. The final
damges were; severely bent prop, bent propshaft and strut, a chunk of gel coat
the size of my hand and 1/4" thick missing were the prop hit the bottom, and a
rudder sitting on the bottom of the river. Total damges came to about $2500
to get everything fixed. The rudder was smoothly sheared off at the point
where it goes into the hull. When we went out the next weekend, in my boat,
we looked at the dead head and it looked like it had been chopped with a big
axe by a very strong individual.
Piet G.
Disclaimer "My views, not the views of Tektronix" not that it's relevant
Charles Ledbetter
WOW, thanks for all the great information, guys. I'm in a bit of a pickle
and it's all related to this. I ski regularly with a buddy who owns a 96
Maristar. Wonderful boat, no doubt. As it has turned out, I end up doing
about 1/2 of the driving/pulling when we go. He doesn't want to be stuck
behind the steering wheel all day and I certainly understand that.
On the other hand, I've become increasingly worried about hitting something
and being responsible for the damage. Now I realize that his insurance or
mine would cover it but I really, really don't want to hear someone say "Oh,
YOU'RE the one who wrecked Jack's boat." I can hear it now and I cringe at
the thought. The other skiers in our crowd would understand but I know I'd
always be THE ONE even if it were completely beyond my control.
So far, I've put about 20 hours driving his boat and never even scratched
it. No cut ropes, no dock dings, no nothing. Even with that impeccable
record, he continues to bark orders at me from time to time. "Swing wider,
that water is shallow," "You're too close to him," etc. He continues to
speak of me as "just a jet-skier who doesn't understand" since when we first
met that's what I owned. He, however, has dinged his prop, snatched one of
the tie-down straps off his cover, and powerloaded the boat onto the trailer
so fast it broke the rear window in his Pathfinder (I still don't understand
how that happened but I wasn't there).
I've fairly well decided to "step down" as the second driver even if it
pisses him off. I have my own boat now but it isn't a tournament ski boat.
This is one of those "good outweighs the bad" deals.
Thanks again: Charles
Bob McMahon wrote in message <35630621...@sheltonlink.com>...
>Last year my wife hit something submerged, we are not sure what it was, but
took
>one blade off my four blade OJ, bent my shaft, bent the strut. No gel coat
>damage luckily.
>I replaced it all myself for about $700 bucks.
>That is another advantage of a inboard over I/O's and Outboards. If this
had
>been a outboard or I/O the cost would had been closer to $2000 to $3000.
>
Charles Ledbetter
This is what worries me the most. Hitting a submerged object in PLENTY of
water. It's nobody's fault, but I know you felt awful anyway. I left a
lengthy reply up a bit but I'm really worried about this happening to me on
a buddy's boat. I'm just not sure I'm willing to take on the responsibility
of possibly causing thousands in damage.
Thanks: Charles
Pieter Ganzer wrote in message ...
Steve Murphy
Well, I am a boat owner who must allow my friend to drive
(as I'm sure many of us are). If he destroys part of my
boat, well, so be it, that's life. I just hope the damage is
because of something unavoidable, not something stupid. As
far as it being something stupid, well that's not good, but
I promise you that I could not count how many times I've
done something stupid on both hands (and both feet). My
point is that if you own a boat and you like to board (or
ski) then you must let someone drive your boat.... such is
life. They are as likely to damage your boat as you you are,
such is life. If they are a complete idiot without the
responsibility to look both ways before leading their kid
onto a busy highway 3:30 Friday afternoon, they should not
be driving your boat....
If your friend would hold you responsible for damaging his
boat, use your own boat, get a new friend, have fun!
Steve
Charles Ledbetter wrote:
>
> WOW, thanks for all the great information, guys. > <BiG snip>
>
> Thanks again: Charles
>
David Ponder
>If your friend would hold you responsible for damaging his
>boat, use your own boat, get a new friend, have fun!
>
I agree, this person isnt much of a friend if he is so petty. Make sure
you teach your friends to drive properly and if something happens beyond
their control simply suck it up and keep your mouth shut. A true friendship
isnt worth a measly 2K.
Charles Ledbetter
Point well taken and very well articulated, Pieter. I've been uneasy about
this for some time now and it's just starting to get to me. I'm really
thinking that I should quit while I'm ahead and stop driving for him.
Sometimes I really feel like he's just waiting for something to happen so he
can start spewing "I told you so." Then he can go around to all of the
other people in our group of friends and tell how "Charles wrecked the
boat."
Thanks again for all the great info and insight. It is much appreciated...
Charles
Pieter Ganzer wrote in message ...
>I think it comes down to the relationship you have with the boat owner. If
he
>is the type that would expect you to pay for all the damage when the
accident
>was clearly nobodies fault, I would look for a new skiing partner. In my
>case, I did feel awful and I offered to cover the deductible, but he
refused
>the offer. I expected him to refuse and I would have refused his offer if
it
>was my boat intead of his. The point is, there is nasty stuff under the
water
>and sometimes, through no fault of your own or anybody elses, your going
to
>hit it. Both parties, driver and owner need to realize this and work out
how
>to handle the repairs before it happens. Personally, if your friend's boat
>isn't fully covered I would stop driving for him. In your previous post he
>sounds like the kind of guy that might actually expect you to pay for the
>whole thing even if it was completely accidental.
>
>The bottom line is that IMHO, it's his boat and his responsibility to
>properly choose and instruct the people he will let drive. He should also
>except responsibility if he chooses his driver poorly and damage is done,
>within resaon of course.
>
>Piet G
>
> "Charles Ledbetter" <char...@NOSPAMbellsouth.net> writes:
>>This is what worries me the most. Hitting a submerged object in PLENTY of
>>water. It's nobody's fault, but I know you felt awful anyway. I left a
>>lengthy reply up a bit but I'm really worried about this happening to me
on
>>a buddy's boat. I'm just not sure I'm willing to take on the
responsibility
>>of possibly causing thousands in damage.
>
>>Thanks: Charles
>
>Snip [original story about hitting log while driving a friend's boat]
Charles Ledbetter
Man are you right on the ball, Steve. We have ALL done stupid things that
make us look back and say "What the hell was I thinking?" It HAPPENS. My
buddy has been boating for years and he still talks about some friend of his
years ago hitting something and how "he caused more damage than I ever did."
I'm not sure I want to be the next guy he rags for years about hitting
something.
When I chose my boat, shallow water was a BIG concern. I really wanted a
Nautique and even went so far as to drive down to White Lake Marine and
looked at a 97 trade-in. Good price, great boat, but that big prop and
rudder sticking down there really bothered me. The lake we ski on has it's
share of shallow water and I ultimately moved away from the Nautique to a
jet-boat. No, it doesn't ski as well but I had to make a compromise. In my
case, the scale tilted away from a tournament ski boat even though I had my
heart set on it.
Thanks for all the great information:
Charles
Steve Murphy wrote in message <3563C02F...@nbnet.nb.ca>...
>Well, I am a boat owner who must allow my friend to drive
>(as I'm sure many of us are). If he destroys part of my
>boat, well, so be it, that's life. I just hope the damage is
>because of something unavoidable, not something stupid. As
>far as it being something stupid, well that's not good, but
>I promise you that I could not count how many times I've
>done something stupid on both hands (and both feet). My
>point is that if you own a boat and you like to board (or
>ski) then you must let someone drive your boat.... such is
>life. They are as likely to damage your boat as you you are,
>such is life. If they are a complete idiot without the
>responsibility to look both ways before leading their kid
>onto a busy highway 3:30 Friday afternoon, they should not
>be driving your boat....
>
>If your friend would hold you responsible for damaging his
>boat, use your own boat, get a new friend, have fun!
>
Bill Strom
Charles,
As a boat owner I have a circle of friends that can drive for me, a person
never wants to be without a available driver on a sunny day! I also take
full responsibility for my boat purchase. I have had props munched by
under water logs/rocks and I've also had my trailer fender pretty well
destroyed by a friend parking my rig at the dock. Although I certainly
don't like to see it happen, It's all a part of owning a boat. that's what
insurance is for!!
Charles, life is to short to put up with a so called friend like you
describe, take your boat and find a different set of folks to enjoy the sun
with.
Good luck!
Bill
Charles Ledbetter <char...@NOSPAMbellsouth.net> wrote in article
<e3W81.493$D%2.20...@news2.mco.bellsouth.net>...
sybil
I agree. I'll also be willing to bet the farm that most of us knows someone
who's for sale at a lot less than $2k
--
:-})
David Ponder wrote in message <6k18cs$25g$1...@news.onramp.net>...
>
>>If your friend would hold you responsible for damaging his
>>boat, use your own boat, get a new friend, have fun!
>>
life_...@hotmail.com
In article <m5K81.403$D%2.17...@news2.mco.bellsouth.net>,
"Charles Ledbetter" <char...@NOSPAMbellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> This is what worries me the most. Hitting a submerged object in PLENTY of
> water. It's nobody's fault, but I know you felt awful anyway. I left a
> lengthy reply up a bit but I'm really worried about this happening to me on
> a buddy's boat. I'm just not sure I'm willing to take on the responsibility
> of possibly causing thousands in damage.
Yep, it's like borrowing a friends lawnmower, only worse. If it breaks on your
watch, its your fault. Of course, this isn't really true, but its a rotten
situation anyway.
Little778
Okay.
I grew up on a small lake that is fairly shallow. It's about a mile long and
3/4 mile across. We have three large rocks out in front of our cabin. One of
these rocks is about the size of my boat, the other is decent sized and the
third is about 4 to 5 feet in diameter at the base and comes to a point at the
top. These aren't all the rocks out there but the largest that remain from a
pier that the State blew up in the early 1900's. The rocks don't cause a
problem to boaters except in the late summer and early fall.
Anyway, when I was a kid (heck I'm still a kid just 30 years older), the boats
would idle by our place ignoring the bouys we had placed out there as we were
waving our arms and hands at them trying to get there attention. Occasionally
they would shut down quickly, other times they would wave back and sometimes
they would just pretend not to see us crazy people flailing about on the beach.
There were a few people that hit these rocks with their outdrives and props,
which I'm sure caused some damage, however one day in the late summer...
about a 19 foot I/O comes through at a speed below plane but not idle. You
know, the speed that has the driver practially standing on the seat to see over
the bow and the stern nearly invisible under the water from a side view. All
of us on shore just watched and waited to see if he would make it through (as
some have before) when -wham-! he slammed into the pointed rock. We watched
the people in the boat scramble around for a couple minutes with the motor shut
off until they realized there outdrive and prop wasn't the problem. They were
taking on water. A good size hole in the bottom of their boat.
Next came mistake number 2. Instead of heading to the closest safe spot they
decided to try and make it to the place they were staying on the opposite side
of the lake. And they weren't going flat out to make it there (?). We watched
through the binoculars as there boat sunk out of site about 100 yards from the
opposite shore. Bummer end to summer! I feel for them still to this day.
Jim
david lawrence baxter
My friend hit pretty bad last summer. He hit a log or something in our
river. I was with him and we were going about 15 mph and he just stopped.
Ended up bending the shaft, rudder, strut, and took a blade completely off
the prop. There was also some fiberglass damage. I don't know that the
total was but the insurance cmpany was not happy. He was pissed cause it
was at the time when ups went on strike and he had to wait for like 4
weeks to get the parts.
________________________________________________________________________________
david baxter (((
dlba...@uiuc.edu (((
___________ ((((
/___________\-------------<|___0__ ((((
\ | / \ / ((((
))) \ | / ((( \_\_((((
~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What I would rather be doing! Now that it is warm enough just waiting for
school to end. THINK SUMMER BREAK!
________________________________________________________________________________
KENGIBBONS
Here's one that almost happened.
We were about 40 miles up Lake Powell from the dam and campsite. We finally
found smooth water and figured we would making the most of it until sundown and
navigate back by following the alternating red/green lights in the channel
center, aided by the full moon which had noticed the night before. When the
sun went down, it went darker than dark. I couldn't believe how impossible it
was to see anything but the marker lights. We cruised along the night time
glass water about 30 mph with fingers crossed that we didn't meet some
driftwood. It was spooky, we could hear the spray and engine, but couldn't
really detect forward motion with no visual cues.
We rounded one of the last corners, and saw the lights of Wahweep marina. What
a relief. We had just past a green light, saw the next red, and could also see
the next green at a different angle in the far distance. I wasn't using my
full thinking capacity, and figured I would shortcut the red and proceed
directly to the next green to save a minute or so.
I just happened to look down at the depth finder, and the numbers were
decreasing rapidly, 350...180...75...30...17..., all in a few seconds. I
ripped the throttle into neutral and the boat coasted to a stop in 2.5' of
water. We looked over the side, and the stern light revealed that we were on
top of a submerged rock mesa that sloped out of the water just a few feet in
front of us. Wow. When I think of what would have happened if we had hit at
30 mph, it makes me sick to my stomach and makes me ashamed to have acted so
stupidly with my family in the boat.
Once we were safely on the trailer, the full moon rose over the desert and it
was about like daylight. We should have waited. However, it did provide to
opportunity to tell the kids that whenever they think luck never goes their
way, remember the time we were extremely lucky at Lake Powell.
Kevin Green
DANG!! Man, my hands are shakey after reading that. Makes you realize
how close we come to total disaster when we try to take shortcuts and
cut corners (literally and figuratively). I'll be staying in the
channel from here on out, thats for sure!!
Mark Knowles
I've got one for you. About 15 years ago I went home to visit my family in
Connecticut on the mouth of the Housatonic River. Wanting to take a run down
nostalgia lane I convinced my father, after much coaxing, to take the boat out
and cruise the old stomping grounds. When I got to the marshes, where many a
summer day my brother and I spent water skiing, I headed in to see if there was
any action. My father recommended that I not try to cut the opening as close as
I used to, but of course kids will be kids (28 years old?). A cracked lower unit
and 2 blades on a prop later I realized the error of my ways. But dad didn't
seem to have much reaction. It was then that mom decided that she should tell me
that dad has Alzheimer's. Apparently the river had changed course a few years
back and dad hit the same rock bar I did. He remembered that he needed to stay
away but couldn't remember why. The strange thing about it is the mishap did not
cost me a thing. Dad didn't remember a thing and mom just assumed insurance
would pay for it - which it did. I could kick myself for paying for all those
props I broke as a teenager. The lesson, it only takes half a brain to know you
should listen to a local when you are in unfamiliar waters.
Mark
Michael Rothwell
Lucky you had a four blade prop. Now you have a three blade
prop like many of us still have. :^)
Bob McMahon wrote:
>
> Last year my wife hit something submerged, we are not sure what it was, but took
> one blade off my four blade OJ, bent my shaft, bent the strut. No gel coat
> damage luckily.
> I replaced it all myself for about $700 bucks.
> That is another advantage of a inboard over I/O's and Outboards. If this had
> been a outboard or I/O the cost would had been closer to $2000 to $3000.
>
Eric Barnhart
Fortunately, we were in my buddy's 1993 MC 190 when it happened, and not in
my 205, but...
at roughly 25 mph, at about 8:30pm in the middle of Dale Hollow Res. in TN,
he ran us up on a sandbar. It came to a slow stop, and actually felt like
the boat just died. It took 90 minutes of 6 men lifting and pushing, a 21
foot V8 powered runabout, and a 225 horse outboard bass boat to pull the MC
off the sandbar backwards.
Total Damage... a few gel coat scratches and $60 for Doug's Props to bring
new life to the OJ 3 Blade.
Not to bad, but I don't recommend doing it on purpose.
acss...@acs.eku.edu
I can honestly say...
I have never done any serious or permant damage to a sand bar!
dsc - acss...@acs.eku.edu