Interesting Way To Go From 22 Knots To 0

[Boatsb]

How could I tell what happened before I hauled the boat and knew myself?

Yes, I shared this delivery on Facebook (and know you stalk me through Marti ), but I honestly thought I had managed to hit a big pile of concrete or something. I would have never guessed it was a big ass tow line around BOTH props. I'm sure that clevis was beating the hell out of the bottom of the boat which added to the sound drama.

To add detail, it was questionable at the time/point of impact that I was in fact inside the channel. My chart plotter said I was, but there were two greens. One (that I had a visual on) was off station, and the other was iffy, based on the chart. I found myself in the dubious position of being between the two as I was giving a tow a wide berth in a narrow canal. Until the boat went BOOM, I didn't see the green to my port. Yes, I emptied my entire arsenal of curse words and used my quota for the month. I contacted the owner who called SeaTow who said I was outside their service area. Say do what?

With that, a local sheriff's deputy launched a patrol boat and pulled me back to a commercial seawall where I spent two nights watching tows pass within 50' of me before being towed via a shrimpin' boat to the yard where I had the boat hauled. They checked the shafts for any sign of wobble, and there was zero to be seen and nothing to be felt after we splashed it. Ran it the rest of the way to Boca without a hitch... and without trim tabs. That made running the GOM extra special in an already bow high Cabo into 4 footers. Dang near beat me to death. That reminds me, I never did ask the owner if he got those straightened out. I picked him up in Clearwater, and he made the rest of the trip with me. I started to keep that line and clevis as a souvenir, but it wouldn't fit in my carryon.

I think I told you you didnt hit bottom because you didnt get stuck when you stopped and needed another foot of water.

I suggested it was a chain or cable but the clevis on a tow line fit the bill.

I've know you long enough to know you dont cut corners on channels. You second guessed yourself because you didnt have a better theory at they time.


If you make it out here again I will let you run my boat again. I trust you more than I may trust myself sometimes.

[Freeebird]

I think I told you you didnt hit bottom because you didnt get stuck when you stopped and needed another foot of water.

I suggested it was a chain or cable but the clevis on a tow line fit the bill.

I've know you long enough to know you dont cut corners on channels. You second guessed yourself because you didnt have a better theory at they time.


If you make it out here again I will let you run my boat again. I trust you more than I may trust myself sometimes.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I don’t remember that conversation. I was probably still cussing in my head, and it all went in one ear and out the other. All I can tell you is, I was VERY pleasantly surprised when I saw what the problem was.

[Boatsb]

I know the feeling. Not being grounded was the big thing. If you go from 22 to 0 you usually end up hard aground when you come off plane.

[Briankinley2004]

Welcome to Louisiana. I have found ropes like this floating in rip lines in the middle of no where offshore. This is why I hate running at night. In any kind of chop radar not gonna pick it up. FWIW as a PSA gonna show this pic to the wife and explain to her this is why I got on her ass all week about stowing the anchor line when done and not letting it run under the boat when weighing anchor.