Chrysler Sailors Forum

LOL! That got your attention didn't it!
Well, I'm here to tell you that following all the rules does not always mean you are 100% OK! Shift happens! I was delivering a 30' Rawson with the owners aboard from Bellingham to Everett. Nicest day of the year! I think it hit 72 degrees! This trip includes a picturesque trip through the Swinomish Slough! The Slough is notorious for its currents! Like a river the currents can get to 5kts however they also abrupty change directions! It is amazing to see and experience! The slough charts show 9' of water at mean low water. The time of transit we were a minus two tide! That means 7 feet of water inder our keel! She draws only 5! No worries! Knowing there is a sand bar to starboard at the end of the slough, we hugged exactly down the center of the channel using the channel markers and range markers! We had maybe 200 yards to the exit of the slough when we felt a gently slowing of the boat. Then she simply came to a stop. Not suddenly. Just like the brakes on a car! Just simply stopped. Hmm. It seems our 7' of water was not 7'! More like say . . . 5 feet?!! Well, we made a gentle attept at kedging ( google it ) and found we were going no where. So . . . right smack dab center of a narrow channel we got turned sideways by the current, heeled gently to starboard and were stuck firmly in the sand! So what do you do with a young couple in their new to them yacht, whilst struck in the mud? NOTHING! We kicked back, she made us lunch, poured herself a glass of wine, and we hung out and chatted! A beautiful eagle flew in, landed in the shallow waters, gave itself a batch, then landed on one of the pilings and continued to air himself out! I have some pictures I'll share! While sitting we had many power boaters go by us. Most of them also hitting bottom but with enough power to push through the silt. One power boater of note, came by on a half plane making huge waves and more or less laughing at us. Now worries. A few minutes later, we heard a very loud bang! Uh oh! We looked up the channel to so the smart a$$ power boater had struck a log! and was dead in the water! We basically laughed at him! After 2.5 hours of answering two questions, "Are you stuck" and "are you OK" the tide had turned and we were floating again! Off we went! We made it to the dock by 8:30 that evening had a wondefull day and the new owners have their new boat in their new slip! Whew! What a Saturday!

Pictures to follow
Scott

It's nice when mother nature helps you out.

What did you think of the Rawson? There is one for sale nearby that looks like it might make a good fixer-upper.

She's a pretty heavy solid built boat with a full keel.
We only motor sailed using a 9.9 hp and a 100% jib running with the wind and sustained 6 kts pretty easily. As far as sailing, I have not the the chance to really sail her but she was very solid and comfortable.

The PO pulled the inboard desiel and added a 9.9 outboard which was a booger for docking but otherwise it seemed pleanty in fair weather. I'd not want to need to motor in foul weather though.But, the boat should be very capable of foul weather so motoring should not be required.

Overall if you are not racing I bet she is a very comfortable boat relative to others her size and she could hold her own in 30kts without a problem assuming the crew was capable.

The one I was on was a very early version and had the pilot house added after the fact. Still looked pretty nice for a boat built in 1960! Unfortuantely the only photos I have of the boat include the owners and I won't post them here. IF they OK their photos on my Captains site, I'll point to it from here!

Scott

I avoided REDUX last weekend until Sunday late afternoon. The marina gets pretty wild on the weekends and those days are over for me. I did get a chance to witness the docking skills of many power boaters.

The older couple, in their 70's, on a 20 or so foot SeaRay. Coming in too fast, yelling at her on the fore deck, while he's trying to find the brake for the darn thing. The brand new 30 footer with no one outside the cockpit, coming in too fast, hit the dock twice, brushed up against the Cat 30 next to him, finally someone ran out to his dock to assist. First time out!

Last evening was good a show, there was a bit of a breeze. Two more power boaters looking for the brake. I had just returned so I figured it was my turn to help. But wait a minute, I just returned single handed, didn't hit anything and had no assistance. Helped them both plus the Cat 30, at least he had two deck hands. So I watched the sunset with some salted peanuts and my Yamazaki, single malt whiskey, tided up at Whiskey Island Marina. It's all good.

Another reason why we love our retractable keel, kind if like a curb feeler for the bottom
Sailing on the river, water levels change, and were we sailed last month, we could be dragging in the mud this month.

New boaters with a power boat are just scary!

When I was a kid growing up on a resort in northern Wisconsin, customers wanted a bigger outboard motor than what we rented. They would row across the lake and rent a bigger outboard from the marina. They would then come flying back to the finger docks at the resort. Not even thinking about slowing down until the bow of the boat was even with the end of the dock...BANG...BOOM...VROOM!
Nothing funnier than the fishing boat sitting high and dry on top of the retaining wall with the rookie boater picking them self up off the bottom of the boat (with blistered hands from rowing across the lake) and the motor with prop still spinning in the air
...and this is how thay would start there vacation

Any time a power boat goes by us doing something wrong like creating a big wake my first mate will call them out on the VHF and say to them if" it must be amiture hour "or ask them if they a newbies at this, this in cludes the big fly deck fishing boats.

She really wants to get a paint ball gun to peg them with

Hey Scott if your traveing the ICW here you need to know how to kedge , Thats why I think a retractible keel boats would be the best thing for most of the places on the east coast.

So far we are doing great not needing to call Tow Boat US to get the E-32 un grounded.

Fun stories, thanks for posting them.

Thanks
Alan