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I Also Bought A Boat !

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RickStevens
1st Mate

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USA
62 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2005 : 15:40:41

Larry,

The darned channel here really is the biggest hurdle for anything drafting over a couple of feet. Even the Flying Scots are grounding all the time. I'd planned on checking "no name" (a PO named her "Chimera" so a renaming is definitely in order) today because of the storm but of course the marina gate key is sitting on my night-stand.

Our first time out with the PO (whose new boat is named, "His Idea"

) we ran aground several times. It was funny, really. The bottom is very soft mud around there, so even under full sail it's hard to tell you've stopped moving at first. We're heading downwind wing-on-wing but the darned landmarks aren't moving at all. It looked great, but wasn't very efficient to say the least.

I think river sailing is why the outboard and swing keel were invented.

The fun part of the WSM area is the Thursday night races they have up above the airport. It's surprising how many of these boats use the channel under sail then. But then again, they're all pretty will fueuled by Budweiser so what the heck.

Cheers!

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2005 : 19:15:31

Rick,

I also ran aground once. I was heading back from going south of the Wilson Bridge. Figured I would get home early and spend time with the family. But...I lost track of the markers I had passed and since I was a relatively newbie on the river (2 months ago), I headed over to the right side of the river too soon and had same experience as you except....I had the motor on and wasn't going anywhere. LOL What a dufus running aground right past the Alexandria docks but heading toward the other side. I thought it was low tide, actually...I was praying it was low tide since nothing I tried could get me to budge. I measured the water depth with my pole hook (since my depthfinder (SR Mariner) is presently not working. Depth was about 2 1/2 ft. Just great ! Rudder was also in the soft mud. I called up the Alexandria Yacht Club to find out when low tide was and they told me it was right around the present time. So....I waited and tried every 15 minutes to see if any improvment. It took me about 2 1/2 hours to get free ! But to add to the misery....there was this small centerboard boat that kept going back and forth around me. I think he was just rubbing it in ! Since that time, I have seen at least 2 other sailboats that also ran aground in the same area.

I think I learned my lesson - I avoid that area like the plague !

By the way...if we escape without too much snow tomorrow and it warms up to almost 40F this weekend, I will probably take the cover off and go out for awhile. One thing we need to do is to plan a time when we can both get out together and take cameras with us. Then we can snap some action shots of each of our boats and add them to our collection. Anyway...it's an idea for some time in the future.

Larry