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Sinking Boat Syndrom

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/01/2006 : 01:00:16

Our lake is down several feet and people are running aground everywhere. I was in the parking lot helping a fellow with his OB when a fellow Catalina 25 sailor walked up and announced he was sinking off the end of A dock... keel fell off... dragging it around by the cable... was cranking it up... loud bang... water... sinking. I and several others followed him to the end of A. A Catalina 25 fin was now aground in the mooring field where he went to avoid the cataclysm at the end of A. We ignore the sinking boat for the time it takes to throw lines and haul the fin out of the mud. Now it is time for the sinker, his explanation so far has made no sense so we start hauling him up fairway to the crane. He now has 75 ft of line tied off to one bow cleat and it took 8 men pulling to get him close enough to the crane dock that we could tie the end of the line off to a car and drag him the last 50 feet. Once his bow was close to the dock we tried to drag his stern around to get him parallel to the dock. It could not be done, once again with a car and the stern line directed around the crane mast we drug him to the dock, his boat was almost rail in the water due to being pulled over on its side to get it to move. The bow is now very down and the skipper said there was 6 inches above the sole. We put he straps around the hull and lifted her clear of the water to have a look. The original lifting eye at the end of the keel was not there, someone had drilled through the aft edge of the keel abut two inches higher than the original eye. They had used a large shackle and a through bolt, the entire center of the shackle was gone, an opening of about an inch. water was running hard out of the trunk head area and was also running out of the bow eye; she came up out of the water bow down. The owner went to get his trailer out of the yard, when he came back it was a steel cradle on a flatbed. This boat had been bought only two months earlier, I asked the skipper why he had launched the boat without the proper lifting eye, he said he did not look at it before he launched. I have never seen a keel in such bad shape, as we power washed it to get a better look at it Hershey bar sized flakes of it were flying off. We eased her back into the water to reset the straps, brought her back up and between moving her forward with the crane and lowering her down at the same time got he keel to fold up nicely under the boat on the trailer. The entire area around the hangers was damaged as well as the trunk head. The area around the hangers was distended and bulging, personally I think this is a dead boat. After she was settled on the trailer, which desperately needed air in the tires, we left the fellow to his situation. I went back to my boat on C dock and at the end, wide of the channel and in the mooring field was another Catalina 25 fin aground, him I was able to haul off myself with a line tied to his mast above his mast ring, I drug him sideways a few feet and it was all good.
I don't want to be Captain of my local fleet anymore.

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 06:52:03

Saw a Catlina 40 something run hard aground yesterday. Guy obviously didn't know the area, as he went full bore into an area that has only one clearly marked safe passage through it. He managed to get the boat off the ledge with motor and rocking it, but I hope he hauls it soon as he must have done a lot of damage.

You'd think he would have asked himself why all the other boats including lobster and power boats were all going to the one channel to pass that area.

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 07:31:53

Why is Cheney so far down, Frank? Grand is down, but only the normal fall amount for millet production.

Edited by - on

Downbucket
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 08:24:19

Rick:

Where did this happen?

Will

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 09:33:27

Will,

Lil' John Passage by "nun" 18. The area with all the boat eating rocks and the 1 to 2 foot depth at low tide off of Division Point on Great Chebeague. This guy barrelled in there, all sails up and we were in 15 to 18 kts of wind by that time of the afternoon. I had already rolled my 155 genny in to about 135 and I was still doing 6.5 kts SOG down wind.

Edited by - existentialsailor on 10/01/2006 09:34:31

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 10:37:34

"The original lifting eye at the end of the keel was not there, someone had drilled... Hershey bar sized flakes were flying..."

What a shame he didn't get some help looking the boat over before he bought it.

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 11:43:39

Tenkiller was way down, back up mid summer, and is now back down again.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 13:06:32

Here are photos of the outside.
http://homepage.mac.com/fhopper/PhotoAlbum146.html
This is a fellow who recently sold an Irwin 28 who's motor was ruined when it sank and who replaced a factory fuel pump with an electric which promptly siphoned 10 gallons of gasoline into his bilge, he then turned on his blowers and left the marina. I think that if there is Karma, he just got paid. Of course now the insurance company will make it all go away

Our reservoir is down because we have had a dry year and we are a water supply for Wichita. Our watershed is very small.

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2006 : 23:18:44

Boy, tough to read when we have the Forum that could have made the difference. We still have water but the weather has changed so out tomorrow if it doesn't snow.

Edited by - on

oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 09:37:19

10 gallons of gasoline in the bilge of his Irwin and he left the marina after turning on his bilge blower?

Launched without ever checking the lifting eye on his keel?

Still around in one piece to "sail" again?

Although he sunk 2 vessels, this skipper has had nothing but good luck.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 10:35:26

Although water levels here in western Lake Erie experience a seasonal drop this time of year, the weather patterns in the last few weeks have added to the already lower levels. The last two times I went sailing, I dragged bottom slightly and had to give the outboard a little extra throttle to get through the muck. Yesterday the water was so low the top of my stern pulpit was about six inches below the top of the dock...That first step is a doozy!

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 11:48:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sweetcraft
 Boy, tough to read when we have the Forum that could have made the difference. We still have water but the weather has changed so out tomorrow if it doesn't snow.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We have over a dozen Catalina 25s at our club, how many Cheney sailors have you noticed on the site? I think there are several lurkers but this guy has never come to the site to my knowledge.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 13:21:01

Hi Don, same here on St. Clair. however, when I drag, the keel swings up and over. Cheers.

Edited by - on

David Zumwalt
Deckhand

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USA
12 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 21:29:29

Captain Frank; My crew and I were happy to see you at the end of your dock since we were stuck right there returning to our slip last Saturday. I had to laugh when you suggested I tie my daughters shoe, brand new to her, to the end of the line I was tossing over to you. For you forum readers, we are spoiled her at Cheney with Frank always being here to help bail us out when we error. BTW, I think your grandson? was impressed with your strength since you were able to single handledly pull us free.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2006 : 22:06:16

I hope you enjoyed the moment, it was nothing more than a fun situation, no harm to the boat or pride. As I said to you then, we all discover the depth of the mooring field on our own; it was your time. My first launch of my 82 was the first time I had been back at the club in over ten years I promptly drove into the mooring field and came to a dead stop. My son was not impressed but the keel came up and we went on. It is nice to see you post again.

Edited by - on

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.