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Stuck in the mud

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5378 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/08/2010 : 18:36:55

I've been in my new slip all season, and while the low tide depth had been no less than about 5 feet all year long, today we had the lowest low tide of the year.

On the way down river, the tide was still flowing out, so the outbound current was quick. At that time, tide was about at the 5 hour mark.

On the way back in, tide was just about dead low (actually -1.2 feet below mean low low water). The banks that are usually sandbars were about a foot or two up out of the water. The river channel was still about 16 foot deep, but we were closed in on both sides with dry land. The main channel is between 75-100 feet wide.

Once we got back to the dock, it was about 6:30 and getting dark, which was dead low. As we approached the dock, the boat was making headway when I reversed the engine to slow down to make it in at a safe speed.

All of a sudden, the boat came to a stop, and I nudged the engine forward to get us into the slip. NADA! NOTHIN'! NYET!

I nudged it back to try to swing the bow a little closer to the dock. NADA again.

I realized my keel was stuck in the soft mud at the bottom. I looked over to my depth guage and it read 2.9 feet.

Apparently the depth-finder offset is precisely 1.1 feet from true.

Luckily we could get the bow close to the dock, and we all grabbed a line and hopped off the boat. Without our weight, she floated up just enough to pull her into the slip.

As they say about groundings - it's not if, but when!

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2010 : 19:23:30

Ya, in addition to a lunar low, you had 20+ westerly winds out by The Race pulling even more water out of Long Island Sound.

A similar thing happened when my late wife and I delivered our "new" <i>Passage</i> from Mystic to Darien... Two days of 30+ NW winds plus a low tide left us facing mud flats as we entered the club and approached our slip after a more than "exciting" day on the Sound. We ran aground well short, and with some help, backed off and tied off to another dock. It was not the homecoming we had hoped for!

So Passage has been in the mud before! Hopefully she's as unscarred now as then.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/08/2010 19:24:28

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2010 : 05:12:21

Bruce, This happened to us last night (Fri). Went out for a sail around 4:30 and came back in just after dark around 7:30. In the dark I didn't notice anything different until I turned into my slip and came to a stop about 10ft short. I said to Sara, I think we are on the bottom. I powered up the Honda and managed to push through the mud and get the boat in but was truly amazed. We have the wing keel so that shows how little water we had. I never saw that one coming.

Edited by - islander on 10/09/2010 05:29:30

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2010 : 07:25:44

The good news, Bruce, is that now you know your magic number is 3.0.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5378 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2010 : 17:32:10

Last night's predicted low was about -1.0 ft at Bridgeport, while the observed was approximately -1.2 ft.

Tonight (Saturday) at dead low, we were reading 3.6ft in the slip, so I should be in good shape from here.

Scott
WOW What depth do you draw that you'd be stuck in mud in Glen Cove?

Edited by - Voyager on 10/09/2010 17:46:25

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2010 : 05:48:24

Normally on a dead low tide I will read @3.6. The transducer is a thru hull and is mounted in the compartment on the starboard side of the companion way steps. I should get around to setting the offset but haven't yet but always added about a foot to the reading instead.I never had a problem even when I had the power boat that drew 3ft 10in. It wasn't a big deal just more of a surprise. Saturday morning when we pulled out I looked back and was leaving a trail of black mud for the first 1/4 mile. I guess there was some mud on the wings. We had a good laugh and said, Sure better than hitting a rock! Sat was real nice. Perfect wind. We sailed out to Northport then across to Darien and back. I kept looking for Passage just in case you might be out there.

Edited by - islander on 10/10/2010 06:26:30

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5378 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2010 : 20:42:42

Scott,
I made it out of the river at slack (2pm), but with the winds (14-18 kts, with gusts to 24 kts) we had 3 foot waves with breakers.

Once I left the river, the Sound wasn't too bad, but I realized the tide would be turning soon and the south-westerlies would oppose a 2-3 kt current. Normally this would create 6+ footers in the river, so I thought better of it and turned around.

I had planned to sail out to Stratford Shoal and back today. If the winds and seas are a little less tomorrow, I may try for Port Jeff or Huntington Bay.

Edited by - on

Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 06:56:12

This is the beauty of a swing keel. I don't even bother with the offset on my depth sounder. When the boat starts bowing down in the water and the shore stops moving, someome just turns the ol' winch a couple of cranks and we're underway and off to see the world again :)

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 08:14:12

In the San Juans at WSP the gang sends me in first with the swing keel to check depth at the docks. The docks are ok at along side but more than once getting there is the problem. The depth sounder is set for the one foot added but a wrench on a line is the best check.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 09:54:13

We are on an inland lake that is "let down" every fall to allow for greater capacity for spring runoff catchment. Every yesr around this time we watch as the docks at the marina descend an inch or two each day.

Yesterday I took Iris out for a sail. Coming back into teh marina I remembered I should get my season-ending pumpout. As I glided past the docks toward the gas dock, a half dozen onlookers picked up there beer and sauntered over. I knew exactly what was going on. The smart money was on the mud to win.

I nosed through the weeds, revving high to break through them, felt the slightest of bumps, tossed a dockline to the attendant, and hauled in.

Haha! made it with inches to spare!

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 13:21:21

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">This is the beauty of a swing keel. I don't even bother with the offset on my depth sounder. When the boat starts bowing down in the water and the shore stops moving, someome just turns the ol' winch a couple of cranks and we're underway and off to see the world again :)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Swing or wing... I think they draw the same. 2ft 11in. no? If they do you would have been dragin bottom just like us mud diggers!

Edited by - islander on 10/11/2010 13:25:57

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 20:28:42

Where are you Dave? Our 79 swing keels down at least 4'6" and up __? The difference is what we use for exploring. Down with the angle of the keel has helped get us over a dead head and a rock that lifted the boat and let us slide over. Read your charts and slow up if you aren't sure.

Edited by - on

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