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Hit a rock today

6K views 28 replies 18 participants last post by  flyingwelshman 
#1 ·
We were motoring home from our regular sailing area in the Long Island Sound through an area with some shallow parts. We do this weekly and have never had an issue but today I guess our luck ran out! Looks like the keel hit a submerged rock. Everything on the boat appears to be fine. No water coming in, the keel bolts look good and the boat is sitting flat - not listing to any one side. Do you think I need to pull it out to check? It's going into dry storage for the Winter in a month anyway.
 
#2 ·
Depends on how hard you hit and your curiosity. Did it come dead stop or skip over the rock. I hit a rock last year at 4 kt and skipped over it(14000 pound boat) the solid lead keel peeled off a chunk about 3/4 in deep and 2 inches long. It made a huge crash noise and some stuff flew around in the cabin. No leaks , no keel bolt damage. :)
 
#4 ·
We didn't hit THAT hard. Our outboard isnt that fast and as soon as we hit we gunned it in reverse. Nothing in the cabin moved actually. Bruised knee and a small cut on the hand was the only damage. I'd love to go check... my only hesitancy in diving down is the boat is in the East River right now and I don't want to get hepatitis.
 
#5 ·
You are probably not going see a problem with your keel bolts, inside or out.
I have always checked keel bolts with a 20# sledge hammer (out of the water). Holding a block of wood just slightly below and parallel to the joint w/ the hull and placing my palm across the joint (not too near where the sledge is going to hit), have someone swing the sledge and hit the wood, hard. If there is no movement, your keel bolts are fine. Any movement and you know you have a problem. It is important to do this a few times in case you break one on the first or second swing; after 2 swings I assume they aren't going to break.
Could you put on a mask and check the keel for visible damage? That would certainly be the cheapest and easiest way to see if there is something that needs attention.
 
#7 ·
If the weather cooperates tomorrow ill head further into the sound and borrow a mooring to go down and check. I really don't want to do it at our marina. There are condoms and a lot of crabs (both kinds probably) in the water.

^ it was right between that Lighthouse at the bottom of City Island and Kings Point. Go through there all the time along with probably hundreds of other boats a week and no issues!
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
^ it was right between that Lighthouse at the bottom of City Island and Kings Point. Go through there all the time along with probably hundreds of other boats a week and no issues!
The lighthouse you refer to is Steppingstone light
which is south of City Is. One must stay
north of the lighthouse, and always out of the triangle
(and steppingstone rocks)
formed by the lighthouse and the red nuns #2 and #4
very close to Kings Point, or one can pass south of
#2 and #4 in the narrow channel near Kings Point.

Did you pass you north or south of 2 red nuns?
At what stage was tide, thinking not low but
most likely falling.
Would be very concerning if you were south of
2 red nuns, as should be 10 plus feet there at
low tide.
Our marina is Steppingstone just to the
east of the red #2 ...come p.u. a guest mooring and say hello.
 
#11 ·
HaleyF:1085644 said:
If the weather cooperates tomorrow ill head further into the sound and borrow a mooring to go down and check. I really don't want to do it at our marina. There are condoms and a lot of crabs (both kinds probably) in the water.

^ it was right between that Lighthouse at the bottom of City Island and Kings Point. Go through there all the time along with probably hundreds of other boats a week and no issues!
South of stepping stone?
 
#12 · (Edited)
I joined about three weeks ago.

I had a guest at the helm, and we were passing G 13 on the Sakonnet River (Rhode Island) heading south at about 5kts. We were watching another vessel further west of our position. I was familiar enough with the charts to be concerned about increasing the distance from the plotted rock, but I also knew that we should not have been in trouble. Suddenly BANG!, and we slowed drastically. Then BANG!, BANG! BANG! as we continued to bump the rock... Scared the hell out of me, and scared my guest from the wheel. I took over and got us out, then checked the bilge to find all OK. Later that day I dove on the keel, and it looked like nothing happened.

My current theory is that a swell dropped us on top of a ledge...

Here is a pic from the plotter showing where I turned us around and got us out of there.


Here is the log from the chartplotter:
8/11/2013 4:57:29 PM 15 ft 245 ft 0:00:30 5 kt 205° true N41 37.062 W71 13.295
8/11/2013 4:57:59 PM 16 ft 208 ft 0:00:30 4 kt 198° true N41 37.026 W71 13.318
8/11/2013 4:58:29 PM 16 ft 40 ft 0:00:30 0.8 kt 171° true N41 36.994 W71 13.332
8/11/2013 4:58:59 PM 16 ft 55 ft 0:00:30 1.1 kt 331° true N41 36.987 W71 13.331

My boat draws 5.7' not 20'. The chart of the Sakonnet river is WRONG:mad:.

However, this stuff happens:eek:.
 
#24 ·
...Here is a pic from the plotter showing where I turned us around and got us out of there.
FWIW, NOAA's chart has your point of impact shaded in blue (shallow water) instead of the white that your plotter shows. I think the blue color better highlights the true danger. This is another reason why I prefer using my computer-based plotter that can use whatever raster or vector charts you choose. NOAA charts in coastal US, NGA charts in BVI, etc.:


 
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#15 ·
You might want to lift the floorboards near the companionway if there are some, and check the hull/stringer tabbing in the area aft of the keel.. this is usually where the effects of hitting something underway will be evident.

Catalinas are single skin (uncored) hulls, and they will deflect under load.. while in most cases there's little damage to the laminate, the flex can separate the tabbed-in reinforcements, esp in the area immediately aft of the keel itself (assuming fixed keel version)... and yes, welcome to the club....
 
#16 ·
What year Catalina 25 do you have?

The 1983 and later have a lead keel which is surrounded by sort of a weird sort of foamy fiberglass. This isn't a typical encapsulation, it was done to make the size similar to what was on the iron keeled version.

If you have the lead version I'd dive it to check on that fiberglass.

I'd also check the keel/hull joint closely on the next haul out. THere is a wooden stub between the keel and hull that you don't want to have get damp, or you'll end up with the Catalina Smile (lots of work to fix).
 
#20 ·
I'm not sure exactly where we were as I turn off the tracker when we're motoring but I'm thinking we hit the area right to the west of 2 and 4. The tide was going out but it was extra high today so I (wrongly) wasn't worried.

I'm going to see if I can drop my phone down and take some video tomorrow in lieu of diving.

And awesome! I'll have to try and stop by one weekend. I'm at Worlds Fair.
 
#21 ·
Yes, welcome to the club. I guess the lesson is that charts cannot really be relied upon to reveal all the rocks. Keeping well clear of shallow areas and well clear of buoys is the best strategy. The little * should maybe be interpreted as "there are rocks around here." I took a good chunk out of the fiberglass encapsulation on my keel a couple of years ago in the marked channel but obviously too close to the buoy on Lake Champlain.
 
#25 ·
I tried to use my underwater camera but the visibility was too low. I got some awesome shots of how nasty the boat bottom is though :/ Ater I pulled up every single hatch and floor board and couldn't see any evidence of stress or cracks and everythig is still dry so I think I'll just leave it for the rest of the month till Winter storage.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Have noticed in last few years more boats unknowingly going south of Steppingstone lighthouse into the triangle.
But not to worry, you're in good company as besides the normal
bent props on the power boats and dinged, damaged keels
there have been a few large motor yachts and even the
U.S. Navy that have been hung up/holed on the Steppingstones!
 
#29 ·
Similar thing happened to me here:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/1111611-post16.html

The epilogue to that story was: close to $5,000.00 damage (hull repair, rudder replacement) covered by insurance. The work is being done as we speak and shouldn't impede splash-down.
 
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