See, eveyone runs aground ...

[sneuman]

Sailing Maryland: Remembering Walter Cronkite, Sailor

[Cruisingdad]

HEHE! Funny!!

- CD

[alwheeler98]

My husband's uncle shared this handy phrase...

"If you haven't been aground, you haven't been around."

[St Anna]

Years ago , we were travelling through the Sandy Straits (Fraser Is) which is infamous for having thin water. We were waiting for the high tide (only an hour off) when a bigger yacht flew past us. Automatically I assumed (yep, dumb move) that with the confidence they were showing, they must know the way.

Well, once past the point of no return, I saw the big yacht on its side about a mile ahead. We were next to hit the sand and it took a while to plow a channel through. We hit again and sat there for another 15min. Now high tide and still stuck, I was getting a little concerned, whilst putting on a nonchalent look to dispel any anxiety to the admiral. (It doesnt work)

A few stink boats went past and waved, took photos as I felt like an idiot. Anyway, a big engine, a bad mood and a good prop will do wonders and we were soon away again.

Previous to this and on a smaller yacht I ran aground in Moreton Bay because I couldnt count to 3 ( the number of stb markers to pass before turning right) Yep, another one of my better moves !

Now I am very wary of shallow water channels, but much more experienced which brings a level of self confidence to trust my own judgement along and when to back off.

So I agree with the tenet that you have to stuff up a little to learn how to get out of it. (whilst not causing your family to be as stressed as you are) You also must (in my view) know exactly to the inch when you hull will touch the bottom. My echo sounder is set to feet and inches ( not metres) for this reason. One tenth of a foot is a smaller unit than one tenth of a metre.

Just my ramblings on a Sat morning.

[jaschrumpf]

I was motoring from my slip at White Rocks in Pasadena, MD, to another marina up the creek. All I needed to do was come out of my dock, turn left up the creek and motor for about a half-mile or so.

As I was heading for where I'd make the turn, I noticed a small buoy on my right, which I assumed was a 6 MPH warning buoy. At the same time I noticed a gentleman sweeping off his dock about 200' on my left, and as he looked up I waved jauntily to him. He dropped the broom and began waving his arms over his head in the universal NO, DON'T DO THAT signal.

My brain suddenly dredged up the memory that that "6 MPH" buoy was actually a shoal marking buoy, and that I was well inside it. I hit the mud at the same instant I threw the tiller hard over, thinking maybe I had time to turn around. Luckily I didn't go in too deep, and by working the transmission and throttle I was able to get off and go back and around the buoy.

Lesson learned: always know what a buoy is marking before you cut between it and the shore.

[johnshasteen]

Of course, everyone runs aground. Those naive sailors (usually newbies) who say, "well, I've never run aground", just haven't run aground yet!

[SundancerKid]

Originally Posted by jaschrumpf

Lesson learned: always know what a buoy is marking before you cut between it and the shore.

Abso-lootely!

Sailing from Tea Gardens across to Nelson Bay in Port Stephens one day. It's a huge area with some shallow bits marked by navigation poles. I thought we'd sailed past the last of the poles and so veered a little left to head towards our destination.

A while later, I noticed what I thought were some pretty large whitecaps in the chop. It was a nice breeze but a little choppy so I didn't pay too much attention at first... until it struck me that they were unusually large. And finally it dawned on me that those were waves breaking! My first thought was that it should be deep water after the last pole... and then I spotted the last pole still about two miles away. I was steering us into the shallows between the marks.

I didn't run aground. Not quite. Not that time. But it did teach me I should count the marks as they go past.

[painkiller]

For those of you familiar with Annapolis, the schooner Woodwind (well, one of the two) ran hard aground by the aerials on Greenbury Point last weekend. It took at least an hour and two Sea Tow boats to get 'em off while the amateur boaters all around radioed helpful advice.

I'm actually surprised they don't run aground more often. Those skippers are pretty ballsy, cutting it real close in places I don't dare to bring my boat.

[St Anna]

Hey Pain,
They possibly sail the contours and have to be balsy as they likely draw 3-4m.

It would be interesting having the weekend warriors jamming the air. Some of the old wooden ships ran aground on purpose to 'gum' up some of the bigger leaks. I had heard the best place near my home was near an old wheat loading dock as this gummed up the hull better!

Kedge or spare anchors on a halyard/ or on the boom. Is it a lost art of seamanship?