Launched- and I mean LAUNCHED! Overboard!

[spencer53]

My wife and I went to Santa Cruz Island (20 or so miles of the California coast for those not familiar) to relax for a long weekend at anchor. It was lobster trapping season so I had equipped my RIB with hoop net for the trip. We got anchored up and waited for nightfall so we could launch the dinghy and prospect for some lobster dinner. We motored the dinghy in the dead of night over toward some nice rock cliffs that we had scoped out during the day as some promissing looking lobster playgrounds. We pulled up the hoop and the catch was zip, zero, nada. So... "Lets go try that other spot we picked out"! So with trap onboard, I twist the throttle on the outboard to get up on plane to make the trip a little smoother and a little fast. Just when we got up on plane...... SPLASH!!!! I was under water. Full cold weather clothing, boots, the works.. Made my way to the surface and saw my wifes head pop up out of the black ocean. "You Ok?" I ask. "Yeah" comes the response. About 50 feet away, we spot the dinghy stopped dead in the water with the engine stopped. Started swimming. Now to get our wet selves back into it! With much work and fortunately above freezing water temps, we managed to struggle back in. What the hell just happened we ask ourselves. I pull up the outboard and we had caught a submerged commercial lobster trap line. That thing stopped our dinghy like a jet landing on an aircraft carrier. From 20 to 0 in a secong. Well, it stopped the dinghy but not our momentum. We flew better than 20 feet. Bent my prop too! Mistakes made? Where shall I start? There are many.. I will not be so careless in the future to be sure. If only I could have that candid camera moment caught on film. I'm sure the looks on our faces we hilarious as we were flying through the air in pitch blackness heading for our swim.

[Celestialsailor]

Although I laughed with the picture you had painted, I am really glad the 2 of you are ok. Its a tough call being careful. Was the commercial trapped bouyed? Sometimes they're not. Glad you're ok. It could have turned out otherwise.

[Ex-Calif]

Stuff happens - Glad you guys are OK.

There are tons of crab pots around here. Most just buoyed with a clorox bottle. These are no problem. The commercial guys use barrels and string a line between them. That can get your attention.

[S/V Elusive]

Commercial guys usually have to tag the 'bag' and have a clearly identifiable buoy on it. I suspect it was a private trap - maybe even someone forgot about it. But, glad that you both are okay. I doubt seriously that you could have done much different - maybe a little slower ::shrug:: You still would have been launched - just not as far.

[Ex-Calif]

BTW - This is an excellent reason to always wear the kill switch lanyard on your wrist. I see lot's of folks on-board dinghy's tenders and speedboats with a beautiful coil of flex line hanging to the floor.

I always clip it on - even between the dock and the boat.

[billangiep]

spencer, Glad all turned out well.....I take it you did not have lobster for dinner?

[spencer53]

NOPE! No lobster for dinner that night. Just some very wet clothes and a "thank god I know how to swim" feeling.