Aground in Boston Harbor

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Neo

Made a quick call to the dock house, lowered the sails and motored off with relative ease. (Should have lowered the sails first.)

A club to which I formerly belonged had a rule that the first thing a member must do when going aground was to lower the burgee.

[Eleven]

I ran aground, on my first trip. I put the kettle on, and the radio for some music.
I love cats, and gravel banks.

[NACRADUDE]

Hell, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, if you haven't stuck it in the mud you might as well sell the boat.

I'm saing last weekend with the girlfriend, boat neighbor, his girlfriend and his daughter. Well the rule I have on the Chessy is never go inside the last row of crab pots. So we have like two to three foot swells and a nice 10 knots just reaching the day away. All of a sudden BANG!! What the hell!!! BANG Holy Christ. So I look at the depth gauge and it's going from about 7'-0" to like 4'-6" with the wave crest and the troughs. Duh!!!! I draw just under 5 feet in a C&C 27. So I throw over the wheel and basically dribble my boat like a basketball for 30 feet until I had 10 feet of water. The girls and daughter never new what was happening but my clown boat neighbor gave a knowing smile. You know the one where he's saying "they may not know, but I do and I will abuse you till you die for that one". I hate him, trully I do.

[markpierce]

The tide gods have always smiled on me. The several times I've grounded, it was on a rising tide and got off within 10 minutes. Once I had to kedge because the wind and waves were pushing me toward shore. My pocket cutter only drew 2 feet, so the anchor was readily handcarried up wind to let out scope quickly.

[nockerwhite]

My first outing to the head of the creek at High Springs, went aground and was neeped - ten days before I could get off - steep learning curve!

[Ishmael]

I did a little pirouette on lower middle many years ago on a night sail on a Pearson 26. Didn't even feel a bump, just noticed we seemed to have stopped moving, and the helm was unresponsive. I knew what happened, but didn't let on . (This was one of the first few dates I had with my future wife). After a few tense moments on my part / oblivious moments on hers . The breeze managed to swing us about 90 degrees, and heeled us over and we quietly, gently slid off and continued our moonlight cruise.

[Arthur Garfield]

I've ran into submerged boulders,sandbars.....-you name it-Haven't sunk yet!
That was back in days of youthful exhuberance.

[Hudson Force]

Grounding? I'm so good at it I can do it in my sleep!

[SV Siren]

We grounded a friends boat 3 times yesterday, but I have to admit, in our defense, it was a very narrow channel of 30' in width, that is umarked at the entrance. This was leaving the Muskegon Conservation Club Marina in Michigan, which seemingly was dredged out of a bog. It was the owners first time out, and was not familiar with the channel entrance, and neither was I. It was all good, thanks to soft mud, and putting our weight on the rail..the funny thing is that this was the maiden voyage for the boats new owner, on his first boat. I laughed it off..the owner was not amused at first, till I assured him everyone has run aground, or lied about it. The locals were entertained, a few fishermen just kept fishing about 50' from us...

[nockerwhite]

My other grounding (and probably my last as I'm now 84 and a fulltime carer) was not making it back to my (drying) harbour in time - I was sailing against the tide and grounded just in the entrance. I had to return at around midnight to board her and wait for the tide and take it on to my mooring.

[roaminraulf]

No I`ve been high and dry at low tide in a full keel boat, ....BUT, if there happens to be a boulder or old engine block under you, you may be toast. or at least
soggy bread, Estrellita IV

[nockerwhite]

It seems that most of you are in marinas and 'docking'is appropriate, I'm on a laid mooring in a drying harbour (23' tides) obviously a bilge keeler. !19' Caprice) the smallest boat to circumnavigat, although he did use the two canals.
I can't or won't pay exorbitant marina charges!

[mf70]

To the OP:

We have a saying, "If we didn't know what we were doing, we'd be in REAL trouble!"

That might have applied to you.

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Aground - First Time? Got off on your own? No damage? -- you're obviously new to sailing. Dude, how are you going to feel when you run aground 3 times IN ONE DAY-- like I have

Attached is a picture of a captain who had reason to feel a whole lot worse than you just three weeks ago -- July 3 in Boston harbor. Calm sea. Sunny. Licensed Master at the helm. He got out of the channel and hit the "Devils Back" off Deer Island. Four minor injuries. Took on water. Lots of attention - "Coast Guard, State Police, MBTA, and lobster boats quickly swarmed around ...". Geez, everyone wanted to get in on the excitement. Maybe a helicopter with a live broadcast! And you felt stupid???

In an area like Boston with 9 foot tides, the moment you touch think about whether the tide is coming in or out.

If it's coming in, do nothing - don't even tell your wife or guests you're aground. Instead, look thoughtfully at the sails. Ask for another soda. Take a sip. Look thoughtfully at the sails again. Nonchalantly turn the wheel (away from the shoal) and tweak a line. Keep looking at the sails, sipping, and tweaking a line until the tide lifts you off after about five minutes. Mumble "that should do it". Everyone will be most impressed how your knowledgeable sail trimming got the boat going so much faster.

If the tide's going out, you have minutes to get off or you'll spend the rest of your life hearing the story that starts "You remember that time you ran aground in Boston and ....."

Carl

This guy .... hahaha I hope I'm as cool as that one day when I run aground....

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[captain58sailin]

Yeah, I meant to do that, I'm cleaning my hull. 2 kinds of boaters, those who have run aground and those who haven't run aground YET.