Grounded my boat

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I've run aground four or five times in the ICW - twice in Florida, once in SC. In all cases, the chart said there should have been > 9 feet where I ran aground. In all cases, I ran aground in mud or sand, so no real damage done, other than possible loss of paint off the bottom of the keel. The ICW will shoal in due to dredging or current, and you cannot predict with accuracy when you will encounter the shoal. None the less, the chance of grounding is one reason I avoid the ICW as much as possible. Oh, one other grounding (in mud) was at St Mary's Boatyard - weird exit from the travel lift dock - you have to make an immediate left to avoid grounding, and I mean like with six feet to spare at most.

When it comes to hard bottoms in places like the Bahamas, I am ultra conservative, and will not take chances.

[Brioche]

When we purchased our new (to us) boat we had verified, among other things, that the depthfinder worked. What I didn't realize at the time was that whoever had installed the new instrument had hooked it up to the anchor light and that the depthfinder switch didn't actually control it. Not a big deal sailing in deep waters, but when we started up the Hudson River it meant a lot more attention to charts. I called the previous owner to ask about the depthfinder, but he could only affirm that it had always worked for him and didn't mention that it was controlled by a mislabelled switch.
That did not seem a major problem at the time, since I had made the trip enough times and figured we could simply stay in channels or areas I know to be safe -- but it didn't quite work out that way.
On our third day of the trip, my wife was at the helm and I was navigating from memory of previous trips in the area. I advised her to round a lighthouse and head for the next channel marker. Unfortunately, the shallows around the lighthouse had silted up a lot since I had last been there, and she was a little aggressive in making the turn as well.
Since we were motoring into the tide at the time and facing a strong headwind as well, it took a minute to even notice that the boat had stopped. We tried reversing but even though we had eased in we were now too firmly stuck to get out. With the rapidly falling tide, I didn't want to waste any time, so I pulled out the full genoa. The 15 knot or so wind immediately spun the boat broadside and heeled us over hard, and we were able to back out of the silt neatly. We heaved sighs of relief; spending six hours stuck in the middle of the river would not have been pleasant.
Later that evening, we anchored and, in turning on the anchor light, discovered that the depthfinder actually did work. I have since rewired it so it operates on its own switch.

[Amapola]

No good deed goes unpunished. We pulled off the ICW to assist a familiar boat that appeared to have lost its steering. The captain said they were OK and they soon went on their way. When we attempted to turn back to the ICW we ran hard aground on an outgoing tide. We were mired in mud and were unable to power off. We were stuck until high tide the next day. We were buried so deep that even TowBoat/US couldn't pull us out of the mud.

[Cpt Mark]

It depends where you are. Some areas you know you'll ground sooner or later. Shifting bottom just makes it inevitable.

I've run aground several times on sailboats, power boats and a couple of times with a Tug and barge combo 155 feet long. Once with my current boat with forward looking scan LOL. Pro tip. Don't try and learn new technology in really terrible conditions.

Spend enough time on the water and you'll run aground. Try and do that on a rising tide. You'll hit something, try and do that at a speed slow enough you won't care.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by riksf

Several years ago I took ASA 104 in the SF Bay. We were practicing following depth contours (under power) and it was my turn at the helm, cruising at 6 or 7 knots along the east side of Tiburon. The instructor told me to cut around Bluff Point into Raccoon Strait, keeping a constant depth of I think 20 or 30 feet. As we approached, our conversation went something like:

Me: We're getting pretty close to those rocks, aren't we?

Instructor: What's your depth?

Me: 32 feet

Instructor: That's fine, it's deep here right up to the shore.

[10 seconds later -- WHAM!!!]

Instructor: Huh. That was *not* supposed to be there.

In the end, no leaks or major damage to the boat to my knowledge (though I'm guessing we took at least a few layers of paint off the bottom of the keel), but that day I learned a lesson about uncharted obstructions.

I think I had the same ASA instructor that almost ran me aground years ago in the Chesapeke.

As for running aground, I was staying in a marina once where I had to cut a slot in the mud with my 6’ draft every time I came in or out. Does that count as running aground?

Al, S/V Finlandia

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

I've run around 4 or 5 times. First time was in Wrightsville Beach, NC. There is a spot on the ICW where the AC comments say to hug the docks, and apparently I didn't hug them well enough. I got off on my own just swinging the boat left and right. I made it on the second pass by staying like 10 feet from the docks.

The other 3 times were within a hour of each other at Matanzas inlet. I tried to follow the same track through on my previous trip, but unfortunately I was coming through at dead low tide and because the current rips through there, there was no option to take it slow. I was well within the channel but still hit sandbars three times. That time, I managed to get off by raising the jib and heeling the boat over.

Matanzas Inlet seems to change daily. I have ran aground there also.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[MicHughV]

As some that have posted above....I have run aground many, many times....sometimes 'cuz a chart was wrong....sometimes because a current swept me off course.....but mostly, because I often poke my nose into areas I really shouldn't.....

Running aground is one thing, but getting back off is quite another, especially on a falling tide..

Finally, I have also assisted countless sailors that have run aground for one reason or another.....

I don't fret it anymore....well, I lie....I ran aground once in cove in a strong n'erly wind, which blew all the water out of the cove. Trying to leave the next day, I promptly ran aground and had no choice but to turn around and re-anchor until a south wind filled the cove up again, which didn't occur until several days later, right about as the beer supply was running low.

I should write a book.....

[nofacey]

50 ft steeled cruiser……cruising with buddies into questionable areas (inside coral atolls in the Marquesas, damn near anywhere in FIji) we were usually the lead boat due both deeper keel and lower risk of damage…..
- like the “amuck” definition - I was seldom overly concerned about touching sand/mud when going thru a shallow channel into a dredged basin, just traveled at a lower speed so I could back off. Shifting sands off Australia had us in less than 10ft of water for days (a state kinda tough for a BC boy used to 200ft+, felt like the depth sounder was yelling at me the whole time). Lots of “Amuck”
- Aground was fortunately rare…..but one time in Fiji, where the charts absolutely suck…..we were going intrude a narrow curving coral channel into a well known anchorage with an interesting community (beach bars & restaurants). Was following markers (sticks rammed into coral by locals) and had two look outs on the bow when we hit hard - no one fell, but we were all hanging on.

That’s when I made the big mistake - figuring it was just an out crop, I decided I could power forward into deeper water….wrong! I managed to bump her further aground. Dumb move.
Took a powerful local tour boat to get me off…….and then it turned out “Survivor” was just finishing up filming there, and all the facilities were closed anyways. Anchored overnight, was very careful as we did our walk of shame past the community exiting the same pass next morning.

[hpeer]

Edventure dad,

Was that here on the red warning spot? I put the warning there because I struck there.

[Jim Cate]

Therein lies the benefit of a swing keel, wherein if it is left unpinned it gently pivots when you touch bottom.

Ahhh, yes, the old "curb feeler" means of navigation...

Back a few years, circa 1970, I had just bought Catalina 22 hull #61 from Frank Butler's new company and was sailing in the SF Bay delta area on the San Joaquin river. I was a total newbie to keel boats, but subscribed to the idea that if one touched, simply cranking up the keel would solve all problems.

So we were sailing along, fat dumb and happy when we did indeed touch and come to a standstill. "Knowing" that there was adequate water ahead (remember, this was LONG before GPS, etc) I raised the keel enough to free us from the mud (with a few cranks extra for good measure) and carried on. Shortly later, as we came to the bottom of a swell's trough we touched again... but this time it was the transom-hung rudder (that was now deeper than the keel) that grounded... and lifted right out of the gudgeons... and the damn boat just kept on sailing, sans rudder!

This had not been covered by Royce's book on sailing but eventually it occurred to me to drop the sails and start the tiny outboard we had and get back to our rudder, using the o/b to steer. A humbling experience, never to be repeated!

That was the first of many groundings over the ensuing 50+ years, but the only one that involved the rudder.

Jim

[Jim Cate]

Therein lies the benefit of a swing keel, wherein if it is left unpinned it gently pivots when you touch bottom.

Ahhh, yes, the old "curb feeler" means of navigation...

Back a few years, circa 1970, I had just bought Catalina 22 hull #61 from Frank Butler's new company and was sailing in the SF Bay delta area on the San Joaquin river. I was a total newbie to keel boats, but subscribed to the idea that if one touched, simply cranking up the keel would solve all problems.

So we were sailing along, fat dumb and happy when we did indeed touch and come to a standstill. "Knowing" that there was adequate water ahead (remember, this was LONG before GPS, etc) I raised the keel enough to free us from the mud (with a few cranks extra for good measure) and carried on. Shortly later, as we came to the bottom of a swell's trough we touched again... but this time it was the transom-hung rudder (that was now deeper than the keel) that grounded... and lifted right out of the gudgeons... and the damn boat just kept on sailing, sans rudder!

This had not been covered by Royce's book on sailing but eventually it occurred to me to drop the sails and start the tiny outboard we had and get back to our rudder, using the o/b to steer. A humbling experience, never to be repeated!

That was the first of many groundings over the ensuing 50+ years, but the only one that involved the rudder.

Jim

[drdoyle]

Here in the Bahamas if you don't run aground at least one every day then you're not having fun.

https://youtu.be/QPAD--ahYKs

[lestersails]

My first was pretty similar to riksf. Approaching the shore of a beach on Captiva from the ICW the chart showed sand. So I came in nice and close so the kids could hop off and swim. BANG! Uncharted rocks, I assume. The keel got hooked pretty good. I enlisted the help of a kind power boater and did the halyard to the tow boat heeling maneuver. Came off straight away. Remarkably no significant damage to the heel.

My second was kind of spooky. I was moored in Sprat Bay on Peter Island in the BVI. By the numbers, I should have been good. There is almost no tide in BVI, but I am wondering if there was a bit of an ebb that night. When waves would come in to the bay a bit we bobbed, and I think the keel was bouncing on the bottom. A dull thud when we dipped. I didn't like that one bit but decided not to try to move in the dark. It is a tiny bay.

The third was a close call, no touching. Sailed up from Virgin Gorda to Anegada. Bareboat charter. Approaching the Anegada Reef Hotel, right in the channel my depth finder was dropping, reading as low as 0.2 ft. Didn't like that one bit. At first I thought that the bareboat charterer probably calibrates them on low reading side to keep the bareboat captains off the rocks. But I radioed the very helpful people at the hotel and gave them my boats draft and they advised me that it was indeed dicey to get in. Turned around and headed back.

[Me-and-Boo]

Yeah, on the Chesapeake Bay I refer to my efforts to go where I should not be "plowing crabs".

The important thing is to make sure you have sufficient supplies onboard as rescue could take hours. I suggest at least a case of beer, a couple boxes of boat wine (the thirty dollar box), whatever else is needed for martinis and manhattans. Ice of course. I do plan on bringing down a seltzer bottle, with cartridges.


Plan ahead. Don't be that sailor on the sand bar asking if anyone has a spare olive.

[jalmberg]

I have a rule: if there’s a chance you might run aground, run aground slowly! Obviously this will minimize damage, but also you have a better chance of backing out if you haven’t driven yourself too far in.

So, my stories are pretty boring!

I have always had stout full keel boats that can handle a bit of ground. If I had a bolt-on fin keel I would be MUCH more careful than I already am.