I love cruising because it teaches humility

[zboss]

and nature is a cruel beast.

I recently ran aground in a area that basically has big old orange neon arrows pointing at it with dancing girls singing "if you go here you will go aground! Stay away! Be warned!" Of course, me knowing better from watching about two dozen boats go aground in that exact spot said to my wife.. "don't worry sweetie! We won't go aground THERE! I KNOW better."

It was a slightly humbling experience and as it was a soft landing; hard enough to require a tow but the boat was no worse off. Just my pride.

Anyhow... this sailing life keeps sending curve balls and I like it.

[JPA Cate]

zboss:

He who has never run aground is either anal retentive, or never gone anywhere in his/her boat!

Cheers,

Ann

[jackdale]

There are two kinds of sailors: those who admit they have been aground and liars. I have been aground - it does teach humility.

[Nikolina]

I ran aground in soft mud less than fifty feet from my slip in Tacoma Wa. The marina forgot to tell me that at low tide I wouldn't be able to leave or enter my slip, it was more like "oh yeah there's a high spot right there". I had my wife, daughter and her friend on board our 27' sloop. We tried several things to get her loose but as the tide was still going out it was only getting worse. Some one in the marina brought out a dingy so the crew was rescued and went awol leaving me there to ride out the tide alone. The best part was the commercial fishermen that helped to rig a zip line from the dock to my boat and kept me supplied with refreshments. She laid all the way over in the mud and came up no worse for the wear. Instead of a humiliating experience like to think of it as something I've done!

[delmarrey]

Running aground is nothing. Try slamming into a submerged rock 6' down at 6 kts, that was on the charts, but who'd think they'd put one so far off of the shoreline.

That's one that's hard to live down. But we and the boat survived. And with hours of labor to repair.

[Sealaskan]

I am not anal retentive or a liar and I am over 60 years of age with over a third of that spent on the water From Seattle to Bristol Bay and have yet to be grounded unintentionally. I will admit Lady Luck has been on my side several times. I do use my fathometer in unfamiliar shallow waters and I do slow down. My current boat draws 5.5' and I do a lot of gunk-holing in tidal waters. Now that I've patted myself on the back I will probably ground when I get out of dry dock and mess up my brand new paint job.

[bobconnie]

HA ! I'm so old I was a mess cook at the last supper!! And wish I could remember all the times I've been aground! LOL The ONLY way to never go aground, is to never go anywhere !! At least that's my 2 cents

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Running aground is nothing. Try slamming into a submerged rock 6' down at 6 kts, that was on the charts, but who'd think they'd put one so far off of the shoreline.

That's one that's hard to live down. But we and the boat survived. And with hours of labor to repair.

Where was the rock?

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Where was the rock?

Stacy's Rock, which is unmarked on the surface because Canada is too cheep to mark it properly.
See link below.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post492923

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Stacy's Rock, which is unmarked on the surface because Canada is too cheep to mark it properly.
See link below.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post492923

There are lots of charted rocks without aids to navigation, especially in areas with little or no commercial traffic.

[shorebird]

Canada to cheap to mark a rock? Try Googling "ripple rock."

[FSMike]

In addition to humility, cruising also teaches patience and creative language.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Sealaskan

I am not anal retentive or a liar and I am over 60 years of age with over a third of that spent on the water From Seattle to Bristol Bay and have yet to be grounded unintentionally. I will admit Lady Luck has been on my side several times. I do use my fathometer in unfamiliar shallow waters and I do slow down. My current boat draws 5.5' and I do a lot of gunk-holing in tidal waters. Now that I've patted myself on the back I will probably ground when I get out of dry dock and mess up my brand new paint job.

You know your Jinxed now don't you? I've run aground, on plane in a boat that wasn't drawing probably more than 18", about 10 miles out. Knew I would be there awhile when she came off of plane she stopped abruptly and laid over to port

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Sealaskan

I am not anal retentive or a liar and I am over 60 years of age with over a third of that spent on the water From Seattle to Bristol Bay and have yet to be grounded unintentionally. I will admit Lady Luck has been on my side several times. I do use my fathometer in unfamiliar shallow waters and I do slow down. My current boat draws 5.5' and I do a lot of gunk-holing in tidal waters. Now that I've patted myself on the back I will probably ground when I get out of dry dock and mess up my brand new paint job.

Oh man... Imma do an extra voodoo dance for you tonight...
That was some serious deity taunting there!

Originally Posted by bobconnie

HA ! I'm so old I was a mess cook at the last supper!! And wish I could remember all the times I've been aground! LOL The ONLY way to never go aground, is to never go anywhere !! At least that's my 2 cents

I remember bob... I was bussing the table... Crappy tippers too...

Originally Posted by FSMike

In addition to humility, cruising also teaches patience and creative language.

INDEED!!!!

[onestepcsy37]

Running aground can also be useful. There was a fast boat with a deep keel that used to show up occasionally on race day. The only way to beat him was to lead him into shallow water and run him aground. He wasn't here often enough to learn where all the shallow spots are.