Our beloved SV MONICA wrecked by incompetent marina

[Tetepare]

In which harbor was this? Some of the harbors on both sides of the lake are hit-or-miss concerning depth and shoaling, and I always like to know which are OK and which are a problem.

Why can't you transit the two US locks? All through COVID foreign flagged boats with foreign crew have transited the US and Canadian locks. I don't know current regulations but I cannot imagine pleasure vessels were prohibited from using the locks.

[double u]

" But someone doing a reconnoitre with a 3 mtr pole in hand before starting the tow would have been prudent."

or a sounding lead. Nobody had that idea?
it looks as if the water is FAR too shallow for the boat, FAR!

[Brioche]

[QUOTE=HeinSdL;3662431]I would advise against this, advice which sounds like "don't inform yourself otherwise the competent other person might not accept liabilty". My approach is, no-one touches my boat until there is a need to accept assistance and I know exactly what that assistance looks like. (Exception of course when there's is an emergency, do as you're told is then applicable.)

I did not mean to say "don't inform yourself". To clarify, what I meant is that, solely from a liability standpoint, one's evaluation of the situation should be independent of the attempt made by the contractor. One can still look at the situation and decide not to go ahead. In this case, if there is significant damage, there may be serious litigation as well, and in that case having relied on the marina contractors may at least help the OP in litigation, even if that same reliance led to the situation in the first place.

Personally, knowing some other folks who had rigging damage from getting heeled over like this to get out of a grounding, I would have avoided this. Even though a boat can take heeling over to a knockdown without harm to the rigging, pulling on it with a cable doesn't seem to sit well.

[mcswain29]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

In which harbor was this? Some of the harbors on both sides of the lake are hit-or-miss concerning depth and shoaling, and I always like to know which are OK and which are a problem.

Why can't you transit the two US locks? All through COVID foreign flagged boats with foreign crew have transited the US and Canadian locks. I don't know current regulations but I cannot imagine pleasure vessels were prohibited from using the locks.

Not going to mention any names, but this happened on the North shore of Lake Ontario, somewhere between Oshawa and Port Hope... The "power-heel and hammer-down method" is a semi-regular occurrence. In lower water situations / or later in the fall, this is even sometimes required to ENTER the channel in preparation for haul and winter storage... No thanks............

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by OliveJuice

This makes me want to add a hand-held depth sounder to my wishlist.

Sorry this happened to you

The handheld depth meter is awesome. Looks about like an old fashioned D-cell flashlight. We took our boat with 7 ft draft up the Erie canal, and as had been predicted for 2 years, ran hard aground right after Lock 19. Saw as little as 5.5 ft. Running around in the dinghy with a handheld depth sounder helped us figure where to wiggle or kedge to slightly deeper water. I inherited mine, so don't know what they cost, but when you need it it is awesome.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by mcswain29

Not going to mention any names, but this happened on the North shore of Lake Ontario, somewhere between Oshawa and Port Hope... The "power-heel and hammer-down method" is a semi-regular occurrence. In lower water situations / or later in the fall, this is even sometimes required to ENTER the channel in preparation for haul and winter storage... No thanks............

Thanks...I suspected that one.

The south shore suffers the same shoaling; don't know about that harbor, but on the south/eastern shore the shoaling is lake rocks, very bad stuff to underestimate depth, or drag over. Irondequoit Bay shoals with sand, so "not so bad" but NEVER enter Port Bay or East Bay without sounding first, because that's all rocks.


I see a lot of "what was done wrong" through that whole video.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Thanks...I suspected that one.

The south shore suffers the same shoaling; don't know about that harbor, but on the south/eastern shore the shoaling is lake rocks, very bad stuff to underestimate depth, or drag over. Irondequoit Bay shoals with sand, so "not so bad" but NEVER enter Port Bay or East Bay without sounding first, because that's all rocks.


I see a lot of "what was done wrong" through that whole video.

Agreed, Irondequoit Bay shoals with sand (and mostly near the east pier, hugging the west pier until the turn is generally good water unless they've gotten really bad about dredging). Pultneyville shoals with silty mud, although they dredged quite well last fall and also rebuilt part of their breakwall, so hopefully it stays a bit better going forward.

[danstanford]

Everyone knew the depth and the approach that needed to be taken here. As noted previously this method has been used in this harbour many times to get sailboats in and out due to the silting. For those criticizing the yard guys doing the work, please know that they knew the depth and that this was the technique to get her out of there and I am certain they conveyed to the owners what was to come.

I certainly sympathized and cringed as I have watching another video from there (though that one was successful) and I truly hope everything turns out fine with the boat.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by sailingmonica

I know I haven't given many details, as I am tired, and heartbroken, and stressed beyond belief. We have cruised for many years, survived Hurricane Irma in the Bahamas, and MONICA is the boat my husband and I designed and built in our backyard. But that's another story.

As I mentioned, this summer was the first when we could bring the boat home to Nova Scotia, because the borders with the US were closed until November 8, 2021. There is no way by water between Ontario and Nova Scotia where US borders are not involved. This year, in June, after fully discussing with the marina, we came, spent thousands of dollars on hotels, and stayed for two weeks, removing the shrink wrap, cleaning the boat, checking what could be checked on land, painted the hull. Then, we loaded our boat stands in the trailer and drove them home, to have them on the other side. Returned to the boat, which was then launched, and since we stored with the mast laid on deck, we had it taken off and checked all shrouds, and all wiring. Even replaced the spreader lights with LED ones.

Mast was then stepped, and sails put up.

In the water, we found out that the raw water pump from the engine has seized its bearings, and we replaced it. The water pressure tank has also cracked (they were all property winterized) and replaced it as well

When all systems were a go, we were on standby for a weather window.

In the meantime, plans as to how they will get us out were made with the marina. Were told that there is a deeper channel, of about 5 feet, and since we draw 6, they will take us out by heeling the boat. I indicated that, since the heel will be to starboard, and the channel is barely a few feet wide, my hull where my engine water intake was will lay on sand, sucking it in, and clogging the water filter, damaging the engine water pump when it runs dry. The marina said in that case I will not start my engine until we clear the bar, and they will use two boats to get us out, one to pull, one to tilt. But they lost the channel, and my boat was rotated onto the shallows.

We were left laying on the side a long time, as one of the boats went back to the marina to get a bilge pump because they were taking on water. In the meantime, a small decommissioned vent below our toerail popped its plug and water began flowing in. My husband was outside, I was in the pilothouse. By the time we heard the water, and found its source, we took on quite a bit. My husband fell when he tried to plug it with something, anything, kept his finger in it until he grabbed a rag and pushed it in.

The fuel leaked from the sender unit on top of the tank, little by little, but due to the prolonged laying on the side, it kept leaking until the boat was eventually straightened.

On return, we were scraped against the rocks.

I hope that I answered some of our questions.

Thanks for the update and additional information.
Hope the damage turns out to be minimal and you can continue homewards soon.

[boatman61]

'After' they've dredged the Channel or you'll have the same pantomime repeated..
Christmas at the marina.???

[keepondancin]

How was it when you went in, some time ago? It will all work out, and be just another story to tell. Good luck.

[Lodesman]

A couple of respondents seem to think the towboat grounded, but it doesn't look like that happened. And a couple respondents have recommended waiting until the channel is dredged - you can check with the marina/harbour authority, but that might never happen. Lake Ontario varies in water level depending on year/season. It's typically higher in the spring, particularly after a heavy snow-melt. The water-level is further regulated by the St Lawrence seaway authority, who control the outflow. Over the last few years during the melting period, they've allowed Lake Ontario to rise over the banks, to save regions down-river from flood damage.

[5BTM]

Painful to watch, sorry for your misfortune.

It is not too difficult to figure out the marina, will definitely avoid in the future.

What would the draft had been with about 2000 lbs. removed;
the dinghy, the davits, the arch, solar panels, sails, boom, minimal fuel, empty water tanks, anchor chain, anchor, etc?

Do you know your pound per inch immersion?

I would have cut the tow rope the second they refused to stop when requested.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by mcswain29

Not going to mention any names, but this happened on the North shore of Lake Ontario, somewhere between Oshawa and Port Hope... The "power-heel and hammer-down method" is a semi-regular occurrence. In lower water situations / or later in the fall, this is even sometimes required to ENTER the channel in preparation for haul and winter storage... No thanks............

If it's between Oshawa and Port Hope and you look at a Earth map, it looks like Bowmanville Creek or Newcastle. Both clearly show silting. I am from within 100 miles from there. I'm wondering if there is the same political bureaucracy that there is here in the U.S. to get channels dredged?

[AKA-None]

Sorry had to stop watching at about the 5 minute mark