boat aground

[Brian2]

Here is a video of a boat aground near Snow Island. I tried to help them before they were high and dry, but they didn't know much about their boat, so it was difficult to help. It is quite a story, but for now, here is the video I shot. You need the link to access the video.

http://youtu.be/4lxAqwIECiE

Brian

[moctrams]

Did they get off? I wonder if they had charts??

[kerlandsen]

boat name? Make?

looks like a Sea sprite 28 or 30, frac rig, rudder shape, transom shape.

ouch.

Kyle

[Brian2]

It was at least a 35 - 45 footer. I wasn't very far way when I shot the fotage. I rowed over before they were high and dry, but there were already two other dinghies over there offering support, but not suggestions. I suggested we climb on the boom, but that was nixed.

It was three people out for an evening motor on a boat one of them owned with her husband and kept at the boatyard a mile or so away. As a wake came by, it spun the boat so it faced inland, as oppoesed to seaward. I suggested to them to put their anchor out and get the boat facing the correct way. Two people were already in the dinghy, but didn't know how to row or use the outboard. So I put the 25 lb CQR in my dinghy and started to row out, but they must have had 150' of chain, followed by several hundred feet of 5/8 line. I asked for a tow from one of the dinghys circling, and he obliged, but I could row faster, as he electric motor couldn't tow me with the anchor and chain. We were literllay going nowhere. I rowed as far as I could, dropped the anchor (of course it all the chain went as well) and went back to the boat. I then told the owner to haul in the rode so that the boat would face seaward when the tide came in. The owner didn't know how to use the windlass, and no way were we going to be able to hand tighten. Just about that time some help from the boatyard showed up, so I left. They got the rode tight.

I intentionally didn't shoot the name of the boat. They were high and dry by 6 PM, low was at 8 PM, high was about 2 AM. They floated off by 1 AM, with only scratches to the keel. (They hauled the boat for inspection the next day.)

[Brian2]

That should have read 35 - 40 footer.

[Steve Laume]

At least they had a nice clean bottom. How embarrassing would it be to go aground like that with a dirty bottom?

Glad to hear they got off okay with no damage.

The Maine coast can deal out some harsh lessons. There seem to be a lot of places where there isn't much margin for error, the consequences are great and come on quickly. It made for kind of a long day sail and it must have been a bugger to use the stove or head, Steve.

[Adamhagan]

That was almost me so many times. I manage to shimmy in reverse each time but soon...I enact my grand plan; throw the second anchor in the dingy, and gracefully kedge out.

In reality, I will most likely puncture the inflatable and swim back to the boat only to wait for high tide anyways.

Why did they have it hauled out, the ground didn't look terribly treacherous?

Here is a video of artic explorers on a small 31', they get stuck around minute 5:20. Well worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzuGCbiOvks

[Carl Thunberg]

This is one of the great things about this Board. Has anyone noticed that there hasn't been any judging or Monday-morning quarterbacking? This could happen to any of us. This is a very popular anchorage. I've been in this anchorage as have many others on this Board, and know this ledge well, although not quite as well as this boat does. I've actually set a proximity alarm on my GPS for this particular ledge.

[Brian2]

I have anchored in Poorhouse Cove a few times. Very calm and quiet. I usually go right up to the 9 foot spot.

[rtbates]

Full keel, protected rudder.... YEA HA!! Just sit back and wait....

[Dean Abramson]

Can you tell me which general compass direction you were facing when you shot the video? We go there all the time.

It appears to me that you are moving in a southerly direction, and the grounded boat is east of you, on one of the ledges that makes out from the southern end of the tiny unnamed island that separates the "slot" next to Snow Island from the rest of the cove. Is that correct?

I am think that I am seeing the very southern tip of the unnamed island just as the video begins. ?? Right?

Thanks for posting. Sobering. But even up there, that's a pretty boat!

Dean

[Brian2]

You are exactly correct. Generally, I anchor between Snow and the small unamed islands. I was heading south, with Snow to starboard. The boat aground is way to close to the shore of the unamed island. They cut it way too close.