How Lucky Am I ?!?!

[superdtf 68]

The correct answer is "super lucky".

 

We were out a few days ago on our usual lake (Utah lake) which is a natural, shallow lake. On this particular day we were way out on the west side with like fourteen people in the boat, about two hundred yards from the shore, and I noticed the depth gauge go to like two feet suddenly! Just as I was reaching for the key and the throttle, we heard the boat hitting rocks; not too loudly but unmistakable. I got out, and the switchblade was lightly touching the rocks. We floated the boat out deeper and I checked the prop with my hands (you can't see two inches in that lake), and it felt fine. We finished the day with no problems.

 

Back home I took a second look with it on the trailer. No propeller damage, some slight scratches on the bottom of the rudder, and the leading edge of the switchblade has several little dents where it hit the rocks. We've been out since, and everything still works fine.

 

I can't believe how fortunate we were.

 

Has this happened to anybody else; particularly with a switchblade?

[DarksideR 1,679]

Wow, super lucky indeed! I got sort of high centered on a log that was sunk near the shoreline of our lake once. At a dead slow speed, the guide fins hooked on the log and my boat turned 90*. I hopped out, the boat floated a little higher, and was able to push it off the log with ease. No damage. Scared the crap out of me though. The water is clear and I had a choice of a big rock or the log. Reversing just drifted me towards the rock.

[Loanerzone 0]

Been there, done that check out this thread

My Powell (Mis)Adventures

[Kevin Baugh 78]

Very lucky ....good thing you were not barefooting it would have all been over but getting towed in by the time you stoped

[Bigcatpt 408]

wow! Were you over by pelican point?

[Spud 7]

Yes, just happened to me in June. Luckily it was sand mostly and just buffed my prop a little. You got lucky with rocks dude! It's a scary feeling, but is something that is inevitable at some point in a persons boating career.

[Bongo Fury 640]

Yes, just happened to me in June. Luckily it was sand mostly and just buffed my prop a little. You got lucky with rocks dude! It's a scary feeling, but is something that is inevitable at some point in a persons boating career.

 

Spud..was it at Naci? On our maiden voyage the day we picked up the boat from Olinger in Paso we hit sand on Naci. Scared the *&>@t out of us, but no damage luckily.

[superdtf 68]

wow! Were you over by pelican point?

Yes, a bit north by that RV campground. We haven't spent much time out there, but on this day we had another family with us (so we couldn't really call it quits), and the wind was straight out of the west, so the water wasn't too bad.

[Bigcatpt 408]

Yes, a bit north by that RV campground. We haven't spent much time out there, but on this day we had another family with us (so we couldn't really call it quits), and the wind was straight out of the west, so the water wasn't too bad.

 

Huh, dodged a bullet! I have heard that the pelican point area is really bad for rocks. I pretty much stay out in the middle headed southwest from Provo marina. Seems to be the deepest water out there for surfing. You also have to watch out for the area around bird island.

[superdtf 68]

 

Huh, dodged a bullet! I have heard that the pelican point area is really bad for rocks. I pretty much stay out in the middle headed southwest from Provo marina. Seems to be the deepest water out there for surfing. You also have to watch out for the area around bird island.

Yessir. My friend's little brother lunched his IO @ Bird Island last week.

[sallen 3]

I just bumped some rocks too - last weekend. We were at Rifle Gap here in Western Colorado and one of my friends had gone to get my truck and trailer so we could load up for the day. I was on the boat with my friend's wife and their two small children and was cleaning up/putting stuff away. It was breezy out though and I was slowly being blown closer to shore while waiting near the ramp. While putting stuff away I didn't realize just how close to shore we were getting. I looked up got panicked about being in such shallow water but with it being windy my first thought was don't leave the boat to push it out because it is only a girl (who has never driven the boat) and her two little kids in the boat. (1yr old and 2yr old) So if the wind gets the boat away from me, she isn't going to be able to drive the boat and keep hold of her kids. It looked deep enough (and read deep enough on the gauge) to engage the prop. So I put it in gear - just for a second to get it drifting in the right direction. Then did it a second a time and.. bam! Nailed a rock! It cut the engine and I knew I had no choice but to get in the water at that point. So I hopped in and hung on tight to the side of the boat so the wind wouldn't get it away from me. I pushed it back to deeper water and then jumped back in as fast as possible before being blown back into shallow water. It restarted no problem and went into gear no problem. I got it on the trailer and inspected the damage. Just a small nick and barely bent edge on one blade. No damage at all to the hull, drive shaft, or rudder thankfully. I relaunched and tested the boat at higher speeds and no shuddering other than at a high speed turn - and only a small shudder at that. So I think I am okay! I am going to run with the prop as is for the rest of the season and then get it machined down in the winter ( and probably buy a spare too! ) So yeah - major lesson learned - don't even try to put it in gear - even in less than ideal conditions for getting out of the boat. It was just one of those split second decisions where I guessed wrong. Could have been worse but thankfully it wasn't!