Paying attention to navigation and depth tools.-gctid803840

[PugetScott]

Took the family up to La Conner yesterday by way of Saratoga Passage and the Swinomish Channel. Fantastic trip up there! The channel is interesting. Narrow, but scenic. And we did not go past La Conner.

However, on the way back, we had an oops. We got out of the channel and headed south. We were topside when it looked like a bit of rain coming so we headed down to main salon. My father in law took the helm once he went down, then I went down. I was bringing our navigation unit down and I am not sure why the depth sounder did not warn us, but we found some sand.

Yup, we got stuck. Churning up sand and seaweed trying to move. We were not completely grounded, the boat still moved, but not much. But we could tell by the sound that we weren't on rock. I was trying to bump it in and out of gear, which was moving us, but not very much. Had the crew (family) go up to the bow as we tried to back out, but no dice.

Right about the time I gave in and called the Coast Guard on the radio, another boat came by and stopped to check on us. A pretty stout aluminum boat with a 225hp Honda outboard. We tried tying up a few different ways but it wasn't going well. However we finally found the right angle and he got us to deeper water. Engines sounded good, temps fine, and no strange noises in gear, so we headed home.

When we got out of the water we got to take a look at the props... See below.

They typically have that grey to them like the first pic as an example, which is a neighbor boat, or the upper part of our rudder. However after this trip they are perfectly polished. Does this count as "wet-sanding" at this point? Ha! They still ring like a bell and we did not notice any chewed up edges.

Thankful for sand and not rocks, as well as the boaters that stopped to drag us out.


Attached files

[stargazerwa]

Looks like you got lucky, we boated out of LaConner for 10 years in an I/O and the only time I have ever touched bottom, other than landing a dinghy, was in the channel right off Shelter bay, it really silts up there.

[Pcpete]

Yup! Wet sanded! The markings in that channel have been degrading, along with the dredging for over thirty years. One trip we came along side of a sailboat in the channel, the pilling marker was outside of him, on the Anacortes end and his prop was just churning away. I stopped, and he looked at me and said "I'm not moving am I?" I told him no. Since he had been trying to move for half an hour, all he could do was wait for the tide.

Another boat, a brand new 46' Grand Banks named "Everything's Okay", turned too soon at the south end of the channel and found himself in the sand at a mid, outgoing tide. After doing a thorough check, he determined nothing was damaged and all he would have to do is wait out the tide. He then, being a dilligent kind of guy call the USCG in Seattle with the intent of letting them know that he was in the sand, everything was sound and he needed no help and would just have to wait out the tide. Those of us that understand proper non emergency calls to the USGC can imagine the Coast Guard response to "Everything's Okay".

[PugetScott]

It was an interesting experience. I figure we may have just had to wait for the tide. We had left our dogs at home and did the want to have them stuck inside so long, as this was supposed to be a short day trip.

This was probably a half mile or so south of the entrance to the channel. It is deceiving there, as there is a wide open area between Whidbey, east of Oak Harbor, and Camano Island. But just because it is wide does not mean it is deep.

By the way, Pete, this is your Dagmar neighbor. Turns out we are not moving to another boat.

[Pcpete]

I knew you sounded familiar. Too bad about not moving up, I guess. Hey! Wait just a dog gone minute here! That first picture is of MY Port prop. No wonder it looked familiar. :woohoo:

[PugetScott]

Haha! Guilty, sir. The admiral left to let the dogs out the minute we reached the dock. I sent her that pic to remind her what props usually look like, then the freshly 'sanded' version.

[Guest]

Going south out of La Conner I always hug the breakwater. The Skagit River comes through a gap in the breakwater and pushes sand to the west side of the channel. The latest minus tides are the tell. I don't try the channel til mid tide or so, never on low for the south part of the channel. Until the Corps realizes they need a solid breakwater to separate the Skagit completely from the channel it will always be so-even a month after a dredging.

[mmichellich]

The south west end of the channel is quite shallow after the last dredging job. They came back, but still quite shallow. Northern end by railroad bridge also shallow. Once you reach the west end you have to watch the buoys and not cut the corners.

[PugetScott]

Yeah, we came well around the west buoys, but not far enough west once we were headed south.

[rbcooper]

The real lesson is to pay attention to the latteal buoyage system markers. If you stay within the marked channel (don't look at the expanse of apparent open water) you'll be fine. The controlling depths are 8+ feet ( be aware of negative tides) in the Swinomish channel.

RB Cooper

[W8N4SUN]

Wow, I like the look of the polished blades!

Glad you and your family were safe and the boat came out unscathed. I've never been through that channel but will certainly pay attention if we ever go that way.

[Simonsen]

One thing that I do when I'm in close quarters navigation is plot a course before going! That way you can zoom in and find the best way to navigate the channel. Then when you're underway you can follow your course and thus remove the temptation to short markers, buoys etc. This will also help a lot of you encounter fog or low visibility.

Glad it ultimately worked out. The yards in LaConner have had a lot of work from that area over the years from skippers not being so lucky!

Derek

[Papa_Charlie]

Well that is one way to clean the props.

To ensure that you are in the channel, the best resource is the Range Markers. These are the markers that you align one above the other. When they are in alignment then you are sure that you are midchannel.

La Conner South Entrance is always interesting. Got to watch the minus tides and as stated hugging the south edge will give you the best water.

I would double check your strainers before going out again to ensure they are clear. When your props are churning up all that sand, mud and silt, they engines pick it all up.

[Uncle_Bob]

Get a downstairs sounder and always have it on. Train the crew to always take a look as they pass it. Extra eyes are always good.

[builderdude]

"Papa Charlie" post=803943 wrote:
I would double check your strainers before going out again to ensure they are clear. When your props are churning up all that sand, mud and silt, the engines pick it all up.

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