Off topic - stranded boat - need suggestions

[markrinker]

Yesterday afternoon I ran my 24' Regal onto a submerged sandbar in the middle of the Mississippi river, near Prescott Island, Wisconsin.

The boat and lower unit appear to be undamaged at this point. However, it is now a 5,500+ lb object sitting in 6" of water - nearly on its starboard side. To make matters worse, it was filled with fuel only minutes prior, so its as heavy as it gets.

We were on plane and doing ~35mph at the time of the beaching, so its 20' - 30' onto the submerged sand island, measured from the back. To the starboard, its ~10' to the channel. It gets worse to the port, you can stand in 1" of water over there. Good news: No rocks or obstructions.

I refused the Coast Guard's offer to dispatch a commercial tug ($$$) until an attempt had been made by myself to free the boat. This also gives me time to check my insurance coverage for these type of services. One estimate said "$500 for a tug to leave the dock, $500 an hour after that..."

If any DP members have experience with this type of recovery, please call me at 612.578.6355. Boats don't have wheels, and they don't like to back up (transom digs into the sand). My plan is to route a series of heavy tow straps through "D" rings attached to the rear lifting eyes and front bow eye to spread the pressure of pulling the boat across the sand across the entire hull.

How much boat do I need for the tug? Its 250' feet to the nearest shore - and 'shore' is an island. No chance of putting a tow vehicle on land, or running a winch to a tree. I have thought of rigging snatch pulleys from the boat to a tree on the island, pulling downstream in the channel. This would gaining mechanical advantage using pulleys, but I'd need over 500' of rope and two big pulleys for that plan...

HELP!!!

[Hubert]

You'll need a several "regular" boats for tugs. I I have stuck 17' bass boat style flat bottom aluminum boats on big flat topped cypress stumps and even pulling with another 60 hp boat it is work getting them off. Have to rock, pivot, and snatch them off. No where near your predicatment.

I have never seen what a real tug can do but against land I don't think even a tug is real strong pulling against an inmovable object. Water will not support a shear load. So all a tug really does is push hard & steady. The tug just has to overcome wind and current loads.

Seen boats stuck like that and the sand/water will stick it pretty good vaccum it down kind of.

Easiest way is wait for water to come up of course.

Just for ideas I have seen sand anchors for off road use might use something like that for a winch point. Pivot it and dig it out.

[Cowracer]

Offload EVERYTHING!

Offer the fuel to other boaters if they can pump it out. take out all the toys, anchors, rope, seats, engine covers, people, tops, coolers, and anything that is not bolted down. Hell, even unbolt some stuff if you can. Pump bilges dry if you can, or bail them.

Every pound you remove makes it that much easier to get her off the bar. Good luck!

Tim

[G. Gearloose]

"we need a bigger boat"
Go big...A larger boat can offer a gentler, steadier pull than a marginally adequate one.
Twin screws or a true tug will likely be required.
An straight inboard typically has significantly more static thrust than a I/O beause they are less prone to cavitation and their props are heavily cupped, optimized for forward thrust.

[mcp1810]

If you have access to an air compressor and some pipe you might be able to rig an air lift and dredge your own channel off of the bar. I don't know what your boat draws, so this could be fairly time consuming. Also the depth of the water there could be challenging. I know this will work in deep water but 6 inches might be tricky. Might also try using a water jet to blast a channel. Either way be VERY Careful as you work under your hull! Good Luck!

[Hubert]

How much does the water depth vary?

Visit the USGS (United States Geological Survey website). I go there when paddling rivers to see what water levels to expect.

They have real time stream flow conditions. You'll have to click through some links to find it per river basin in each state. Check the flow rate and gage height at the nearest measured point. look upriver and down river too. Might be good to know how much it fluctuates and the rate of change.

[jspringator]

10 shovels, 10 life jackets, 10 high school kids, $10 per hour.

[JoeyD]

Do you have accesss to another boat? I would think a boat cruising by as close as possible sending a wake into your boat would float it for a few seconds and allowing you and a few strong friends to push it backwards, repeat untill your free.

[DennisG01]

Been there, done that - with big boats, as well. However, i'm usually in coastal water, which means I have a high tide coming to help. Is there any tide where you are?

But, there is hope! Get a couple of round logs - a good 6" or more in diameter. Dig out under your stern - get the idea? It'll make it a whole lot easier to pull that boat off using a another boat to help by rolling it. Make your tow strap fast to both rear cleats. If it doesn't roll, at least it's being slide across the wood, and not drug through the sand (flat boards will also work). You might end up putting a board under the chine that is on the sand, as well. You could just use a flat board there. Lever the chine up to put a board under there.

Depending on how close the tow boat is, use the prop wash to help lift the stern of your boat. If you are able to get your drive far enough into the water, put it in reverse with the drive angled up and that will help lift the stern, as well. Just don't trim it up too far - you don't want to grind the knuckles of the U-joint in the drive shaft.

[javadog]

Call the local coast guard auxillary and power
squadron posts, explain your predicament and see if there are any weekend warriors who want to be heroes
(there are always those who want to show off how tough they are). Call tow boat usa, boatus.com and any vessel assist outfit in your area and see if they have any bright ideas. If there are any
commercial salvage operations in the area you might find one that would pull you off for a reasonable amount.

[markrinker]

Success! Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

3 people spent ~8 hours winching, shoveling, resetting stakes, and tugging with another boat until we made it back into deep water. It was approximately 20" back to the channel, and we traversed the crown of the sandbar in that path.

We used four 6' fence posts as a sand anchor, securing a come-along to the bow eye. Luckily, last year the bow eye was replaced and reinforced with a 1/2" x 4" x 8" steel plate behind as it had started to pull through the wood from trailering.

I am so sore today...MORE ADVIL!!!

http://spaces.msn.com/members/markrinker/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c01_photoalbum=showdefault&_c02_owner=1&_c=photoalbum

[Cowracer]

Congrats, and good job!

I saw your pic. Looks like the Bravo 3 and the transom came out ok, did the hull take any scratches/scuffs?

Whats with that Wakeboard tower? Is that stock on a regal or did you add it?

You would think a guy with your name would own a Rinker. No discount for family members? LOL!

Tim

[Marty Lau]

WOW you mad it up pretty far on that bar. Good deal that you got it off. Two or three real stiff drinks will also reduce some of the aches, just make sure your home.

[markrinker]

Cowracer - the lower unit will need a fresh coat of black paint, props fine. The bottom of the boat has a few new scratches, but thankfully no holes. The wakeboard tower is an aftermarket add-on.

16ga - there was about 40' of sandbar behind the boat. It really was a very smooooooth stop, considering.

Ronniejoe - how many negative G's are generated by 35mph to 0mph in ~40 feet? All the humans were seated and not even a bump or scratch. I do rememeber that the dog slid all the way from the back of the boat into the bow-wow-wow.

[rjschoolcraft]

Originally posted by Mark Rinker:
All the humans were seated and not even a bump or scratch. I do rememeber that the dog slid all the way from the back of the boat into the bow-wow-wow. :D :D :D I laughed out load.

That's right at 2 g's! :cool:

[chickenhunterbob]

In snow or sand, regardless of how far in you are, if you have a shovel, and can dig, you are never ever going to be stuck, forever. Anyhow that's what my dad told me, and so far for me it's been true.

Now mind you I don't as a rule carry a shovel of any sort with me in my boat, but a paddle would work I suppose, for a smaller boat than that likely, in a pinch.

I spent a very long night "shovelling" a bronco out of the snow in a ditch with a cross country ski when I was somewhat younger.

[Kennedy]

Glad you got it. I had visions of 250' of cable and another boat coming along :eek:

[markrinker]

If I were to do it again (...and I won't) I would also rent a large gasoline powered 'trash pump' used for dewatering and dredge the sand from around/under the boat creating a new channel. That would eliminate alot of difficult shoveling. You might even be able to re-float the boat with this method.

A much longer come-along, or block and tackle pulled by another boat would greatly reduce the number of stakes driven, removed, and re-driven. We must have set and re-set stakes 15 times. Ratchet come-alongs are painfully slow, but effective. Exhausting work.

Also a 'work boat' or pontoon with tarps laid down to haul equipment to/from the site. My buddy was kind enough to bring his family runabout boat; we were careful not to tear up the interior but still had it smudged with mud and river slime.

Again, thanks for the ideas and help on here. I knew DP members would know how to do this.

[ 07-07-2005, 05:03 AM: Message edited by: Mark Rinker ]

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

"...the dog slid all the way from the back of the boat into the bow-wow-wow." Cut that out - I'm not supposed to be laughing that hard at my 'puter, I'm supposed to be working. :D

Blessings!

[markrinker]

I want this. Even DIESEL powered...argh argh argh!!!

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=31234&R=31234

[tom.mcinerney]

Propwash and pumps are the thing for sand in water....Nice job.

I would like to refer you to a site [http://www.westsystem.com/], which has a page,
<http://www.westsystem.com/frames/tier1/productinfo.htm> , which references some reading which may be of some interest:

002-550 Fiberglass Boat Repair & Maintenance
Softcover-84 pages.
A complete, illustrated guide to most fiberglass boat repair problems. Includes detailed instructions on repairing rotted stringers and frames, delamination, keel damage. Also covers fairing keels, hardware bonding, finishing and installing teak veneers.

002-650 Gelcoat Blisters: Diagnosis, Repair & Prevention
Softcover-52 pages.
This manual provides a thorough explanation of osmotic blistering, and detailed, illustrated instructions on effective laminate drying techniques, repairing localized and severe interlaminate blister damage, techniques for applying an effective epoxy barrier coat and more.

If you ever need to work FRP/fiberglass , Gougeon Bros "WEST SYSTEM products" epoxy mixes readily and performs flawlessly under any reasonable conditions.

You may not be concerned with gelcoat blistering if you 'drysail', but "002-550 Fiberglass Boat Repair & Maintenance Softcover-84 pages" is sold for less than $5.00, and is extremely high quality info, of which you should probably avail yourself .

[markrinker]

Thanks! I do have a few gelcoat repairs each fall. Have always paid to have them done. Maybe this year I'll fix my own.

I am considering removal of the green stripe altogether, and applying graphics over white gelcoat instead. Is this possible? I think the green stripe is in the gelcoat.

Sorry this has gotten WAY off topic...maybe I should convert it to a 6.5 diesel???

[jspringator]

I removed the 2 sets of pink stripes on my boat last year. What an improvement, but you can see where the gellcoat has yellowed over the last 16 years. Try the plain, less is more approach; NO GRAPHICS!