Reminder: Obey shallow markers and your depth charts in Howe Sound

[Angelina_Summer]

I had a situation last night that had me scared, angry, relieved and embarrassed all within 10 minutes. Coming home from Galiano last night, it was getting dark and the fog was a little bit thick so I was watching closely for stray logs while peeking down at my gps to keep on track coming around UBC. I found the marker that I knew I should be on the outside of, knowing that it was marking the tidal flats on the inside. I had gone on the inside of this marker before (very close to it) so I chose this route again. While still watching for logs and not particularly paying attention to the gps, my engine started to bog down.... I knew right away what it was so I throttled down and trimmed up and managed not to stall even though the boat had stopped.

I was in about 2 feet of water and the waves were pushing me shallower. Reverse did not work so I had to carefully do a u-turn with my motor spitting up a nice sandy rooster tail. As you can see from the attached images of my gps track, I was able to back track on my path that I knew I hadn't bottomed out on and made it out to deeper water.

Scared that things could have been much worse (instant stop, kissing the windshield), angry that I put myself in that situation, relieved that there was no damage and we got out, and embarrassed that I had all of the tools at my disposal yet I still ran into the shallows.

I saw another boat very close to where I was in the shallows, with no navigation lights on. I'm wondering if they were in the same situation but were waiting for high tide to come in.

So, whether you need it or not, just a reminder that those shallow markers mean business! Stay on the outside!

 

[trendsetter]

You're supposed to stay on the outside of that second marker too!

EDIT: Never mind that is the second marker.

Glad the boat and you guys are ok.

 

[Gunsmith]

What could have ended badly will serve as a good learning experience.

 

[trendsetter]

What could have ended badly will serve as a good learning experience.

x2 Fog can be really dangerous because you lose all points of reference. When it's foggy go slow and pay attention to your electronics.

Luckily it's all sand out there. A rock or a reef would've been a disaster.

 

[adrianna3]

Get any clams while you were at it? LOL. I've dinged a prop doing the same thing.

Dave

 

[Dogbreath]

I almost beached someone's boat in the Fraser last month under perfect conditions-just on the wrong side of the pilings.

 

[-smtw]

"Red Right returning"..... (been there, also sand so just felt stupid and didn't have a repair bill)

 

[wolf]

So got to ask why bother with a GPS and ocean markers if you choose to go your own route???just curious??

 

[trophywife]

So got to ask why bother with a GPS and ocean markers if you choose to go your own route???just curious??

wasted seamen.

 

[Mike_R]

I think I might know the problem, Pt. Grey is in Burrard Inlet, not Howe Sound! LOL

 

[pescador]

I've done the same thing although it was in 1976 pre sonar/GPS. Learned my lesson and stay well off anything from the Frasier to Spanish banks. Hey, I like those screen shots. How'd you do that? Photographs or SD card? What system you using?

 

[GDW]

Id suggest obeying shallow water markers and depth charts all over the coast not just Howe sound.

I bet all the minutes you've saved cutting that corner over the years were reclaimed with that little adventure. Glad you made it out ok it can be difficult to stay on course in the fog even with high end electronics.

 

[captmike]

Fog,near the beach-KEEP that sounder on

 

[banger17]

I dont really understand... fog or not, it is clearly evident that your track is borderline for a number of minutes - not sure why you would want to cut it that close anyhow - seeing as how it is a different of probably being 50 ft further off shore?

 

[pescador]

You know. It's easy to get distracted. Under power, watching for logs, radio on, some one else in boat talking, tuning your XM radio, tuning you MFD. Clearly he wasn't watching the screen. At 25 knots things creep up fast. He's not the first....

 

[getbent]

Follow a known GPS track is always an addtional back up...
Last year running down The cahnnel into Grappler in the fog and the dark, it was the two widest GPS tracks that kept us cool, mind you we were doing about 3 knots, so it would have been gentle...


getbent

 

[cohobankie]

Close call. I tried that once coming out of Bamfield splitting that little island between kirby pt and tazaris. Watched the depth go from 30 up to 6ft, meanwhile a big Grady throttled back in what I am guessing was anticipation of carnage. When I got back home I looked at some charts and realized my near catastrophic mistake and promptly bought a depth finder with GPS. Guess we all get one chance to redeem ourselves. Similar emotion anger then reflection.

 

[Angelina_Summer]

The first pic is of my track on top of Blue Chart maps on my handheld Dakota 20. I copied them to Base Camp and took a screen shot. The second satellite image is from a map set I bought called Birds Eye View, also on the Dakota 20. The latter is great for geocaching off roads.

I've done the same thing although it was in 1976 pre sonar/GPS. Learned my lesson and stay well off anything from the Frasier to Spanish banks. Hey, I like those screen shots. How'd you do that? Photographs or SD card? What system you using?