Sore thumb raftup gone wrong!! Saturday 8/28/2010

quote:
Originally posted by dcwjd

Click to expand...


Just watched it three times and once with the wife... I know there will be Monday / Tuesday Quarter B's.... And even I could mention all the do's and don'ts especially at Sore Thumb… It could happen to the best of us. I know some may bash. Hope you are OK.

Brad
 
I half burnt my pizza watching this. That was some current! Did it just pop up or was it fairly strong prior to that?
 
i love stupid people, they are so entertaining!!!
 
That was the most entertaining 6 minutes and 16 seconds of video I've seen all year! The woman summed it up best..."I think their used to Zachs Bay".
 
dcwjd.....I agree with Brad.....I'm glad no one was seriously hurt and that it all worked out in the end. More importantly, hopefully you all gained some knowledge for the next raft.

I'm sure you guys are not 'stupid'. It's very humbling of you to admit that you were a part of that fiasco and hopefully some here with more experience will be able to offer help and advice on how to avoid this for you and others in the future.....bashing you guys will provide no benefit to anyone.
 
Calling them stupid people serves no purpose...I thought we were here to help, not bash in times of trouble...
It went wrong and I saw lots of people joining in to help...Hope all worked out in the long run...
 
Thats un real.
So rather than bash what can we learn here?
What was the cause?
- Not enough anchors out for 25 boats?
- Anchor line not tied off to cleat and it slipped?
- Anchor not set right?
- Wind shifted and pulled up the anchor?

We have all been here. It's happened to me as a solo boat and it's happened to me rafted up with a few boats.
A 25 boat raft-up is usually pretty secure if multiple anchors are out because if one lifts, another will grab.

Glad noone was hurt and only some egos were bruised and some boats were damaged.

PS. Don't show my admiral! As it is she hates anchoring.
 
Not enough anchors were set to handle the outgoing tide. The current was moving so fast it was unbelievable. I would know first hand since i was one of the idiots to jump right into the rip to try and swim to my boat as i was watching it float away. Amazingly enough no one was hurt. Just a bruised boat and a lost anchor and the scare of a lifetime!!
 
Glad no one was hurt. Live and learn.

25 boats is alot of pull on the anchors. Especially if you are rafted stern to the beach which is cross ways to the current.
 
rafting up, especially such a large number of boats, should only be done in calm weather AND in places with no current. I dont' think the current can be called "unbelievable" as the charts show a 2.4kt current thru the inlet, which will be felt to some extent even if anchored behind the point.

I wonder how many anchor were used AND PROPERLY SET! I've seen too many people rafting up to (an) anchored boat(s) and dropping their anchor after rafting up, as a safety precaution. Well, if the first anchor breaks loose, odds are that the unset anchor will not set since the load and drift rate will be too fast. especially considering how many boats out there carry anchors that are too small.

I've been on the receiving end of reckless raft ups before hence my indeed somewhat too harsh initial comment
 
quote:
Originally posted by dcwjd

Not enough anchors were set to handle the outgoing tide. The current was moving so fast it was unbelievable. I would know first hand since i was one of the idiots to jump right into the rip to try and swim to my boat as i was watching it float away. Amazingly enough no one was hurt. Just a bruised boat and a lost anchor and the scare of a lifetime!!

Click to expand...


How many anchors were set?
I think you need 1 anchor for every 3 boats. So I would say you should of had at least 8 anchors out.
 
The problem with a large raftup like that is when the wind or tide shifts. The more anchors that are out will add to the possible drag or even the anchors lifting each other up, if they don't wrap around each other. Most boats I see are woefully undersized in the anchor department. It would not have helped here but larger anchors in a protected harbor will hold quite a few boats.

Sore Thumb is no joke and should be respected like the inlet that it is. I too am glad no one got hurt. When the guys tried to swim to their boats I thought I was witnessing a drowning. Glad everyone is okay and we all got a refresher on cross currents at the Thumb

Billy K.
 
Wow, after anchoring in the Sore Thumb for the past 20yrs its important to note the current direction & speed. 20yrs ago we had to figure that out from current tables,,,not "tide" tables. Local knowledge,,yeah you need that too,,,never anchor at the "entrance to the Sore Thumb, go back in the pocket, the currents are much less there, however it still moves water.

Personally I do not care to raft up in a large group. not to say I havent dont it. As Pascal said, best done in calm water with no current, like in Hemlock Cove.

1 Anchor for 3 boats? I never saw that in any literature. I have rafted with another boat & we each dropped our anchor, & I remember a 3 boat raft up recently where 2 boats anchored. Again as Pascal noted, set your own anchor & make sure there is plenty of scope out.

Never jump into the water to reach a drifting boat. Poeple have drowned over the years trying to do that.

Adventures in boating.
 
Dummy is who dummy does. I would never raft up while at anchor.
 
What amazes me is how many boats were left with no one aboard who could deal with the situation that arose!

If you have a 25 boat raft-up, you have to take into consideration the weight of all the boats, the "sail" area and the number and size of anchors.

Do you guys use stern anchors there? If not, once the boats start spinning, your bow anchors are going to get tangled and will pop. We always use sterns when we have raft-ups of more than 3 - 4 boats. I agree with having an anchor for every 3 boats, but it must be set properly, have adequate scope and be big enough.
 
I am not familiar with that water whatsoever, so this isn't advice. Just a question. Would it have been possible to just ride the tide out and bring owners to their boats on jetskies and then systematically unhook and drive away? Or would all the boats just ended up on rocks?
 
quote:
Originally posted by The_Mayor

I am not familiar with that water whatsoever, so this isn't advice. Just a question. Would it have been possible to just ride the tide out and bring owners to their boats on jetskies and then systematically unhook and drive away? Or would all the boats just ended up on rocks?

Click to expand...


Yes ending up on rocks, sand bar and/ or out the enlet...

When I go to Sore Thumb, I try never to anchor near the entrance.. If I am the only boat then ok, but not for an overnight.

Sore Thumb....

Sorethumb.jpg
 
I echo that the most important thing is that no one was injured.

Ground tackle is one of the areas that you should always oversize. I prefer a Delta Fast Set. I learned that even an oversized fluke will cause problems when the wind shifts. From personal expereince I know that with a 180 degree shift in wind, a fluke anchor will most likely foul itself rather than re-set. A good length of chain is also a big help with keeping an anchor set.

I also think that if most boaters mark their rode, it will make it real simple to figure out their scope. Even in 10' of water, all those anchors needed to have out 70' of rode to the waterline. From the results, I doubt they did.

I am sure that those involved learned a valuable lesson, as we all have.
 
1 anchor for 3 boats is not a written rule, there is no written rule.
I thought it made common sense. Ultimately having 1 anchor out for every boat is best with rear anchors if you are close the beach.

Sore thumb was not the place for a 25 boat raft up at all.
If any of those boats floated unmanned across that inlet, they would of beached and been swamped by waves.
Would of been really ugly then.

It should also be noted in Brad's digram they were on the other side of that arrow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top