As some of you may have observed, Stinger ran around roughly in the middle of the Kemah Channel on return from Icicle 5. Depth sounder read 5.5 feet at that point. She draws 6.5 feet so 5.5 was a bit to shallow.
While trying to get off, I noticed that other boats were taking the extreme starboard side of the channel. Probably noticing the same thing, Kevin told me to see if I could head that way. It worked. We managed to get off the bottom and while still dragging for some part of the way in we finally got into Kemah Boardwalk's channel.
My question: Does this represent the experience of the rest of you deep draughters?
BTW, we also bottomed out just before entering E dock. That was pretty easy to get off of but in the relatively confined space not much fun.
Going outbound there is a hump on the left side of the channel between 5 and 6. I can remember it being a problem area since the Elusive days. Center right was what we always aimed for in that area.
Big D had fun trying to get back in to HYC too. Got stuck right by the entrance and had to unfurl the headsail to give us a little extra push.
My draft states 5.5' but with "cruising class" fuel and water I am probably 6' or so. I pretty much dredged a new channel most of the way leaving Watergate, getting down to 4.9'. Almost to a dead stop at Watergate #8, so I know I was really close to the limit of the 1' of muck on the bottom. Lots of black muck boiling to the surface behind me.
Knowing the tide was going out, I turned around and dredged another channel going back in, preferring to get stuck with plenty of daylight left. My depth gauge was blinking on that leg so lots of muck still stirred up but I made it back into the inner harbor "safety" of 7'. Sorry to miss the race. Looks like I could have placed at least 5th [out of 5]!!! :)
Never had a problem in the Kemah Channel. Looks like if I can easily get out of Watergate, I can handle Kemah.
We'd only consider getting stuck a real emergency if we were also out of beer. :)
Running out of beer on Stinger would result in a total crew mutiny. I would have to swim back to the dock.
"Rowdy" was stuck hard in the slip... We didn't even start the engine... If the wind was <10, I would have brought out Bondi, but probably would have hit a lot of bottom...
no body mentioned how low the tide was on the "piling"
should i stop looking at boats that draw 7 ft
Lil Bit A Sol is berthed near the bulkhead on D-2 at Portofino. The entire inner harbor was at 4 ft because we plowed all the way to the Kemah Channel. We draw 4' 4". We powered up a bit but I never felt we would come to a stop. I must be crazy. Until we joined GBCA last year, we would have never tried to get out! We've owned our boat ten years and this was the first time we ever sailed in January. ::)
And you kicked ass, you Lil Bit a Son of a Sol!
GW
Hey Figaro! You gotta be German, and you have a red boat. You are now the "RED BARON"!! Find some goggles and a scarf!
Austrian (Salzburg, Mozart, Figaro) - and yes, I hope we'll keep up the good battle on the bay!
Now I have the old "Snoopy Vs the Red Baron" song stuck in my head! 8)
Snoopy vs. The Red Baron. Long live the Royal Guardsmen!