Hull Strike

W · Posted: Apr 12, 2009 5:13 pm Post subject: Hull Strike

Yesterday, at approximately 1600 hrs my fiberglass hull encountered a strike that left a softball-sized hole in the bottom of my boat.

In under a minute, the 16 foot boat took on so much water that I had to drive her head first into the beachhead to keep her from sinking.

Boat was rescued and towed back to landing as a giant pump bilged the entire time.
Didn't take any pictures because I was sick to my stomach.

Luckily, no one was hurt. Strike happened at 20/21 mph with wakeskater in tow. I saved the outboard motor to ride another day, but what the event really made me realize is how fast accidents occur and how you have to be fully prepared to live through it.

Thanks to Soy, Mank, Trigga and Captain Jennifer for both the physical and emotional support during and after the strike.

Within the blink of an eye, you too could be in the predicament of a lifetime.
So ride with a vest and have enough life vests, fire extinguishers, PFD's and noise making devices aboard your vessel.

Happy Shredding.

soy escuala · Backside 180 Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Posts: 2248

That was the funnest boat to ride behind in LA Sad

Jholiday · Posted: Apr 12, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:

what did you hit?

skimboarder · Posted: Apr 12, 2009 7:16 pm Post subject:

same thing happened to our supra during 2007's drought. we ended up hitting some rocks and tearing a tracking fin almost completely off. luckily we didn't take on any water.

sorry for your accident though brother

W · Posted: Apr 13, 2009 8:44 am Post subject:

Jholiday

We hit a submerged tree/limb. Never saw it until I got the boat back on the trailer and a piece of the limb was still hanging from the hole in my hull.

tjmac · Backside 180 Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Posts: 780 City: valley

dude that sucks. im sorry. my friend did somethin like that. he always took his boat out wen his parents werent home and was just stupid on it and one day he was messin around way to close to shore and hit something and got a big hole in his boat. his parents didnt realize it was him hoo did and and so they ended up buyin a brand new mastercraft maristar......

W · Posted: Apr 15, 2009 10:17 am Post subject:

Baseball used for reference.

Toxis · Posted: Apr 15, 2009 10:50 am Post subject:

Ouch! That made me sick to my stomach... I feel for you man. Hope you have a good insurance company.

W · Posted: May 25, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

With Soy's help, the hole is no more.

The patch looks ugly but today it worked like a boss.

I'm on a boat.

yookyle · Backside 180 Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 1002 City: Reno

babe ruths ghost hit a baseball into the hull.....................true story

Cyclone268 · Posted: May 25, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

W, sand the edges because the force of the water moving against the hull will get under any little imperfections in the fiberglass and pull off all your hard work

Soulprogression · Posted: May 25, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

http://socalforecast.blogspot.com/2008/08/ding-repair-101-fixing-your-stick-right.html

thought it might be helpful for finishing it off nice, and keeping it from coming off with water pressure.

W · Posted: May 25, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject:

Soulprogression, Cyclone268

Thanks guys. I will continue to sand. Partially sinking the boat once was good enough for me. Wink

Soy, Word and I skated today for three hours and the patch looks fine now but I will still heed your words of wisdom and continue to improve my twelve-layer patch.