Daddy Dave
Well-known member
Several FAA members with their personal airboats participated in last Friday's derelict crab trap removal at the Alafia River in Tampa. I was one of those.
After the event terminated at noon, we decided to go for a "quick ride." Out the Alafia and north along Tampa Bay's beautiful eastern edge. A mature American Bald Eagle led our way from his perch at the river mouth. Absolutely spectacular weather.
I was in the lead and headed up a beautiful mangrove creek in search of - something. Suddenly, around a curve the creek ended in a wall of high mangroves. I started to powerspin the boat to stop it - and all I saw was three airboats coming my way. I let off the gas and my starboard corner dipped.......blub, blub, blub. Down she went in about eight inches more water than my gunwale height.
We quickly attached an long length of nylon rope to Capt. Swampjet's bow and to the bow eye of my swamped boat and he started back out the creek towards a sandbar a few hundred yards away. The bow to bow pull went pretty well until a turn had to be manipulated - then, it was straiten the tow boat up and start over. We quickly got my boat to the shallower water and the 1,500 gph bilge pump dried her out in a few minutes.
Water had never reached the engine, so we pumped the fuel tank a bit to remove some water and hit the mag switch - lit off like a champ. Three water removal stops later and she was on the trailer. No damage & no injuries - except to my pride.
Lessons learned:
1) I was real glad my passenger and I were wearing PFDs.
2) Creeks sometimes end without warning.
3) Powering out of a dipped stern corner is not always possible.
4) Bilge pumps move a lot more water with premium smooth bore hose than with the cheaper corrugated version.
5) The lead boat gets to the poop pile first.
6) Just about the time you think you know how to react to the unexpected, the unexpected plays a dirty trick.
7) Cell phones do not swim, nor are they "water resistant".
After the event terminated at noon, we decided to go for a "quick ride." Out the Alafia and north along Tampa Bay's beautiful eastern edge. A mature American Bald Eagle led our way from his perch at the river mouth. Absolutely spectacular weather.
I was in the lead and headed up a beautiful mangrove creek in search of - something. Suddenly, around a curve the creek ended in a wall of high mangroves. I started to powerspin the boat to stop it - and all I saw was three airboats coming my way. I let off the gas and my starboard corner dipped.......blub, blub, blub. Down she went in about eight inches more water than my gunwale height.
We quickly attached an long length of nylon rope to Capt. Swampjet's bow and to the bow eye of my swamped boat and he started back out the creek towards a sandbar a few hundred yards away. The bow to bow pull went pretty well until a turn had to be manipulated - then, it was straiten the tow boat up and start over. We quickly got my boat to the shallower water and the 1,500 gph bilge pump dried her out in a few minutes.
Water had never reached the engine, so we pumped the fuel tank a bit to remove some water and hit the mag switch - lit off like a champ. Three water removal stops later and she was on the trailer. No damage & no injuries - except to my pride.
Lessons learned:
1) I was real glad my passenger and I were wearing PFDs.
2) Creeks sometimes end without warning.
3) Powering out of a dipped stern corner is not always possible.
4) Bilge pumps move a lot more water with premium smooth bore hose than with the cheaper corrugated version.
5) The lead boat gets to the poop pile first.
6) Just about the time you think you know how to react to the unexpected, the unexpected plays a dirty trick.
7) Cell phones do not swim, nor are they "water resistant".