I Like My Woody Boats On The Rocks.

Boat Accedent

That’s not good

Today we are featuring some very disturbing photos of a night ride gone wrong. I am not sharing any names, or location or anything. If you know this owner please respect that agreement we made. It really doesn’t matter BTW who it is or where. Because this happens all over. Night driving is a very unsafe time to be boating. but sometimes you just gotta do it. Been there, and done that, and did our local version of this with some Oyster Beds.

If not for hitting the rocks below, this would have ended in certain death. OUCH

Good god!

Nails?

All the boaters were thrown 30 feet into the water. All safe and smarter.

The boat had just had a new 350 installed. So they were going at a clip.

It will sand out?

Looks like the Minnow damage? Obscure reference….

The other good news is she was saved and being repaired. This happened last fall. A true last Gasp for sure.

Dang!

Yikes

The classic boat wave

Back to the ramp

And ready to be moved.

A huge thanks to the boaters involved for sharing as a reminder to Boat Safe, and that night time boating can be disorienting. And PLEASE, make sure you HAGERTY MARINE INSURANCE IS UP TO DATE.

27 replies
  1. Robert E Schantz
    Robert E Schantz says:

    What amazes me is the windshield is still in tack as to go that high on the rocks, throw everyone out, which I hope were not hurt and still keep the windshield in tack. Blows my mind .

  2. Bilge Rat
    Bilge Rat says:

    Always amazes me that in the dark of night, you hear someone at full throttle on the water. I don’t care how well you “know” the body of water you’re on, that’s just a tragedy waiting to happen. You hear this all the time in the 1000 islands and to me it makes no sense.

  3. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    Having spent hundreds of hours navigating at lakes and rivers at night I dispute the idea that boating at night is/was the problem. Boating at night is as safe as you decide to make it.

    Speed and possible impairment would seem far more likely the culprit of this incident.

    I am shocked that this is not a fatality story. Very VERY glad that everyone was OK.

  4. Rick
    Rick says:

    Never say a salvage performed quite that way. Wonder how they calculated the weight/buoyancy aspect to put it on the bow like that.. I would have thought barge and crane, So happy no fatalities.

  5. RH in Indy
    RH in Indy says:

    I truly thought that the header pic was Matt’s awesome photo magic. I’ve done some crazy things, but not sure I’d load that woody on an air boat!! So glad no one was hurt and the woody rescue mission was successful.

  6. Captain Nemo
    Captain Nemo says:

    Hard lesson learned, could’ve turned out to be a horrible tragedy.
    Kudos to the salvage guy. Good thing it was a calm day, not a lot of freeboard forward on the rescue boat.

  7. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    I have done plenty of boating at night with little concern. Our lake has a 25 mph speed limit at night, but I rarely even hit 20 despite a generally well lit shoreline and literally a lifetime of familiarity. Slow down, KNOW where you are and stay vigilant, and night boating can be super enjoyable. Drive fast, add in impairment, etc. and accidents happen.

    • Johnny V./John Vyverberg
      Johnny V./John Vyverberg says:

      Yes, Keuka is relatively easy for night boating-stay out from the points. You’ve still got to pay attention though. We were out quite a few years ago and almost hit a POS fiberglass canoe some idiot had tied up with a frayed rope. It was grimy, moldy and almost impossible to see. I zigged at the last moment and we towed it home to get it off the lake. We watch boats go by with no stern light, no or one bow light and clowns using docking lights as headlights (they claim they are “navigation”lights!).

  8. JOHN ROTHERT
    JOHN ROTHERT says:

    That is why I so love the Chesapeake …. few rocks, lots of forgiving mud! Night runs are too stressful to do unless necessary IMHO.

    Going to the boat today….crazy wind gust here in Va….
    check her out….
    John in Va. All registered for Tavares!

  9. Steve Anderson in Michigan
    Steve Anderson in Michigan says:

    That is crazy! All of it. I am glad everyone is OK. I am assuming that by the time the boat left the water, all the humans were already in the water. I boat at night fairly often, in familiar water, often on full plane but only when I have a clear head and conditions allow it (full moon, clear night, flat lake, etc.) I would love to get an update on the crane operation at the end of the ride to the ramp. I thought you had to lift straight up on the rings. That strap would have put a huge side load on them. Was any additional damage done there? Also, I can’t find the WoodyBoater app in the App Store for Google. Any ideas how to get it?

    • Troy in ANE
      Troy in ANE says:

      Good catch Steve!

      At the very least there should have been a spreader on that strap so the lift was straight up.

  10. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P )
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P ) says:

    The pictures are not pretty. They are a wake up call of what can happen. I have always been against boating at night, but I have done it. Greg said it best! I’m not being judgmental, but they didn’t hit those rocks at 15mph. Thank God no one was killed.

  11. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    I agree with Don as to the location and with everyone else as to how fortunate whoever was in that boat at the time is. If they didn’t have faith before… We frequently boat after dark in the lakes here in the NW, familiar shorelines and well marked, but (almost) never in the Sound, as the flotsam is hard to see and can be very destructive in a hurry. The most irritating aspect of night boating are the “checkbook boaters” who have no clue what they are doing and run with their docking lights on (thinking they are headlights) and the dangerous ones – those running with no lights at all, who have been the cause of most of the after-dark fatalities in recent years on the lake. Night boating can be enchanting and memorable for all involved if done right. Tragic if not.

  12. Jim Staib
    Jim Staib says:

    Only thing worse than boating at night is boating in the fog!
    There is a photo in one of the old boat books of a 28′ Dodge up on the rocks in a similar manner. Totally out of the water. It was out West somewhere, kids took it joy riding at night. As far as I know there were only two of those boats made. One still exists. 50/50 chance it was that boat.

  13. Capt. Slats
    Capt. Slats says:

    First off, glad everyone is ok. Boats can be replaced, people can’t. On a lighter note, if anyone asks just say the boat was apart of filming for “On Golden Pond II: Lookout Cove!”

  14. Mike VanMiddlesworth
    Mike VanMiddlesworth says:

    Thanks to the folks that shared their experience. Maybe the article will help us all think about being safer boaters.

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