Found out how well my CCP was built!!! She owes me nothing!

[jdupree]

I would consider myself an experienced boater considering I have been on boats since I was a kid.  Ran into a situation in Morehead City last week that could have been very bad.

Me and a budy were attemping to Spanish fish right off of Ft. Macon.  In a matter of minutes we found ourselves with a storm approaching and swells 6 to 8 feet or better!  As my experience taught me we turned into to the swells in an attempt to get out of there.  As we were going up a swell it crested and actually broke over the bow.  My leaning post kept us from falling down.  Once we were able to get over the force of the wave I look back and we had water 3/4 of the way up the gunnells and even with the splashwell height.  The cockpit was over 1/2 full of water.  Immediately got the boat moving and the bilge pump kicked in.  The self bailers did what they were designed to do and the water began draining.

Even with that much water in the cockpit, the boat handeled great and never wavered!  I know we all complain about self bailing cockpits and sometimes plug them but they saved us!!  If I would have had them plugged I am not sure I would have had enough time to pull them.

I should have posted this under the chum section but I wanted to make sure folks read it.  I am still amazed how a 30 year old boat handled this situation!

[GoneFission]

Wow - glad that worked out OK!      

But did you catch any fish?    

See ya on the water - not under it!  

[gran398]

JD, glad you guys are ok, and thanks for sharing.  GF and I have been kicking around a get together this fall. Will keep you posted!

Scott, ILM

[jdupree]

GF - Needless to say we went straight in after this incident.  Did manage to catch 6 nice size spanish the next morning.  

I would love to have a North Carolina get together.  Would be nice to put a name with a face and see each others boats.  I know I would be able to come as long as I had notice ahead of time.

[Hardwater]

jd - thanks for passing it on.  Good reminder of just how fast a situation can turn.

Having your bow break deep on an open hull gets your attention in a hurry…and it's something you never forget.  Sounds like a capable skipper and a sturdy craft meant the difference between a potential (very) bad situation and some good fishing the next day.

How long did it take for the adrenalin to wear off?

[fitz73222]

I had the same thing happen to me when I was 16 years old in my dads 72 19 Outrage. took a 7 footer at 45 degrees and almost rolled the boat! We used to like to troll the outside edge of the breakers fishing for those damn spanish too. I must admit, the whaler was like a cork in the water. Lost a tackle box over the transom for my stupidity. The boat only had 1 through hull drain for the water to escape so it took 20 minutes to drain the 12" of water out of the boat. Something to be said for full flotation if the water has no where to go in the short term. Its one of those experiences that you never forget even 30+ years later everytime you run through the inlet... Needless to say, it scared the crap out of me and I never forgot it.

[RickK]

That's a perfect example of why the wide open transom works - would have drained right on through.  Yours is open right JD - maybe you have the CCP splashwell boards in?
Scary though I bet.

[dbiscayne]

no doubt about the open transom it's always nice to watch that cold water roll past your feet & out the back!

[jdupree]

jd - thanks for passing it on.  Good reminder of just how fast a situation can turn.

Having your bow break deep on an open hull gets your attention in a hurry…and it's something you never forget.  Sounds like a capable skipper and a sturdy craft meant the difference between a potential (very) bad situation and some good fishing the next day.

How long did it take for the adrenalin to wear off?

This happened around 1:30pm.  We headed back in and gave up fishing for the day.  Didn't wear off until we were on dry land and figured out the ole CCP was ok.  The main casualty (and we did not notice it till we got back to the dock) was the wave washed my tackle box right out of the boat.  I usually keep it on top of the coffin box while fishing.  Had about $300.00 worth of saltwater rigs :cry:  A small price to pay for a situation that could have turned out horrible :!:

[GoneFission]

JD - your story brings back memories!  Years ago I was trolling for (you guessed it) Spanish off Salterpath (a few miles from Ft. Macon!) in a Penn Yan 20 I/O.  We were slaying the Spanish and keeping busy, but the fish were just off the breakers.  We were trolling parallel to the beach  and suddenly we all heard a noise to starboard, looked up, and a rogue wave was breaking over the boat!      No time to do anything but hold on - we all got soaked, and the boat was half full of water.  I looked out, cuz rogues usually travel in twos and threes, and you guessed it again, here is another wall of water headed our way.  We turned into the wave, put some power on, and nosed through it.  Not as bad as the first, but now the boat really had water in her!  The Penn Yan was not self bailing, so we turned the pumps on.  

However, with all that water in the boat, the Mercruiser 165 was feeling a bit damp and started missing.  We went from 6 cylinders to 2 or 3.  We sputtered offshore until we were OK and pumped out.  We opened the engine cover and dried out the distributor and ignition wiring (another good reason to have some WD-40 on the boat).  Like you, once we got the engine running right, we figured it was probably best to call it a day and headed back in.  

Also, like you - I lost something in the waves.  I had taken my shoes off, and there was only one in the boat when we got back in.  I don't quite know how, but one of the waves must have washed my sneaker out of the boat!  The good news for us was there were only 2 waves - one more probably would have swamped the boat, and really made for a bad day.  :evil:  :cry:

[gran398]

GF and JD and guys.

When I was 29, was THROWN OUT of a boat running a local inlet (Rich Inlet, south of Topsail.) Long story, too long for here, but will tell you guys at the reunion. Lucky to be alive.

In the process of survival, kicked off my tennis shoes. Everytime since when running that inlet, at the outer bar, I ask the crew to be on the lookout for a pair of tennis shoes....bad joke, but my way of reminding myself and the guys that boating/fishing isn't always fun and games, that Murphy's Law can rear its ugly head at any moment.