Captain Bonehead
 

So Sunday afternoon I was out on the lake, cruising along, chart in hand to explain to my friend that was up for the day where the Islands, rocks, and other landmarks lie. We had just passed "The Witches" on our left, and were cruising along side of Gov. Island when a boat approached along side at 20 - 25 mph, I got off the throttle because with him about 20 ft away we were both now breaking 150` rule.

When I could finally hear the guy, his question was "Is there anything I need to worry about out here!?"

After a few seconds of thought...

I yelled back, "Rocks!" Not sure what else I could do at that point besides maybe give him my chart or have him follow me for the rest of the day.

It's kind of hard to explain the numerous "things" he needed to be aware of, and the nature of the navigational markers on the lake, from 20 ft away. We can pass all the laws we want, some people are just gonna find trouble!

Scary

Wow. Maybe that's why we ended up staying home on Sunday. :)

Funny (or sad) thing is, that guy will get off the water with no probs. It is the good guys who the trouble tends to find.

Capt. Bonehead
 

I'll bet that after you were kind enough to give him the info he blasted away from you with the same regard for safe passage as he did when he approached.

You should have sent him to Glendale
 

With extra time to think about it.. maybe you could have given him directions to Gilford Town Docks... he could have picked up his boating license.:confused: from the marine patrol office. :laugh: and a chart!:rolleye2:

For the record it wasn't me! I am new to the lake and terrified of the Witches! I saw a picture somewhere of an entire outdrive wedged between rocks.
TG

Considering that there are literally hundreds of rocks just beneath the surface that would love to have your lower unit for lunch and that you're new to the lake, your concern is helpful. As you learn the lake you will become more confident and relaxed about it.

I run all around the lake and even though have been boating here for about 10 years, I still have my "duh" moments. My advice (which I had to heed twice last week) is if you're not SURE where you are, STOP, figure it out, then proceed.

Ken

This will be our (my wife and I) 10th year boating on the lake and I do that ALL the time (stop, refer to chart, proceed with caution) but it's usually when we're heading somewhere that we're not totally familiar with. It also helps having 2 sets of eyes (mine and my wife's) looking for markers with my wife doing the navigation using the chart; allows me to keep my eyes on the water and other boat traffic. :)

Somebody once told me, if you are expecting to pass a bouy and dont see it, stop. Then look on the other side of the boat. Just in case!

memory drift
 

I often find markers that are quite some distance away from where I remembered them to be. Then a close examination of the chart and maybe a GPS check reveals that it was actually a case of “memory drift”. :laugh:

Be careful.

picture of lower unit eaten by witches
 

I remeber that picture of the lower unit sitting in the witches from when it was posted on this forum. I think it was 2 years ago. Does anyone have that picture at their disposal? I would love to see that again, and any other disaster pictures from the granite monsters of winnie. I would like to send it to my friend is using my boat for a week this summer on the lake, as a friendly reminder of what can happen when you don't pay attention to the charts. Hopefully, we won't have any newer pictures after this season, but unfortuantely, I think it is inevitable.

I am not embarrassed to admit that a few times when the chart just did not match what I was seeing I stopped and did not move until I figured out what went wrong. In all of these cases, in fact, I was not where my finger on the chart said I was. I would much rather bump a rock while stopped then find it quickly during my search for where the heck I am.

great advice
 

All excellent points. Also, don't think because your depth sounder says 25' of water, that your safe. There are some 24' rocks in there!

I've been boating on this lake for 45 years. Whenever I'm somewhere that I don't regularly travel, the chart is out. At night the GPS is also on, and we're travelling within the "new" speed limits. With one bonehead exception when I was on the lake when I was 17 in a very high-water Springtime, with no chart, I have maintained virgin props.

There are many other tricky areas besides the Witches and Graveyard. I've seen a boat with it's outdrive ripped out, sinking onto the shoal near Pistol Island (very tricky nav there).

That's the only place I wrecked a prop on the lake. I was at dle speed, and exploring in my second boat. Figured the skeg would protect the prop from a light bump, but it did not... Aluminum props and rocks don't play well together. SS is vastly more resilient. I put a spare on and continued on my way.

I was able to repair the aluminum prop myself too. Just welded some new material to the three damaged blades, shaped them like the one good blade, made a jig to prove it was still balanced, and painted it black. Kept it as a spare when I switched to an SS prop. The new owner still has it.

I think the photo you are refering to is of a lower unit off Pistol Island.Search photopost under Bizer.

That's what I remember too. Its on the Bizer website, too.

Ken

The photo can be seen here http://bizer.com/jrfaq.htm

After sending this, I started to look for information about Pistol Island via a Google search. I stumbled upon a link for Duncan Press and found an update site for it's 2005 chart of Winnipesaukee. And then I read...

"Additions Since 2004 there have been 3 buoys added: #101 black, #102 red, #103 black. Waypoints aren't allowed. Sallys Gut G-5 7/13/07 Duncan Press"

In short, three buoys were added in 2004, that didn't make Duncan's chart in 2005, and they didn't report the update until 2007. Oh, and they also noted that the black and red markers on their chart around Pistol Island were reversed. :eek: Understandable why Stewart hit Bizer rock and why it continues to be hit today.

This just reminded me why I continue to have the Bizer chart -- and only the Bizer -- on our boat.

Props and rocks
 

A point to ponder in this regard.........

If you hit a rock while using an aluminum prop, you wreck the prop. The cost is about $100 for a rebuilt or up to $170 for new.

If you hit a rock while using a stainless steel prop, you generally bend your prop shaft. The cost to repair could be well over $1000.

Perhaps, but SS props are awesome...:D

Partsman -- NOT True.....although that was the fact with older models, the newer SS prop's/outdrives have a Phenolic (hard plastic) slip ring which guards the drive shaft from damage. Trust me, I know ...... I tested it (not on purpose) last fall in Low water with a Bravo-3 (dual SS prop) outdrive. Now the cost factor of the prop itself is still a vast difference. But as Dave r points out....the performance difference is very noticible.

I know someone with a Volvo Penta duoprop and SS props that ran aground in Moultonborough Bay and did need new propshafts. Far as I know, the VP DP does not have slip rings and nor do Bravo 3 props. I am certain my B3 props do not have them. Regardless, unlike a VP DP drive that allows a choice of aluminum or SS, I have no choice but to run SS props on my B3, they are all that's available.

Yup
 

I found a rock with my Volvo DP drive a couple of years back and it was not pretty. The rock took out the prop AND the prop shaft. net net $1,700 and a large mental note to avoid that spot.

Jetskier:cool:

I'm going to try one of the composite, variable pitch replaceable blade props on my 135 Optimax for awhile this year as I get used to the lake. They are 4 blade and should you break a blade just take that one and the opposite one off and come in on a two blade prop with no vibration. About $200 with replacement blades $30. I haven't nicked a blade yet in 55 years but then I haven't boated much on Winnie.

My wife hit a rock in that area going where I told her at no wake speed while I set up a rod for my son. The boat had maybe 4 hours on it and I needed to refinish both props(duoprop) and they were never the same so I ended up replacing and keeping that as a spare. A $1300 mistake that still keeps her from driving the boat even though I wasn't mad when she did it.

I actually have a composite on my Duo prop because of the changeable blades, after having to refinish the stainless a couple times I decided to go that way, they get nicked up real easy from the sand and small pebbles that don't do anything to a stainless but I lost no speed with it.

SS Prop ?
 

I'm not total up on the mechanical side of things. Dave R says SS props give you better performance. Are you using the same pitch as you would aluminum to get this performance. If so, what does the SS give you, more speed,etc. I have a VP Chris Craft. Is this slip ring visable.

Dave M

That's a good theory but your prop is spinning so fast that if one blade is broken the odds are the other blades will strike the obstacle too, with similiar results. My suggestion would be to carry enough spare blades to replace them all since it probably wont take much more effort than just pulling two and maybe moving one, assuming you are that fortunate.

Alternatly, carry a fully rigged spare prop (or your old one) and keep the extra blades ashore. This will reduce your field repair time and minimise your exposure to the elements or traffic.

Good luck!

KAMPER!!!!! Your new avatar caused me to panic for a minute as I thought that a bug had made the inside of my Laptop screen his new home!!!!!!!

It actually happened to me with my old laptop, a bug was crawling around INSIDE the screen. Genius that I am I pushed on the screen smushed the bug and ended up with a permanent smudge. :laugh:

I'm like hazelnut I squished the screen. :laugh: I have had outside screen problems so thought it was just another vistor. Highjack time. :rolleye2:

I intend to carry my SS prop as a spare. Only question now is between a Piranha (changeable blades) or Propulse (changeable blades and pitch). Piranha seems available locally at Anchor. My SS is 14x19 w/ a cup so if the Piranha doesn't have a cup I'll go w/ 14x21.

The theory is that SS is stronger than aluminum, so the blades are thinner causing less drag and the blades flex less and keep the same pitch even while spinning fast. Aluminum blades flex and flatten out, reducing the pitch as speed increases, just what you don't want.

SS pitch vs. aluminum
 

Rule of thumb is you can go 1" higher pitch # with SS and have the same WOT RPM as aluminum. ......so you'll probably save gas, too! :)

Kamper,
I actually have a family of tiny ants living in my laptop and was really nervous to see that one had made it to the inside of the screen. I am hoping they run out of food soon and move out. You got me good.

RE: My Avatar (The dizzy flea).

This is just a passing fancy. I'll change it soon so nobody blows a can of Raid at their screen.

Enjoy it while you can. Feel free to snag it and share the joy. lol.

K

I just need to keep my cats and dog away from it.;)

Kamper,

You got me!

I was just trying to kill the thing, before I read your post above.

Great avatar, especially in the summer!

R2B

Yesterday my wife out I were out on the SeaDoos near Spindle Point heading towards Meredith. Captain Bonehead was coming towards us, we were probable 250' or so off shore and didn't have a lot of room to move closer to the shore as it's not a perfect shoreline (straight). We were in line, she was maybe 300' behind me. This guy just keeps staying close to shore maybe 300' off shore and makes no allowance for us, just cruises right by us about 50' away never even slowing down. We both had slowed to headway speed at this point and I just sat there looking at this idiot, he never even looked towards us, just kept plowing along at about 25-30 MPH. You can't fix stupid.

Captain Boneheads
 

Are these the captain boneheads you speak of? :laugh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyyowF8U0nU

Talk about a thread from the grave!

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