Lake Champlain flooding

countrygent147 · May 9, 2011

1. To get insurance now could be considered fraud, considering the "impending doom".

2. Plug it up to avoid costly internal damage.

3. Apparently you have a means of getting to/from boat. Fuel it up now.
Then perhaps, if it ever floats, get her off the supports, and power her ever so gently to the lake. Securely anchor her in safe (depth wise) water, be sure bilge pump(s) will automaticly operate, go ashore.

4. Would be very nice if you could put her somplace where you could see the bilge pump output with binoculars, and act accordingly. You know how low in the water she usually floats.

5. Above all, keep a cool head. GOD Bless you and your efforts.

RichB · May 9, 2011

Hurry get out the air mattress and some 80 grit wet or dry. Looks like she could use a coat on the bottom.

seatime · May 9, 2011

let it be

Leave it as is and if there is a way to tie it down so it moves little and you have a way to get to the boat as the water goes down (dink?) and if you have a thick hull, you should be ok. I had my boat hauled and blocked during Katrina at a boat yard. Was out of town and before I could evacuate the house stopped by the yard before they closed. They were putting all the boats in the water in the bayou, (deep water access) I had read it best to keep it on land and asked that they do so. I took lines to trees (long) and dug in one anchor from the stern and another to a crane base. The yard is/was near Slidell and they took a direct hit in Katrina and got 7-8 feet of storm surge (much worse than water rising slowly as in rivers) and 170 mph winds. All the boats in the water were across the road away from the marina including a beautiful Hylas 46/47 that was in new condition. They Hylas was on her side on the highway along with a few others and others were sunk. The Hylas survived with what looked like rash on one side of the hull. My boat moved about one or two feet and was upright and got most of her damage by being hit by other boats. The hull had road rash from other boats hitting her which i buffed out, back stay needed to be replaced (think it was hit by someone's mast in he storm quite hard as it was bent about 20 degrees (no clue how one could do that with the mast standing. Broke the wind gen (someone's mast again) Lost the staysail (no time to take it off as I had only time to secure her before I was asked to leave as the yard was evacuating) Odd that the genoa and main stayed put. Normally all sails would come off as I have done before. I draw a bit more than 6 feet thus the extra 2 feet or so allowed to float. The blocks were no longer under her, the yard had a dirt ground, and the keel if modified full with encapulated ballast. (older boat so heavy 1978) I am certain that she took much more of a beating than you will ever get in a river rise, though have no idea where your lake is. If you can tie her do so that if you can not get out there until the water drops she might stay on her keel. Water in river flood rise and fall slowly unlike storm surge from a direct hit from a cane. If you can keep her from moving too much you might have time to make sure she comes down slowly and rests on her keel and maybe event time to move blocks as she slowly falls. Keep the faith.

jimisbell · May 9, 2011

Anchor??

No one has mentioned an anchor??? I dont care if the bottom IS asphalt, I would drop the anchor off the bow and let out 10 feet of scope and go home and have a cup of coffee. It doesnt look like you will have any real wind to deal with and the anchor will snag on SOMETHING if it is being dragged across a parking lot. As the lake starts down (it will take many days maybe weeks), lead it back to the cradle and let it set itself back in place as the water recedes. I sure would not flood the boat!!! Though here on the third coast I have heard of people sinking their boats before a hurricane, but my engine and instruments are too valuable for that.

We have water level rises of 10 to 12 feet during hurricanes and I just tie my boat to the center of the canal (60' wide) with four 58' lines to both sides of the canal so it can rise 30' before they get tight and cant hit either side when they are loose.

kpgraci · May 9, 2011

My .02 - Seems pretty clear to me, one of the cool features of a boat is that they float. If it were my boat I'd teather it in place then motorboat out to it while it's just floating and tow it to deep water.

tombeau · May 9, 2011

Sorry to hear your predicament. I figure i will face the same during a chesapeake hurricane. My plan is to tie the boat to the cradle, and tie the whole thing to whatever is available to keep it relatively stationary. good luck.

Scott B · May 9, 2011

Not sure that everyone is reading all the posts ...

Larry14133 said:
Anyone know of some bottom paint that can be applyed in the water?

Is looking like the lake crested Yesterday.

Regards,

Larry

Good to hear it survived......

captmikem · May 9, 2011

seems to me the logical thing would be to be there if and when she floats, sail her out into deeper water (the lake), and drop and drop your anchor and let her sit there where she would be safe.

Mike

dparilla · May 9, 2011

My Advice

as brother bluto would say..."Start drinking,...heavily."

Bill Leathen · May 9, 2011

What about putting some sandbags in the boat to hold it down? We have wood docks on Lake Onalaska that want to float away when if floods. We put concrette blocks on the dock to hold it down. Nobody cares about scratches in the wood. But sandbags would not scratch things up.

Dan Hill · May 9, 2011

My choice would be to install the plugs and seal her off. Then start adding as much weight as you feel safe doing. This will gain a few inches of leeway depending on the amount of weight and how much your boat displaces per inch of water. I'm quite sure some of you gents can do the math for Larry and his O'Day

Dennis2936 · May 9, 2011

capejt said:
Maybe it's just the angle, or it's sort of hiding in a shadow, but is she missing her keel?

The O'Day 302 has a wing keel, draft is only 4 feet.

jhnewsome17 · May 10, 2011

I would plug the hole, save the inside, and drop as many anchors as possible to keep her from floating around too much. String a line to anything that won't move. Then you'll have to deal with the residing water and how to keep the boat save. Quit a problem, but better than a house - they don't float, just flood.

McMikeJr · May 10, 2011

dparilla said:
as brother bluto would say..."Start drinking,...heavily."

Sounds like you're probably out of harm's way at this point. I think I would have done the drinking thing, I mean, really. When will you ever have the opportunity again to say you had a few drinks while anchored 3' from the door?

Michel16055 · May 10, 2011

Larry, same issue here on the Richelieu River next to the Canadian Customs...My boat is also on stands however, I removed the knotmeter wheel thingy for repairs and couldn't reach my boat to put it back in. Called the marina to chack on the boat. They said all was ok and that there was at least two feet before it would reach the hole. He said he would plug it up for my benefit. (whew, i can sleep now) Looking to see you on the Lake. Rgds
Michel

Dougo · May 11, 2011

I can relate! We're just south of you on the Great Sacandaga Lake. Highest water in 80 years (since they created the reservoir). Coudn't find a boat launch two weeks ago to put-in! Everything underwater. Docks, stairs, everything else floating around. Not a safe place to be boating! Gonna try again this Sunday. Water's receding.

Good Luck!

mcrow33 · May 11, 2011

The good news is that the lake has dropped 5 inches since Friday. Most of the snow has melted from the the mountains so even if we get more heavy rain, the lake shouldn't rise much.

JVB · May 11, 2011

If the water had gone high enough to float the boat and unload the supports could water or debris move or undermine the jack stands ? Or could something float in underneath ? No way would I let it flood or count on the best case of having it fall right back where it floated off. I wouldn't want stands strapped to the bottom if it floated either. When it came back down the attached stands could shift and damage the boat or tip it over. Moving the boat to deep water at the first opportunity is the best option in such a situation.

J Hunter · May 11, 2011

interesting conversation but I guess it never really came close. The lake crested at the record high and that was less than half a foot higher than the previous record in recorded history. If your boat was two feet lower things might have gotten interesting. I would imagine you would have tried to have been on it when it began to float. we dragged anchor once in a tidal anchorage. The tide went out before morning and left the boat balanced upright on the flat of the shoal fin keel. My mom had the coffee pot going and when she finally tipped, the coffee pot jumped off the gymballed but locked stove and hit me in the head while I was waking up in the quarter berth. We layed on about a 45 degree angle with keel and hull hard in the sand until the tide came back in- no damage.

I imagine if someone really did float off their jack stands they could use some anchors and/or a tie off to something fixed to hold the boat from going too far and as the lake receded one could get the jack stands back in place when the keel first started taking some weight. A flooded lake drops very slowly. If it had to go down without stands I guess the idea would to keep it away from sharp rocks or things that would damage the rig as it tipped and settled. You probably would need a good sized single stick crane to pick it up if this happened, the travelift couldn't get by the mast.