As some of you already know, I seriously ran aground by Port St. Joe last week, and in the process screwed up the rudder. Boat is still sailable, but hard to control, and the wake looks like a snake. But did manage to get back to Slidell, and will pull it soon as I get some other business taken care of, and find out what I tore up. I do feel rather stupid but I do have something of an excuse, so am going to use it. 
Here is how it all took place. Was heading to Pensacola from Tampa. Nice run for the first 36 hours, then things started coming apart. Had a pretty good weather report when leaving Tampa on a Thursday morning, and good weather for a while. Of course am far enough offshore that I can't get much untill start closing with land again. Sat. morning about 4AM, have the weather on, and they start talking about this front coming. Then they are saying that there are some thunderstorms and some super cells coming, with possible 80mph winds, and tornadoes in it. ( This is the same front that spawned the tornadoes in Mississippi.) Closest landfall is Port St. Joe and it is about 65 miles. The decision is pretty easy, and the new course it north. By first light the wind is up to 25 to 30, and building. So, it's just hang on and keep on going. Made the entrance to the bay at Port St. Joe a little before dark, and the wind is now blowing 35 to 40. As soon as I make the turn into the bay, it's dead on the nose, there is a 2 to 4 foot nasty chop in the bay, and the tide is running against me. Motoring, I can only make 2 to 3 knots. Now I am worried about running out of fuel. I'm pretty sure I have enough in the tank, but it is low, and the fear is that the boat is pitching so much, it will slosh around and suck a big gulp of air into the system. I have ten gallons on deck, but there is so much water coming over the decks, I am afraid that trying to add fuel will get me a big dose of water into the tank. About 7 miles into the bay, there is a channel that runs up to the ICW. As soon as you get into this channel is a bridge, and right behind the bridge is a small marina, that has a fuel dock. I know their closed, but don't care. If I can get in there, I'll just tie up and wait till morning. About 8PM I come to the channel entrance, and needless to say, by this time I am totally exhausted. This channel is dredged through some very shallow water, is narrow and not very well marked. There is only one lit bouy at the entrance to it, and the little cans and nuns are virtually invisible in the dark. As soon as I make the turn, the wind and waves will be dead on the beam. My thinking is to make the turn fairly far out, line up on the bridge and go on in. I pick up the red marker, make my turn, look up to line up on the bridge, and bam. The wind has me on the spoil bank. The wave action is picking up the boat and dropping it hard, and I cannot get myself off. Sea Tow to the rescue. Finally get pulled off, and get to a calm location and tied up. But can tell the rudder is damaged. Hard to steer the boat in anything that resembles a straight line. Have looked at it as best I can, and can see or feel no visible damage. What I'm thinking is that internally the rudder is loose on the post, and when you first turn the wheel, it has to take out the slack before anything happens. Will not know for sure till it comes out of the water. I really feel stupid as I have been through this little cut several times, both in and out. My excuse is just total exhaustion, and my mind was not working at it's normal speed. Counting Sea Tow, (1475.00), pulling the boat and doing whatever is needed to the rudder, is going to be an expensive experience.
Here is how it all took place. Was heading to Pensacola from Tampa. Nice run for the first 36 hours, then things started coming apart. Had a pretty good weather report when leaving Tampa on a Thursday morning, and good weather for a while. Of course am far enough offshore that I can't get much untill start closing with land again. Sat. morning about 4AM, have the weather on, and they start talking about this front coming. Then they are saying that there are some thunderstorms and some super cells coming, with possible 80mph winds, and tornadoes in it. ( This is the same front that spawned the tornadoes in Mississippi.) Closest landfall is Port St. Joe and it is about 65 miles. The decision is pretty easy, and the new course it north. By first light the wind is up to 25 to 30, and building. So, it's just hang on and keep on going. Made the entrance to the bay at Port St. Joe a little before dark, and the wind is now blowing 35 to 40. As soon as I make the turn into the bay, it's dead on the nose, there is a 2 to 4 foot nasty chop in the bay, and the tide is running against me. Motoring, I can only make 2 to 3 knots. Now I am worried about running out of fuel. I'm pretty sure I have enough in the tank, but it is low, and the fear is that the boat is pitching so much, it will slosh around and suck a big gulp of air into the system. I have ten gallons on deck, but there is so much water coming over the decks, I am afraid that trying to add fuel will get me a big dose of water into the tank. About 7 miles into the bay, there is a channel that runs up to the ICW. As soon as you get into this channel is a bridge, and right behind the bridge is a small marina, that has a fuel dock. I know their closed, but don't care. If I can get in there, I'll just tie up and wait till morning. About 8PM I come to the channel entrance, and needless to say, by this time I am totally exhausted. This channel is dredged through some very shallow water, is narrow and not very well marked. There is only one lit bouy at the entrance to it, and the little cans and nuns are virtually invisible in the dark. As soon as I make the turn, the wind and waves will be dead on the beam. My thinking is to make the turn fairly far out, line up on the bridge and go on in. I pick up the red marker, make my turn, look up to line up on the bridge, and bam. The wind has me on the spoil bank. The wave action is picking up the boat and dropping it hard, and I cannot get myself off. Sea Tow to the rescue. Finally get pulled off, and get to a calm location and tied up. But can tell the rudder is damaged. Hard to steer the boat in anything that resembles a straight line. Have looked at it as best I can, and can see or feel no visible damage. What I'm thinking is that internally the rudder is loose on the post, and when you first turn the wheel, it has to take out the slack before anything happens. Will not know for sure till it comes out of the water. I really feel stupid as I have been through this little cut several times, both in and out. My excuse is just total exhaustion, and my mind was not working at it's normal speed. Counting Sea Tow, (1475.00), pulling the boat and doing whatever is needed to the rudder, is going to be an expensive experience.
