This may seem obvious to others but...........

[Mike B]

Ahhh, Still Pond, one of our favorite places to drop the hook. We just had a raft up of 6 boats we were taking to the Annapolis Show this October. We found it's better to run all the way to Still Pond on day one, leaving a shorter day to Annapolis the following. Usually we tuck into the notch on the SW side but the tides were extremely low forcing us into the middle of the pond. Just a great place to while away the hours.
Mike

 

[Roger (Ninette Manitoba)]

Mike,... re slow groundings... Several years ago my brother in law and I on his 22' O'day with shallow draft keel were sailing along the shore line of Clear Lake in Manitoba. The wind was light and steady and the boat was only at a slight heel. We were chatting away, and it was only after several minutes when the helm did not seem to respond, that we also noticed that we were no longer moving along the shoreline. Neither one of us had noted that we had slowly grounded out in some soft sand. The boat stopped so slowly that I am sure we were there for several minutes before noticing that we were aground. (we jumped out and pushed off, but it was one of our embarassing moments, and proof that you can indeed run aground slowly.)

 

[Mike B]

Ros, now that's what I call being relaxed. Funny but the prior to getting everyone rafted up at Still Pond on the trip I mentioned I took the lead in finding a proper spot to anchor. Knowing the anchorage and having just been there a couple of weeks prior I figured it would be a cinch. Not this time I'm afraid. Seems as though the tide was so far out the usual 8 to 10' of water was more like 5 to 8'. I ran my brand new boat aground twice trying to find a spot. Nothing new to me though. It's the 3rd boat I've owned where I ran it aground on the first day I had her. Might as well find out how she backs off sooner than later
Mike