My first run aground!

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Oldgeezer

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Plenty of wind on Sunday - Hurtled up the Deben a bit too fast. I should have realised there was trouble ahead when the depth sounder said 0.4m under the keel at troublesome reach. (well named!)
Still, I only had to wait 30 mins for the tide to lift me off the mud.

I now know what it feels like.

"There are only three kinds of skippers, those who have run aground, those who will run aground, and those that have but won't admit it."
 
Yesterday...
ran aground leaving B/sea
ran aground off of Heybridge
ran aground at Maldon
ran aground trying to get into our berth on 3 meters of water (needs 4)

Funny thing is, our first 2 years up and down the Blackwater we never touched, this season (such as it is) it is becoming commonplace. More confident and less anxious i suppose. Only ever grounded once on a falling tide though, so not totally incompetent.

Steve
 
If this is going to turn into a 'my best running aground', I once had my Mum on board on our first boat for a birthday treat for her and we ran aground on Thirstlet. We only noticed because the dinghy we were towing passed us!
 
tillergirl said:
If this is going to turn into a 'my best running aground', I once had my Mum on board on our first boat for a birthday treat for her and we ran aground on Thirstlet. We only noticed because the dinghy we were towing passed us!
Click to expand...
Our most embarrassing.
We sailed up to watch our kids when they were competing in a Cadet event at Waldringfield.
We moved out of the channel to give the fleet room and our dinghy hit us in the transom.
Of course, all the little darlings came by and called out "hello Simon's Mum & Dad, watch out it's shallow there!"
 
hitting the putty

I always manage it heading into wind then i take my sails down ,I thought that was good seamanship whilst short handed with a Essex Smack!!! still we always have to find our boundaries and it always between land and the boat :)
 
Pah!! amateurs :p

P1000299.jpg
 
Worst thing is to go aground when at anchor. Happened to my once between Sales point & Bradwell power station. Anchored for the night in what I thought was sufficient water. Went to sleep and found myself being rolling out of the berth in the early hours. It appears the boat had swung onto a small underwater ridge & we were high & dry. A lesson learnt!
 
Aah Mr Gooch, but that was on purpose I seem to recall:D

I have done Walton Backwaters 3 times
River Stour twice
Orwell twice
And possibly left some interesting "crop circle" type marks in the mud/sand at Wells.

All in the interests of exploring the limits of course :D
 
This is what you call going aground . who knows where it is?? needless to say hectic tidal calcs were done and found that we had a 15 min window to come off with the next tide or a weeks wait for bigger tides . depth sounder was actiuly reading 7ft of water sitting here and its not a calibration issue!!!
 
First trip to the end of Oare Creek. she slowed a little, I gave her more welly - well and truly aground AND neaped for ten days - steep learning curve!
 
Surely, we've all had a 'first time'.

We then have experience, and can decide if we really want to do it again.

I had my first time and didn't particularly enjoy it - it seems that others like to do it regularly. I guess it depends on how unexpected it is?
 
I managed to last 4 years til my first time - and then I did it twice in the same weekend! Fortunately for me, both on rising tides, so not long to wait :D

oh apart from the time I ran aground on the start line at Burnham week! :o
 
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