What a day

[Torcan]

Well, I took her out today for a nice run. But my day gets better.

1st, pulled out of the dock, everything was going well, going next door to the Marina to fuel up. Gorgeous day, around 500 boats in this area all launched.
Lake is like glass, no wind, beautiful day.
get to the Marina Fuel Station..."CLOSED" WTF

So decide to head 4.5NM to ABYC, called ahead, Fuel Dock OPEN for business.
Arriving, about 1 NM away and hear a thump. look back to see I had just run over a dead-head, just under the water, impossible to see, but the wood has some really nice NEW fresh tears in it. Oh, No, what did I do.... what happened to my prop?... Slowly, still moving forward, everything seems to be ok. Boat isn't sinking, so no hole

I notice now, there are hundreds of dead-heads, where did they all come from? Looks like a logging area, not ususal for here.

Slowly make it towards ABYC Fuel Docks, staying in the center of the channel, where water is supposed to be the deepest. After all, there are some huge boulders to the right, need to stay away from them, especially after what I had just gone through. Proceeding at about 6MPH

Channel markers not yet in place, all of a sudden... alarm goes off, shallow water, 1.3 feet...... umph. Forward momentum, no longer happening, didn't panic, threw her in reverse and applied power..... that was close.... Get on VHF 68 and call, they say, stay close to the huge boulders, that's where it is 10-15 feet depth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charts don't show sandbar, it is "LOCAL KNOWLEDGE" !!!!!!!

Ok now, gas up, and start for Toronto Inner Harbour, all goes fairly well, until I see this Ferry Barreling across, time to back off and go around and let him pass and then proceed behind him.

Travelling at 10KPH, maximum allowed in the Inner Harbour, although the weekend boat renters don't seem to know about this law, that and sailboats and guys on boards with their dogs.

Proceeding, when all of a sudden, FIRE RESCUE come screaming out of a dock at full tilt, almost swamps me with the wake of their boat, heard the MAYDAY Call on the radio someone overboard and boat is without pilot.

Finally get out of the area, go well away from any land or other boats and head back home.

All in all, had a great day, so I think the experiences are just a beginning of what is yet to come.

Here are 2 short videos, my Buddy took while we were heading over there,
LOL he mentions 36 feet depth, LOL, ya, but we were still close to shore, Lake Ontario goes to 600 feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofk1nybe ... ture=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFLinKbU ... ture=share

[captainmaniac]

Glad there is no detectable damage, This is a bad time of year for floating crap... this, and for a few days after any big rainfall or storm if you are near a river mouth anywhere (especially Mimico and Port Credit).

Fire Rescue and Toronto Harbour Police - don't knock 'em. They do throw a huge wake, but they only do it when they have to. It usually means one or more lives are at stake. The real fun is when you are tied up on Hanlan's Point and they come screaming in for some emergency. A few years back I radio'd them myself for someone who was having a stroke, or at least went into convulsions, on the tennis court at Hanlan's. Within 3-4 minutes, 2 police boats came screaming up the channel to provide assistance. Guy tied up behind me threatened to sue them, but if he had half a brain he would have simply got off his arse, put his drink down, and fended his boat off the wall as their wake hit. Apparently in his mind, getting his boat scratched (because he never did put his fenders in the right position) even though he did nothing to stop it was more important than someone else's life. S**thead.

Contrast that to somewhere else I operate ; when a mayday went out, I had to pretty much whack the cops over the head to make them respond. I guess in the real world though it wasn't such a big deal - just a boat on fire, near the gas dock, in the middle of a marina. Nothing the marine police should particularly care about... (Doofi -- plural of doofus I think)

[prowlersfish]

Sounds like you guys are having all the fun . Hope the next time its a little less eventful