Boats getting away from people

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KYKevin

KYKevin

Keeper of San Juan Secrets
Dorados story of his boat getting away from him, reminded me if my fishing trip start in Bullfrog.
I started out my trip running to the Halls island. As I got close I noticed a guy waving both of his arms in a frantic way. I had just got started, and was not happy, but had to go see what he wanted. This poor guy had his kayak blow away from him the day before, and spent a long cold night in short pants and short sleave shirt with a life jacket on. I told him to get in my boat, and we would go try and find it. I ask gim which way it blew off to, and he said back tiwards The Halls ramp. So we went that way, with no luck. I took off and went to the cove between the ramp and Halls marina, and got to the back of it, and there it was. Talk about a happy guy, It had his car keys and every thing he had in the kayak. His name was Mark, and when I seen him after that, he had his kayak pulled all the way out on the bank😂.
But just think about how cold that desert gets at night, and it was pitch dark that week. He spent the night with out light or any way to stay warm. He said he couldn't swim very good, and unlike Dorado, he never jumped in after his kayak. I'm betting after he spent the night on those rocks, that he wished he had of. I told him thanks when I left, that now karma would be good. And it was, I had a great catching week👍
 
We had two river flat bottom fishing boats for use at our fish camp on the Nushagak River in Alaska. We had some bone headed friends fishing with us from time to time. One came into the shore at camp to show us a big King he'd caught. He was so excited he jumped off the front of the boat as it touched the shore, his jump action pushed the boat back in the flow of the river and away it went. Brush downstream was too thick to chase it on foot. Our second boat was fishing below camp a couple miles, saw the empty boat going by and retrieved it. We had no radios and the camp was 10 miles below one native village and 20 miles above another. We really needed that boat and it was great to have it back. Chuck
 
Back when I was in my early twenties, my buddies and I went in on raft. We were fishing Dry Falls Lake in eastern Washington at the end of October, and had rowed out to an island. Water was probably 50 degrees or colder. As we were fishing someone asked who tied off the raft, as a breeze had picked up. We ran back to see it floating away! From then, it was a race to see who could get undressed the slowest 🤣. My friend swam out and got it, we were fortunate it was not far away, that would have been a cold night!!!
 
You guys are lucky. Jumping in the lake to save a boat is risky even in warm water. We’ve had several people drowned around home here over the years in summer time waters. I used to think it could never happen to me, but I get Charlie horses bad sometimes now. If you got one swimming you would be done. I think I’d be like Mark that Kevin rescued and wait for help.
 
I saw a video of a guy launch his bass boat with the trolling motor down when no dock was available. He used the remote to park it on spot lock a few yards out of the way while he parked the truck then recalled it to pick him up and off he went. Suspect he reversed to process to put it on the trailer. Chuck
 
cfulton said:
I saw a video of a guy launch his bass boat with the trolling motor down when no dock was available. He used the remote to park it on spot lock a few yards out of the way while he parked the truck then recalled it to pick him up and off he went. Suspect he reversed to process to put it on the trailer. Chuck
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I have done that. The problem is, if the trolling motor loses connection with the remote. I had turned off the spot lock to bring the boat to me, and lost the signal and the boat started drifting…fortunately drifted closer and the remote worked. I lost confidence in the method after that!
 
About 35 years ago my wife and 2 kids launched our 19 ft. Starfire from Hite in mid September, drove the van around opposite the marina to some coves on the west side of the lake. The cove we were camped in was quite deep and we could not see the open water of the lake. Perfect spot. Kids played all afternoon under clear skies. Cooked dinner and went to bed in dead calm, but I didn't bother to tie the boat up, just beached it bow in. We were so secluded I didn't think it was necessary. Didn't think! Some time in the middle of the night the winds came up and blew all the chairs, table and miscellaneous toys around the van and out into the water. That's when I noticed NO BOAT. Started swimming in the dark and found the boat several hundred yards out in the middle of the lake making its way across to Hite. Good thing the water was still warm from the summer sun. Never again. I now over tie our boat and sleep on it for insurance. No harm no foul but lesson well learned. Golly I miss Hite!!
 
Had one friend drown at Deer Creek res. , he tried swimming after his boat when it drifted out as he went to get his truck after night fishing for walleye. They found his body in 10 feet of water just off the end of the ramp. Almost lost another friend when he had boat drift away from houseboat on buoy at Hite at nite. He luckily put on a life jacket, that probably saved his life. When he finally got to the boat he was so cold and tired he couldn’t get into the boat! He finally worked his way back to the motor and managed to
Scramble up into it. He said it took him 24 hours to warm up and recover. He was very lucky. Best to secure the boat and be very careful.
A boat isn’t worth a life!
 
cfulton said:
We had two river flat bottom fishing boats for use at our fish camp on the Nushagak River in Alaska. We had some bone headed friends fishing with us from time to time. One came into the shore at camp to show us a big King he'd caught. He was so excited he jumped off the front of the boat as it touched the shore, his jump action pushed the boat back in the flow of the river and away it went. Brush downstream was too thick to chase it on foot. Our second boat was fishing below camp a couple miles, saw the empty boat going by and retrieved it. We had no radios and the camp was 10 miles below one native village and 20 miles above another. We really needed that boat and it was great to have it back. Chuck
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How much time elapsed from when the first boat drifted away until the second boat brought it back? Must have been some serious worrying during that time!
 
It was a coupe hours but the river has very light traffic and I'm sure it was the only boat that passed the downstream since we lost it. One of thier guys jumped into it and drove it back to our camp. The Nush is a big wide clear water (not glacial) with no white water or dead tree "sweepers" so it drifted with the current and nothing tipped or crashed it enroute. Chuck
 
Some friends spent a night in a hot spring on Mohave after their canoe drifted away when the water level came up. Some Good Samaritans helped them find it the next day. I’ve heard similar stories from Lees Ferry, and have always been neurotic about tie up on anything that floats. Minimum two lines at night, and I still wake up when the wind changes.
 
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