Chick was good then bad to me today

[Blue76]

I launched at the dam about 8am this morning. Decided to fish the downed trees right near the ramp. About the third cast i set the hook in a nice 6-12 oz LM. My best fish in a while. Man the day started awesome. After messing around a little while I decided to run to to the Harrison Bay Area.

Let me remind those who have not read my other posts. I have not been on the Chick in anything but a kayak in over 20 years.

Running up the lake I was trying to spot the marker buoys with the sun in my eyes. What I thought was a marker was not. I somehow managed to go to the right of the red buoy in the long turn past booker T.

Big mistake. It is only about a foot deep. I was only running about 25 to 30 but there I was beached like an idiot.

Had to call for a tow. Embarrassing. I can believe I am even posting to the public forums. But I thought maybe someone else can learn from my mistake. Pay attention to the buoys. Better yet learn the lake. I failed at both.

Now my pristine hull looks like it was sanded down the middle. Not sure what to do about that. If anything. Chalk it up to learning the hard way I guess.

My prop is another story. It is chewed up and has a couple of bad dents. Can they be repaired or do I need to drop 450 for a new one? It is a Raker II 14.5 x 22. Anyone have one for sale?

The lower unit is all scratched up. I am guessing I can get matching paint somewhere and sand and repaint. Any tips on that?

Lastly. Could this have damaged my lower unit in some way that will show up at the worse time? Should I take it somewhere and have it checked? It seemed to run fine afterward but I don't want it to cause something major to fail later.

I would like to say I am still sick. I haven't had this boat a week yet. I must not be liv'n right.

Any tips or help would be appreciated.

Greg

 

[DinkDink]

Sorry to hear this. Congrats on your catch. Not an expert on boat motors or lower units but I hope you didn't hurt it bad. I'm sure someone on here can help you out

 

[Nitro66]

I would change lower unit oil now, and then check it again after a few trips to be sure no water is in your lower unit oil.

 

[Jake Grey]

Send the prop to Mark Croxton: http://marksprops.com/about.html

If it can't be repaired he will tell you and then you can decide which way to go. As to your other issues, they sound cosmetic so good luck and I'll let others chime in.

Jake

 

[ddxlesd]

A day to remember, in more ways than one. Congratulations on the nice LM. Hope you had your rig insured. Be a good time to call your insurance agent. Good Luck.

 

[Blue76]

Ya. It is insured. But with my daughter recent wreck and the others kids speeding ticket. I am afraid to file a claim. They will probably drop me..

Greg

 

[porthos33]

SHew tough luck bud. You are not the first person to do this and you definitely won't be the last. It can be tricky out there when you don't know the lake and its hidden shallows. Good luck on getting your boat taken care of

 

[Gator]

Sorry about the beaching incident but glad you didn't get thrown out of the boat.

You probably should call your ins company and get your boat fixed right. After all that's why you carry the insurance. I do not think a boat accident would cause your ins to cancel or raise rates. I have had a few claims over the years and it didn't happen to me.

If you decide to not file a claim you can get the prop repaired so it looks like new at Performance or Dans Prop shop in Soddy. Should you have lower unit problems it can get expensive and your gel coat needs fixed too.

Good luck.

 

[snsellers1]

Dang, I hate to hear that! Sorry about your new boat! Congrats on the big fish! Do you happen to be Sarah's dad? I worked with Quinn for a few years and saw that you had a new boat. Your lower unit should be fine if it is all in one piece and is still running fine. I would get your prop reworked instead of buying a new one. They can get it looking and working just like it did to begin with for less than half the price. I hear there is a guy in soddy daisy that does really good work on them.

 

[Muskrat]

Sorry about the bad luck after the good bass. I wound up in a foot of water a week or so back in an area I wasn't familiar with. I was lucky I was moving at a snails pace. It happens. Your report will be a good reminder for me and others about the low water. Hope your back out on the water soon.

 

[taylortime09]

Hate to hear it buddy. Dan's prop shop repaired mine back in August and did a great job. The damage to yours sounds very similar to mine. Like Nitro said, I'd change the lower unit oil and check for water after a few trips. Also, carefully inspect the prop shaft with the prop still on to make sure it isn't bent. The prop should spin evenly inside the lip of the casing without rubbing or getting closer to to the lip in spots as it turns. Those are two big issues that could lead to very pricey repairs. If both are fine after the prop repair I'd say you're good and chalk it up as lesson learned.

 

[Blue76]

Gator - 3/11/2014 8:51 PM

Sorry about the beaching incident but glad you didn't get thrown out of the boat.

You probably should call your ins company and get your boat fixed right. After all that's why you carry the insurance. I do not think a boat accident would cause your ins to cancel or raise rates. I have had a few claims over the years and it didn't happen to me.

If you decide to not file a claim you can get the prop repaired so it looks like new at Performance or Dans Prop shop in Soddy. Should you have lower unit problems it can get expensive and your gel coat needs fixed too.

Good luck.

I may talk to ins about it. Who does gel coat repair around here?

Greg

 

[drumking]

For prop repair, I have used Billy Eaves (Sale Creek) 423-531-2569. Great job by Billy on my prop. emoBigsmile

 

[Fshn Cpa]

If any doubts about your lower unit, have it checked by a good mechanic. If you have any damage, it may not show up right away. Performance Prop has done a good job for me.

 

[mocs-tr20]

first off congrats on a nice fish. second i would prob invest in a gps so you know where you are going.....it is a life saver on new water. I went to Lake Fork a couple years ago never had the first problem navigating, even with all the standing timber.

 

[takenoprisoners]

My jaw is still dropped. Sorry to hear about the bad fortune.

 

[catch 1]

I would also flush the the motor cooling system. Mercury has a plug you can remove and hook up a water hose to flush the motor. May want to check the water pump also.

 

[Liveliner]

Electronics with GPS and lake info loaded is something well worth the investment. Mine will show narrow creek passes submerges so you can get in and out of shallow water situations.. The best part is the suggested line of travel you can follow even at night.

 

[Blue76]

Liveliner - 3/12/2014 2:07 PM

Electronics with GPS and lake info loaded is something well worth the investment. Mine will show narrow creek passes submerges so you can get in and out of shallow water situations.. The best part is the suggested line of travel you can follow even at night.

This will be my next purchase... Before my boat goes back on the water I will have this... Should have already done it but thought I would save up the money... guess what... emoBang

 

[Lunch_Box]

Dont forget to check the transom where the jack plate or motor bolts on to see if it cracked. you can check your oil in your lower unit if its milky you got water in it. Tough luck, but we have all done something similar at one time or another.