Sunk my boat today

GDBrown · May 1, 2012

It's suppose to sink!

It's suppose to sink!

jamisonace said:
Eugene1 and I had our best chance of finding it yesterday with the water level a foot lower than when it sank. Now the water is on the rise so it may be a bit before it is seen. Like he said, he found my rowers bench and I'm guessing the rest of the boat is in pieces all over the river by now by how beat up the bench was.
I really appreciate all the advice and help. It means a lot to see so many caring people on this forum.

My only request is that you don't put yourself on any kind of danger if you come across it. It's not worth it.

There is a reason drift boats don't have air pockets to prevent them from sinking....... They become hazards to navigation on narrow fast rivers! If you find it the best thing may be to make sure it is not a hazard and wait until lowest water time of year to get at it. If you are insured, file a claim and be glad for what you have learned.... I thank God you are alive to talk about it.

I have a new rule in my life the last few years. If the water is cold and deep enough to drown in I have my PFD on even if I'm a bankie.

Sorry for the tough learning, I'll remember about letting a new boater take the sticks...

GD

jamisonace · May 2, 2012

The crane at I-5 pulled a boat out of the river. It wasn't mine but it was in surprisingly good condition.

GraphiteZen · May 2, 2012

jamisonace said:
The crane at I-5 pulled a boat out of the river. It wasn't mine but it was in surprisingly good condition.

Boy I get that was a quick little roller-coaster of a ride.

BTW my buddy emailed the diver at my request, to find out if he would even be receptive to the idea and what the cost scale would look like. Waiting to hear back.

eugene1 · May 2, 2012

jamisonace said:
The crane at I-5 pulled a boat out of the river. It wasn't mine but it was in surprisingly good condition.

One of the cranes there routinely has a driftboat with a kicker hanging on it after work hours. I think they use it for their work. Do you know if the one you're referring to was sunk?

rippin fish lips · May 2, 2012

eugene1 said:
One of the cranes there routinely has a driftboat with a kicker hanging on it after work hours. I think they use it for their work. Do you know if the one you're referring to was sunk?

I always see that drift boat, it was always beached on the south shore of the bridge.

jamisonace · May 2, 2012

OH OK....my mistake. I figured they fished out a wreck. It looks like it's floated into a boulder or two in its lifetime. Love those well fished boats.

DYJ · May 3, 2012

Dang Jamie... I just found this thread. Like I said in our PM's back and forth, I am glad everyone was OK.

Reading this scares me because I am a new drift boat owner fishing that strecht of river... not to mention the other couple that found themselves stuck on a log in the McKenzie last week. I have a lot of respect for the river, I've seen people snag rafts on root wads and we saw the young U of O student drown at Hayden Bridge several years ago, my older brother gave him CPR. I consider myself a strong swimmer and I admit I do not wear a PFD in my boat. I've got some money saved up and I started looking for a kicker motor. But after reading this, I am gonna take that chunk of money and go out this weekend and buy three good inflatable PFD's. The light weight ones that I know won't be a hassel to wear and the rule is everyone wears one.

Just like everyone else offered, if you need anything just hollar.

GraphiteZen · May 3, 2012

DYJ said:
Dang Jamie... I just found this thread. Like I said in our PM's back and forth, I am glad everyone was OK.

Reading this scares me because I am a new drift boat owner fishing that strecht of river... not to mention the other couple that found themselves stuck on a log in the McKenzie last week. I have a lot of respect for the river, I've seen people snag rafts on root wads and we saw the young U of O student drown at Hayden Bridge several years ago, my older brother gave him CPR. I consider myself a strong swimmer and I admit I do not wear a PFD in my boat. I've got some money saved up and I started looking for a kicker motor. But after reading this, I am gonna take that chunk of money and go out this weekend and buy three good inflatable PFD's. The light weight ones that I know won't be a hassel to wear and the rule is everyone wears one.

Just like everyone else offered, if you need anything just hollar.

Good man.

Good rules of thumb are to never let your boat turn more than 45 degrees perpendicular to the current, and always try to face the more dangerous obsitcal; so that you can keep and eye on it and row backwards away from it with your most powerful stroke direction. Always ALWAYS steer well clear of logs and root wads (strainers). Especially on the Willamette.

rippin fish lips · May 3, 2012

GraphiteZen said:
Good man.
Always ALWAYS steer well clear of logs and root wads (strainers). Especially on the Willamette.

The willy sure does seam to have an abudent of them laying around!! Found that out in my inner-tube one day!! lol They sneak up on ya in that murky water.

Troutski · May 4, 2012

PM sent...

my2labs · Mar 7, 2020

jamisonace said:
I had just got it all decked out for summer and in about 5 seconds it was gone along with a crap load of gear. I let a beginner row and he immediately took us into a tree and we flipped. Oh well. Everyone made it to shore with little more than a few frayed nerves so I've been thanking God for that all day long.

Anyway.....help me find it and all the stuff that floated out of it. Life jackets, oars etc.

It's a blue and silver North River.....I'm guessing it's the only one sitting on the bottom of the river in that particular stretch:lol:

I dumped it just above the Island Park ramp on the Eugene side. If you are familiar with the area we were right next to the RV park. I'm guessing it drifted another 100 yards to 1/4 mile but I seriously doubt it made it to the D ramp.

I'll be on the dragging treble hooks for the bow line that is at least 20' long and hanging loose.

Please call me if you see it.

Jamie

541-915-3097

Thanks!!!

I realize this is old.... but I am so curious after reading the thread.

Dis you ever find it?

jamisonace · Mar 7, 2020

Funny that I never updated this.

We found the boat two weeks after it sunk in a favorite steelhead hole. My friend was plugging through the hole and his daughter saw something under the water but couldn’t figure out what it was. My friend took a peek and realized it was a sticker on the side of my boat. I put on my wetsuit and dove in to assess what it would take to get it out. It was only a few feet down and it had hung up in a fallen tree about 5 feet from the bank. Once I got it cut out from the tree, we roped it to my friends boat and worked it over until it was right side up. At that point it just kind of slid onto a gravel bar with most of the boat out of the water. Once we got the gunnels above the water line we were able to drain the boat. It was an empty hull so I put my friends motor on it and motored it back up to the ramp.

Koffler rebuilt all my boxes and seats, pounded out some dents and repainted it. Allstate paid for everything, including all new gear so in the end I made out OK.

my2labs · Mar 7, 2020

jamisonace said:
Funny that I never updated this.

We found the boat two weeks after it sunk in a favorite steelhead hole. My friend was plugging through the hole and his daughter saw something under the water but couldn’t figure out what it was. My friend took a peek and realized it was a sticker on the side of my boat. I put on my wetsuit and dove in to assess what it would take to get it out. It was only a few feet down and it had hung up in a fallen tree about 5 feet from the bank. Once I got it cut out from the tree, we roped it to my friends boat and worked it over until it was right side up. At that point it just kind of slid onto a gravel bar with most of the boat out of the water. Once we got the gunnels above the water line we were able to drain the boat. It was an empty hull so I put my friends motor on it and motored it back up to the ramp.

Koffler rebuilt all my boxes and seats, pounded out some dents and repainted it. Allstate paid for everything, including all new gear so in the end I made out OK.

Cool ending to the story

Bake · Mar 8, 2020

Too bad about losing all your "cool" guns. The AR15 H-Bar ( Short range High Powered Match), M1a ( Long-range High Power Match), M1911a1 (Stock class ), 1911-a1 (Full Race), Super 90 M-1 12ga.(3 gun matches), and a couple of Glocks with large capacity stock mags. I didn't have any insurance on my boat but did get lucky after a couple of weeks and I was able to recover the boat in 100' of water. I guess my guns are still under 100' of water and mud. I took the "Loss" of my guns like a man, and never looked back...

Sunk my boat today

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