Another October Disaster at Round Valley

briansnat

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A year ago I posted this thread about a camping trip at Round Valley Reservoir in NJ that was a near disaster for some canoers and we were involved a bit in the rescue.

Well this year on the very same weekend, the last one in October, I became the rescued. I figured I'd grab a campsite at Round Valley and get in some evening and morning fishing. I was going solo this weekend. As I explained in my post from last year, it's a state park campground that is only accessible by a 2 1/2 - 3 mile boat ride or a 3-6 mile hike.

I arrived there a little after 4 pm on Saturday and decided to set up camp first so I didn't have to do it in the dark. I set up the hammock, stove, etc and just as the sun was setting, I headed out for some fishing only to realize I left my tackle box in the car, so back to the launch. Got the box and it was dark by now so I start motoring toward my fishing ground when I notice my fish finder wasn't working. I looked down at it and start playing with the wires and look up to see the shoreline closing fast. I cut the motor, but it was too late, hit it head on going pretty fast and I was pitched out of my seat onto the floor of the boat. I was OK and to my amazement the boat seemed to be fine, though it was most of the way up on the shore. Luckily I hit one of the few gently sloping, gravel sections on the entire reservoir. Most of it is very rocky and the section I hit was a manmade berm that was part of the dam. 100 feet to my left and I hit the dam head on. 200 feet to the right I hit the rocky shoreline. Total luck on my part despite my stupidity. It took me a while but I finally worked the boat back into the water, but too shaken to fish I went to the campsite, built a fire and smoked a few cigars.

I always double anchor my boat at RV a few feet off shore so it doesn't bang on the rocks if it gets windy. I woke up to a breezy morning and could see the boat in the dim light about 40 feet from shore. The stern anchor had worked it's way off the chain and the boat was riding the one anchor but the wind was taking it out. I stared at it for a while wondering what to do and finally stripped to my skivvies and swam out in the 55 degree water to get it.

Now the real fun started. I broke camp and loaded the boat with my camping gear and tried to push off directly into the teeth of a brutal wind which had by then shifted directly into my face. By the time I would get in the boat and start the engine I'd be blown back on the rocks. I tried rowing but could get nowhere. I threw the anchor back out to keep the bow into the waves, but the anchor line snapped (I lost two darn good anchors that day) so the boat blew parallel to shore and hung on the rocks at one point almost pinning me between the boat and rocks. I couldn't budge it and the waves were washing over the windward side. I sat there in waist deep, 55 degree water holding the boat trying to keep it off the rocks and also keep it from swamping by tilting it toward me when a big wave came then lifting it with all my strength so it landed gently on the rocks. By this time the strobe lights were going. Round Valley has four strobes on towers at each end. When they are flashing it means clear the water immediately and proceed directly to the nearest shore because conditions are too dangerous for boating.

So even if I could get it out out of the situation I had to go back to shore and I'd be in the same situation again. After an hour and a half waist deep in the water and exhausted from trying to keep the boat from smashing on the rocks it struck me that I could be there all day. I gave in and called the park police. About 30 minutes later they were on the scene in their "unsinkable" rescue boat.

We spent some time trying to get each other ropes to no avail, then they tried to get closer and hung up on the rocks themselves. I waded out in chest deep water to see if I could push them off (the rescued rescuing the rescuer) . I couldn't budge it so one of the cops jumps in gun, boots and all and the two of us get it off, but they managed to bend the propeller in the process. It took us nearly an hour but finally we got a line between the boats and they started to pull. My boat was sitting on some pretty jagged rocks and I pictured the bottom ripping like a tin can.

Finally free of the rocks, they towed me away from shore but I noticed the boat was full of water. Was there a hole or was it just the water that had been washing in throughout the ordeal? I watched the level closely and it didn't seem to be rising so I guess it was the latter. Because the strobes were on they wouldn't let me go in under my own power so I had a Nantucket sleigh ride of sorts, bobbing in two and sometimes three foot waves and getting drenched from head to toe with the spray. For some reason the theme song to Gilligan's Island kept running through my head. They could only go slow so it took us quite a while to get back.

Once I got the car on the trailer I took a quick look at the bottom and it seemed to be OK. Those old aluminum Grummans can take a beating. 55 degree water isn't half bad once you get used to it. I might have been borderline hypothermic after almost three hours in the water because I was really shivering and my legs were bruised and bleeding, but I refused the cop's offer to call an ambulance. That heat in the car certainly felt good on the way home.

Here is a pic I took of me getting towed back.
 
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ppine

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Brian,
I am not sure how to respond to your post. I think you need to learn to pay more attention. I do not see any 2-3 foot waves in your photo. The whitecaps are just starting.

Never be in a hurry because "you have to get home."
 

briansnat

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You are correct about paying attention. In 40+ years of boating I've never done anything like that and certainly never will again. Lesson learned and I got off easy. Even in a boat when you think you have nothing but open water ahead, getting distracted even for a moment can be dangerous.

That photo was snapped when the winds and waves had died down somewhat and I felt comfortable taking my camera out of the dry bag. 15 minutes earlier my camera would have been doused the moment I opened the dry bag.
 

Grandpa

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Thanks for sharing Briansnat. Your misfortunes can serve as warning for us all if we but heed your advice.
 

Pathwacker

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I have a Lowe 1448T with a 25hp manual start outboard. I take on lake wallenpaupack a totally different beast. I have a 55lb trolling motor and 85AH AGM battery and rowing paddles. 3 systems of propulsion and a dangerous lake. I broke the pull start mechanism under power and immediately returned back towards launch. Boat stalled and I paddled 2 hours back. Typical weekend whitecaps and no problems.
 

ppine

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What is a 9.9 lake?
You could have walked home or waited until the next morning. Never rely on the police, rangers or S&R to save you from your own bad judgement.
 

ponderosa

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Our boat once broke free from the anchor during a sudden huge windstorm. We had anchored it about 20 feet from the beach, waded the shallow water to shore and were relaxing/napping on the beach. Quite suddenly the wind started to blow about 40 mph, and we soon realized the boat was much farther away than it should have been. My husband impulsively started swimming for it, without a life jacket. I was fairly sure I'd end up stranded on a beach with my two kids and a drowned husband. Luckily, he quickly realized it was a bad plan and returned to the beach. There was hardly anyone else on the lake that day (a huge lake, several miles wide and about 20 miles long), but a jet skier happened by and gave him a ride to the boat. The wind was still atrocious. Luckily, there was a gently sloping sandy beach to land on so we didn't have to fight rocks. We were fortunate that the wind died down after several hours, so we didn't have to spend a night away from our camp on the other side of the lake. Still, not a great day for us.
I'm very glad all ended well for you and for the folks who helped you.
 

Cappy

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I sat here staring at a blank screen for several minutes. Trying to decide which scary boat experience to relate, finally decided it wernt no use cause I have plenty of them. The moral I guess is no matter how experienced and prepared you are, if you go often enough Feces will Occur.:canoe: The good thing is Brian is home safe with a good tale to tell. Trust me, they don't all end this well.
 

Grandpa

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The moral I guess is no matter how experienced and prepared you are, if you go often enough Feces will Occur.:canoe: The good thing is Brian is home safe with a good tale to tell. Trust me, they don't all end this well.
This is reminiscent of our ill fated scout backpacking trip this summer. Only the fact we were so well prepared kept a bad situation from turning critical.
 

briansnat

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[
What is a 9.9 lake?
You could have walked home or waited until the next morning. Never rely on the police, rangers or S&R to save you from your own bad judgement.
My judgment was certainly bad during my evening accident, but I don't see much that I could have done differently in the morning. When I retrieved my boat and began loading it it was windy, but manageable. But the wind picked suddenly and unexpectedly as I finished loading the boat and by then it was too late. The boat was in danger of sinking or smashing on the rocks (or both) if I left it alone. I wasn't about to lose the boat and a few thousand worth of camping and fishing equipment if I could help it. Walking back wasn't an option because I'd be leaving the boat, camping and fishing gear to the wind and waves and it would have been a 6 mile hike over rocky terrain wearing swim shoes.

At least the park police told me I did the right thing. In fact they said my biggest mistake was not calling them earlier.
 

Grandpa

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Couple of teenage boys, couple of teen age girls, small outboard just powerful enough to pull a skier. A watermelon and cooler of sodas. What a great day. Twin lakes, where the big lake is maybe a mile or so long and half a mile wide with a canal leading to the small lake of about 30 acres in size.

We had a skier on the back and were circling the small lake when we spotted some friends on the beach so we waved our skier in and joined them. Shared some watermelon and sodas in exchange for some sandwiches and both groups loaded up to go back to the docks. We got about a hundred yards from shore and suddenly a microburst hit. I have never seen waves like that on such a small body of water. We both managed to get our skier back in the boat and make it back to a beach but it was touch and go.

Hind sight is 20/20 but at the time we all make the best decision we can. There is no guarantee of safety in the outdoors so we deal with SHTF scenarios the best we can. We learn from our mistakes and if we survive those mistakes we become "experienced." Smart people can learn from others mistakes. It is easy to sit back and say "well if" when someone else has a problem but sometimes things just happen and damned if I am staying home just because something "might" happen.
 

Pathwacker

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Round valley is a small lake. Rated for 9.9hp max power boats only due it's description. Wallenpaupack is unlimited hp, and many say I'm nuts with a 1448T. I will not take my flat high transom model on a river.

I will not risk my life or others using this:ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416964061.990339.jpg

The next level lower of lakes are electric only. Get in trouble on electric only. Time to fish from shore.
 
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ppine

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Sounds like a lot of rules.

Two friends were recently rescued by helicopter from Pyramid Lake, Nevada which is about 10 miles by 26 miles long. Three fishermen drowned this week. Be careful out there.

Experience builds confidence and over-confidence can get you killed.

I have been labeled as a fear monger on another forum for being safety conscious. That is because I have enough experience to have a clue about what can happen on the water.
 

ppine

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Two years ago I was trolling for trout in November with my brother on a mountain lake in California at 5,800 feet. The lake is around 12 miles long and known for windy conditions. We were in my 19 foot Jetcraft with a windshield and a canvas top and sidecurtains. It is a deep vee hull with 12 degrees of deadrise at the transom and made for rough water.

All at once the wind changed direction, and freshened. The direction was from the South which created maximum fetch on the lake, allowing the waves to start building. Then a snow squall hit and we could no longer see the shore. We immediately pulled in our gear and headed for the boat ramp which was maybe five miles away. We chose a compass heading, turned on the windshield wiper so I could see and headed West. I knew there was a shoal out there, and throttled back to about 2-3 knots watching the depth finder. The spray was blowing horizonally over the rail. 20 feet, 15 feet, 11 feet, 7 feet, 5 feet, 8 feet, 12 feet, 26 feet. and back to deep water. My brother and I were raised on Chesapeake Bay and were used to rough weather. He stayed calm. We headed south of where we thought the boat ramp was on purpose. When we could finally see the shore, we headed north until we could see the boat ramp. The parking lot was empty. Another day on the water. Be careful out there.

I can only imagine the stories that Cappy can tell once you get him started.
 
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