Buddy and I were back in the basin late evening . We had taken his brand new Skeeter out . 30 minutes before dark we figured we should head in . Eased out if a canal into the channel and he showered down on the gas . Before we hit plane I looked ahead of us and I saw a black shadow in the water 30 /40 yards ahead of us . Well , needless to say we hit the floating crosstie . It through us both forward and he hit the throttle sending us down the channel at 45/50 mph . We then hit the bank and a cypress that stopped us dead still . I flew out and landed in the cottonwoods all cut up . My friend hit the windshield and cut up worse than me . The boat was totaled . It was after midnight before we got out and we both needed stitches . Lucky to be alive . Got insurance the next day and claimed it 2 weeks later .

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Posted by Sparkplug#1

Member since May 2013

7352 posts

Posted on 1/29/15 at 8:23 pm to MrLSU

quote:
Yes we could have ended up somewhere much worse like the Captain who ended up in the hospital in Cancun for two days.

Yeah, I felt for him in your story. I am just a hired captain, too. I've had my injuries while working for a client. I hope he was well taken care of by your father and recovered fully from his injuries.

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Posted by eng08

Member since Jan 2013

5997 posts

Posted on 1/29/15 at 9:26 pm to MrLSU

I love isla Mujeres.

I did a return trip from a race to there. The first 24 hrs was great, then once the wind died we tried to crank up the engine and motor. Only problem was the owner had not cleaned out the fuel tank before the trip and the race down shook all the gunk around in the tank. The gunk clogged the filters and the engine wouldn't turn over.

We drifted north for like 5 days until we got somewhat close to shore. Then the wind picked up and we sailed the rest of the way in until we were 200 yds from the harbor entrance.

The wind died at daylight and we were adrift 200 yds from the harbor. No one going fishing would tow us in, and finally we flagged down 2 old black guys in a 12 ft flat with a 15 hp engine.

Those 2 dudes pulled this 50 ft sailboat into the harbor and helped us tie up. We gave them every bottle of old booze on the boat.

A supposed 4 day trip turned into a 8 day trip. The scariest thing looking back was when the boat got hauled the next week to get the bottom cleaned the keel was just hanging there. Almost all the keel bolts had ripped off on the race down, we were one rough storm away from a complete cluster.

I will never do another trans ocean trip unless I personally inspect the boat top to bottom.

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Posted by beebefootballfan

Member since Mar 2011

19026 posts

Posted on 1/29/15 at 9:29 pm to eng08

Yep. Took the wife fishing.