Joe's excellent adventure.

[puckster_guy]

  What a few fun days at camp last week...
I got to camp about 2pm on Tuesday, unpack the jeep, fire up the propane fridge etc. I have a beer and unwind from the trip. I have a usual routine of walking around the camp inside and out prioritizing jobs, gas in boat and jenny. Lunch/dinner. About 7pm I decide to put the boat in the water and go for a troll. I get the boat in the water then realize I didn't put in the plug! With the boat still on the trailer I decide to just reach around the motor and just pop it in. Instead of pulling the boat back out and making sure the plug was in right. Good move! The plug was loose and half in causing water to seep in rather fast. I park the Jeep and head down a channel. I stop at a point I like to troll past, Often pike and pics hang out there. A five minute drive at 20mph. Suddenly I feel water at my feet and only just notice the boat filling with water. Well I make a hard left and gun it for shore to beach the thing against the high rocky point. This caused the old tub to lean to the left and capsize. As it was starting to flip I dove or was tossed into the lake away from the boat. I swam to the overturned boat and held on. I then decided to use the boat as a paddle board and kick to shore I was only about 20 feet from shore and could easily swim it, I wanted to tie the hull to a tree to keep it from floating away. All the while thinking I might have to spend the night sitting on a rock soaking wet. At least the air and water was warm. It would have been a different story in May. I think this is where God enters the story. As I was flailing away trying to kick the boat to shore A neighbour of mine happens to be in the area on a kayak with his son on a surf board with a paddle. They notice the commotion of me kicking for five minutes and thought it was a kid on a board or in trouble so decide to take a look. Find me and help push the tub to shore. They then head back home and come back for me in their boat. I then, very gratefully spent the night in my own bed. With lots to think about.
In the ordeal. I lost most of my tackle, an expensive st.Croix rod and reel plus my cell phone and wallet. Not to mention the damaged consoles when we righted the boat. We cleaned out the motor and it started on the second shot. I just need to change the oil twice when I go back up tomorrow.
BUT I walked away. All I lost was just some toys and stuff, but I walked away. The Crestliner I bought in 1999 and was due for a major rebuild. It got me thru flawlessly getting me home every time in some of the worst of sudden Georgian Bay storms. It owes me nothing. Now I need to decide to rebuild it or replace it. I can run it the rest of the season. The drivers console is still solid but no glass. The passenger side one is gonna be removed and the hull is still solid. If someone in the North Bay area knows who can rebuild it over the winter I wouldn't mind an estimate for a new interior.. My phone was gone so I'll post pictures with my new one tomorrow. I was bummed out for a couple of days but alls good now.

[Greg]

I carumba.  Glad you are ok and ... As you say... You walked away.

How easily things can go south.

I wish you the best in your tackle recovery/shopping! 

Greg

[600 miles north]

Now there is a story for around the campfire!
Glad you walked... or swam away from your adventure! You need some snorkeling gear! I've found a few things on the bottom of the lake over the year!

[Oarin]

Glad you're OK. Stuff can be replaced, you can't be.

[Keeper64]

Holy crap, thats crazy and very scary!!  You are very fortunate to get some hep nearby!!  I've left the plug out before at launch as well but managed to get it back in, and get the bilge going. Crisis averted but a mistake, I won't make again. Glad to hear you're ok.

[puckster_guy]

 It was a simple mistake I've done before. I posted this as much as a reminder to you guys to be careful on the water. Anything can happen. it was a Tuesday evening and there's usually no traffic around here during the week. I'm counting myself lucky here in many ways. Out in the middle of the lake it would have been more difficult.

[Captain Hali]

What an adventure!! Glad you're O.K. If you know anyone with an Aqua-Vue camera they can lend you, it's not too difficult to snag them once located.

[Hodgey1]

Gezzz Puck, glad you made out ok. Like you said, if you were out in the middle of the lake things could have been way worse. It is definitely a good reminder to put the plug in as well as a reminder of how fast things can go to heck in a hurry.

[Jig and drift]

You are a very lucky sole. A little later, nobody around, farther from shore and everything is different. Play the lottery my man !!

[puckster_guy]

I bought a ticket on teusday when I was back in toronto.

[CaptainCrappie]

Holy Moley Puckster!  If that would have happened to me, funeral arrangements would be pending.  Losing your stuff absolutely sucks but when you realize what could have happened, it's not so bad.  Ya just never know what the day will bring.  Maybe we'll all be a bit more careful now. 

C.C.

[SgtCrabby]

Wowsers!  You are lucky.  As you said, you did walk away.


I forgot to put my plug in about a year ago.  I discovered it when I looked down and see water coming out of my deck drain. My cranking battery top (and connections) were barely above water.  The accessories battery connections had one under water.   I cranked the motor over and ran as fast as it would go back to the launch.   
I was much luckier;  I was in a creek so shores were close and the launch was only about 0.6 miles (y'all metric minded folks will recognize that's about 1 km).

[BigChief]

@puckster_guy glad to hear you are alright. Thank goodness for great neighbors.

I assume that is why your profile pic is flipped?

[fishtildark]

Wow Puckster. the Happy ending part is that you lived to tell about it. A reminder to all of us that things can happen quickly. And yes, in May it could have been different. Sorry about the fishing gear too. But glad you are ok.
FTD

[GregL]

Wow! scary!! Glad you are OK and have great neighbors!