Hit an alligator

[whiteflash watersports]

So yup just like tittle says. Lake Kerr, Fl hit an alligator wakeboarding at about 24 mph. Hitting a gator is like hitting a log. It was probably about 10 footer based on what Insaw of it when it surfaced. Then it was gone.

Damaged the prop, caused v drive to seize. Had to swim boat to shore thankfully was only about 100 feet from shore. Had a lady drive us back to our lake house and towed to ramp with friends Monterey.

Three weeks, one missed holiday and one insurance claim later it is repaired. Insurance covered about 85% minus the deductible. All in it was $5600.00 repair. Damn gators.

[chpthril]

hit an alligator

Had to swim boat to shore

Nope nope nope!

[bsreid]

No thank you…. Glad it’s all fixed up relatively quick.

[boatwakes]

So as I was transiting Lake Okeechobee a couple years ago I saw a monster of a gator (probably 50 foot as I recall) as I was on the phone with my significant other who happened to ask "Should we be looking at lake property in Florida now?". This thread satisfactorily answers her inquiry. I also happened across a family surfing on the intracoastal prior to Okeechobee (as I was eastbound) and was like WTF?!!! Is there something in the water out there I'm missing (other than the obvious 100' gators)?

[25cents]

Nope nope nope!

I’m with chp on this one. Also love the only 10 footer mention. If I saw a 3 footer I’d be done on that lake.

[Ironrequiem]

If I am correct, Whiteflash is in Jacksonville. We are in central florida, same lake as Legoland, and we have a couple of 4 - 5 foot lizards (alligators) that hang out on my floating dock which is basically a 4'x8' floating barge we use if we need to do maintenence on our dock. They just hang out like its a tanning salon. If we are slow and quiet they just hang out and watch us as we get the boat loaded up. If we move too fast or get to close they dive right in the water. It is not uncommon to see 6-9 footers but FWC keeps up with the aggressive ones and will relocate them to more rural bodies of water. I can not say I have hit any gators but came very close to hitting one. We did suck up a small turtle in a sea doo jet boat pump and that was no fun.

Chomp.JPG

[talltigeguy]

I would not like to swim the boat to shore after that. I hear that even big ones are not likely to bother people, but that mouth full of teeth is still pretty scary.

I hit a duck with my air chair last week. Threw me into a nice faceplant. Killed the duck. The kids in the boat begged for the duck carcass, but dead animals are against the rules for the boat interior.

I might have considered taking the meatiest part of the gator, unless it is illegal. Gator meat is pretty decent, tastes like chicken.