Run In With a Sandbar

[Coop]

At Havasu last week, I ran into a sandbar (more like a sand plateau -- this thing was huge). The water was about 12 to 18 inches deep in the area, and I was towed off through about 30 feet of sand -- (needless to say, that was painful to watch). Limped back to the dock with lots of vibration. Once I pulled the boat out of the water, the only damage seemed to be to the prop. Skags, prop shaft, rudder all looked ok. Got a new prop the next morning (exact same 4-blade Acme) and put the boat back in the water. Ran it for three more days with no obvious problems. No overheating. No leaks. Speedometer and PerfectPass worked well. I thought I might have sensed some vibration, but that may have been my paranoid imagination.

Questions -- Are there potential "hidden" problems I should look for? Should I take it in to the shop to have it checked out before my next trip?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

By the way, if you're at Havasu, be careful of the west side of the lake on the north end of Lake Havasu City (heading towards the gorge). The sand comes out probably 200 feet off shore and is not marked. I was told the lake is down a couple of feet, which might explain it. There seemed to be a pretty small navigable corridor. I know this area has shifting sand, but this seemed like an unusually large area of it. Maybe the Havasu regulars know more. Just thought I'd pass it along.

Other than that, the trip was great. I loved seeing all the other Tiges out there -- most on any lake I've been to so far.

[yllw20]

it wouldnt hurt to have the prop shaft measured w/a dial indicator to make sure it is not out of spec.

[teachercop]

We were at Havasu June 9-12 and are returning June 30 thru the 7th. We anchored (box anchor) for a lunch break in a cove opposite of Copper Canyon. When we were ready to hit it, our anchor was firmly anchored. I worked the line and our box anchor had attached to a submerged humungus oil tanker type propeller - proved to be an excellent forearm workout. Apparently the BLM or somebody submerged salvaged marine parts throughout the lake to create man-made reefs. On calm days you can actually see many of these items throughout several coves.

I suppose given a choice between the sand bar and the anchor, I would take the anchor incident, just thought I would through it out there.

[svlperry]

have the engine flushed and the impeller changed

[surfmt]

I hit a sandbar 2 weeks ago I had to flush the cooling system and heeter everthing was full of sand I took the boat to yellow tail in Wyoming last week for 3 days no overheeting ran 6 hrs a day noproblamo

[Stoneman]

Having everything flushed is a MUST...hit a sandbar last season, replaced the prop, had the strut, shaft and skags realigned, but never even thought about having sand up inside of everything..boy was that a nightmare. I ended up having all kinds of extra problems because of that. Get it flushed!

[Wake Havasu]

North end of Havi is always shallow.

I take it really easy in attempts to go Topock.

And yes lake was low when you hit.

[wrangler]

It was interesting to read your post as we experienced the same sandbar but ended up using a different tactic...

We were heading up to Topock and went to the left as we travelled north and while the water got to about 2.8 feet and scared the you know what out of me, we made it though with no problem and had a nice trip through the gorge. After our favorite chorizo and eggs at Topock, we headed back down for an uneventful trip back...

I thought, hey it was a little too shallow on that side and we have had good luck on the the east side...the left as you are heading south... I started through there at about 20 mph and within seconds the water is 2.4 feet deep so I pushed the throttle forward and got the boat to sit up as high in the water as possible and went to about 30 mph. The water got to 1.9 feet deep on the guage and we kept motoring through. We got out and headed to the right away from the sand as it was still very shallow. An I/O that was following us got stuck in the sand behind us. There was a trail of sand cloud behind us as I looked back.

It gave me a heck of a scare...but everything seems to be fine. There was no damage to the prop...no vibration and the speedo, cooling, and various gauges all seemed to work fine. We drove it around for the next day and a half with no incident so I think I skirted getting a prop repaired and putting the new one I bought before we left on...

Be careful at the mouth of the river...the water didn't seem to be that low...but appearances can be very deceiving.

Smachfam...which boat was yours? wrangler

[Wake Havasu]

Originally posted by wrangler


I thought, hey it was a little too shallow on that side and we have had good luck on the the east side...the left as you are heading south... I started through there at about 20 mph and within seconds the water is 2.4 feet deep so I pushed the throttle forward and got the boat to sit up as high in the water as possible and went to about 30 mph. The water got to 1.9 feet deep on the guage and we kept motoring through.

wrangler

I panic at 6 feet!

I have munched three props so far!

At Powell I set the shallow to 16 feet.

[mtnsmith]

Wow you are lucky to generally have water that deep. My local lakes and the intercoastal that I use average about 5 ft. I guess you just have to get used to it and know where not to go.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by mtnsmith
Wow you are lucky to generally have water that deep. My local lakes and the intercoastal that I use average about 5 ft. I guess you just have to get used to it and know where not to go.

It all depends on how consistent the depth is and what's on the bottom. We have a lot of rocks, trees and tree stumps, so anything below 10 feet and I shut it down. If the bottom was more even and sandy, I'd be more comfortable with more shallow water.

[mtnsmith]

Good point, I remember smacking several tree stumps as a kid in our Nautique on Canyon Lake near San Antonio, where I grew up.

[Coop]

wrangler -- Glad to hear you got through it unscathed. I have a black/white 24V with an extended black/white/tan bimini. How about yours? I saw many other Tiges that weekend -- we may have gone by each other.

What's the name of the chorizo and eggs place? My wife loves good chorizo.

[xpjim1]

Hey we have twins. I have a black/white 24V with an all blacke extended bimini.

wrangler is referring to the restaurant at Topock Marina. Go up river, cross under the I-40 bridge and turn right in the marina. Park boat and enjoy the food.

Lake as down about 2 weeks ago. I only traverse the shallows with my seadoo when its like that. Can't give up a good meal.

[David Baker]

A couple weeks ago my wife was driving at almost idle just outside the bridge channel at Havasu. It appeared shallow so I asked her how deep it was. She says 40 feet, then 16 feet, then the prop polishing starts. I jump up and the depth gauge says 1.6 feet. She didn't see the decimal. No damage but she will never live this one down. I did find out my minimum depth is 1.7 off plane.