QUOTE(Ranman @ Jun 28 2004, 12:24 PM)[What else do you think would happen to your props/outdrive when you go that shallow? I mean, there's a "1 foot level right in the middle of where you circled! WTF? QUOTE
Would you make the same comment to every boater who ventures into Muscamoot too? Lots of 1's in there.
I hope when reading your charts if you see 1' on the map you don't honestly think the level is actually 1'. FYI, that number would be the low water datum, not the water level. Also, the charts are not 100% spot on with shoreline detail, but thanks for your pointless comment.
Anyway,
I'm the one he followed in the 18 Donzi. As we were leaving Gull at 6pm, there was a lot of traffic coming and going, especially between that point and Gull in the area shown by the tracklog. I was doing my best to stay the hell away from everybody and maintain a safe distance. At the time, I went "wide" to avoid traffic. Even in doing that I still had to come back off plane to get out of there safely. I missed the rocks, he hit them. It's unfortunate and also an expensive lesson. Thank to those who constructivly pointed out the danger area. We'll know to stay away from there in the future.
Please know that we've been on the lake many times before, but are certainly not experts. I just get annoyed when someone gets slammed for trying to be cautious and do the right thing.
1st: Not a pointless comment. Unjustified, yes.
2nd: I apologize Triplecrown and Ranman! I didn't mean to spout off quite that harsh, but you 2 were in/near a perfectly good channel but didn't use it, and that caused my outburst. LSCN is not here for that, but for peeps to share their knowledge of boating and LSC......so, you and triplecrown need a lesson on how to read lake levels off of your chart.
You're correct that the depth on the chart is referenced from the low water datum. Let's see, I looked
HERE and it says the water level on 6/28/04 is 29.3 inches above LWD. OK that's 2.4 feet. Add the chart depth, 1 foot: 2.4 + 1 = 3.4 feet = 39 inches! At a draft of 32 inches, you both we're cutting it pretty close. Any boat wake and/or rocks near you and you'd lose that 6 inches of leeway pretty quick.
As an FYI, lake level is usually reported from sea level, and that can confuse folks. But, it makes the calculation much easier: LWD = 572.3 feet, current level is 574.7 feet. Just subtract the current level from the datum and add the level on the chart: 574.7 - 572.3 = 2.4 feet, add the 1 foot on the chart and you get 3.4 feet, or 39 inches!