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Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-11-2012, 3:26 PM Reply   
Ok so I know there are a lot of people on here that go to rivers for the awesome water conditions, myself being one of them so this is my question:

How big does debris (stick and limbs) need to be to do damage to your boat?

I try to avoid anything I see while riding and as a result I always ride with seat bolster up however there is a SAN that rides my river and I have seen them just plow right through some stuff that I would never take my boat through. This is especially an issue after a big storm up north, it seems all the loose stick find their way into the river.
Old     (ian_ashton)      Join Date: Jul 2008       03-11-2012, 3:46 PM Reply   
I personally would rather not find out how big something needs to be to damage my boat.
Old     (hunter660)      Join Date: Aug 2007       03-11-2012, 4:25 PM Reply   
I've hit stuff bigger than I wanted and have never had any damage other than a prop
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       03-11-2012, 4:46 PM Reply   
I try to avoid even the smallest stick on the Willamette River. But sometimes it's just not possible either because there's another boat coming the other way making it impossible to change course or sometimes you don't see the stick until right before it disappears under the bow as you pass over it. In those cases you just say a little prayer. LOL.

I have seen sticks come out the backside in pieces, usually because they were waterlogged.

So to answer your question, I don't think size is the issue. It's how long the stick has been in the water. If its soft and mushy, even a big one won't do any damage.
Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-11-2012, 4:55 PM Reply   
We have been out on days where I am paranoid and watching the water very closely because there were a lot of sticks and such in the water that worried me. While I am driving like a grandma I see a SAN 230 i think it was with a ride in tow just plow right through the middle of the river not even trying to miss sticks, driver kicked back with the sunglasses on, didnt even look like he could see over the bow.
Old     (hillbilly)      Join Date: Aug 2002       03-11-2012, 5:04 PM Reply   
I've hit some 6 inch dia or so stuff. I try to avoid it but just cringe a bit when it happens. I imagine the stuff stuck in place does more damage since there is no give when you hit. Sometimes when the water is smooth enough you can't see the debris until your right on top of it.
Chances you take for butter I guess!
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       03-11-2012, 5:04 PM Reply   
Here's a funny story for you...

I was at Lake Shasta last June. The MB was brand new... less than 10 hours and this was our first major trip with it. I noticed a few small sticks in the water around the ramp, but nothing major. As soon as we got outside the no wake zone, I hit the gas and almost immediately I noticed a serious vibration at speeds over 15 mph. WTF! This is a new boat and we are on the front end of a full week at Shasta! I was pissed.

So I stop the boat and put on my handy goggles to go down below for a look see. I feared the worst.

When I get down there the prop looks immaculate. Then just as I was about to run out of breath I see something small stuck to the tip of one of the blades... It was a tiny piece of soft wood, maybe 2" long. It had gotten pieced by the blade and was logged there throwing everything out of balance. I couldn't believe my fortune. I grabbed it off, and away we went... vibration free!

We must have hit one of those small sticks and butchered it with the prop. It was soft enough that a small piece got stabbed just right by the tip of that blade. Amazing!!
Old     (cwb4me)      Join Date: Apr 2010       03-11-2012, 5:06 PM Reply   
What you don't see usually won't hurt your boat,but what you hear usually always does.
Old     (heidi629)      Join Date: Jul 2011       03-11-2012, 10:30 PM Reply   
I say you keep doing whatever your doing and continue to be extra careful. Just because you'll have a back up prop soon doesn't mean you want to need it!

I don't plan on running over anything purposely and trusting it won't do any damage...I think common sense is key!
Old     (pc_sledge)      Join Date: Jan 2006       03-12-2012, 3:38 AM Reply   
Rule of thumb, 3' long or less and 2" diameter or less will just flow around the edges of the hull. Usually the ones that do damage don't float as easy as the small ones so you usually can't seem them anyway.
Old     (you_da_man)      Join Date: Sep 2009       03-12-2012, 5:46 AM Reply   
That's why I'm so sketched out about riding in small to medium size rivers. The nature of a river means there's always a current and current moves things...unlike a lake (unless it's just after a couple days of heavy rains then there's a few floaters to watch for until the wind pushes it to shore).
Old    LR3w8kbrdr            03-12-2012, 7:01 AM Reply   
We've had to swerve to miss tractor tires, logs & even some dead floating farm animals lol. But it was always the best water after a storm. Besides a few dinged up props nothing too serious. Take that back, my father ripped his entire lower unit off last summer at his lake house on his 23' i/o. Thank god it wasnt on the wakeboat. I chalk it up to him reaching 50yrs old and all of a sudden has lost his mind.
Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-12-2012, 8:42 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by you_da_man View Post
That's why I'm so sketched out about riding in small to medium size rivers. The nature of a river means there's always a current and current moves things...unlike a lake (unless it's just after a couple days of heavy rains then there's a few floaters to watch for until the wind pushes it to shore).
yeah but the water is so much better than a lake, we dont have to worry about wind or traffic, weekends or weekdays. butter 24/7...
Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-12-2012, 1:44 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by heidi629 View Post
I say you keep doing whatever your doing and continue to be extra careful. Just because you'll have a back up prop soon doesn't mean you want to need it!

I don't plan on running over anything purposely and trusting it won't do any damage...I think common sense is key!
I agree but I just want to ensure I am not being overly paranoid. It makes going out stressful worrying about running stuff over all the time! Guess the more bud light we stock the less we will care ha
Old     (you_da_man)      Join Date: Sep 2009       03-12-2012, 2:02 PM Reply   
I stay paranoid on the Brazos River in Waco. Ive taken my boat there twice and have hit something twice (no damage...very old, soft wood). I don't see me taking my boat there much if at all. It's so narrow I won't turn around with a rider in tow. Plus I'm coming to realize the short 1/2 - 3/4 mile passes and having to let go, then get up get old real fast. I'm sure the Trinity River is much better.
Old     (migs)      Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SF Bay Area       03-12-2012, 2:08 PM Reply   
my rule of thumb: dont run over ANYTHING - no matter what size.
Old     (snork)      Join Date: Jun 2007       03-12-2012, 2:46 PM Reply   
I live in Dallas and I hope all the shat thats sewer dept releases into the Trinity get filtered by the time it gets to Houston. brown water
Oh and the Logs you see probably soft enough to roll through
Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-12-2012, 4:45 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by snork View Post
I live in Dallas and I hope all the shat thats sewer dept releases into the Trinity get filtered by the time it gets to Houston. brown water
Oh and the Logs you see probably soft enough to roll through

I guess it does cause we have resorts on the river and huge lake home communities on lake livingston. never heard of anyone getting sick or anything from riding in the river. we do have a lot of alligators though but i dont think that those are from dallas
Old     (rdlangston13)      Join Date: Feb 2011       03-12-2012, 4:47 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by you_da_man View Post
I stay paranoid on the Brazos River in Waco. Ive taken my boat there twice and have hit something twice (no damage...very old, soft wood). I don't see me taking my boat there much if at all. It's so narrow I won't turn around with a rider in tow. Plus I'm coming to realize the short 1/2 - 3/4 mile passes and having to let go, then get up get old real fast. I'm sure the Trinity River is much better.
im sure the trinity has parts where it is wide enough to turn around pulling someone but i never do it. we can ride for miles in either direction from the hwy 19 ramp without having to turn around and it is usually 30 ft through out most of it with some parts getting up to 50
Old     (matt75)      Join Date: Nov 2010       03-12-2012, 6:19 PM Reply   
David- I did a 180 with Cody on the rope with the DD Supra, but don't think I'd like to try with the Axis
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       03-12-2012, 6:53 PM Reply   
Where I ride it can b e pretty bad. The thing you worry about are telephone poles, railroad ties, pilings, etc. Often they're so waterlogged they sit right below the surface and when it's calmest, what we seek, you can't see them... Or you have pilings and such sitting vertically in the water just below the surface and you only see them between waves. If it has rained heavily recently you don't go out.

You also have to be careful riding, even if your driver is staying clear of the debris you need to spot your landing before you make your cut in at the wake. Plenty of times I've had to abort because there's large debris where I'd land that could hurt you, especially if you botch it and fall.

Other times, since where I ride is tidal, you never really know. I often drive a half hour down river to Philadelphia to get lunch after riding and I've had times it's perfectly clean water on the way there but when I come back up river I'm just idling through a debris field.

Even with teh river as crazy as it can be at times I've only hit things a couple times... Every time has been while idling along at no wake and paying more attention to talking to friends, tuning stereo, etc.. Worst that has happened is a thunk and I get my attention all back on driving. No damage to the hull or underwater gear. Also where I riude you have about 1/2 to 3/4 mile and have to turn around so even with a fast current from the tide the debris moves slow enough that you know the debris field and will pass each piece a couple times before it passes.

It is what it is... Around here the only place to ride is the river where it's fresh water or drive a bit farther and ride in the bays where it's salt. No lakes. So I ride in the river north of the salt water line. I'd rather dodge debris after a rain than put my boat in salt every weekend.
Old     (bftskir)      Join Date: Jan 2004       03-12-2012, 6:55 PM Reply   
I've seen a railroad tie floating even with the surface, plywood, lumber, split firewood. We towed the railroad tie to shore and now its a parking stop in the boat ramp parking lot, it does not matter if its a lake or river although rivers usually have more debris. I recommend a close watch by the driver at all times and when in doubt- STOP, if you can't steer around it or tell what it is. I may need to be more careful since we only barefoot so I am watching for the boat and the skier.
Yes, common sense-not so common.

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