Demise of my Twin BJ26 Cat

[cogwheel1]

I've been in morning for a month now. I went to the Lake as I sad I was going too for my BJ26 maiden voyage, (see setup on BJ26 twin post), and there was an area about 1/8th mile not frozen. My Bro launched his EKOS and I readied mine. After about 4 minutes of his I couldnt wait any longer. I launched it and ran it around for a while to break in, then throttled up slowly to full and it hauled ass! The setup seemed fine as to balance and-so-on, and the water was smooth. My Bro said to wait till his came in, so I did. I started to go and after about 15' stood on it. It leaped out of the water about 5-6' and landed upside down. I had plenty of flotation so it sunk about 1/2 way nose up. My bro launched his EKOS to push it in (it was out about 35' from shore). As he was pushing it in he lost a flex shaft/prop and could barely get his boat in. I almost went swimming for it (I'm a good swimmer), but my bro and son talked me out of it because of the freezing water and air temps were around 20f. I went to the Rangers house for a pole. He came out 20 minutes later with one he must have found on the beach. When we got back to the boat it was 100' out, but I was determined to cast out to it. I did a whale of a cast and thought it might be enought, but about 25' from the boat the piece of junk reel ran out of line. By then it was night. I have no boat here at home--I have a Houseboat, Wakeboard boat, 29' Cat and 4 Seadoos at Lake Powell, but nothing here!!! I tracked down a boat 2 days later, went to the Lake and it was Frozen solid!! There went $700.00! I have since bought a raft and outboard--hey that's never going to happen to me again. I was so depressed that my bro gave me a 43" Conquest Cat which I am rigging with twin KB45XL's and Stingers. Pics will follow when done. I will build another BJ26 cause I like them. I would have never believed the boat would have launched so far out of the water even though it had so much motor and props, and since we hade 2 FE's we thought we were fine (one could rescue the other---wrong. That was an expensive lesson. I'll be the first on the Lake as it is thawing but I'm sure the boat is crushed. I would ljust like to find the boat, even busted up.
Russ

[dirtysouth31]

[Steven Vaccaro]

Russ, sorry to hear that.

I wonder why it took on water in the first place? Normally my boats float just as well upside down as right side up.

[cogwheel1]

Blackjack hatches are magnetic and not sealed. After I checked out setup, I was going to paint it and work on sealing the hatch. It took on water fast because for its size, it is heavy due two two big motors, speedos, drives and lipos.It wouldnt have mattered though because it didn't sink. it just went nose up. I tried the radio, hoping that it would power out, but receiver got wet first. When it was upside down the boat worked, but drives were out of water. They caught a few times but rudder was completely out of water, so no control.
Russ

[Doby]

Sorry for your loss, but a 700 dollar boat needs a 1 dollar roll of tape for the hatch, and it would still be floating. Its the only way to truly seal a boat.

[cogwheel1]

I guess I wasn't clear. The boat floated, but blew away from shore, and now is entombed in ice somewhere on Dear Creek Lake, Ut. No amount of tape would right the boat, or save it from a Lake freezing over.
Russ

[Rumdog]

Yes, but it wouldn't have taken on any water!

[Jesse J]

I feel ya, had one of my first flip mid pond just AFTER the thaw... before I had raft or rescue craft. I made the stupid panic ruled decision to swim for it - got it and barely made it back before my muscles started to lock up. you should have seen how the guys here yelled at me (rightly so!). since then I got me a raft and made a rescue barge.

I also tried to rescue a flipped boat with another FE - a hydro. My 26" mono flipped on 6S with no flotation. It was taped of course, but as I got back to the pond with my "rescue hydro" (incidentally on the same FM frequency), I noticed the mono was halfway under. Sent the hydro out and after some tricky maneuvering, gave the protruding front third of the skyward pointing mono a bump (I didn't expect the mono to wake up and shoot 3' out of the water!). The second time, it actually flipped the hydro upside down! By the time I got a pool skimmer and waded belly-deep into the pond, I netted the mono as it was 2' under the surface and heading to the bottom.

My very next project was the rescue barge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekXDLUokDI

[BILL OXIDEAN]

As bloodthirsty as we may be to run, its never a good idea to run electrics in weather under 50 degrees under any circumstances tape or not.

I live in San Fran where it can get pretty dogone cold. there are numerous reasons I've been docked this cold season.

Number one, I'm prone to violent blowovers. I'm not too anxious to go wading for a boat in 38 degree water when it sinks wetsuit or not..

Two some of my smaller boats are ABS cold weather makes plastic and many other materials more brittle.

Cold tape dosen't stick simple as that. Its often so cold that moisture condenses on the deck. If you can see your breath I'm sure there's a film of moisture on the boat.
Combine stiff tape, poor adhesion quality and moisture on the deck and you've got a hidden dizaster in the making.

Sure, the tape will appear to be on but blow that pup over at 45plus and see what it gives you..

[hydromaddicted]

I would'nt say it's never a good idea to go into/over water when it's 50 degrees or below unless your very prepared, and you can surely run your boat at these temps. I'm sure there's quite a few places in Utah/Montana the water does'nt see much over 50 degrees all year from snow melt. Just don't get in the water or on a raft without proper gear wetsuit/drysuit be prepared for the eventual blowover and the consequences of it.

[BILL OXIDEAN]

I would'nt say it's never a good idea to go into/over water when it's 50 degrees or below unless your very prepared, and you can surely run your boat at these temps. I'm sure there's quite a few places in Montana the water does'nt see much over 50 degrees all year from snow melt. Just don't get in the water or on a raft without proper gear wetsuit/drysuit be prepared for the eventual blowover and the consequences of it.

Great point, I meant weather.

[cogwheel1]

I still am in morning..... I conceed that had I had the entire hatch taped it may not have taken in any water, right up to the point that the ice crushed the hull a few days later.
The only things that could have saved the boat are: 1) Not having run it, or 2) having some sort of rescue craft. 3) Having had a good fishing pole, Or 4) Risked my life to swim out and get it in 32-33* water.
Right now I'm wishing I had done any of the above.
Next time I will have the raft&outboard I bought, and a fishing pole/tennis ball.
I still have this nagging sense that I'll find the boat in a couple of months, albiet broken up....
well maybe.........
Russ