RUNNING AGROUND

There are different degrees of being aground. You can be “hard aground” meaning you hit so hard that the hull imbedded into the bottom material, the hull may be breached (has a hole) or the forward motion of the boat is immediately stopped. “Soft aground” means you bumped the bottom, or moved into a very soft type of bottom, such as sand or mud.

Actions to take if aground

• Everyone puts on a life jacket. Remain calm.
• DO NOT put the engines in reverse in an attempt to undue what has already happened.
• Assess the damage. Check all bilge areas for signs of water. Listen to gas and water tank vents for sounds of rushing air. Rushing air means water is entering the tanks and forcing air out through the vents.
• If necessary, anchor the boat. If you are in tidal waters, find out the status of the tide. If it is incoming, you may be able to wait for the water level to rise and lift your boat enough to motor out of the area.
• If you bent the propeller, the rudder or damaged the shaft or its support, you will immediately notice a violent vibration when you reengage the engine. If this happens, stop your boat, anchor if feasible and call for assistance. Continuing to operate your boat with damage can cause even more serious damage.
• If there are no obvious signs of structural damage, you have a few choices to consider - is the tide incoming or outgoing? Will the tide be enough to re-float the boat?
• If there is no tide, determine if you can maneuver the boat out of the area (generally in the reverse direction) without causing damage. Raise the motor or outdrive to the point where it is just under the surface of the water and have passengers move to the opposite side of the boat from the impact area. Place the engine in reverse and use just enough throttle to move the boat.
• If in doubt, let a professional public or private salvage company get you off the bottom.
• Determine if you need to contact local marine rescue.