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Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
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Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Had a great afternoon of king fishing @ 90/90. Had a horrible night of running aground on a shoal in the pitch dark. We started fishing at 90/90 around two PM and of course the fish started feeding around four PM. We were trolling live bait we had caught on sabiki's and we had a few baits bitten in half despite the stinger hooks. And then around five o'clock the center rod went screaming. I knew it was a big king. I fought it as the sun was dropping fast. Finally I boated it after about fifteen minutes. He was big, looked like a dang wahoo in length. I plan to weigh him today, my scale on the boat is not working. Well its getting dark now and we head back to the inlet. We get inside and I am navigating with the GPS and a spot light and some how ended up on a bar even though my GPS had me dead center of the channel .Between the green and red buoys. And the tide was falling fast. We pulled our shoes and socks off and our pants so they would stay dry, got out and tried in vain to push the boat off but it was fruitless. We knew we had to sit till the high tide. I was going to call sea tow but as we looked around it appeared that we were surrounded by bars in every direction and sea tow wouldn't be able to get to us. So we all called home on cells and explained the situation. With my wife freaking out. I assured her that we were safe, just uncomfortable. I had gloves and knit caps in a large zip lock bag and I had just put a few packs of hand warmers on board the day before ( weird timing ). So I passed them around to very happy and surprised buddies. One of my buddies was shaking and thought he was running a fever and that he was coming down with something. I dumped out my two first aid kits and found Tylenol and asprin and Ibuprofen. Gave him Tylenol , I took asprin and Ibuprofen. I told him to take a cushion and get inside the center console compartment where its warm. I shut everything off except the nav lights and tossed the anchor out. There was an island next to us and I was afraid I would be pushed up and banged around. The compartment was nice and warm but cramped so I only went in there from time to time to warm up, while my buddy slept curled up on the floor . My other buddy( Shaun ) cuddled on the bow with my dog. I gave him a seat cushion from the bench seat from the back of the boat to lie down on. And I stayed up on watch. About two AM waves started really pounding us but still not enough water to float yet. At three AM the boat started to move around a little. I could see waves crashing over bars all around us. I could here my buddy in the compartment snoring, so I knew he was okay. My wife called every two hours from the start of this mess. And I assured her we were OK. I woke up Shaun around three thirty and told him to help me push us out a bit and man the spot light I was going to try to put the engine down just enough to bite the water and try to ease back to the channel. I started the engine with it just deep enough to circulate water and I ran it a few minutes to replenish my batteries. After the batteries were charged a bit I turned every thing back on. I engaged the engine and it started to move without hitting bottom. So far so good. I headed where I thought the nearest deep water would be and slowly moved along. I felt one bump but we kept going. I spotted the channel and Shaun fixed my spot on it and we crept along I was watching the depth finder and zig zagging to get as much water under the prop and as we neared the channel marker it dropped from a little more than two feet to 19 feet I was thrilled. We high fived each other and I pointed us to port. All of a sudden a fog rolled in. A wall of smoke. Just when I thought I was home free. I made Shaun shut the spot light for a minute and I could make out the blinking green in the distance I crawled through the fog occasionally blasting my horn. All of a sudden the fog let up a little and I was clearly getting back to my port. My eyes were playing tricks on me because of lack of sleep. A few times I was sure I saw a red marker and it turned out to be a reflection of light from somewhere on land. Then I saw my familiar land marks through a light fog and we were on our way for sure. I relaxed a bit and even bumped up the speed I watched the depth finder like it was the last game of the series. I tried to go faster but it was just to cold. So I just took my time. I called my wife and told her we were almost to port. So please go to sleep. She kept telling me about two guy's out of murrell's inlet that weren't so lucky. One missing and one in the hospital with hypothermia. I was saddened to hear that. I tried to assure her that we were never in any real danger. Just miserable and tired. But real happy to be passing the Casino boats and knowing in a few minutes we would be on dry land. When we got to the dock my dog jumped off the boat all excited and was running back and forth wagging her tail. Shaun and Fein, my two buddies both threw up again for some reason. Then said they feel great now. I told them to go warm up the cars while I wash down the sand and mud and stow the rods. I took the big king off ice and placed him on the dock. And I was thinking that this is his fault. He had to wait till sunset to hit. I knew it wasn't his fault, but I was going to blame him anyway. I was just glad to be on the dock. I stopped at the first store and grabbed a large cup of coffee and a pack of cigarettes and the woman was staring at me. I realized I must have looked pretty whacked out with a black wool cap pulled down over my ears and blood shot eyes. I simply said " I have been fishing since yesterday". I need to get some sleep. ~JJ~
__________________ "Jay"- 04 HydraSport Vector 24 CC 250 Yamaha fourstroke
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Jetty Jay, sorry to hear that happened to you guys. Too bad I didn't go out or maybe I could have helped some how. At least would have made for an exciting night. I ended up staying home yesterday to finish a project in the crawl space. Nursing a sore back today. Where exactly in the inlet did you get grounded? I'm trying to picture it. You come in through the jetties, bird island off to the right. I'm guessing you got grounded on the left there, just opposite bird island, and before the channel makes a turn to the left.
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Mike, I thought you might be around while I was fishing and shouted at you while I was @ 90/90 because the fish had turned on but after a few tries I figured you didnt go out. As far as where I grounded your right, opposite bird island on the left side. The thing is my GPS was off the mark showing me I was dead center of the channel and it was pitch black out no moon no boats around I was following my gps track right up to the moment I ran aground. Once before while I was coming in during daylight I noticed that my gps was off from what I was seeing, showing me my track was on land while I was clearly in the center of the channel. This time it was showing me in the middle of the channel when I was definately to the left of it. I think my map chip needs to be updated as the channel and geography does change slightly. The area I ended up at had sand bars all around me and was hard to figure out a path out. I could walk a shore when the tide was dead low and a narrow strip of beach was directly behind me. We considered anchoring the boat walking on to the strip of beach and maybe trying to gather wood and camp there, till the tide rose. But I didnt want to leave my boat banging around and maybe coming loose and floating away from us. I really need to figure out what's going on with my GPS first thing. It always seems to work well offshore around structure. But in the intra coastal it seems to be off track. ~JJ~
__________________ "Jay"- 04 HydraSport Vector 24 CC 250 Yamaha fourstroke
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Well you can laugh about it now. I got grounded once this summer at LF inlet. I was idling up through the shallows trying to get as close as possible to the beach so my wife and kid could enjoy a day on the beach. I got too close though because all of a sudden we felt that gentle yet awful thud of running up on the sand, followed by the distinct impression we were no longer moving with the water but firmly planted on ground. I spent the next hour wiggling and rocking my boat out of there. It wasn't at night and we weren't all alone like you. Instead it was in broad daylight on Memorial Day weekend with like 50 boats watching.
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
JJ,
I always start a track on my Chartplotter when I leave the dock. This will give you a good line to follow if the light fades at the end of the day. On the inlets I use all the time a have made a permanent route with a track from the inlet back to the dock. This way you always have a line to follow and you are safe entering the inlet and heading to the dock....Give it a try it will svae you on those cold nights. Glad to hear everything turned out ok. Mark
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
JJ, glad to hear all went well......We were out at Belkie yesterday with no luck but sharks.......I tried to raise ya on 16 calling Jetty Jay but you might have been to far out......anyway let us know what size that pain in the arse King turns out to be!!!
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Sounds like a long nite. That will be one of them moments you will remember. Glad all is well.
Like Mark said I have a saved track line for all the inlets that i would ever have to come back threw in the dark or fog.
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
Yikes!!! Thanks for sharing your story. You have motivated me to put together a "beached on a sandbar in cold-ass weather" kit for my boat. Im sure it will come in handy if I get hung up during Bluefin season! SO .. does the kit have to include a big warm dog?
Re: Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river
It helps, But she's under the weather today.
I stayed in bed half the day. My buddies called a few times and they where worn out too. And they are young guy's, not an old man like me. My wife said to me " look at your dog, you could have killed her". My dogs just tired,what about me ?
You asked for it, I told you to head back in before dark. But honey the fish started biting and I can't leave when that happens, besides I will cook up that big king for her tomorrow,and she will be ready to go back out. " That fish was a tourney champ I said".
Well you aint in no tourney.
Well if I was it was a champ.
Just shut up.
And don't go taken that poor dog out no more.
One good nights sleep and me and her will be going back out!
My wife thinks I am nuts ~JJ~
__________________ "Jay"- 04 HydraSport Vector 24 CC 250 Yamaha fourstroke
Spent the night grounded on a sandbar in little river 
I ended up staying home yesterday to finish a project in the crawl space. Nursing a sore back today. Where exactly in the inlet did you get grounded? I'm trying to picture it. You come in through the jetties, bird island off to the right. I'm guessing you got grounded on the left there, just opposite bird island, and before the channel makes a turn to the left. 
