Accident Prevention and Emergency Response

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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 PFD. Remain calm. Anchor if possible.
• DO NOT put the engines in reverse in an attempt to undo what has already happened.
• Assess the damage. Check all bilge areas for signs of water. Listen to gas and water tanks vents for sounds of rushing air. Rushing air means water is entering the tank and forcing air out through the vents.
• 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 no tide, determine if you can maneuver the boat out of the area (generally in the reverse direction) without causing damage. Redistribute weight away from the point of impact, lift the outdrive, and try to shove off with a boat hook or paddle if possible. Go very slow.