Crabpot line caught in outdrive

Roost-a-Fish · 08-03-2005, 07:49 AM

Saturday morning I was running my boat out past the jaws of the Yaquina Jetty when suddenly it felt like I lost about 3/4 of my power. At this point I was about even with the jaws and in a bad spot for traffic

(dredger was out dumping at this time). So I kept motoring until I got to a safer spot just short of the first buoy. I stopped the motor, and lifted the outdrive to discover that I was pulling a crab pot by it's rope.

Neither I, nor my passenger saw any buoys that we might have run over, in fact the rope that we snagged had no buoy on it. The rope was caught on the leading edge of the outdrive, snagged on the stabilizer. Luckily the rope did not get tangled in the prop. and stop me dead in the water at a very perilous spot. We cut the rope and freed the outdrive, end of crisis. But....it sure opened my eyes to what could've happened.
The point of this thread is that we all need to think about what our reactions would be if you get caught in a situation where quick thinking could save your life, your passengers life and your boat. Had the prop been disabled what would be your first reaction (beside panic). 1) jump in and try to cut the rope free of the prop? 2) call the Coast Guard to let them know of the situation, then jump in and cut the rope? 3) Throw out the anchor, call the Coast Guard, wait for assistance? 4) What if you cut the rope and the prop was spun on the shaft? If you didn't deploy an anchor you may be drifting into a bad situation, or worse, the bar conditions may be hazardous and your boat may be sideways to the waves.

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before you get into a situation like this. Every possible scenario should play in your mind along with every solution, just like a fire drill you might do at home with your family. Think of all the things that could happen, then all the actions you would do to keep the boat and passengers safe in a crisis situation. This was an eye opener and a wake up call for me. On the open ocean, things can go bad in an instant. I just hope that I will be prepared mentally for the crisis and I have a plan of action in my head that will ensure the safety of my passengers and my boat.

Rawsk · 08-03-2005, 08:37 AM

I have always wondered why pots are allowed in the main channel near the buoys. I think there ought to be a law. 1/2 mile or something . When the fleet goes out and it is churned up we need all the room we can - especially in the fog. Is that really the only place to crab in the 4 billion square miles of ocean? Just my pet peave. They have them at Depoe Bay too. Use a gps and mark the spots away from the channels! My boat or life is not worth your crab.

08-03-2005, 08:46 AM

Pot rope and floats in the channel ARE a hazard to navigation and should be removed.

Skipper · 08-03-2005, 10:41 AM

I don't think anyone in their right mind would intentionally place a crab trap at the bar.

More likely the bay crabbers are loosing their traps to the current that carries them to the bar.

Cheerio'
Skipper

CHROME CATCHER · 08-03-2005, 11:20 AM

We have all seen how quickly a boat can be sucked under when someone tries to pull a stuck pot up with the rear of the boat. Good thing for you this one was not stuck on the bottom, that could have been disasterous.If there isn't a law against placing pots in channels there ought to be. Glad your safe. Another reminder that you can't be to careful out there.

Phil Layer · 08-03-2005, 12:23 PM

On Sunday, July 31, we returned to South Beach at about 1:00 and saw four crab pots with flags dropped in a nice straight line right in the channel just as you exited the jaws.

Rigglefrazzlesnigelfritz!!

SeaSparrow · 08-03-2005, 01:08 PM

A month ago our kicker prop got tangled with a partially submerged crab line that obviously had been out there for many months as evidenced by the advanced ecological community attached to it. This was on a bright sunny day and we just didn't see it until it got us. Had to lean out over the transom and cut it loose. Made us realize that no matter how much safety gear you have, i.e. radar, plotter, etc. doo-doo can occur rather quickly. The fog makes it much more dangerous and having radar can give one a false sense of security. Yet it still won't protect you against those crab pot lines which are hard enough to see on a bright day let alone in the fog. Like someone said earlier, if that line is firmly attached to a stuck trap, your stern can go under very easily.... not a pretty thought.

Be careful out there!

tracker · 08-03-2005, 01:47 PM

What keta said is what I believe. In the channel that way they are a haszard to traffic and should be removed. Period! Put them there and expect them to be gone! Is it legal to remove them and take them to the coast gaurd or call the troopers and leave them with them?

sandman · 08-03-2005, 04:54 PM

On sunday ,it was really hard to see those pots with the fog

There is no reason people can't drop there pots atleast 100 yards north-south of the jetty

Metal Manipulator · 08-03-2005, 06:08 PM

Because of the Crab bouy problem when heading NW to the Tuna grounds Light house etc. I have taken to passing the G3 Bouy before turning to the NW. That doesn't mean there arn't bouy's along that line there are and some of these are sanded in. These Bouys are green with algie and hard to see in the daylight let alone in the dark or in the fog. I may even start to go out a half mile farther to avoid these. How far out do you go before heading 295 on the compass?

bigfish06 · 08-03-2005, 07:29 PM

This is my first time every posting on ifish! So I may mess up. I do have a few questions about the offshore crabbing. Does anyone know who's string is laid out to the north of the tips in about 50 ft of water and have and orange bouy.i Did they leave them the whole year? And does the CG have any authority to remove the crabpots if they hinder navigation? all right I hope i didn't mess up to much!

USCG Yaquina Bay · 08-03-2005, 08:22 PM

Crab Pots in the channel? A constant headache for us too (Coast Guard). If we see someone place them in the channel we have them move them so that they don't obstruct navigation. Often though we don't observe someone placing them there. A lot of times we pull them and keep them at the station until they are claimed or not. If the owner comes in to claim them we give them some "feedback." As far as what to do if you foul your prop with some line? Please don't jump into the water to clear it. If you can't clear it with a boat hook give us a call and we'll pull you in to the marina where it would be much safer to clear it there. When the Coast Guard tows you there is no charge. You may be a little embarrased and get some playful ribbing by the other "Dogs." Beats watching your boat go over the horizon without you... One comment was to pull the crab pot yourself, may not be the best idea since someone may take offense to you pulling their trap. Call the local CG Station and pass along the situation i.e. Crab Pots in the center of the channel by the jetty tips... They're usually nicer to us if they know we can cite them.
The recommendation to think about our actions goes well. We should all be thinking about the "what if" when we are in our boats. What if I fell over the side, can my buddy pick me up? By planning ahead of an emergency you are already preparing for it, your chances of success increase dramatically. Smart Boating = Safe Boating. R

sandman · 08-03-2005, 08:33 PM

Great advice uscg