Done for the season... Hit a stump!

So I was out on Fort Gibson this weekend in Oklahoma in an area I wasn't very familiar with. I was cruising along when the depth started coming up fast so I went down to idle and tried to backtrack. While turning around at idle speed I ran up on a stump. I got out of the boat and lifted it off and walked the boat out to a safe area. I felt around the rudder and prop and didn't feel anything out of place so I thought I was safe. Then before I took off I lifted up the front ski locker to see if there was any water and if I had a hole in the hull. To my suprise, there was about a foot of water in the bildge!! I started every pump I had in the boat (luckily I had 3). I was able to get the water level down and get safely back to the landing. When I got the boat out, the front tracking fin was gone! There were just 2 3/4" holes in the hull where the fin used to be. I guess I am lucky that I didn't sink my boat, but I am pretty bummed that my season is over. I was planning on calling the dealer tomorrow to check into things, but I wanted to see if anyone else has done this and what it is going to run me. I am also wondering if I should take it to the dealer or should I take it somewhere that does fiberglass work to get the areas where the bolts ripped out fixed first. It is a 2002 wakesetter VLX.

I wondered the same with mine, how much force does it take to rip one off?

Not very much. I was going VERY slow. I was actually going back and forth between neutral. I must have hit it just right.

Sucks dude, I guess its time to put together some kind of repair kit together, Diving mask maybe some type of small air tank to temporary fix problems under the boat in the water, I had something stuck around my prop, took me 45 min in & out of the water under the boat to fix it, was a bitch, in your situation though, you would think some type of putty or plug with temporary fix it to get back safe, (if your bildge pump can’t keep up) at least it was near the end of the season instead of the beginning..

(Message edited by kenteck on September 10, 2006)

A mask would have definitely been a huge help because I had no idea where the water was coming in. I would have known what was going on right away and maybe even been able to recover my fin (or what was left of it).I will have a mask in my boat next spring for sure. Here is a better picture of the damage.

If you are handy with fiberglass, that would be a pretty simple repair. Temporary if nothing else to get you back on the water. Just get another fin and beef up the hull with glass.

OUCH,
Need to hook up with one of these and a mask, I might get one, hard to hold your breath for more than a minute under the boat in water

FYI: if using a device such as a spare air or other similar i.e. HEED.. remember to never take a breath of compressed gas under water and hold it, then surface. You risk a gas expansion injury (which can and has happened in as little as 4 ft of water.)
On a previous boat I kept my pony/deco bottle and mask for recovering my anchor when it got stuck (rocky bottom) but haven't bothered on this boat... just the mask and a 4C backup light as our water is murky.

Ryan, I am also in Okla. and out lakes our really down. We mainly go to skiatook and it is down almost 9 feet as of yesterday. Everytime we go out I fear what happened to you will happen to me. Good luck with getting it repaired.

db

Ryan,
I can always use a driver/rider. I live about 10 min from Hwy 33 boat ramp and try to go a couple of time a week in the evenings. This weekend is out because I am going to pick up my new boat and we are going to the World Wakeboard in Ft. Worth on the 23rd & 24th, but drop me an e-mail and we'll try to get together. I'm an old fart and don't have a fancy boat today but I can give you a tow. Where were you at when it happened? I normally run the river from 412 down to Fun Island and back. Do you do Gibson much?? I have heard of a place called 14 mile Cove?? maybe Been wanting to try it out. I have my 2 boys every other weekend and we normally ride every day. We rode all 4 days of Labor day weekend.

Oh wow, I have seen tracking fins bent but never ripped off. How are these things backed in the hull?

Fred - Sent you a PM

Jon - I am not sure what the fins are backed with, I didn't take up the floor to look at the inside yet. I am assuming that the bolts just sheared off. I was amazed at how little amount of force that it took though.

We're lucky; last morning of the season and picking up a buddy at his super shallow dock and hit a stray rock with the prop, but luckily not a ding in it and zero vibrations at any speed...

Malibu does not through bolt there fins they are screwed into the hull

That sucks. My fins have a bolt at each corner so 4 on each fin.

you can sell it from both sides.

Malibu says our fins will come off and at the worst leave samll holes in the hull MAstercrafts will pull a baskeball size chunk out of the bootom of the boat if you hit something.


MasterCraft says there fins will shear off or just bend. Malibu goes the cheap route and just screws them to the boat..... there finns fall off all the time

This is one of those old-school rec.sport.waterski argument topics that used to get really ugly.

Not sure which I'd prefer. I had a MC before the Malibu I have now. I hit a huge rock at idle speed in the MC, no damage beyond a gouge on the front of the fin. Haven't had the misfortune to find out yet, but it looks like I'd be doing a lot more work on the 'bu under the same circumstances.

ryan,
sorry to hear about the boat. we have an 04 vlx and were in Beaver Lake, Bentonville,Ar. and the same thing happened. Hit a stump with the prop and wedge. Fixed the prop and transom needed some fiberglass work.(need a new wedge too) Took the boat to Arrowhead in Rogers, They are great guys and my boat is actually in Oklahoma somewere getting fiberglass fixed . I just moved from cali a month ago so I was a little stressed not knowing any dealers in the area. I beleive Arrowhead boat sales has 3 dealers in Ok. not sure where. I love the wedge but it is the 2nd time we have hit something with it and did transom damage, both times I think I could have got away with just replacing the prop if the wedge wasnt down. Oh well, just a boat, glad no one was hurt. good luck with your boat. Try arrowhead price was cheaper than any quotes plus customer service seems to be excellent.

gdog
next time bring it down to little rock Stuckeys & Grimes Xtreme Marine. and everything all repairs will be done on site.www.xtrememarineinc.com (the web site is a little dated)

mispella,
thanks for the info. looks like a little bit of a drive. we did drive by conway the other day. i like the looks of the river. i learned to board in the cali delta. sort of reminds me of it. i love rivers. always a spot to find good water. if i come down i'll have to leave my boat title at home so i'm not temped to get a SAN from stuckey's. thanks for the info!!

Thanks for all of the good info. I am actually going to be moving from Tulsa to the Little Rock area this fall so I will try both of those places.

Mispella, I am looking for some good places to ride in the LR area. Any suggestions? Some place with no stumps would be good

If you guys are in the Hot Springs area, I am the Supra and Moomba dealer for most of the state. My shop is Diamond Lakes WaterSports and we are located in Malvern, about 15 minutes from Hot Springs and about 30 minutes from Little Rock just off I-30. We'll take care of any service issues as well.

There aren't a whole lot of good places to ride in Little Rock but if you want to drive a bit, try going to Lake Degray, Lake Ouachita, Lake Catherine, and Greers Ferry. All are great Lakes to ride on.

This is the butter spot but only on the weekends or holidays. unless you like to ride around the barges. but it is on the arkansas river about six miles east of dountown.

Barges??? Can you say double up

Thanks for the info, that looks like it would be a pretty sweet spot. Maybe we can hook up and do some riding when I get moved over that way.