The Steamboating Forum

I think it's just me being optimistic and naive - but I learned recently a fact that surprised me - channel markers may not represent current conditions and can offer a false sense of a "safe" area.

I was putting away Fern lodges ic inboard/outboard motorboat for the season and went up two channels at the north end of Lake Chautauqua.

Both channels were not safe bets and were not deep enough because of shifting sands - even lifting the stern drive up.

Luckily it didn't matter because the prop was already slated to go out for repair. But I noticed that all the sand I went through gave it a dazzling polish.

-CB

Yes, and the problems are more pronounced on rivers after heavy winters... as we found out on Sunday in the delta. Forward scan sonar only works so far and in certain conditions... learn to read charts, but more importantly, learn to read the water and what it can tell you.