redwingally
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2005
- Messages
- 113
- Points
- 16
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/dluke4137/Clewiston 1-08 Allison on bank/
Lost a skeg at 6450 rpm in the rim ditch on Lake Okeechobee yesterday. Fortunately I found the only stretch of white sand beach with only 1 cypress tree on it. I scraped the tree with the side of the boat as I came ashore. I had started trimming down and backed off the throttle as soon as I felt the rear end start comming around on me but had no steering. Ended up 150 feet into the brush right side up. Having the motor trimmed down when I hit shore helped slow me down and acted like a "hook" on the fighter jets when they land on an aircraft carrier. When the boat stopped it went up on the right side so hard it tore the bucket seat out of the floor bracket. I crawed out without a scratch or sore muscle. I thought she was going to barrell roll on me but she didn't, amazing boat. Some great Fast Bass / Stroker guys were in the neighborhood and came to my rescue. Dan Hare, Deana and Lou, Scotty Brennan and Ron Brown. Terry Evans (Allison XTB21) and Dan Blakenship (XB 2003 / 300X) were also there. Special thanks to Dan Blakenship for teaching me how to drive an Ally and to trust it in just such situations. The fact that I started to trim down and back off the throttle right away thinking it was a blow out probably saved my life as I went through the check list for a blow out as he had taught me (never had actually blown out before) I believe this slowed her down enough to change the angle of the nose as I went ashore, as you can see by the pictures I missed hitting the cypress tree head on by a mere 3 foot or less. The cypress knees scraped the hull and ripped my Hummingbird off the bow as I went by at almost full speed. The tree is only 10-15' off the water were I came in. The Stroker and Ally boys tied a rope to the Stroker with the 250XS and the rest of us pushed until we got her in the water. I started her up and idled to the ramp 1/2 mile away and drove her onto the trailer. Yesterday wasn't my turn to go obiviously. I am sure that is BECAUSE I was in an Ally I didn't get tossed out when I came ashore and it leaned heavily to the right or I may have been thrown into the tree. (8' around)
Ever since Paul Nichols got tossed a couple of weeks ago I have been anal in checking my skeg for cracks. I didn't see anything that morning so I must have really hit something hard but it happened so fast I really can't remember anything except the back end comming around and the surprise when I couldn't steer her away from the shoreline, the rest is a blurr.
Chedk your skegs guys, no defense for catastrophic equipment failure except being seated in an Allison. God Bless Darris Allison.
Lost a skeg at 6450 rpm in the rim ditch on Lake Okeechobee yesterday. Fortunately I found the only stretch of white sand beach with only 1 cypress tree on it. I scraped the tree with the side of the boat as I came ashore. I had started trimming down and backed off the throttle as soon as I felt the rear end start comming around on me but had no steering. Ended up 150 feet into the brush right side up. Having the motor trimmed down when I hit shore helped slow me down and acted like a "hook" on the fighter jets when they land on an aircraft carrier. When the boat stopped it went up on the right side so hard it tore the bucket seat out of the floor bracket. I crawed out without a scratch or sore muscle. I thought she was going to barrell roll on me but she didn't, amazing boat. Some great Fast Bass / Stroker guys were in the neighborhood and came to my rescue. Dan Hare, Deana and Lou, Scotty Brennan and Ron Brown. Terry Evans (Allison XTB21) and Dan Blakenship (XB 2003 / 300X) were also there. Special thanks to Dan Blakenship for teaching me how to drive an Ally and to trust it in just such situations. The fact that I started to trim down and back off the throttle right away thinking it was a blow out probably saved my life as I went through the check list for a blow out as he had taught me (never had actually blown out before) I believe this slowed her down enough to change the angle of the nose as I went ashore, as you can see by the pictures I missed hitting the cypress tree head on by a mere 3 foot or less. The cypress knees scraped the hull and ripped my Hummingbird off the bow as I went by at almost full speed. The tree is only 10-15' off the water were I came in. The Stroker and Ally boys tied a rope to the Stroker with the 250XS and the rest of us pushed until we got her in the water. I started her up and idled to the ramp 1/2 mile away and drove her onto the trailer. Yesterday wasn't my turn to go obiviously. I am sure that is BECAUSE I was in an Ally I didn't get tossed out when I came ashore and it leaned heavily to the right or I may have been thrown into the tree. (8' around)
Ever since Paul Nichols got tossed a couple of weeks ago I have been anal in checking my skeg for cracks. I didn't see anything that morning so I must have really hit something hard but it happened so fast I really can't remember anything except the back end comming around and the surprise when I couldn't steer her away from the shoreline, the rest is a blurr.
Chedk your skegs guys, no defense for catastrophic equipment failure except being seated in an Allison. God Bless Darris Allison.
