Nightlife1970

Sitting enjoying a pretty nice day. Boat is anchored, water is pretty calm for Lake Michigan. Sitting in an inflatable raft tied off to the boat. Listening to the radio, watching the kids play.

All of a sudden I think a big wave has rolled through. Then the next one yanks the raft right out from underneath me. Next thing I notice my boat is being dragged down the beach. Someone in a 40+ cruizer has snagged my anchor line in one of his props.

Thankfully enough people were around to help. Could have been bad, my boat could have beached, dragged through some rocks, or had the cleats ripped out. He got lucky that he did not tear up a shaft or worse. Enough people were around to keep him from beaching.

Took about 30 dives under the thing to get the rope off his prop and shaft. Only had a bit of fray on the rope, and a slight bend in the anchor. Thankfully it was not normal Lake Michigan waves or it would have been a real mess.

tcuda499

WOW,thats crazy!!!! How pizzed where you? Sounds like everybody was pretty lucky and no one got hurt. where you out of the channel far enough(if there is one) or was the cruiser not paying attention? glad no one got hurt. this happens alot at Block Island, Rhode Island in the salt pond every holiday. Very packed with boats. BUT its all low speed stuff cutting anchore lines and drifting other peoples boats.

Nightlife1970

Well at first I was pretty pissed. Figured I was atleast looking at a lost anchor, chewed up rope, and maybe a cleat torn out. Guy was very sorry, and I know things happen. First reaction though is, WTF! Not like you can't see lines out there. I was about the 10th boat at the end of the line.

The channel is all piers we were south of the pier where everyone ties up. He was not going that fast, but it yanked our boat around pretty hard. Actually lucky no one was in the boat or that may have hurt. Like I said it yanked a raft right out from under me.

seafordguy

wowzer - that is scary. Sounds like it was the best result you could have hoped for though.

Semper Fi

That IS scary. Good thing you, your family and the boat are ok! Sounds like the guy in the cruiser was driving too close to your boat to catch the anchor line.

AB From Windsor

That also happened a couple of weeks ago at the Harrison Offshore Powerboat Race on Lake St. Clair at Beacon Cove Marina. Chiro 1 drove over the anchor line of the Start/Finish Boat, when he went to get his Checkered Flag. The line was cut and they lost the anchor. Divers from the dive boat were going to try and retrieve the anchor after the race from the GPS location.