There are a series of small buoys marking the entrance to the channel. You need to use the chartplotter and be really careful not to miss the buoys. This boat was just north of the channel and Sand Island is just to the south. I'm getting pretty good at navigating this area. If you don't have a chartplotter it is wise to go around the south side of Sand Island and enter the delta through the main channel by Gull Island.

I HATE entering the Middle Channel for that very reason. Leaving out of it, I'm ok, but going in, I'm not confident. That guy looks like he's stuck but good.

I have avoided going in that way, and only came out once.....just not worth it if I'm not following someone with a clue.

Oucch...prop shafts...struts...rudders...props...WOW...Big Check foe somebody...hopefully they have a low deductible.

I always, always followed the navigation cans going into the channel from the lake. The only problem was finding the first pair of cans on a hazy day.
ed

I only go in the cut from the main channel.

----Even the Gull Island cut can fool the uninitiated. Knee deep if too far to the east and only a bit deeper on the west side. Also plenty of cans for the freighter channel that can confuse ya from a distance!!!......Bill S

Yup. Been through there many times. It can be a headache if your not spot on.

+1. I always take the long way home. We're in one of the canals by Deckers. From the Moot or Gull, I'll take the lake or South all the way back to the river. I avoid the middle...especially this year.

I have been around many hard grounders.
 

I would challenge there is more going on here then just a simple hard grounder.

If it were simply a grounder, the stern should not be at such an angle. In normal circumstances, the stern would be afloat, not obviously squatted.

Whether it hppened as a result of the grounding, don't know, but I think there might be a chance he had a problem arise and he put the boat on the sand to prevent further damage.