| Name: |
Jural
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/9/2011 3:45:53 PM
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I have seen several comments about bouys and their placement, locations, etc. So I would like to post something positive about them. I found myself at Kowaliga last night with only my cell phone GPS to find my way back to the north end of the lake. I got lost once but was eventually able to find my way. But I was saved several times by the hazard bouys warning me of problems. I luckily had nearly a full moon, but would have run aground without them being there. So, to those who maintain them, I thank you for a safe trip home in the dark. It made my first night voyage a pleasant one.
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| Name: |
Spot Remover
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/10/2011 8:01:33 AM
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You might try using a depth finder as a first option and then rely on the buoys.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/10/2011 9:11:29 AM
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The advantage to relying on the bouys is that you have an idea of what is in front of the boat, and many of the hazards on the lake are not at the end of a gradual slope. The depth finder will let you know how deep the rock is that you just ran your outdrive through...
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| Name: |
Jural
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/10/2011 9:21:35 AM
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My depth finder is on the fritz. It is one of those things I said "I'll fix that next spring". This was to have been my last outing on the boat for the season. Winterizing today. The bouys helped when I needed it. Before I though that they were just something to go around and took them for granted. Sounds funny but, I was very happy they were there Saturday night.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/10/2011 10:20:28 AM
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It would be convenient to have channel markers as well as hazard markers. Sans GPS, for someone not familiar with the lake you have to constantly pull the map out if you are looking to turn on a creek or channel.
Also the bouys seem to be marking humps only. There are USCG markers that also mark underwater points that indicate not to pass between the marker the main channel and the shore. I wonder if this is a "power lake" policy or something else.
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Best thing to do is take time with a map and learn the lake. Then do it several times in the day.
Glad you made it safe. It's not a good idea this time of year to be on the lake at night not knowing it well........
Just be carefull. a map is worth the few bucks.
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| Name: |
Jural
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/10/2011 12:09:18 PM (updated 10/10/2011 12:10:50 PM)
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It was a situation where I did not have a choice. I had planned to stay at Kowliga on a friends boat. A sudden illness decided it for me. I have made the trip many times in daylight hours. It is a new world at night when you are sick and need to get home quickly:). And I have a good map. Just didn't help much in the dark. Phone GPS worked better to see the lay of the land so to speak.
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| Name: |
Spot Remover
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/11/2011 12:13:32 PM
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You are the first I''ve run into that cannot watch a depth finder and see that the depth level is decreasing.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/11/2011 2:37:27 PM
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"many of the hazards on the lake are not at the end of a gradual slope"
During my time on Martin, I have found out that it is not built like a pool with a deep end and a shallow end.
I understand that lower numbers on the depth finder means less water under the transom, but since I generally boat with the bow forward, the depth indicated is, for the most part, what I have just passed. Watching the bouys will give me an idea of what couse of action I should take to avoid the hazard - something I have not yet been able to decipher from the depth finder.
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| Name: |
Ulysses E. McGill
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| Subject: |
The key to real success
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Date:
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10/11/2011 4:01:01 PM (updated 10/11/2011 4:05:32 PM)
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is a GPS with lake maps and elevation contours. I agree that relying on a depth finder is a marginal avoidance tactic and buoys aren''t always on all hazards. My Lowrance GPS/sonar, in combination with a Navionics lake card, keeps me clear of hazards day or night. I highly recommend something similar for anyone that boats at night or when the water level is down.
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| Name: |
Spot Remover
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/11/2011 4:01:54 PM
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Dang, and I always thought the lake was built like a swimming pool.
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| Name: |
froghog
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/11/2011 4:32:34 PM
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SO... You ate at Sinclairs?
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Fortunately not
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Date:
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10/11/2011 4:44:02 PM
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If my Dad could post rules for the lake like he did for his pool when we were kids, I would just stay at the house.... Besides, the bumper density at the lake is far better than I remember from the pool.
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| Name: |
Mack
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| Subject: |
Lake Martin is a Big Lake>>
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Date:
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10/11/2011 8:02:48 PM
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Especially at night. Nothing looks the same at night. Easy to get lost/disoriented. Easy.
I am pretty much a home boy, and don''t go too far from home, not at night anyway in a boat. Plus, look at a LM Map/ East Lake vs. West Lake. Much, much easier navigation on the West than the East.
If I were to regularly boat from Kowaliga East thru the river channel at night, no way would I begin without a GPS device onboard with pre-plotted waypoints. If fog rolled in it is almost impossible to find your way. My opinion.
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| Name: |
Jural
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| Subject: |
Bouys
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Date:
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10/12/2011 12:43:16 AM
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Not this time:) I made the mistake of thinking I would be OK.
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| Name: |
Jural
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| Subject: |
Lake Martin is a Big Lake>>
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Date:
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10/12/2011 12:46:03 AM
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I actually had an application called My Tracks on my phone with a track to get me home. But, as luck would have it, it was not working correctly. Never trust a free app. Lesson learned. I will be getting a "real" GPS for next season.
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 9:44:33 AM
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I love boating on hot summer nights and can go from any point to any other point under any circumstances. You just have to ride the lake and learn what is where. I always say spend that GPS money on fuel and get out and learn your way. It will be much more fun in the long run and you dont have to worry about your technology letting you down. The thought of having to navigate by GPS scares me. Who am I going to believe that gadget or my lying eyes?
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Amen!
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Date:
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10/12/2011 10:04:30 AM
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 10:05:23 AM
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I will take my GPS over your lying bloodshot eyes anytime... :-) If I had a nice FLIR unit however...
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
Sounds like a good challenge to me
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Date:
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10/12/2011 10:24:40 AM
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Sounds like a good challenge to me
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Date:
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10/12/2011 11:40:39 AM
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:-) I have been on the lake for quite a few years too, so use the GPS for confirmation. Some nights around the Sandy Creek fingers get kinda dark, and my night vision just ain't what it used to be.
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
Yea
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Date:
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10/12/2011 12:30:18 PM
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I guess that frees you up for bumper watching....lol
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Uh-Oh
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Date:
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10/12/2011 1:19:22 PM
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| Name: |
CAT BOAT
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| Subject: |
Uh-Oh
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Date:
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10/12/2011 1:51:26 PM
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I saw inflatable bumpers at Academy Sports.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Uh-Oh
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Date:
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10/12/2011 2:44:23 PM
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Were those packaged in pairs?
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
I wouldn't...
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Date:
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10/12/2011 2:51:39 PM
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buy the cheap ones. One might pop at an inopportune time....
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
I thought
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Date:
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10/12/2011 3:16:17 PM
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They were ALL expensive, but agree - stay away from the cheap models...
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| Name: |
Mack
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 6:54:31 PM
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While I admire your experience, I am not confident enough to put myself and passengers into a potentially bad situation.
The bad situation is maybe unknown FOG, or heavy rain, or any situation where I cannot see land or landmarks to guide me,,,,, at night?? Visibility 100 yards?? Nope, not gonna' happen.
Motoring from Kowaliga East, thru the neck at the Rock, finding the channel and continuing North on a Clear Night,,, and having done that many times,, great. Throw a dense fog over that scenario??
I'll be on my dock.
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| Name: |
BigFoot
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| Subject: |
I wouldn't...
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Date:
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10/12/2011 7:06:12 PM
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...the Nancy Grace models are selling real good right now...
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| Name: |
CAT BOAT
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| Subject: |
I would......Must read instructions first.
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Date:
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10/12/2011 8:12:12 PM
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You have to blow the cheap ones up with your mouth. Just sayin'. Ya think you may wanna re-evaluate your thoughts??????? lmao.
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| Name: |
CAT BOAT
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| Subject: |
CAT......
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Date:
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10/12/2011 8:13:01 PM
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CAT, always thinkin.
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| Name: |
lakeplumber
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 8:37:07 PM
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Use the LoRance Luke....it'll guide you.
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Boy!!!!! summers going to be a long time away.
I can see this is going to be a Epic year for the forums!
Well,,, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 10:31:24 PM (updated 10/12/2011 10:45:33 PM)
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You bring up exactly the scenario that blows the VFR (Visual Flight Rules) argument out of the water. The person relying on vision to navigate is out of luck when visibility is measured in feet rather than miles. There is absolutley nothing wrong with relying on a GPS to navigate in those situations.
I'm sure you are familiar with needle's eye - the very narrow channel leading back to Chapman Creek. Just for S&Gs I used my GPS one day to navigate that channel and did so without coming any closer than 50 feet to the bank. If there were dense fog and I had no GPS going through that channel I'd be kissing terra firma for sure.
Back about 7 or 8 years ago there was a HUGE thunderstorm that blew up right after the 4th of July fireworks. As we were headed back to Parker Creek it was raining so hard that my daughter thought she was being shocked by the rain, and visibility was zero. However, at that time we had a very crude Magellan hand-held GPS that was just capable enough to allow us to get back to our cabin without incident....something that would have been impossible without it (unless we were to gingerly motor to land and wait out the thunderbumper).
My vote is VFR first, but with the GPS as a strong backup.
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| Name: |
lakeplumber
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/12/2011 10:47:10 PM
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I'm an IFR person before a VFR. Trust your instruments. The narrow passage going into Parker Creek is only .03 mile wide (158 feet). Not what I would want to guess my way through in a dark/fog situation. My navionics will give me the contours pretty accurately.
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| Name: |
Ulysses E. McGill
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| Subject: |
I agree
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Date:
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10/13/2011 2:53:52 AM (updated 10/13/2011 2:55:21 AM)
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good electronics and proper training (in using such equipment) is many times safer and more valuable than relying on what the human eye can see (day or night). As weather and darkness enter the scenario, electronics are even more valuable ; that's a fact and I've been betting my life on it for over 30 years.
The first rule of instrument flight is you must trust your
instruments....this is true when bringing an airplane to a runway at
over 150mph with 300 ft visibility and it's true when operating a boat
on the lake with limited visibility. Even in great weather and daylight,
a good pilot will always reference instruments as a backup.....nothing
wrong with attempting to know the lake, but it's impossible for any
human to duplicate the information that can be delivered electronically.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
I would......Must read instructions first.
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Date:
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10/13/2011 9:47:25 AM
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LOL!
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
I would......Must read instructions first.
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Date:
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10/13/2011 11:38:40 AM
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You may have to bend WAY down to blow up some of those cheap ones...
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
I agree
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Date:
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10/13/2011 11:40:16 AM
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If I remember correctly, John Kennedy Jr. splashed a plane because he did NOT rely on the instruments (and not IFR rated)...
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/14/2011 9:52:21 AM
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Indeed instruments don't lie, but there are at least two factors to consider when boating, especially at night.
The first is being able to discriminate the water from land. If I am familiar with the area and it is relatively clear, eyesight is sufficient and GPS confirms visual observation. If unfamiliar with the area or conditions render eyesight marginal, I go with the GPS.
The second factor affects 99% of recreational Lake Martin boaters, and that is awareness of other traffic on the water. GPS does not give any indication of other watercraft in your area. Small watercraft don't have radar, so the only instruments available - the GPS and a depthfinder - would fail to warn you of other boats and thus increase the likelihood of a collision with another boat. Actually, keeping your eyes glued to the GPS would increase the chances of colliding with another boat unless you used a spotter to warn of their presence.
The real answer is a combination of instruments and eyesight - again the mix would depend on the familiarity and conditions on the water - whatever mix makes sense for the situation.
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/14/2011 10:40:54 AM
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Obviously all you guys have valid arguments for technology. I personally prefer to use the technology BEFORE my rides to ensure suitable conditions to enjoyable riding. But even in the case of getting caught in a localized storm I have both 'run through' them and slowed to a crawl or stopped while in them depending on where I was at at the time.
Now I pose a question. Do any of you guys have a dimmer switch for the panel lights on your boats? I find myself covering the dash with a towel to dampen the light from the control panel and hence enhance night vision. I have wondered for years why no manufacturer has done such, or even gone to red lighting so as not to affect night vision. Seems like a no brainer to me.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/14/2011 11:10:35 AM
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I do not have a dimmer or red illumination, and agree, that would be VERY helpful. We have a runabout, and for the night cruises, I elevate myself to look over the windshield and lean forward. I will glance down to check the GPS if I need to, but the reflections on the glass make seated operation a no-go. Maybe Cathouse can offer retrofits...
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| Name: |
Ulysses E. McGill
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/14/2011 11:18:53 AM
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I agree a panel dimmer would be a great addition, but I haven't seen one either. I also throw a towel over part of the lights or just turn off the panel. My GPS does have a dimmer, and in the split screen mode I get sonar info, depth, speed, heading, and bottom contours. Hodja makes a good point about instrument fixation which is a common mistake of inexperience on the water and in the air....gotta keep the eyes moving with a good cross check.
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
You miss a LOT of good boating
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Date:
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10/14/2011 2:15:37 PM
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Bring it in and I will make it happen!!
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| Name: |
Maverick
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| Subject: |
Installing a Dimmer Switch
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Date:
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10/14/2011 3:38:55 PM
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Step by Step Instructions - See URL
URL: Dimmer Switch Installation
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
Installing a Dimmer Switch
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Date:
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10/14/2011 3:43:23 PM
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Dang it mav were trying to make a living here....lol.
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| Name: |
Maverick
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| Subject: |
Installing a Dimmer Switch
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Date:
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10/14/2011 3:46:44 PM
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So get off your butt / Internet and go sell some service or boats.
Then tell Steve since I took the headaches out of him trying to figure out how to install a dimmer switch properly, mine is FREE.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
Installing a Dimmer Switch
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Date:
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10/14/2011 3:47:40 PM
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Sounds good, may get some red glass paint too - just paint the current bulbs - from what I remember when I replaced the tach, they are just held in quarter turn sockets. I figure about a 12 pack job...
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| Name: |
Lifer
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| Subject: |
Free!?!? Are you kidding me?
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Date:
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10/15/2011 10:28:05 AM
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I am going to send you a bill for Summers dimmer switch we didn't install thanks to you having to much time to troll, er I mean surf, the internet for obscure posts on how to... do about anything.
My suggestive selling technique was working just fine. Everybody else that decides to do it on your own just shoot me an email so I can bill Mav for work we didn't get.
Just kidding you of course Mav and you are right, it is pretty simple. Experienced guy should be able to do it in less than an hour. I am assuming Summers "12 pack" time reference is accounting for his 'special needs' cuz I don't know many that can drink at a rate of 12/hr. and if they can/do I ain't riding in nothing they work on...lol.
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