Catastrophic Lower Unit Collision 2024
Traveler2586 reply :
If you fish the tidal Potomac River you need to read paragraph one.
On July 10, 2013 while cruising south on the Maryland side of the Potomac River just south of Greenway Flats my boat struck a submerged object. I believe I hit a shoal incorrectly shown on Navionics Navplanner 2 map at 38 deg 40.0978’N by 77 deg 7.3304’W and listed as “Shoal to 3 FT Rep 1975”. I believe I have found the actual location on Google Earth imagery dated 11/22/02 at 38 deg 40.233’N by 77 deg 7.176’W; you can actually see the shoal in the imagery.
I quickly stopped the engine and raised the lower unit to check the prop. I found the prop was badly banged up, and then noticed small black balls of oil rising up from under the gear housing. I became amazed at how the balls broke up into many smaller balls as they raised to the surface where they broke into a very thin sheen that dissipated quickly. Isn’t technology wounderful!! Years ago I would have an oil trail a half mile long.
Seeing this damage I decided to head into shore where I could get to the back of the boat for a better inspection. I made it to a location where I soft grounded the boat on clean sand in crystal clear water about knee deep. After removing my boots I disembarked and made my way back to the engine where I found my skeg and the underside of the gear housing was missing and I could see the internal parts of the gear housing.
At this point I knew I needed help to return to the ramp so using the BoatUS iphone app I contacted them for a tow. The phone app gave BoatUS my member information and current location and they quickly conferenced me with a tow boat captain who would come to my aid; during my conversation with the towboat captain I told him I was currently soft grounded and safe, he told me I needed to get to deeper water so he could hook me up and wouldn’t have to charge me for a un-grounding.
So as I made my way to deeper water, fighting a headwind, I decided to put the TM on high speed to make better headway; a few seconds later I hear a knock from the TM and I go dead in the water. When I pulled the TM I found I could not rotate the prop. This has happened to me years before when I had a Johnson TM; it had rubber magnets on the inside wall of the motor housing and one had broken loose which jammed the armature.
Since I had made it to deeper water ( about ten feet ) and could no longer fight the wind I quickly anchored to hold my position. With nothing else to do I went back to fishing. J I must say that I am personally proud of how calmly I took these events, I never had an urge to through a tantrum, through anything overboard, or cuss like a sailor; **** happens, I deal with it and move on, period.
About forty-five minutes later I see the tow boat heading in my direction. Once the captain reached me he had to circle me several times due to the wind so he could come along side and pass me the tow line. Once I was hooked up we were on course back to the ramp, which at 5 to 6 mph took about two hours to cover the 11.8 miles. When we reached the ramp the captain made sure I was safely tied up at the dock before he departed.
Thanks to my BoatUS unlimited towing insurance all I needed to do was sign my name on his ipad. J This was my first experience using BoatUS towing and I can’t be more pleased with the quality and speed of service; the young lady I first made contact with was very reassuring and professional in every respect; and the same is also true of the towboat captain. As a result of this experience I will never be without my BoatUS Unlimited towing policy.
slonezp reply :
Sorry to hear that and glad you're ok. Do you have BoatUS as your regular insurance carrier as well? Are they going to take care of the claim?
Fishing Rhino reply :
Ouch! That's some serious damage. That will certainly go beyond the deductible to get it repaired.
Glad you came through it unscathed, and kept a cool head.
Now to the important matter. Did you catch any fish while waiting for the tow boat?
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 8:42 AM, slonezp said:Sorry to hear that and glad you're ok. Do you have BoatUS as your regular insurance carrier as well? Are they going to take care of the claim?
No, I'm sorry to say. I'm currently with AARP for my home, cars, & boat. I just this past week received a quote for BoatUS for my boat, but they were more than AARP. I'll have to see how AARP handles this.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 9:26 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Ouch! That's some serious damage. That will certainly go beyond the deductible to get it repaired.
Glad you came through it unscathed, and kept a cool head.
Now to the important matter. Did you catch any fish while waiting for the tow boat?
No, not a bite, and it's a good fishing area with some nice SAV; but the water in this area was gin clear and all I saw was some bait fish cruising on top of the SAV. At one point I did kick back and enjoy a nice cold Orange, the rocking of the boat in the wind, and a beautiful day.
Traveler2586 reply :
Here is a Google Earth image of what I think I hit. What are the chances of hitting this in the Potomac?????
00 mod reply :
Dang man. Glad you are ok though. Boats and parts are replaceable.
Jeff
topwaterrob reply :
Wow, that's awful man.... Glad youre ok.... Being from Fla, what is it that you hit that tore the skeg off? Shoal is like rock or what?
Jig Man reply :
Wow that was some hit. I know how you feel as I have been down that same rocky road. When you have it repaired talk to the tech about internal damage that may have occurred like prop shaft, gears etc. One of my buds had to replace the entire lower unit not just the housing.
tate reply :
Sorry to hear about the damage .... That really su.....s! Fortunately no one got hurt and BoatUS did their job well! Hopefully insurance takes some of the pain and gets you back on the water soon.
Dwight Hottle reply :
Your insurance should handle your damage as it is considered a collision. I asked my insurance company about hitting underwater reefs before I signed up with them & they assured me that it would be considered as collision damage & covered under the policy. Good luck getting it repaired & back on the water.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 8:23 PM, Jig Man said:Wow that was some hit. I know how you feel as I have been down that same rocky road. When you have it repaired talk to the tech about internal damage that may have occurred like prop shaft, gears etc. One of my buds had to replace the entire lower unit not just the housing.
I've talked with the shop and we're looking at a new lower unit as the prop shaft is bent and doesn't spin smoothly; and there is no reverse gear. They will also inspect the rest of the engine mounting and transom for secondary damage. Yesterday I found scratches on the underside of the hull.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 7:57 PM, topwaterrob said:Wow, that's awful man.... Glad youre ok.... Being from Fla, what is it that you hit that tore the skeg off? Shoal is like rock or what?
From the Google Earth photo above, it looks like a rock to me.
slonezp reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 11:35 PM, Traveler2586 said:I've talked with the shop and we're looking at a new lower unit as the prop shaft is bent and doesn't spin smoothly; and there is no reverse gear. They will also inspect the rest of the engine mounting and transom for secondary damage. Yesterday I found scratches on the underside of the hull.
Hopefully they are just that and not stress cracks.
BassnChris reply :
Dawg Gone!
Sorry to hear about your bad encounter.
That is one of worst worries........the lake I fish has a lot of underwater stumps and rocks (boulders).
Glad you were not injured.........and you're a better man than me. While I was in the Air Force........I would have cussed like a sailor!
JROC reply :
I am glad your ok. Your ability to remain clam and not cuss is most astounding.
I too, tried BoatUS and found them to be MORE expensive then my current boaters ins (Progressive)
I called and asked for a qoute after the commercials I saw one day. I know there is a company called
SEATOW but I have not priced them yet. One time I towed a guy and it was painful but I if it were me I'd
want someone to help me too. So I over looked it and just towed them.
Let us know how things pan out.
JROC reply :
Glad you had and anchor I know most guys dont carry one but I always have one with me in my boat..
dcfdpipeman reply :
BrianMD forwarded the story to a few of us. I am not familar with this rock/shoal but I did update Navionics with this potential rock pile. Hope your back up soon. If anyone can confirm the waypoint, I'd be glad to update Navionic Maps - Community Layer.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/17/2013 at 1:44 AM, dcfdpipeman said:BrianMD forwarded the story to a few of us. I am not familar with this rock/shoal but I did update Navionics with this potential rock pile. Hope your back up soon. If anyone can confirm the waypoint, I'd be glad to update Navionic Maps - Community Layer.
The shoal is shown on Navionics Navplanner 2 as "Shoal to 3 FT REP 1975". I believe I found it on the Google Earth photo, but I have not been able to verify it yet but plan to when I get the boat back. The GE photo could also just be a "photo aberration", I don't know.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/14/2013 at 8:03 PM, JROC said:Glad you had and anchor I know most guys don't carry one but I always have one with me in my boat..
I wouldn't be caught without a good anchor and 100' of line, no tellin' where you could end up if your TM & engine failed like it did on me.
I still can't figure out what Deity I PO'ed to have both motors fail at the same time.
dcfdpipeman reply :
On 7/17/2013 at 3:55 AM, Traveler2586 said:The shoal is shown on Navionics Navplanner 2 as "Shoal to 3 FT REP 1975". I believe I found it on the Google Earth photo, but I have not been able to verify it yet but plan to when I get the boat back. The GE photo could also just be a "photo aberration", I don't know.
Yes, I see that marker on the Nav maps. I figured I would add yours until ruled out and since you struck something not on the orig marker.
jhoffman reply :
One thing to remember is that geo spatial points change over time. The world doesnt just rotate in a circle. If that data was from 1975 id expect the accuracy to be quite off, surprised they even noted it. Not only that, there is a varience in how far off your map is at anytime based on the satellites its connected too. Could be as much as 20ft+
Glad youre ok
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 2:34 AM, jhoffman said:One thing to remember is that geo spatial points change over time. The world doesnt just rotate in a circle. If that data was from 1975 id expect the accuracy to be quite off, surprised they even noted it. Not only that, there is a varience in how far off your map is at anytime based on the satellites its connected too. Could be as much as 20ft+
Glad youre ok
In 1975 I believe someone used dead-reckoning and a map to come up with coordinates, I doubt anyone had GPS back then.
If I, or someone else, can locate the shoal and get a good solid GPS fix, then that info should go to Navionics as a location update. I would also like to verify the Google Earth photo.
fadetoblack21 reply :
Boat. . . . Bust Out Another Thousand. . . I learned this real quick after my first boat purchase.
Sucks that this happened, but you kept a cool head and all will be well.
We ran into a shallow spot a few years ago and sheared the skeg off but didn't damage the gear housing so we were lucky. I can't say I would be as calm as you were if I destroyed my lower. . . .
Traveler2586 reply :
Well here it is August 16th and still no boat 
When I hit a submerged rock on the Potomac and damaged the lower unit of my boats motor; and despite the two hour drive to above Frederick MD when I have a good shop fifteen minutes away; I decided to take my boat to the area’s leading Ranger dealer to have things checked out and taken care of.
Imagine my disappointment at the total lack of communications from the shop over the three weeks they’ve had the boat so far. Not one call informing me as to the status of the work, or the estimates on the lower unit, and work I requested on the trolling motor. I did get the estimate on the lower unit through my insurance company, kind of back door.
My calls to the shop have been met with guesses when I asked for an estimate on the trolling motor,, “oh, not much”.
Communications from this shop have been very disappointing. I can only hope the work will be more professional with all OEM parts and they check out the hull as requested.
slonezp reply :
Any luck?
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 6:25 AM, slonezp said:Any luck?
Well, I did get a message yesterday reporting the gear casing came in and the prop should arrive today.
I still have not received any word (estimate or status) on the trolling motor, or the estimate on the engine repairs.
Just by the tone of the voice in the message I feel like we're imposing on the person and he has no time to make calls.
Am I expecting too much here, I'm comparing this boat shop to my local shop and my car dealer.
Wayne P. reply :
The map curser (target symbol) is where your stated the GPS waypoint.
This is the Navionics digital mapping.
The Shoal shown on the map is .22 statute mile from the waypoint.
Sam reply :
On 7/13/2013 at 11:37 AM, 00 mod said:Dang man. Glad you are ok though. Boats and parts are replaceable.
Jeff
X2. Really glad that you were not hurt.
Two guys in my boat club supposedly hit "something" in the Potomac after leaving Aquia Creek and heading up river. The impact tore the $18,000 Yamaha off the transom and it sank. The two guys were thrown around the boat but no serious injuries when the motor came off.
That was a close call. As stated above, you can always repair or replace the boats and their parts but you can't replace you.
Keep us posted on how AARP handles the claim.
Thanks for sharing. Story highlights the need for a good map and doing research before you venture out even though the maps and other data may still be incorrect.
Bankbeater reply :
All I can say is that you're lucky that you came out Ok. From the pics it looks like you took a solid hit.
Brian Needham reply :
I too am glad you are ok, that must have startled you at best!
aarp, leading ranger dealer in area, everyone is dropping the ball here.
I would be highly peeved. I personally would blow up phones until work was completed. That's how I handle things, lean on, lean , lean on, pound them , pound them. then Great job! thanks for your efforts!
I have found people/shops/insurance will put you off as long as they can or until you get ticked. JMO
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 8:22 PM, Brian Needham said:I too am glad you are ok, that must have startled you at best!
aarp, leading ranger dealer in area, everyone is dropping the ball here.
I would be highly peeved. I personally would blow up phones until work was completed. That's how I handle things, lean on, lean , lean on, pound them , pound them. then Great job! thanks for your efforts!
I have found people/shops/insurance will put you off as long as they can or until you get ticked. JMO
AARP was never a problem, other than they don't have Boat Adjusters; they gave great service; they are the only one's to tell me what the lower unit estimate is.
Brian Needham reply :
fair enough........ I know it sucks being off the water. I do hope it speeds up and gets you back out there soon!!
J Francho reply :
When you get her fixed, come on up to Oneida, and I'll show you where to wreck her good. 
Just kidding, glad you're ok. Stinks when it comes to repairs. They always take too long.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 3:03 PM, Sam said:X2. Really glad that you were not hurt.
Two guys in my boat club supposedly hit "something" in the Potomac after leaving Aquia Creek and heading up river. The impact tore the $18,000 Yamaha off the transom and it sank. The two guys were thrown around the boat but no serious injuries when the motor came off.
That was a close call. As stated above, you can always repair or replace the boats and their parts but you can't replace you.
Keep us posted on how AARP handles the claim.
Thanks for sharing. Story highlights the need for a good map and doing research before you venture out even though the maps and other data may still be incorrect.
If you look at the map Wayne put up you'll see the structure I was looking to fish. The sad part is I had my eyes glued to the graph at the time of the impact; the problem is the transducer is in the rear of the boat just two feet before the lower unit so I had no warning at all.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 11:09 PM, Brian Needham said:fair enough........ I know it sucks being off the water. I do hope it speeds up and gets you back out there soon!!
You're right; I tried some dock fishing at the park, but that sucks; they have areas of the dock marked off as "No Fishing beyond this point" and there are no boats around at all. I don't know how a bank angler manages with all the tree limbs and brush to contend with.
B@ssCrzy reply :
Man!! Heck of an ordeal. Glad you are ok and hope the boat gets fixed real soon. That is one of the reasons I am afraid to get my boat out on a river. Kayak is more my speed for a river. 
Traveler2586 reply :
Picked up the boat yesterday, just 4 wks & 3 days to get the lower unit and prop replaced.
Today I took it to Fusion Fiber Marine Inc.to have the hull checked out, we know it's scratched up but don't know if the trailer bunks are hiding any damage.
Brian Needham reply :
sounds like progress!
Traveler2586 reply :
Trolling Motor Autopsy 09/01/2013
Preformed a forensic autopsy on my trolling motor’s power head today to see why it locked up on me.
If you recall from my first post I hit a shoal which took off the underside of my lower unit, so I called BoatUS for a tow. To meet the towboat in deeper water I deployed my trolling motor to make my way towards the channel. As I made my way I was fighting a headwind so I decided to put the TM on high speed to make better headway; a few seconds later I hear a knock from the TM and I go dead in the water. When I pulled the TM I found I could not rotate the prop.
I had the TM serviced at a local shop and asked them to save the parts for me so I could investigate what happened. The shop said it wasn’t worth digging into the power head to replace parts so they replaced the entire head. This gives me the opportunity to see for myself the undisturbed inside of the head.
I carefully disassembled the head inspecting each piece as I proceeded. When I pulled the armature it became obvious a small piece of the lower expansion shaft of an aluminum pop-rivet had fallen down inside the TM’s tubing, following the wiring, and made its way into the motor. As the pop-rivet is aluminum it was not attracted to the motors magnets and was free to move about inside the motor.
There’s no telling how long the pop-rivet was inside the motor, but on this day it made its way to the armature/magnet area and became wedged between the magnets and the armature plates with enough force to break many of the plates.
A careful inspection of the motors parts shows that only the armature and some rubber O-rings need to be replaced.
Learned Lesson: debris can find its way down a Trolling Motor tubes and into the motor housing.
Corrective Step: Plug the TM’s outer (upper) tube with a wad of cotton and cap it with RTV caulking.
Tight Lines All
Traveler2586 reply :
Just looking at a parts diagram of the MotorGuide Tour Series and found there is one pop-rivet used to hold the control head onto the outer tube.
Some time back I did have my TM serviced for a bent shaft; so if they drilled out the pop-rivet to change out both the inner and outer tubes... guess where half of that pop-rivet went???
tracker01 reply :
"Ouch"
Redlinerobert reply :
Bottom line, you're ok. This could have been so much worse.
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