Boater runs aground in harbour

[Spiel]

Boater runs aground in harbour

 

April 7th, 2010

 

Joyce Cassin / northumberlandtoday.com

 

 

PORT HOPE – The Port Hope harbour is not safe for boat traffic, says Lloyd Daume.

 

The Port Hope resident says he went out boating over the weekend and, even though he heeded what the signs indicated, his boat sustained some substantial damage.

 

"There is hardly any water in that harbour," Daume says. "This harbour should be closed."

 

He says that, when entering the harbour, he read the advice printed on the large sign that indicated boaters should stay to the west side of the pier.

"I had two other charter boat captains with me," Daume says. "We looked at each other and said, sure, let's do what the sign says."

 

Unfortunately, there was only about 18 inches of water in the channel; not enough for his boat to clear the sand bar, he says.

 

The propellers on both his large and small motors were damaged, he says, and he estimates the cost of repair at $2,000.

 

Water is usually about 13 feet deep between the piers, and now the deepest is around five feet, he says.

 

"The storm (in February) cleaned the Ganny really good," he says, adding that it cleaned it so well that a larger-than-normal amount of sand and silt were deposited along the shoreline.

 

"There's not even much water at the gas pumps," Daume says. "People should be aware that it's dangerous."

 

The sand bar is clearly visible in the harbour, he says.

 

Because Monday was a holiday, no one was available from the municipality or the Canadian Coast Guard for comment.

 

[irishfield]

Lloyd's been around Terry toooo much...

[Twocoda]

Proof the Captain always knows...should have stuck with your instincts...i did the same thing several years ago on Huron and it cost me a new prop

[SudburyAngler]

Yeah, I've chopped a few props, luckily my neighbor is a prop repairman, so just a walk across the lawn. Recently my friend ripped the skeg and prop of of his dads speed boat.

[pylon]

perhaps just sleepin at tge stick

 

 

[waki5]

i remember reading about the port hope harbour. i was interested and took a tour down there last spring and it looked like you could walk across the ganny in rubber boots. i know they were talking about dredging it but i don't know if they did it or not