Rain rain rain ...

[Doc]

I knew it was a bad sign when we did not get much rain in April or May. Now we are paying and it always rains on the weekends. I'm so sick of it.
Now we have flash flood warnings so there is trash all over the river, and it will only get worse as thunderstorms are predicted for this afternoon. Arrrggggg


Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[Bamby]

We just got back from the river ourselves. The water is about six feet high and flowing strong. Since its been up for awhile a lot of the debris has already flowed past where we dock at. Took the boat out yesterday and made a cruise, had to dodge some debris but nothing to drastic. Last night the sky opened up and it literally poured cats and dogs. This morning the river was up about an additional foot, and a lot more additional debris was flowing. We just packed up and came home.

Some additional notes: Most peoples docks on the Muskingum River including ours were inaccessible because access ramps we under water.

Observed a huge amount of "Garbage" flowing down the river and lodging everywhere.

Though I don't have a solid confirmation it was very evident that someones boat has been destroyed probably in under-toe of the Philo Lock and dam. There were numerous life jackets, wood, and some recognizable floating boat parts that went by our boat this AM. It was still pretty well massed together so we're assuming it happened at the lock about a mile upriver of us.

 

[Doc]

That sounds bad with that boat. Hopefully no one was on it.

Hate to hear water went up that high where you are cause if you have lots of debree that same debree will be down my way a few days later. I hope it's all gone by next Thursday, I plan to hit the water thursday after work.

 

[Bamby]

The boat turned out to be a Houseboat that was docked at a Marina in the pool above ours. Went what was left went past us there is no way a person could tell what kind of boat "is was" it was all floating debris. This Houseboat was an older steel hulled one, and was actually the only one at the Marina I would have considered owning myself.

Hopefully the owner had insurance on it, but I'm pretty sure he was having a hard time finding a carrier. Seems nobody wants to insure steel hulled Houseboats anymore and he was having a hard time finding coverage awhile back.

 

[Doc]

man oh man, that would make you sick. Any idea how it came loose? Did the dock it was tied to come loose also? I've seen that happen before. The current sure was strong on the Ohio River this past weekend so I'm sure it was strong up your way also.

 

[Bamby]

Nobody was awake when the incident actually happened, but the boat was noticed missing at 6:00 am. The Club has a fair size creek that enters the river in the upper left of attachment. Its known that a lot of potentially large debris trees, etc. often flow and enter river from this source. Anyway whatever done the damage flowed down between the inner and docks and caught / hit a pontoon boat on the inner dock represented by the upper arrow. The dock lines on the pontoon boat were thereby broken and it drifted free and luckily undamaged and lodged against walkway on lower dock. The debris then flowed down and hit the lower dock on front by the houseboat.

The Houseboat is represented by the lower arrow on the lower dock. The Houseboat was always secured "tied" well as far as I've ever observed anyway. But the debris evidently was large enough the it crushed up the dock structure itself, thereby freeing up the Houseboat to float downriver and go over the dam.

Excuse the sloppy art, but thought it may give some reference to the chain of events. Pontoon Boat owner was actually lucky in both his boat didn't flow off down river, or get crushed in second hit with the lower dock that took the Houseboat.

 

[waybomb]

Guys, I'm in a different boat than you (ha, a pun!). Lake Michigan is down about 9" from last year. We need water! I hope it rains until July. Turns off until Halloween, then snows and rains until next July. Sorry.....

 

[Doc]

Thanks for the explanation and drawing Bamby! Sad for sure. That Pontoon owner is very lucky he didn't loose his boat.

I have a giant tree under my houseboat right now. It appears all the new debris is gone so Thursday I plan to have another houseboat pull me away from the dock backwards in hopes that the tree will dislodge itself from my bow. Sure is better than starting up and mangling one of my props.

Fully understand Fred, and I'd be more than happy to send all of our rain up your way for the next couple of months. I only wish we could really do that.