Ok, lets learn from one another's mistakes. Anyone ever sunk a drift boat? I'd like to hear people's experience, either near or full sinking, and what you did or could have done to save it?

My major mishap to date was my first time on the oars in <----- this wood boat. I dipped one oar into the main chute, one into a swirling back eddy. The back eddy sucked an oar under and if it weren't for Coho being in the front seat and jumping to the high side, this boat would have been Skagit lumber. My lesson - Always go with someone more experienced your first time on a river!

Sol Duc Hatchery to Maxfield. First time. Never been there. Hit the Wall. Boat strait-on but wedged between two Boulders. Somehow it wiggled out and we got through. Only time I ever wanted out of the boat.

Lesson is - Don't drift it until you have been down with someone else. It was a huge leap in class of water from Sky/Cow/Bogacheil. Apply this to any new run. Hire a Guide!

Always wear your PFD.

Kyle-A
Was the that the swirling eddies up by the cascade or the infamous mix master? I had a close call high siding in the mix master and another real bad highside in the fingerd rip raps above sultan, it can get downright ugly in there!
Chrome

3 in the DB motoring at WOT back up the Skagit below the Sauk. Rough as it was we were making decent progress. A very large sled roared by and we ended up with 2 feet of water in the boat. Didn't realize how much water a guy could bail with a hat.

Speaking of those fingered rip-raps above Sultan, who has good advice on how to get through there safely in a DB (aside from walking the boat)? I've been through it probably a half dozen times, but it's always hairy and I still haven't figured out the best way.

Seadeep- I hear ya, Burlington Northern should
remove the first two. Someones gonna get hurt in there. I don't like them at all but I hit the first one head on and tell the guy in front to lean left cause the boat is gonna highside hard to the right. I shift my weight left also. The key is to try and keep your oar blades out of the water cause that swirling turbulance will grab em and cause you to highside all over the place. The second one is a spinner for sure, I try and spin the boat around and take it stern first. The guy or guys up front have to be very aware of the situation because if both their weight shifts the wrong way you could have a big problem.
Be Safe
Chrome

I think everyone hates that spot, its very hairy. I try and get in the fast shute and when I get to the swirley water turn the back end into that boiling water away from the jetty. Beezer showed me how to do this and it seems to have made things a little easier there. I always tell the guys in the front to get ready and brace themselves.

Thankfully, no first-hand experience but watched a guy dip one because he was determined not to lose his anchor.
He was gonna pull as hard as he could to get the anchor loose and forgot the transom had to stay above the water level.
I hope that's as much as I ever learn.

I refer to the rip raps above sultan as the three fingers since there are 3 rip raps.

Made the mistake of dipping the left oar in that one time and it ripped the oar out of my hand. Powerful hydraulics in that spot, boat did a 180, side dipped and we came out fine. Beezer also showed me how to make it through this area safely.

Navigating it is a little different depending on the water level however this is how I do it most of the time. I drop into the shoot, point bow towards bank and back row so the boat goes down that shoot side ways. When you get to the rip rap point bow towards it so you don't hit it. Before hitting the swirly water straighten the boat out and push row like hell and just punch through it. Don't go to deep on the oars and the swirly water will not grab the blades to bad.

I have often wondered if someone does flip a boat there and drown if they could sue the dang railroad?

Also that top rip rap used to be one of my favorite fishing holes but now no fish hold since the railroad changed the river direction.

P.S. A month or so back a canoe flipped in that exact location.

Mine was the swirl below the Cascade. Lead thrower is right on about the Sultan Rip Rap. My experience on the Skagit taught me well how to get through that unscathed. Get yourself set up early, stay in the throat, and punch on through with very, very shallow strokes.

Just a little response to the Rip Rap on the Sky, depending on the water level, it is a pretty good idea with long oars to walk it thru on the left. I have caught fish anchoring upstream and fishing just above that area casting to the railroad side. If you can navigate as far left as possible in the shallows I have gotten thru but it does depend on the water level. Maybe been lucky but I do look at the first clump of rocks and wonder if anyone has bitten it there. Good excuse to wear your floatation device!! R

I was in one that broke up about 3 weeks ago down on the Lewis.

Was a real experience.

Two good things:
Always wear a PFD.
Don't wear hip boots. I had them on and it's a little hard to swim with them.

Zen,

I learned, many years ago while trapping beaver throughout the NW, that the FIRST thing I do when a new pair of hip-waders is purchased is to cut out the knee tie-straps.

Never use them, as when (not IF, but when..) you fall off that beaver dam (or out of a boat) you can not ge the waders off when they are tied on to your knees.

Use the belt snap straps, as they can readily be unsnapped and the boots kicked off while in the water. Had to do it more than once...in the coldest of water too!

Mike

Those sections above can be tricky especially the first time going through them. Any new river or section you plan on drifting it's a good idea to scout it on foot or go down it with someone who has done it before to show what to do. Or hire a qualified guide who knows what he is doing, it's money well spent and you'll live to tell about it.
On that note, there is a sectoin on the upper Skagit that can be a little tricky becuse it's towards the end of the drift and there are spots you have to be lined up just right along with some boulders you need to avoid. Fatigue becomes a factor here and probly a lot of you know what I mean, your up early, fish and row all day, then a tricky spot. Your tank might be on the empty side to pull out of it. Trade off with your buddy and let him/her row part of the day that keeps you both fresh and it lets others gain experiance on the river.

I sunk a drift boat in Hells Half Mile on the Calawah river in 1989. The sides on my boat at the time were not as high as they should have been. The Class III+ drop toward the bottom end swallowed my bow and down she went.

A friend was behind me in a DB with higher sides and he made it through. He said the only remnant of me or my boat after I went under was my hat floating down the river. I swam/scrambled to the bank as he floated over me. The poly anchor line on my boat floated to the surface in the whitewater and my buddy grabbed it and tied it off to his, and then drug it to the side as the current velocity subsided. Some how I wound up with my fishing rod in hand. All my gear was in my vest which I wore and my boat was undamaged. Lucky.

Lesson: make sure your boat is made for the Class of water you're rowing.

I'm with Mike B. on the hip boots....I always cut the knee straps out, clear to the inside rubber. And I remove the hip straps as well. I've gotten wet more than a couple of times by not noticing that a boot has slipped down a bit, but it's a small price to pay. I also buy my boots a size too big. I have never needed to kick them off, but I will be ready if the need arises.

When entering the first one depending on flows you will highside right. The shelf on the left T forks into the main flow causing this problem. Also the first shoot is moving so fast
I would take it straight on and when you get to the second swirling mess, if you can spin her
180 and hit her in reverseyou will be better off. The bottom line- Guy or guys up front have to know to lean right or left on the highside or you can have some serious problems. My 14' lavro draws alot of water with 3 guys so it is a challenge never the less.
Chrome

Sounds like lots of oars being pinned due to hydrolics,...helpful hint and a must in my opinion;

Most oar locks come manufactured to tight especially for comp oars. Oars "should" pop out of the oar lock when need be, hence the reason for carrying a spare oar. Oar lock problem is easily fixed by taking two 1" pipes and prying the oar locks open (while yer boat sits on the trailer) just enough to where you can pop the oar out with some force by hand.

Can be a big time life saver in a bad situation!!