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New to me 247...afraid to run it with all this rain (debris)...


beanboy

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Hi guys!

I've just acquired a new to me 2013 247 lsv.

Our lake is up 15 ft from its low point 2 months ago. It's lake Richland Chambers and is 45000 acres. It's only 1.5 ft over full due to the gates at the dam being open.

But the creeks filling it are dumping water in like crazy. I haven't seen the lake myself since it filled but I've been told by 2 people who are on the lake that there is quite a bit of debris floating.

What would you do? The rain is solid for at least the next 10 days if not for several more weeks. So it's not like I can wait a week and use it then and be 'safe'.

How concerned would you guys be with floating logs after all this runoff? Would you take your 'new' boat out for a few hours if weather permits? Or wait weeks (at the very least) for the lake to 'clean up'?

Thanks guys

Parker

Edited by beanboy
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In past years when the Brazos River has flooded into Lake Whitney, I have seen telephone pole size logs and parts of camper trailers float by. Flood levels also make it hard to tell where the normal shoreline starts and stops.

Edited by Bozboat
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Shoreline and normal water hazards (existing stumps) aren't an issue. The water can't go over 2 ft above normal so the shoreline remains the same. Plus we are extremely familiar with the lake. We have a house on it. I'm just concerned about the random floating crap...

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When we go out early in the season, we take out gear and were ready to ride but were also ready to call it off if there's two much debris. We'll do a little scouting run so see if it's worth taking the chance.

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Leave your boat on the trailer, open a beer and wait ... at least until the flow has slowed and the water is no longer rising .... I have hit floating crap in the river on a couple of occasions and its not a pleasant experience. I've had to pull it out and swap the buggered prop on each occasion now .... the only winner is the dude that straightens your props. Part of the problem where we are is logs can often float 99% below the surface so what can appear a small twig is often a sizeable chunk.... :Doh:

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Park it up or hit the road. We have this every year with our spring rain. It's a lottery with debris in the water and you just never know. When we decide to take the punt we always ski upstream but you on a lake is a different kettle of fish.

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I think most crap floats away after 1 day of no rain. And if you aren't barefooting you don't have to worry about personal injury much. You can always drive down the middle and send stuff floating to shore so the middle is cleaner to boat in. I guess I'd wait at least a day and let other boats take the "heat".

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I live in Dallas...I would not even think about putting it in the water, esp an east Texas lake.

Yeah it may be fine. But, if you mess it up and mess up the fiberglass - you will be done for 4-6 weeks. I have a feeling the repair shops will get really busy when the rain stops.

Edited by Murphy8166
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I went to high school in Tyler, so I spent a lot of time on lake Tyler and Palestine.

If you put in, I'd idle 100 yards, anchor, and drink, then watch all the other boats get towed back to dock with sheered off props and skegs/tracking fins.

These things aren't like pontoon boats. You hit a log, the cash starts flowing in these.

  • Like 1
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hit it hard, then b.o.a.t, just kidding...

I wouldn't take my new to me 04 in a lake full of crap to hit. Let alone a 2013 that probably cost double or triple what I paid... You know what is embarrassing? Being the guy at a boat launch with a 2013 that has an absolutely beat to s*** hull cause you couldn't wait 2 weeks. Tow your boat to a better lake if you have to get out.

As stated already, you wreck your boat in early June, good luck finding a shop to get you back out in the water this summer. My past experiences with my own jet skis and parents' boat is if they break early season, you're pretty much screwed around here.(Seattle) I broke my jet ski, took it in around mid/late june and they couldn't fix it until like late August. Same thing when my mom wrecked our 2007 MB early July, it was done for the season. (partially since my dad only wanted it touched by the mb dealership)

If it makes you feel any better, I bought my 04 and watched it sit for two weeks before finally being able to go out. Get used to watching it sit, Winter is coming.

  • Like 1
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I watched mine sit for 6 months...winter was long and painful.

writing that check every month wasn't exactly a high point of my winter, either. lol

Edited by ibelonginprison
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Hi guys!

What would you do?

I couldn't take it; I'd find a way to get out in the boat. The guys above are probably right, but there is a happy medium. Here is my recommended plan:

1) wait until the water is receding a bit 3 or 4" makes a huge difference. Most of the new debris comes from the shore as the lake rises. As the level drops, the debris is left on shore.

2) After the water begins receding, wait until the wind has blown from the south for 24 hours. This will push most floating debris north.

3) run the south shore in water 20' or greater. You do not want to hit a water logged branch resting vertically on the bottom. Those can get you but have nothing floating above the water. You'd be pretty damn unlucky to hit a "dead head" over 20' long in RC. (note, you may be stuck with this the entire summer. I can not believe the debris accumulated in 5' of water on Ray Hubbard)

Once you start wakeboarding, don't stop. Run a consistent line. You will be knocking free debris from shore. As long as the boat is passing, this debris get pushed to shore. When you stop, it will make its way into the ski run.

The safest place on RC (never been on the lake, but looked at a map) would be to go over to the dam.

You are ape crazy if you run the north shore before the water has receded and the wind has blown from the south consistently for a week.

You should have the conditions mentioned in 1, 2, and 3 within the next week.

Good luck; you probably shouldn't follow my advice.

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Tow it an hour to Cedar Creek. They have kept the level there within a foot of fool pool and there are walls all around that lake anyways so not a lot of chances to pick up shoreline debris. We were out on it last weekend and it was perfectly fine, no signs of anything in the water that should not have been there. Shoot, if you want to go this weekend let me know, our rental house is open, the guest that were coming this weekend got stuck in the floods in Houston and had to cancel. Great price for 126 feet of water front in a calm cove with a nice boat dock to tie up to.

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Well I figured I'd report back...

Yes. We did see floating debris/logs.

But it wasn't nearly as bad as I suspected.

I scouted our riding area with a seadoo first and then when I saw what the situation was I decided to go ahead and take the 247 out.

Most of the weekend was really windy. But we prolly got 4 hours in total on Friday evening and Saturday after lunch.

Thanks guys!

Parker

Edited by beanboy
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Well I figured I'd report back...

Yes. We did see floating debris/logs.

But it wasn't nearly as bad as I suspected.

I scouted our riding area with a seadoo first and then when I saw what the situation was I decided to go ahead and take the 247 out.

Most of the weekend was really windy. But we prolly got 4 hours in total on Friday evening and Saturday after lunch.

Thanks guys!

Parker

I was going to ask if you went out. Lol

Glad it went well for you.

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Really just a judgement call. When we ride the river during flood stage we just do what you did, for the most part. Scout it a little (a little less useful on a moving river but still worth the time)......then just keep a sharp lookout. Not unusual to see full grown trees, root ball and all, tangled up with another tree or 2 and some debris that it strained out floating down river.........but I don't know what you'd see there. Most* of the stuff that's going to do damage you can see and avoid. Surfing is definitely safer than wakeboarding though, just because of the speed and area you cover (not to mention the rider 80' behind you).

Same situation here on our river. "most" of the debris is visible and floating or hung up on the bottom with portions stick out. the last several years have been particularly bad with the dead ash trees from the ash borer. little scouting goes a long way, but there is always risk. every spring my brothers and I take our little 14' aluminum boats out and pull as many snags as we can find to shallow backwater areas. sames goes after some high water/flooding from rain. waiting until the water crests and reseeds about 4" makes a huge difference on the amount of debris floating.

the one advantage i think we have with river debris vs. lake debris is the how quickly the river flattens back out from boat waves since everyone is going up or down and not every-which-way (granted we are on a fairly narrow river, 250yds wide). makes the debris a little bit easier to see.

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