Worst Exeprience Ever!

[triscadek]

I kinda touched this in a comment on another thread but I'll make a post for others to kill time reading...

So we are on Grand Lake O' The Cherokees in NE Oklahoma this last weekend for their first annual GLOC Shootout. The Shootout included dozens of go fast boats from regional and local competitors. One of them was a guy from Colorado in his "Low Altitude" 50' catamaran bolstering two turbine helicopter engines. She's wicked! Top speed of 220 however on the 3/4 mile course we had, decent chop and a 15knot headwind he could only crank out 165.

We show up to the absolute cluster of a line tie up situation. I was anchor-less Saturday so I was on the prowl for a decent line with a couple big boats in the middle. Well, we found a couple and as we were about to tie up, lake patrol came by to advise them to move back away from the course about 20-30 yards. Both end boats fire up and slowly move the line about running over a few of the guys that had anchored solo. Of course they yell at the line that they were there first which followed by the leather skinned, roid filled cigarette boat owners to run up the the bow asking "you want a piece of this" while spilling their beer flailing their arms. -- Okayyy, let's find another line, I don't wan to be associated with this.

So we start looking for some boats with kids as we figure they would be on the mildly quiet side, while on the hunt we ask a few and everyone says no anchor no tie-up. Like the 14 anchors in the water are going to pull because of my boat :rollseyes: ...one of them being a douchey Malibu owner smh. While on the prowl we almost get T-boned by some newb in his brand new 25' cobalt that had his boat in gear hooping and hollering at other boats not watching where he was going. had i not "floored It" and hit an open hole, it would have been a pretty hard hit. I said Screw it, the races are starting we will go float alone in open water. So we just go float... And float... And float right up by some nasty debris (9.8" of rain in 72hrs the day before flooded the lake) including 50' logs. Finally after 5-6 times of repositioning and almost getting run over by some goons, my stress level is about maxed. We have seen the big boats and a couple local legends and it's all starting to look the same. Big rooster tails and loud engines going fast in a straight line. We leave and try to head back before the whole crowd (400-500 boats) decided to do the same. We get about half way back and here come the flood gates! Ugh!

It was absolutely scary headed back. I have been on this lake for 13 years now including most holidays and have NEVER experienced water like I did leaving the Shootout. Four to ten 40-60' yachts laying the coals to their insane water displacing machines at any given time and all of the "fast and the furious" type attitudes from the go fast boats on the way back weaving in and out of everyone. We nosed up as much as we could on the way back and just stayed close to shore in hopes to not get ran over from the rear. Ended up taking one over the bow AND the windshield. Thankfully nobody was up front or they would have been slammed into the windshield. It was pretty forceful and we were going slow, not even on plane. I was FURIOUS! We finally got back out of the main channel and headed toward the boat ramp without further incident. I think I'll be keeping to myself in the closed off cove (low bridge) by our dock for the weekends from now on. These diamond hulls just aren't for waves lol. I felt bad for the boat.

Needless to say, when we got back to the cabin it was time for a couple of cold beers.

[DAI]

I kinda touched this in a comment on another thread but I'll make a post for others to kill time reading...

So we are on Grand Lake O' The Cherokees in NE Oklahoma this last weekend for their first annual GLOC Shootout. The Shootout included dozens of go fast boats from regional and local competitors. One of them was a guy from Colorado in his "Low Altitude" 50' catamaran bolstering two turbine helicopter engines. She's wicked! Top speed of 220 however on the 3/4 mile course we had, decent chop and a 15knot headwind he could only crank out 165.

We show up to the absolute cluster of a line tie up situation. I was anchor-less Saturday so I was on the prowl for a decent line with a couple big boats in the middle. Well, we found a couple and as we were about to tie up, lake patrol came by to advise them to move back away from the course about 20-30 yards. Both end boats fire up and slowly move the line about running over a few of the guys that had anchored solo. Of course they yell at the line that they were there first which followed by the leather skinned, roid filled cigarette boat owners to run up the the bow asking "you want a piece of this" while spilling their beer flailing their arms. -- Okayyy, let's find another line, I don't wan to be associated with this.

So we start looking for some boats with kids as we figure they would be on the mildly quiet side, while on the hunt we ask a few and everyone says no anchor no tie-up. Like the 14 anchors in the water are going to pull because of my boat :rollseyes: ...one of them being a douchey Malibu owner smh. While on the prowl we almost get T-boned by some newb in his brand new 25' cobalt that had his boat in gear hooping and hollering at other boats not watching where he was going. had i not "floored It" and hit an open hole, it would have been a pretty hard hit. I said Screw it, the races are starting we will go float alone in open water. So we just go float... And float... And float right up by some nasty debris (9.8" of rain in 72hrs the day before flooded the lake) including 50' logs. Finally after 5-6 times of repositioning and almost getting run over by some goons, my stress level is about maxed. We have seen the big boats and a couple local legends and it's all starting to look the same. Big rooster tails and loud engines going fast in a straight line. We leave and try to head back before the whole crowd (400-500 boats) decided to do the same. We get about half way back and here come the flood gates! Ugh!

It was absolutely scary headed back. I have been on this lake for 13 years now including most holidays and have NEVER experienced water like I did leaving the Shootout. Four to ten 40-60' yachts laying the coals to their insane water displacing machines at any given time and all of the "fast and the furious" type attitudes from the go fast boats on the way back weaving in and out of everyone. We nosed up as much as we could on the way back and just stayed close to shore in hopes to not get ran over from the rear. Ended up taking one over the bow AND the windshield. Thankfully nobody was up front or they would have been slammed into the windshield. It was pretty forceful and we were going slow, not even on plane. I was FURIOUS! We finally got back out of the main channel and headed toward the boat ramp without further incident. I think I'll be keeping to myself in the closed off cove (low bridge) by our dock for the weekends from now on. These diamond hulls just aren't for waves lol. I felt bad for the boat.

Needless to say, when we got back to the cabin it was time for a couple of cold beers.

I would been having single malt scotch after that experience.

[windy1]

I gave up on weekends at grand years ago. your description is spot on. It's a dangerous mess. So many other less crowded lakes in NE Oklahoma.

[triscadek]

Haha I second the scotch! THANKFULLY my mom took everyone's kids for the afternoon (108* heat index) and met us back at the cabin or I would have been in the hard stuff.

Yeah grand is out for me from now on except for Bernice cove and holidays with the family which will be on the parents cruiser.

I'm on vacation next week, it'll be calm enough to enjoy the week but Saturday I'll be packing up and headed home.

[DUKENO1]

Glad ya'll got back safe...crazy.

[pook77]

Sounds a lot like the shootout we went to at Lake of the Ozarks a few couple years ago. The main channel after the races was completely insane.

[triscadek]

Next time I'll either find a ramp right there or wait til midnight to leave ?

[ibelonginprison]

Yeah, we did that for fireworks this year. Got into a cove hooked around to the side. Saw the fireworks nice and clear, and not a boat within a half mile of us.
When the grand finale was over, it was like a friggin' 8 lane interstate. I've never seen so many green lights going one way, and red lights going another.

We hung out for a half an hour and blasted music, then tooled back to the dock after the nutbags got done trying to kill each other.

[triscadek]

Haha saaaaaaaame here! I can only imagine how rough the water was out on the main channel right after the fireworks show. They projected 2,500 boats for the show.