What should you do if you run aground and your hull is seriously damaged?

Sooner or later you’re going to run aground. What you do next will determine just how much it’s going to cost you.

If you’re like most of us, it’s something that’s always in the back of your mind, like the possibility of an IRS audit or a speeding ticket. The thought persists because you know that no matter how careful you are, accidents will happen, and sooner or later this one will happen to you. Running aground is, alas, part of boating.

Actually, I prefer the term “touching bottom,” as it doesn’t sound so final; you can imagine touching bottom as a momentary misstep from which you can quickly recover, whereas “grounding” implies an unpleasant finality. But whatever you call it, it’s inevitable, and even if this is one box you’ve already checked, it’s probably going to happen to you again, so it pays to be prepared. Damage from grounding is often needlessly compounded because the helmsman panics or lacks a coherent recovery strategy. So here are some guidelines to help get you off with minimal pain and suffering.

The amount of damage incurred from a grounding is directly related to the hardness of what you hit and the speed at which you hit it. While it’s easy to determine the latter, the former is often a mystery, and that’s why you need a plan. Raging emotions may argue for aggressively powering your vessel back the way she came, but prudence demands that you first shut down your engines and post a lookout while you reconnoiter. You shut down your engines because even though you may be hung up on “just” a sandbar, you need to avoid sand and debris being sucked into your engines’ cooling systems, which can lead to overheating and further complications.

Reconnoitering involves visual evaluation. First, go below to make sure nothing untoward is occurring in the ER, such as rising water or clogged strainers. Next, if possible, jump overboard to see exactly what’s holding your boat in place. Obviously a mask and fins makes this a lot easier, and you may want to rig a lifeline as well.

Once you know that your boat is in sound condition and you’ve figured out what it is you’re hung up on, you can formulate a proper extraction strategy. One thing your dive should have revealed is precisely where and how your boat is hung up, a crucial piece of information. If the hull is grounded but the props are clear, you’ve dodged a bullet, and powering off in reverse is a practicable option. But before you do, consult your chartplotter and visually scan the area so that you can lay a clear course out of your predicament. It’s not uncommon to power off one obstruction and right onto another. As you move into deeper water, keep an eye on your temperature gauges to make sure your raw-water intakes are clear and allowing cooling water to get to your engines. 

If you’re hung up on rocks or coral, you’ve likely incurred hull damage—hopefully nothing more serious than gouged gelcoat. If you haven’t gone too far aground, you can probably power off, but prepare yourself for some unpleasant grinding and more gelcoat damage. The good news is that you can lose all of the gelcoat and a fair amount of the laminate without compromising watertight integrity. Even so, once you’re off, take another look below to check for leaks before you make the run for home. If leaks are present, you’ll want to remedy that and/or contact the Coast Guard and make them aware of the situation.

If your props are in contact with the bottom, you need to proceed with caution. Even if you’re in sand, your prop blades may be bent or nicked, and trying to power off can exacerbate the damage. The best solution is to wait for the tide to float you off—admittedly not always practical. If that’s not an option, there’s probably a towboat in your future, and I regret to inform you that when he pulls you off, he’s probably going to further mangle your expensive propellers. Take heart from the fact that props, being made of comparatively soft bronze alloy, act as a kind of shock absorber, preventing damage to more expensive components such as stainless steel propshafts, couplings, bearings, and even engine mounts. If you think repairing a prop is expensive, you obviously have never had to pay to replace a prop shaft, or worse, repair and realign an entire drivetrain.

And that brings us back to the main consideration in a grounding: limiting the damage. You may not be able to avoid prop damage, but you can protect the rest of your propulsion system. So if you’re lucky enough to power off from a grounding, apply the throttle gingerly as you head home. Even minor prop damage will cause some imbalance in the prop blades, and if you sense vibration, throttle back until it goes away, even if you’re reduced to displacement speed. If the vibration won’t go away even at a slow rpm setting, you’ve probably got severe damage and should call for a tow. It may cost you a few bucks, but vibration can damage any number of propulsion system components. Better to limit the damage and endure the cost and ignominy of a tow than face the pain of a big yard bill.

This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.

A popular saying, especially among sailors, is: “There are two kinds of boaters: those who have run aground, and those who will.”

A variation is: “There are two kinds of boaters: those who have run aground, and those who lie about it.” Boat groundings happen; in fact, they are fairly common. As embarrassing as it may be to ground your boat, rest assured: we have all done it, or we will, one day. It’s easy to misjudge the depth of a channel, miscalculate a tide, or drive on shifting sands unaware. All it can take is a little distraction to hit the bottom.

Often, running aground in mud or sand at low speed doesn’t cause much damage. Sometimes, you can even remove yourself unassisted and go home unscathed. This is called a soft grounding.

If you ground at high speed on a hard bottom, you may get stuck and the impact could leave big holes in the boat’s hull. That’s called a hard grounding. In these cases, the engine may break down and you may start taking on water. It’s also possible that the force of the crash will make people fall overboard and turn the equipment onboard into projectiles that can injure the crew. It’s extremely dangerous. 

For these reasons, you’ll want to approach shallower patches, channels, submerged rocks, and shifting sands at low speed.

While running aground can be extremely dangerous, it’s not so difficult to avoid. The key is to stay alert and focused on driving at all times. We have some handy tips for you on the topic.

As written in the COLREGs, you need to keep a close lookout while boating. This means having a dedicated person on deck to scan the water all around you. Look out for buoys, markers, shoals, and sandbars (as well as other boats). If you spot these well in time, you’ll be able to react before you get too close. 

Most boating accidents happen on a calm, clear day with light winds. This is because boaters aren’t as vigilant in favourable conditions. When you get closer to shore and busy areas, shift 100% of your attention to driving the boat.

Being able to gauge the depth of an area is essential to keeping water under your hull. For boaters who are used to motoring or sailing in the brown waters of an inland waterway or lake, it can be hard to estimate depth in clear water - the bottom can look deceivingly shallow.

There’s a handy rhyme that can help you remember what different colours mean: brown, brown, run aground; white, white, you just might; green, green, in between; blue, blue, sail on through. Having a chart on hand will help you remove any doubts. If you don’t have one, decrease the revs and avoid the area.

Reading a chart is a basic skill every boater should have. Charts will alert you of most underwater dangers. Aids to Navigation will help you figure out where they are located. If you don’t carry charts (you really should), make sure to use a boating app, such as Deckee, and to learn the most important Aids to Navigation. When you see a buoy in the water, slow down immediately and check the chart. If the buoy isn’t on it, steer well away from it anyway.

Speed limits are in place to keep everyone on the water safe. It’s very important that you have time to act if you see an underwater hazard. For this reason, you should always follow the recommended speed limit.

Many groundings happen because of a tide miscalculation. To avoid getting stuck in the channel on the way home, make sure you double-check the tide times and review your calculations. Chances are you’ve planned to head back too late for the current conditions. You could get delayed due to strong winds or rough seas. Always review your plan at least twice.

If you have a depth sounder, you can set an alarm to go off once you reach a certain depth. Set the alarm a couple of meters above your draft. The sound will alert you, so you can slow down and scan the water nearby.

Don’t panic and put the boat into neutral. Ask your crew if they are OK. If someone is injured, offer assistance to them first. If necessary, call the emergency services. If someone is not wearing a life jacket, ask them to put one on immediately.

Provided everyone on board is well, take the time to assess the situation. Are you taking in any water? Look at the chart - what have you likely hit? Did you misjudge the tide times? If you grounded in seagrass or coral, you’ll need to call for assistance. You could cause terrible damage and may be subject to penalties and fines.

In case you’re taking in water, you’ll need to call for help and make preparations to launch the life raft, if you have one. Don’t try to reverse off the ground - you could sink.

If you’re not taking in water and everyone is fine, lift the outboard or outdrive up to check for prop damage. In case it looks like the engine can work, turn it on and leave it in neutral. Drop the kedge anchor as far from the boat as possible - if you have a dinghy, use it. This will prevent the boat from being driven further aground.

Try to shift the weight of the boat away from where it touches the ground. To do this, ask the crew to move around the boat. If you’re alone, you may need to wait for some wave, wake, or tide action. You can use a boat hook or oar to push off the ground or you can even try to pull on the kedge anchor chain. If there are any boats around, you could contact them over the radio and ask them to give you a yank. You may need to tilt the engine upwards to move the boat.

When it feels like you’re floating, put the engine in reverse and back up very slowly. Once you’ve moved away from the area, check again for leaks. You may be able to temporarily close small cracks and holes with a wooden plug, an emergency epoxy repair kit, or an instant leak sealant. 

If you have run aground due to the tide going out, you may have to wait until there is enough water to float again. Simply check for damage and relax.

The best way to avoid a hard grounding is to keep a sharp lookout and respect the speed limits. A soft grounding at low speed doesn’t usually cause much damage and most boaters will experience it at least once in a lifetime.

Please don’t rely on the information in this article solely to go boating. Take a boat safety course or ask an experienced friend to give you private lessons before going out on your own. In some countries, you need to take a license to drive a certain size boat. Find out more in this article. Emergency services act differently around the world. Look up when and who to call for help in the country you’re boating in.

Download the Deckee app from the App Store or Google Play - it will help you prevent your boat from running aground. On the map, you will be able to view and inspect all Aids to Navigation, as well as speed limit zones. You can also log your trips, measure distances, and receive weather warnings and alerts.