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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Sailboat
December 7, 2008
Beached sailboat at Avon, NC
Photo courtesy of Capt. Gus Gustafson
A few weeks ago, the storms that rumbled through the Lake Norman area found their way to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Gale force winds, thunderstorms and a few tornados caused sand dunes to shift, beach houses to shake and boats to toss and roll like match sticks. The following morning, while surf fishing near the Avon, NC pier, we came upon a rather large sailboat that had beached during the storm. Upon seeing it, my first thought was “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” has taken another victim. The vessel, although not in immediate danger, was hard aground in the pounding breakers of the surf at high tide, and twenty feet from the surf at low tide.
Eyewitness reports from anglers at the Avon Pier said the sailing vessel barely missed hitting the long wooden structure as it wandered south just off the breakers. They watched in disbelief, as the boat sailed passed with no one manning the helm. A short time later, the boat caught a wave that tossed it onto the beach. Where was the pilot? He was below deck eating a sandwich. He later blamed the grounding on an autopilot malfunction.
Allegedly, this wasn’t the first incident for the troubled vessel. Onlookers stated that a navy diver had been dispatched to untangle lines wrapped around the boat’s propeller a few days earlier during a storm off the Virginia Coast. It seems that the skipper, a French-Canadian and his wife were in route to Charleston, SC. on the first leg of an around-the-world voyage. Since he was alone when the boat beached at Avon, everyone assumed that she had decided not to complete the journey.
The following day, dozens of onlookers watched, as local salvage workers attempted to free the vessel from the sand that had swallowed it to the water line. Ropes were tied to the mast and stern. A pickup truck attempted to tip the boat on its side by pulling on the mast line, while a tow boat tugged on the stern lines. The lines stretched to the breaking point. The truck wheels spun in the sand and the tow boat blew clouds of black smoke, but to no avail.
The fruitless salvage effort ended after it was decided that high tide had passed and larger equipment would be needed. A week later, the sailboat was still hard aground on the Avon Beach. Another salvage effort was being planned. This one would use a crane to lift the vessel onto a flatbed truck. Regardless of the outcome, it was the most expensive sandwich the boat owner had ever eaten.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
The helm must be manned at all times while someone watches for shoals, passing vessels and other hazards to navigation. Be reminded, “Safe Boating is No Accident.”
Upcoming Events:
A free holiday seminar about “Frequently Asked Questions When Fishing for Lake Norman’s Bass, Stripers, and Catfish” is scheduled for Thursday, December 11, 2008 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Mooresville, Exit 36. The discussion will be conducted by Lake Norman Fishing Guide, Capt. Gus Gustafson and Jake Bussollini author of the book “Freshwater Fighters”. Bring your fishing and boating questions to this free ninety minute Q and A session. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
The Hot Spot of the Week - Cold water temperatures have sent stripers to the back of most major creeks. Anglers using live bait are catching four to five pound fish in Reed, Mountain and Stumpy Creeks. Bass fishing is also good to excellent around docks, brush piles and bridges. The surface water temperature is in the fifties and the lake level is about 3.2 feet below full pond.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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