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Posted By:
Bill Brown
Date Posted:
Apr 1, 2018
Description:
It’s been a couple of weeks but what the heck, I’ll tell on myself,
someone might learn something from my tale.
I was having a wonderful time on a perfect seaplane day, flying
lake to lake in southeast of Orlando, step taxiing around the edges
taking in everything. Landings were great if I say so myself and in
my mind I was doing everything great. I had landed in a few lakes
joined by canals and taxiing through and enjoying the scenery was
even more fun. No one around, but I didn’t need anyone else
except for that feeling that it’s a shame that someone isn’t enjoying
this with me.
After cruising around Lake Joel and after seeing on the way in that
there was a canal leading to another lake, (however with a bridge
crossing over some distance down), (no, I didn’t try to go under
the bridge), I did decide that the canal appeared wide enough for
me to go down the canal a ways and turn around and come back.
Well I knew that the direction of turn should normally be into the
wind so that if space runs short the wind will shorten the turn
radius. Well the wind was right on my tail so that wouldn’t apply.
On the left side was a bank about three feet high with a little sand
(the way I should have gone), but on the right was a marsh with a
few plants growing above water so I decided to turn right thinking
that if I over shot I could just cruise through the plants and make it
on around. Well, wind on the tail took me farther down the canal
than I planned, I didn’t make it around the turn and to make
matters worse, where I ended up there was the only petrified tree
stump in sight sticking up just about leading edge high so I wasn’t
going any further. The other problem and probably a plus for me
was that I was also aground which kept me from sailing on over the
stump taking out the fabric under the wing and maybe the fuselage
too. I had shut the engine off when I saw that I wouldn’t make it.
Now what to do? I could get out and swim across the canal and try
to find help, (no phone service), leave my new Searey, no, not yet,
or if I could just get rid of that stump. I did find that if I stood on
the plants it was about tennis shoe lace deep. No one around
except I think Gertrude and Heathcliff sitting on a tree a few yards
away (laughing I think), maybe a gator which I was looking
diligently for but didn’t see, no axe, I tried to break the stump, it
wouldn’t budge, I had a dilemma. The wind pushing on the tail was
trying to pivot the plane clockwise into the stump. Fortunately the
bottom of the boat sitting on the muck was keeping the wind from
turning it around, (that was my later dilemma).
After a little over an hour, trying to push the plane from the stump,
to no avail, I remembered my nine millimeter chain saw. With no
other remedies available I decided to try to weaken the stump.
The first attempt took out about a half inch notch in the stump and
got rid of Gertrude and Heathcliff. This looked promising however
it still wouldn’t budge. Still having a few blades left in my chain
saw, I tried another one. Sure enough that was enough to allow
me to break the stump. Now though not having to worry about the
wing and the stump, try as I may, the plane still would not move
from the muck. I’m now up to knee high in muck and water and
still not free.
What the noise of the chain saw did though was alert some hunters
in the area and sure enough they came but with no rope to help
pull the plane from the muck. They could have swam over and
helped me push but they didn’t offer and I didn’t ask. I’m sure
that wasn’t on their things to do today. My tie down ropes weren’t
long enough to throw over the canal. They did offer to go and try
to find other hunters with a rope, so they set off.
After more pushing and a long time waiting, I finally walked out to
a wing tip (a bit deeper) and was able to pivot the plane around
enough to have the front of the keel out of the muck. I decided to
try to try to power the plane out and sure enough it worked with
minimum power and I pulled across the canal to the other bank,
yeah!
The hunters heard me start up and came to tell me that they
couldn’t find anyone with a rope. I thanked them for their trouble
and didn’t suggest that they owed me for the comedy and after
step taxiing around to clean off the bottom I returned to KISM for
an uneventful landing.
Upon closer inspection I found that I did have a slight dent in the
lower side of the leading edge, (no broken paint), which I can see
from a mile away but probably no one else will even notice. Not
anything hurt significantly but my pride. All in all, it was just
another day of seaplane flying and a little more humility. I guess
the moral is, always take an extra chainsaw. You can add yours.
Thanks for listening.
Date Taken:
3/10/18
Place Taken:
Lake Joel (the event, not the photo) Photo was Spruce Creek earlier.
Owner:
Bill Brown
File Name:
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"Lucky to have my Chain saw along" Photo for reference |
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Read what others had to say:
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Nickens, Dan - Apr 02,2018
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What a great SeaRey swamping tale, Bill! And you only got a little wet!
So, before you got your SeaRey, what was your daily Adventure Quotient? Now? And is it possible you need a bigger chain saw?
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Don Maxwell - Apr 02,2018
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That's just what I was thinking, Dan. A 9 mm chain is substantial, but not really a professional-grade saw. Too bad he didn't have a .700 Nitro Express, or some other saw with similar cutting power. Of course, that might be hard to fit into a Searey. A Dynamite saw would have worked as well and is much lighter and more compact. In any case, he had a Grand Searey Adventure.
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Bill Brown - Apr 02,2018
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Thanks Don, a more powerful chainsaw might just bring more people than I want, like environmentalists who might frown on me
changing the native landscape.
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Bill West - Apr 02,2018
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Thanks for doing your part to keep the local waterways clear. Glad youre enjoying your new toy Bill.
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Bill Brown - Apr 02,2018
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Always wanted to see the other side Dan. Coming up on 80 so probably wont change too much. I might be a little more
diligent in going through my risk check list though.
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Carr, Frank - Apr 05,2018
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Great story Bill. Glad it turned out OKish for you. Thanks for sharing.
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Wayne Nagy - Apr 05,2018
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I reckon I'm the only one, but I don't carry a chainsaw in my "bag of tricks". :-)
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Don Maxwell - Apr 06,2018
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I don't, either. (But since reading Bill's post, I have been considering stowing a half-stick of dynamite in the folding Danforth anchor bag.)
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Ken Leonard - Apr 06,2018
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About a year ago I literally flew my chainsaw over to another lake to drop a tree.
As for getting stuck, yeah, have put myself in more than one pickle like that.
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Friend, Joe - Apr 08,2018
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Good story, Bill. Searey flying helps keep our problem solving skills keen and situational awareness sharp. Your preflight
planning including selected "tools" on board is good advice.
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Dirck Hecking - Apr 25,2018
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Well thank you everyone; I think you covered it very well. Off hand I am remembering the awful building collision after an
errant dowwnwind sightseeing turn over the East River...
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