On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 23:43:04 -0800, "Dene" dene@(nospam) ipns.com
wrote:

Ok....better question. When I run aground, what's the first thing I should
do? ;

If it is a soft grounding in mud, try to keep the boat moving, even a
little bit, so you can drive out. If you come to a full stop, the mud
will settle in against the keel and lock you in place, so keep it
stirred. I have sucessfully driven out by putting the rudder hard over
to twist the boat in place, back and forth, eventually doing a 180 and
driving back out the way I came in.

Of course, if you were doing full speed when you found the mud, then
you are probably just stuck, and that's a good reason to approach
shallow spots slowly.

Ryk