Some excerpts from the PCYC’s newsletter, the Anchor Watch, from August 15th, 1951.
The water level is relatively low for this time of year, and this has resulted in a number of incidents including hitting rocks and underwater objects and several groundings.
Our indomitable assistant manager, Theo, had to pull two people off the bottom on different sides of the lake. One of our members found themselves aground on a gravel bed just east of Dowker Island, and Theo was successful in pulling them off while the coastguard hauled on the halyard to tilt the boat. Shortly after, Theo got a call from a Royal St. Lawrence member (who is well known at PCYC) and had to pull another boat off a sandbank just east of SLVYRA mark #31.
All the groundings this year occurred in places that are marked as too shallow on the charts, so members are advised to consult their charts or navigation tools, and stick to clearly safe areas.
A 420 also hit a rock near one of our harbour channel markers, and so the marker has been moved, making the channel narrower, but marking safe water.
Currently, the water level is 0.54 meters (1 foot, 9 inches) above chart datum. Members are reminded that ultimately, the responsibility for not hitting rock bottom (or any other kind of bottom) lies with the skipper, not with the club nor with Theo.
