Everyone says you should always cut the engine if the pump sounds off, but that cost me a day in Galveston Bay.

We were pulling up old oyster shells, and the suction started making a weird grinding noise. Instead of shutting down, I eased back the throttle and had my deckhand check the intake screen, which was just clogged with a chunk of tire. If I'd killed it, we would've had to re-anchor and start the whole setup over. What's the most time you've saved by not following the standard shutdown procedure?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew8541mo ago

Galveston Bay's a tough place to lose a day.

phoenix6251mo ago

Wait, lose a day? Like a whole 24 hours just gone? What even happens out there, did your boat sink or did you just get stuck waiting for a tow forever? That bay can get mean real fast with the weather and the ship traffic. I'd be so mad if I wasted a full day on the water like that.

oliviahenderson1mo ago

Actually, phoenix625, it's not a full 24 hours lost. It's more like losing your whole work window for that day. On the water, a "day" means your shift from sunrise to whenever the weather or light forces you in. In Galveston Bay, that's usually around 12 hours tops if you start early. So losing a day means you burn that whole chunk of time re-anchoring, checking gear, and maybe sitting idle waiting on a tow if you killed the engine at the wrong spot. The bay can get nasty quick with ship wakes and afternoon squalls, but it's not like you're stuck there overnight unless your engine really dies. I've seen guys lose half a day just fighting a clogged pump the wrong way, though.