Headlights at night and Shop to repair boat damage

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davisjeremy1981

Member
Well for anyone that has read my dad's post under the reports you have an Idea of what happened to us during CFF 8. Let me start off by saying this if you have headlights on you boat make sure they are aimed properly and are not too bright. I think people forget that water reflects light and therefore magnifies it. Combine that with a moonless night when peoples eyes have adjusted fully to peering into the dark and it makes for a bad combination. I was blinded Friday night about 1230 am while heading back to the park by someone that was running down river and never shut his lights off. I could be wrong but my understanding was that it is illegal to run boat headlights non-stop because it blinds other boaters. Anyway, like I said we were headed back to CFP from wolftever, made the right had turn at the main river and started up. Right when I got to the slight left turn in the river channel I got hit with this boats headlights and totally whited out my vision. I instantly started pulling the throttle back and tried to check my surroundings for any other boats. As soon as I got enough spots out I my vision and could see enough to check my GPS I realized we had gotten out of the main channel and corrected to the left. I had enough time to go Shit and try to turn hard left and BAM!!! Took one of those main river steel can markers square nose on the starboard (right) side at 25-30mph. The impact knocked a massive dent in my bow and blasted my 6month old Minn Kota Ultrex off its bolts and over the side (inches over my dads head) smashing my 6month old helix 9 bow unit in the process. We were very lucky that things didn't send up worse. The impact didn't break a single weld, the boat never took on a bit of water other than that large dent/warp to the very forward part of the front deck my boat came though undamaged.

That being said does anyone know a shop that can repair damage to an aluminum boat?
 

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Jpull

Member
Wow, y'all are lucky. Thanks for sharing. Don't know about aluminum boat repairs but your story sure makes me glad I bought a Crestliner.
 
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FirstLight

New member
Thanks for reporting the incident. sorry for the damage to your boat and losing the TM & bird. I am glad that y’all weren’t hurt and that the boat stayed afloat.
 
Smalliefan2

Smalliefan2

Active member
Years ago, I took my aluminum boat to an auto repair shop. They used a frame machine to make the repair. Missed a deer, but not the ditch. Might be worth looking.
 
FishingwithRusty

FishingwithRusty

Active member
YES!!! IT IS ILLEGAL TO RUN WITH HEAD OR SPOT LIGHTS ON CONSTANT ON THE WATER!!! but idiots and a-holes dont pay attention to it or probably dont even know and DNR doesnt enforce it. sucks this happened to you but glad no one was hurt, boats and equipment can be replaced.
 
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kevo615

New member
Glad you guys are ok. A couple years ago I hit a floater on KY lake in my tin boat. My insurance adjuster (progressive) told me they pretty much total all accidents with aluminum boats. The fix is generally more than the boat is worth. Mine was a simple crack that could have been welded but to get it they would have to take the whole inside of the boat apart to do it correctly. Labor cost more than the boat was worth and I had an agreed value policy for $14000. Still wasn't worth it to them. Oh well I got a brand new out of that deal in the end.
 
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porthos33

New member
Dang dude that straight up stinks!! Glad you guys are ok and made it back! It's always made me nervous when I have ridden with guys at night that still run 60-70. I just don't know how they would ever see a big log floating while running that fast in the dark. I took a couple friends out last night to swim. Put the boat in and trolled about 200 yards to a bank where I was meeting them. Got out and helped them unload and had to go get something out of my truck. By the time we got back to the boat, half the back deck was under water and sinking fast. Talk about panic time! we grabbed my 2 minnow buckets and started throwing out water as fast as we could. I swam down and put the Plug in and finally after 20 minutes of bildging and scooping buckets, the boat was floating again. Im so thankful that my back end could only sink to the shallow bottom. If it had been deeper I think the entire boat would have sunk to the bottom!

I would try and get scubaj to help you get that ultrex back for sure! Since it was at a buoy I bet he could bring it back up for you guys.
 
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danrnsmyth

New member
I am glad you guys are ok after what could have been a bad accident that was caused by someone without a lick of sense about how bright those lights are and when they should and should not be used, much less the alignment of the beams. The good news is that aluminum is a good metal to work with and can be repaired. Did it bust the screen on the helix unit? and the casing? Also I wondered it the electronics are in the head of the Ultrex and if they could survive a dunking ? could it be located with one of those underwater cameras like an aqua vu and recovered?
 
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jenko157

New member
Last Friday night , TWRA was out in force. I was sitting on the river fishing about 10 pm, and watched them stop 6 different boats for running with their headlights on. Things got pretty dark after that.

Jeremy, Glad you guys are ok, could've been much worse.
 
rsimms

rsimms

Active member
Yuck! Other headlights or not, running at night carries a certain amount of risk, period. Obviously it is exacerbated greatly by the scenario you encountered. So sorry.

As for repair, I think I'd just save your money. File the sharp edges of the broken aluminum down smooth and carry your dent as a badge of honor (and a reminder). I actually did the same thing to a friend's aluminum jon boat years ago.... except it was in broad daylight. emoBang It was duck season and VERY cold. My friend was sitting mid-ships in front of me, and I had my head dropped down trying to avoid the cold when, "Bam!"

He actually enjoyed telling EVERYONE about how he got a huge dent in his bow. emoDoh
 
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Tn bullet

New member
So what is the appropriate amount of time one can leave their light on! I run mine all the time until there is another boat at that point I reduce speed and turn them off that’s why they are there is to use! They do you no good not to use I understand not blinding anyone. But I see comments where it says you can’t run them all the time so what is the right answer about running them what is the right amount of time on vs time off! How about be respectful of others. The reason I do run mine is I have been out and had kayaks in the mouth of the park and in the river with no lights at all had I not had my lights on they possibly would have been hit!
 
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Hooker

New member
Good question Tn Bullet,,,we don't drive down the roads at night without them on,,,I ran over enough crap floating on watts bar a couple weeks back with mine on,,,couldn't imagine running without them,,,we would've hit trees,,,there again most don't understand how to pass someone coming head on ether,,,,I understand common courtesy and glad y'all were not hurt,,,but,,,,what is the appropriate amount of time to leave them on?
 
rsimms

rsimms

Active member
OK, I'm 63 years old. At one time I was a game warden who enforced boating laws. I've been an outdoor journalist for 33 years and a fishing guide for 12 years.

But lo and behold... it is true. I called a game warden friend and I have learned that external lighting other than the required navigation lights is indeed, illegal. In spite of the fact that it is not mentioned in ANY online Tennessee Boating Regulations anywhere on TWRA's website. (I suggested that be changed)

Also amazing considering many boats are sold with headlights actually installed. What salesman is ever going to tell a customer, "Yea, it's got headlights but it's illegal for you to use them." emoEek

I guess I better start being far more judicious with the LED headlight installed on my duck boat huh? emoBigsmile

We're never too old to learn.
 
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churly

New member
most of the headlights commonly used on boats will shine at least a quarter of mile down the river. Most guys will cut them on to light their path and back off real quick until they get to the end of light or make a turn in another direction. But anyone who has spent any amount of time on the water at night knows that when the light is on, all you can see is whats inside the beam, so intermittently turning it off as important as "lighting a path" might be. I was on the river last Friday night as well and I never once turned my light on (Because my bulb is burnt..LOL) but I dont think I went over 4500 rpms, I never felt unsafe and I guess I know the area of the lake I was in well enough to only have to worry about floating hazards. guys be safe out there!!
 
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Tn bullet

New member
Rsimms not trying to be smart but with what you said about TWRA wouldn’t that make black lights illegal too then?
 
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lmk25

New member
Can’t sue the channel marker, you both are unhurt and alive. I would consider myself lucky. Look into a privately owned fabrication shop, may help if the need the work. Good luck
 
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