Went fishing in a tidal river that I didnt know to well. The area is loaded with log pilings that are overt 100 years old. It is from factories and industrial ports and docks that have been abandoned since the early 1900's. There are patches of this stuff stretching for miles, but the channel (clearly marked with buoys) is dredged and an active industrial shipping lane. Most of the pilings are broken off just below the low tide surface. I should know enough to motor full throttle in the shipping channel only, and troll in all other ares, but I was over confident and impatient. I went full throttle for a few minutes and had my 13 foot aluminum moving at about 21 mph. I hit two pilings dead on like a fork. I flipped over the bench and landed feet forward in the front compartment. It happened instantly, to the point where Im not even sure what happened. I wasnt wearing my throttle kill wire on my wrist like I am supposed to. I think the boat stopped dead on impact and the tail went up in the air and came down. I think I was in temporary shock because my head was ringing and I realized the boat was still moving. I jumped up to grab the throttle and my legs were like rubber so I fell toward it banging my nose good. I managed to stop the boat. It took a minute for me to realize what had just happened. My boat was buckled on both sides all the way back. The front of the boat twisted, and two of the bunks broke out on one side. It wasnt leaking, so I powered my way back to the dock. I totaled my boat, broke the wireless trolling motor and the pedal controller for it went into the river. The hull is not repairable as the nose is facing the wrong direction and both sides buckled in and rippled all the way back. I hurt my knee and the bridge of my nose, but I dont think I broke any bones. This boat hull was only 3 years old and cost $2200. This was completely my own fault as I should know better than to go full throttle outside the channel in water I dont know. It is 24 hours later and my body feels like it took a beating. HEED THIS WARNING!!!!! Be carefull and get you and your boat home in one piece. I am faced with laying out anoter $2200 and I got my clock cleaned good in this accident.
Sonny