braddocks bay. Buy or not Buy???

[tree top flyer]

The future wife and i have looked at a few places on the water. Im worried about getting out of the channel after shelling out every dam penny i ever earned and borrowing 3x more. I would expect not to be able to get out of there right now in the current 20ft boat (21ft with the swim deck after nov 1) this summer i put in over there the weekend of the air show and i think it was about 2 1/2. does anyone know right now how deep it is? Would i be able to get the 20ft out of there all summer? im thinking i would. Family owns a 26 foot pennyan up in henderson, when i upgrade it might be this boat , im sure IT could go anywhere the 20fter could. And what about if theres 4ft rollers out on the big O?, do i have to ride a wave in, or does it calm before getting to the so called channel? Im really not into trying to ride a 26 foot twin screw like a surf board, not saying i cant, dont want to, those props are expensive. Any info on this would be helpfull.

[Boatino]

I kept my 22 ft. Grady there at the State Marina for 2 years about 4 years ago. In April we would be hitting going through the channel. In the months from May-July the channel was fine as long as the lake levels were high. By late August when the Northerly blows kick up and the water begins to shrink down the channel became very tough to navigate. On calm days on plane you could get through but any kind of northerly wind and you would have breakers coming into the bay. When the State Marina was allowed to "blow out", dredge the channel 4 years ago it was better. NYS put an end to that as they stopped funding him the money to dredge. It's really too bad because off Braddock's is one of my favorite places to fish, and productive. I've never tore up a prop there even going from 30 mph to 0, it's all sand and will just nick it up. Good Luck, nice place if there is water!!!

John

[tree top flyer]

thanks for the info, but as it stands im undecided as ever. I love that bay, reminds me alot of being up north exspecialy compared to anything else thats close to here.

[borderline 350]

Dear TTFlyer,

Braddocks Bay is a unique body of water. The channel and lack of water depth over the sand bar are a real navigational problem unless you plan ahead and MOTHER Nature is not blowing from the NE!! Conventional propellor or I/O boats are at a distinct DISADVANTAGE. A 26 Penn Yann Tunnel Drive will extend your "Boating Season" unless their is a North to NE wind. A PY tunnel will draw about 15 inchs of water under thrust in gear at low speeds. (OWNED ONE and docked in Braddocks!) Got out in late July and August when we had a dry summer. Bumped bottom and the the boat would almost come to a stop the last 100 ft. of sandbar!!! IN APRIL!!! The "sand bar" is as hard as a concrete floor! You can walk across the channel in hip boots and the bottom feels like a paved road!! The DEC knows the type of sand there and lists it as a "Unique Estuary" and can identify the sand due to its unique properties. Hit bottom with a prop blade and it will bend/deform the blade. The sand will destroy water pump impellors YEARLY! Due to the sharp corners on the grains of sand!!. I went out of there two years ago with my present 23' Jet Drive boat (DRAWS 11 inches!!) and bumped bottom for at least a 100' of sand bar!! If the wind is North to NE, you will HIT bottom hard with your hull!! Fiberglass doesn't do well on Impacts!! My 1/4 inch thick aluminum bottom on my boat will take a lifetime of skidding across sand bars!.

Also this sand bar grows in length and shallows rapidly during long periods of NE winds. Think this past September!! I do love this port and bay, it produces some of the best early fishing and is the closest harbor to the great structure off of Braddock Point. Boating out of Braddocks is a real challenge! Especially when the wind switches to the NE while your out!

Respectfully submitted,

Jet Boat Bill

[tree top flyer]

does anyone know the last time it was dredged? Im wondering if it would stay in its current condition or one day be completely land locked