# Warning Navigation Hazard west Galveston bay



## bayouboy (Feb 5, 2006)

I was running out of offatts on Friday and hit something hard in the channel. Hard enough it bent my prop shaft and destroyed my lower unit on my SHO running about 30 mph. Motor cut out and had to be towed home. The hazard is smack in the middle of the channel and half way between the point of offatts and the first channel pole going into offatts bayou. Just past the barges. Be safe and hope this doesnâ€™t happen to anyone else. Plan to try and put a pole on it once I get my boat back from the shop.


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## Tiki Bay Fishing (Dec 8, 2016)

Holy ****! Is there any way you could drop a pin on Google Earth to show the exact location and post a screen shot? I think I know where you described but I’d like to see it. Maybe you could report it to USCG as a hazard to navigation?


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

That sucks...

I have been meaning to post this for a while but I have found dozens of substantial concrete structures on the south shoreline of West Bay. Some of them are marked and some are not and most of them are just below the water line and look like they could literally destroy a boat if hit at high speed. I circled three of them in the picture but there are at least a dozen more.

Strange part is while studying google earth history these "structures" date back as far as the 40's and 50's. They look like concrete blocks stacked in a dome like structure. I have no idea but look out as they litter the south shoreline of west bay.


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## bayouboy (Feb 5, 2006)

I would guesstimate it was some where right around this pin. Close to halfway between tiechman point and the first pole channel marker going into offatts. Right in the middle of the channel. My boat stopped momentum right in front of the bulkhead thatâ€™s south of the barge inlet as I was running out of offatts into west bay. I am running a shallow sport and not much motor was in the water. I looked back and didnâ€™t see anything floating. Hope this helps


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## camclark04 (Feb 14, 2018)

Sorry to hear it. That scary since thatâ€™s a channel suppose to be 15 ft deep. 


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

I hate to hear that happen to anybody. It's a sick feeling. Good for you for thinking about other people. It's an unforgiving place on the water, and sooner or later we all need the help of the community of boaters and fishermen. I hope someone is able to find whatever it is and get it marked.


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## Blank Czech (Jul 26, 2016)

That's scary. I must've missed it a few times.


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## GSMAN (May 22, 2004)

Thanks for the headsup! Surprised I haven't hit it since I frequent that area.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Its Catchy said:


> That sucks...
> 
> I have been meaning to post this for a while but I have found dozens of substantial concrete structures on the south shoreline of West Bay. Some of them are marked and some are not and most of them are just below the water line and look like they could literally destroy a boat if hit at high speed. I circled three of them in the picture but there are at least a dozen more.
> 
> Strange part is while studying google earth history these "structures" date back as far as the 40's and 50's. They look like concrete blocks stacked in a dome like structure. I have no idea but look out as they litter the south shoreline of west bay.


Thise are old time duck blinds. I have a couple marked on my GPS. The 2 by Pirates are the worst


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

Bet people at Pelican Rest and Coast guard would be interested in this.


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## jggenius (Apr 6, 2015)

Usually there is a barge at the Teichman marina which will tend to push you toward the other side of the channel. At the moment, it is clear so too easy to get close to that bulkhead. i ALWAYS try to stay near the marker coming around that point, as it appears to be the deepest part of the channel anyway. I keep my boat at Pelicans, so THANK YOU for posting!


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Bird said:


> Thise are old time duck blinds. I have a couple marked on my GPS. The 2 by Pirates are the worst


I have heard they are old duck blinds but I have a hard time believing that someone back in the 1940's would spend that much time and effort building solid concrete and steel duck blinds. It would have taken a big boat or barge a lot of time and manpower.

I have also heard that they were bombing targets for the Galveston Air Field and I am more inclined to believe that. Building dozens of concrete structures about 20' in diameter and containing several tons of concrete would be out of the scope of most hunting outfits. Especially in the 1940's.

Two of the biggest ones measure 40' in diameter and have a circular solid concrete wall about 4' thick. That is 125' circumference. Whatever they are they are solid concrete and just below the water line.

Hull Wreckers so be careful!


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

While I was exploring these mysterious concrete structures a found a rusty, round piece of steel about three ft long that came to a point. Eerily similar to a


bomb!

I wish I would have spent more time taking a better photo but it kind of looks like a bomb.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks for the info gentlemen


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## Glowack'em (Feb 3, 2016)

GIS shows something in line with the last dock. I had to zoom in pretty close to see it.








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## PADRE24 (Feb 6, 2012)

Thanks for posting, we run in there all the time


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## Texans1 (May 18, 2018)

Glowack'em said:


> GIS shows something in line with the last dock. I had to zoom in pretty close to see it.
> View attachment 4397703
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Also shows it in this image in Google Earth from a May 2014 image.


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## tigerbait1970 (Jun 12, 2014)

Also saw this one from The Recreational Boater Information Guy. Another water hazard, in the channel, around Kemah. I imagine that Viking owner was none too pleased!!!

https://www.facebook.com/The-Recreational-Boater-Information-Guy-475834575950536/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARAXEV4nJNDtpUxJ3wmiNCyJ2cbEK1PJykUJ9lV3Y9knsYCej2LmVj-U1hRSmRPhrT047PIxg3ouFzJJ&hc_ref=ARQmYSm5mvuq5hfVwur44j2gRGRm_XfZ6vLdPHVQmtAWKKlX2A8gpaPl1ZgOz2Gjmvg&fref=nf

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

On February 7th a friend texted me the following message, along also with the chart plotter image below:

â€œThis plotter pic is from a Viking sport fish doing a test run of new engines and props from Seabrook Shipyard. Hit something at that spot that broke the blades off. It is now back at shipyard. There is something big at that spot. This is the 4th boat that destroyed props, including a TMCA member. Can you start spreading this location to authorities and possibly arrange (for the) CG to remove or whatever the process is?â€

The issue slipped below my event horizon for these two weeks, but I have now done some additional research which included talking to the TMCA member who hit this â€œobjectâ€, and also someone from OJâ€™s Marine at Seabrook Shipyard who was able to provide even more information. It is not known what this obstruction is, perhaps a big log that drifted in from somewhere and then sank, but it appears to be real, and not just a shallow spot in the channel. The TMCA powerboat that hit it, at a very slow speed, had one of its two engines stopped cold when contact was made!

I have today talked briefly with one of my USACE contacts and will be providing to her all this information. This channel is a Federal channel and is thus the responsibility of the USACE, and so hopefully they can get a survey vessel out there real soon and then get this object removed.

The lat/long coordinates shown at the top of the chart plotter image may be, but also possibly may not be, the exact coordinates of the object! But I have used those coordinates to plot the object on a nautical chart, and that image is also below.

Until something gets resolved with this do exercise caution in this area!!! Depending upon water levels and your draft, you might even wish to go outside the channel markers on one side or the other and avoid the hazard. I will post updates as things develop.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

Dang that pulls a vacuum sorry to hear of your bad day


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## baylinerpro (Jul 11, 2015)

I passed a pointed pyramid type object just below the surface traveling about 100 yds from shore between Dollar Reef and the Flood Gate last fall. I was in my aluminum 
Lowe Line with only a fishfinder (1998) and no GPS. All please be aware... let’s all go home after those fishing trips.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> I passed a pointed pyramid type object just below the surface traveling about 100 yds from shore between Dollar Reef and the Flood Gate last fall. I was in my aluminum
> Lowe Line with only a fishfinder (1998) and no GPS. All please be aware... letâ€™s all go home after those fishing trips.


Was this on a low tide? I know for a fact there are a bunch of old toilet's dumped in that area.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

Thanks for the info, 2nd channel marker area there is no telling what 
that is , lots of items wash out of the lake on swift tide.
I will watch out this weekend during the yaghty gras parade.



tigerbait1970 said:


> Also saw this one from The Recreational Boater Information Guy. Another water hazard, in the channel, around Kemah. I imagine that Viking owner was none too pleased!!!
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/The-Recreational-Boater-Information-Guy-475834575950536/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARAXEV4nJNDtpUxJ3wmiNCyJ2cbEK1PJykUJ9lV3Y9knsYCej2LmVj-U1hRSmRPhrT047PIxg3ouFzJJ&hc_ref=ARQmYSm5mvuq5hfVwur44j2gRGRm_XfZ6vLdPHVQmtAWKKlX2A8gpaPl1ZgOz2Gjmvg&fref=nf
> 
> ...


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## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

Its Catchy said:


> I have heard they are old duck blinds but I have a hard time believing that someone back in the 1940's would spend that much time and effort building solid concrete and steel duck blinds. It would have taken a big boat or barge a lot of time and manpower.
> 
> I have also heard that they were bombing targets for the Galveston Air Field and I am more inclined to believe that. Building dozens of concrete structures about 20' in diameter and containing several tons of concrete would be out of the scope of most hunting outfits. Especially in the 1940's.
> 
> Keep in mind lot of that area used to be cattle ranch and much of where we travel in boat now was dry land/ marsh. Used to enjoy conversations with old timers about west Galveston before any of the neighborhoods


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

buckweet said:


> Its Catchy said:
> 
> 
> > I have heard they are old duck blinds but I have a hard time believing that someone back in the 1940's would spend that much time and effort building solid concrete and steel duck blinds. It would have taken a big boat or barge a lot of time and manpower.
> ...


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Here is an aerial of one of the unmarked structures off Dalehite Cove. The outer circle is 54' in circumference made out of concrete the inner box looks to be about 3" of solid steel. 

I don't think any rancher that would build anything so substantial for a duck blind in the 1940's. And there are at least 10 more just like them scattered on that shoreline as you head towards San Louis Pass.

If anyone does have an explanation other than duck blind or bombing target I would be interested to hear it.

And a hot tip. These semi-submerged concrete and steel structures hold fish!


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## Cozumel Annie (Jan 13, 2018)

My parents had a house for years in Pirates Cove. Back in the day someone came in with concrete tall slabs for duck blinds. There are 3 where the circle is and several on the south shoreline towards Jamaica no too far out from the GEO tubes.



Its Catchy said:


> That sucks...
> 
> I have been meaning to post this for a while but I have found dozens of substantial concrete structures on the south shoreline of West Bay. Some of them are marked and some are not and most of them are just below the water line and look like they could literally destroy a boat if hit at high speed. I circled three of them in the picture but there are at least a dozen more.
> 
> Strange part is while studying google earth history these "structures" date back as far as the 40's and 50's. They look like concrete blocks stacked in a dome like structure. I have no idea but look out as they litter the south shoreline of west bay.


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## Tigerhead52 (Oct 9, 2016)

> Back in the day someone came in with concrete tall slabs for duck blinds.


Can you hazard a guess at what year or decade that might have been? Just curious.


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## Cozumel Annie (Jan 13, 2018)

Tigerhead52 said:


> Can you hazard a guess at what year or decade that might have been? Just curious.


It was before the 70's. In the winter time at extreme low tide you can see them all. I've won many trout tournaments wading to each one and catching fish off them during moving tide.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

They were there in aerial photos dating back to the early 1950's. In addition the smaller ones are 55' in circumference. Thats rather large for a duck blind and the total weight has to be several tons. Perhaps they were there and repurposed in the 1970's to become duck blinds.


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> Here is an aerial of one of the unmarked structures off Dalehite Cove. The outer circle is 54' in circumference made out of concrete the inner box looks to be about 3" of solid steel.
> 
> I don't think any rancher that would build anything so substantial for a duck blind in the 1940's. And there are at least 10 more just like them scattered on that shoreline as you head towards San Louis Pass.
> 
> ...


LayedBack2 asked me if these were on Reef Recon - Yes Sir.. for all those that already have Reef Recon there is a DNGR waypoint on that very spot. There are a couple of other items similar that I have marked as well. One just off the rock wall outside of Carancahua Cove


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## SunRay (May 21, 2004)

*Reef structure*

The object shown in the photo above is a man-made reef structure - this is near the old "geo tubes" on the south shore of West Bay in front of GISP... near one of the old "cuts. The geotube sunk after Ike -- and the reef structure has grown in size since the original placement by TPWD around 2003 or so.

doesn't hold fish like it once did, but still there.


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Correct, much of the oyster in West Bay died during the draught of 7 years. Those older reefs that died or completely died don't hold fish like they used to. We've marked much of those reefs as 'degraded' reef. We're finding that even those they died, they will hold fish some of the time just since they rise up off the bottom. Also, since the salinity has changed for the better in west bay some amount of scattered oyster regrowth will occur on some of those degraded reefs, slowly. If the salinity continues like it is there will be a good bit of regrowth. Hope for the best.


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