Save it or push it back out in the lake?

[Bob Glenn]

I'm going back and forth on this. I've got lots of wood stashed that I just had to have for this or that and never used. That being said, the wife and I were sitting on the boat dock in the back yard, and I noticed a big timber had floated up to our shore. I don't know what the wood is yet, however, it is an 8 X 8 about 16 feet long. I went in the water thinking I would pull it up on a rock to dry........wrong. The thing weighs a ton, maybe literally. It would be a major operation to rescue it. Don't know whether to pass and push it back out or try to save it.

Any ideas out there on what it could be used for? I'll probably be gone before it dries completely. Bob

[Mike Baker 2]

I could not leave it without trying. Can you get a chain around it, maybe drag it out with a truck?
It should go without saying, don't do anything unsafe.
But, I have very little wood to work with, so if I see it, I grab it. If you have a good supply, you'd have to weigh how much labor it's worth to you, versus how much sleep you'll lose wishing you had pulled it out.
MHO.

[Doug Walls]

I agree with Mike Baker to at least try to get it out!

I've seen some nice looking wood come from logs & old dock lumber that was submerged in water for years.
Without oxygen & light the rotting/decaying problem is not an issue.

Here's a article I found on Google about underwater timber.
https://www.custommade.com/blog/underwater-timber/

Doug

[James Waldron]

And about pushing it back out into the lake: Think how fun it would be to live with the results if one of your neighbors runs into it with their power boat and a person or two get killed from the crash. Or even if it just sinks a boat without killing anyone. And so forth.

[Rick Malakoff]

+1 what James said also it would make a good fish story ... the one that didn't get away!

Just get a chain and a RR spike and stake it to land, so it doesn't get into the navigation channel.

[Chet R Parks]

Hi Bob,
I know you said it was wet wood and you don't know the species but you can guess the species by the surrounding trees then use this Log Weight Calculator at WOODWEB website maybe add ~30% for water??? to get you in the ball park for the weight. For what's it's worth I'd try to take it out. Good luck.
Chet

[James Pallas]

I be a little carefull about it Bob. If it's sawn lumber it's probably dock stuff, meaning treated. If it is old and floated up it could even be creosote. If your going to use it for that purpose okay. I'd be cautious about inside tho. The only other places it could come from is cargo shoring off of a freighter if you have those around or discarded by someone as trash.
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

My thought would be to at least get it out of the water. It is a hazard in the water. You do not mention what body of water this is on. Google maps shows a few different places it could be.

If nothing else it could be cut down for a raised bed in the garden.

Do you know anyone with block and tackle or maybe a FWD truck to help?

If nothing else you might contact the local authorities to see if they want to remove it before someone has a bad encounter with it.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

And about pushing it back out into the lake: Think how fun it would be to live with the results if one of your neighbors runs into it with their power boat and a person or two get killed from the crash. Or even if it just sinks a boat without killing anyone. And so forth.

Another +1 to this. Large logs like that are an absolute menace to boaters.

[Hilton Ralphs]

My thought would be to at least get it out of the water. It is a hazard in the water. You do not mention what body of water this is on. Google maps shows a few different places it could be.

Bob probably lives on College Avenue so the body of water could be Mirror Lake which doesn't look too big.

[Brian Henderson]

I wouldn't leave it in the water. Even if you decide not to get it out, at least inform the authorities so they can get it out. As others have said, it can be a hazard to others and potentially dangerous. But also as others have said, I'd try to get it out, maybe with a chain and a truck. At least you can see what you've got, even if you just saw it up for firewood.

[Frederick Skelly]

And about pushing it back out into the lake: Think how fun it would be to live with the results if one of your neighbors runs into it with their power boat and a person or two get killed from the crash. Or even if it just sinks a boat without killing anyone. And so forth.

+1. You've identified a potential hazard. Seems like you should do your best to eliminate it. Just the right thing to do.

[george wilson]

A friend of mine in Alaska-where water landings were very common,crashed his plane beyond repair hitting a semi submerged log. He survived,luckily.

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I did some quick calculations. Since the beam floats, it has a density lower than water, so I assumed the density to be the same as water, which would be the worst case.

Given that assumption, the beam, given dimensions 8" X 8" X 16', would weigh slightly less than 450 lbs.

If Bob is off in his dimensions estimate, so the beam is actually 10" X 10", then the beam would weigh slightly less than 700 lbs.

Again this assumes the beam has the density which is the same as water, and since it floats, the density has to be less than that of water. So again, the above figures are worst case.

Regards,

Stew

[Bob Glenn]

Hilton, how did you know I live on College Ave? And also, on Mirror Lake? I guess the internet is a wonderful place. Yes, it is Mirror Lake and it is only about 50 acres big, so no power boats allowed. Also, I can not get a truck to my back yard, but I do have a come along. I give it a try. Thanks guys. Bob on Mirror Lake!