Old Boatin' Stories - 'They Shot At Me While I Was Boating!'

Powerboat racing is generally considered to be a dangerous sport, but if there are people shooting at you during the race it becomes dramatically more life threatening. This is exactly what happened during a Balsas River race championship in Mexico many years ago.

The Balsas River is in southwest Mexico. Several rapids along the course of the river limit its navigability and therefore the river has been mostly used for the generation of hydroelectric power and irrigation. Aside from the long trip to the race site in Mexico, the race plan itself seemed the same as any official river race. I had already raced in many.

There were 52 entries from 12 countries and the race was run in five stages in order to keep each day of racing under 100 miles in length. Each boat was timed and ran against the clock, with one boat released from the start every 15 seconds.

The Balsas River on the way from Acapulco to Mexico City / Photo - WikiMedia

Between the start in Mezcala and the Pacific Ocean the river course ran for 369 miles. It also dropped close to 4,000 feet in elevation. The fifth leg would start on the Zihuatanejo beach just south of the Balsas delta and run in the open Pacific down to Acapulco.

The first day of racing played out as just a fast drive down a river with steep canyon walls. The sand plateaus created somewhat of a challenge because there was always more than one way to go and a wrong choice meant you were grounded on rocks. A large banner marked the end of the run, as did the 45 boats that were still running tied up to the shoreline.

Immediately upon arrival, truckloads of federal troops pulled up, in full battle dress, armed with automatic weapons and covering the riverside like spider crabs on hatching day. One escorted me to a designated area where I was given a choice of accommodations: a sleeping bag or a hammock. I chose the hammock and helped string it up between two trees. This heavy military involvement should have given me a clue that problems existed, but being naive and caught up in the activities, I just carried on.

Here is what they didn’t tell us.

River racing was not the original plan for a practical use of the Balsas river. The government had begun a series of dams to produce electrical power for the less fortunate communities located near rivers throughout the country. For the Balsas, it was the El Infiernillo Dam.

The Infiernillo Dam / Photo - WikiMedia

Sadly, the engineers must have been tipping tequila while calculating its water flow. When the dam opened, the large town of Churumuco de Morelos was left completely covered by water. As I motored over top of this city at around 85 MPH, the only visible reference for the town was the tip of a steeple on a 165 year old church. They call it “The drowned church of Churumuco." Nowadays, with the water levels a little more regulated, the church is a tourist attraction.

The drowned church of Churumuco / Photo - Visit Michoacan Tourism

While the government was using the Balsas River race to draw international attention to their electrical dams and ‘generous concern’ for rural communities, the locals did not see it that way. They vowed to shoot any boats that took part in the event which, of course, explained the heavy military presence. With wooded hills on either side of the river, there was no effective way the troops could prevent the displaced communities from having their day of target practice.

Captain Bill on a more pleasant outing

With the noise from a big block Chevy in an aluminum boat, there was no way I was going to hear gunshots, either being fired or hitting the boat. Upon completing the day’s run, I casually helped the Mexican fuel team with their 45 gallon fuel drums and filled my tank located near the bow of the boat. What I did not know, is that a bullet hole in the rubberized gas tank was slowly leaking fuel down the center line of the boat and under the open engine. When I pushed the button to start the motor and move the boat onto a cradle for the night... Boom! When such a thing happens you instantly learn how quickly you can move. I lost the hair on my arms and my face, all in one flash. After extinguishing the fire, I was left with melted wires and inoperative instruments. The boat was barely salvageable. My race was over.

As any pleasure boater can tell you, there are hundreds of ways to break your boat. You just don’t expect shooting the boat to be one of them. #culture