So carefully stupid

mikel1291979

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
106
So I got my first boat about 3 months ago. 1986 Bayliner Capri. Little 16 footer with a force 85 on the back. Not the greatest boat in the world, but hey its paid for and with the exception of a stator the thing has never let me down. I bought the boat on a Wednesday and put it in the water on Saturday. Friday night I stayed up late reading the stupid human tricks thread, watching youtube videos about stupid boat launches and had worked my self into a nervous frenzy. I knew so many things could go wrong and I was determined I was going to get it right.
First time out my dad went with me as he has boating experience and I did not. I knew all the steps and he just basically reinforced them. As we were getting ready to back it into the water he went to remove the winch strap and I started yelling dont take that out till Im in the water!! He said he always did, and I referred him to Google to look at the hundreds of boats that fell off the trailer going down the boat ramp. He rolled his eyes and said fine. Launch and recovery went flawlessly.
Cut to 2 months later and now I have some confidence, and I have yet to make a mistake, so Im border line cocky. In the boat staging area I take off my transom straps, check my plug and Im ready to go. Back the boat in, take the bow strap off and push her into the water. Park the truck and get in the boat with the nagging feeling something is wrong. Lower the motor start her up and take off. 30 seconds later i realize I didnt take the mother******* transom saver off! Go back to the dock and its not on the trailer, swim up to the boat and its not attached to the motor either.
Having no idea how important this piece of equipment is or if its safe to tow without it. 6 hours later, the wife has called a friend to take her home, the daughter has called a friend to take her to the mall and Im still diving underwater looking for this thing......

Yes I finally found it. It did stay on the trailer as it turns out. Some nice guy saw me park and pulled it out of the trailer and put it in the back of my truck so it wouldnt get stolen. He explained this through tears after I told him how I spent my day.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: So carefully stupid

So I got my first boat about 3 months ago. 1986 Bayliner Capri. Little 16 footer with a force 85 on the back. Not the greatest boat in the world, but hey its paid for and with the exception of a stator the thing has never let me down. I bought the boat on a Wednesday and put it in the water on Saturday. Friday night I stayed up late reading the stupid human tricks thread, watching youtube videos about stupid boat launches and had worked my self into a nervous frenzy. I knew so many things could go wrong and I was determined I was going to get it right.
First time out my dad went with me as he has boating experience and I did not. I knew all the steps and he just basically reinforced them. As we were getting ready to back it into the water he went to remove the winch strap and I started yelling dont take that out till Im in the water!! He said he always did, and I referred him to Google to look at the hundreds of boats that fell off the trailer going down the boat ramp. He rolled his eyes and said fine. Launch and recovery went flawlessly.
Cut to 2 months later and now I have some confidence, and I have yet to make a mistake, so Im border line cocky. In the boat staging area I take off my transom straps, check my plug and Im ready to go. Back the boat in, take the bow strap off and push her into the water. Park the truck and get in the boat with the nagging feeling something is wrong. Lower the motor start her up and take off. 30 seconds later i realize I didnt take the mother******* transom saver off! Go back to the dock and its not on the trailer, swim up to the boat and its not attached to the motor either.
Having no idea how important this piece of equipment is or if its safe to tow without it. 6 hours later, the wife has called a friend to take her home, the daughter has called a friend to take her to the mall and Im still diving underwater looking for this thing......

Yes I finally found it. It did stay on the trailer as it turns out. Some nice guy saw me park and pulled it out of the trailer and put it in the back of my truck so it wouldnt get stolen. He explained this through tears after I told him how I spent my day.

On top of that, I'm going to tell you that you don't really need the transom saver. It's just insurance, can take some of the hit in a rear end, or keep the motor up if the hydraulics fail. You could have shrugged it off, and discovered it when you go home and all would be fine.

Hope the marriage heals.

John
 

shaneb0422

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
83
Re: So carefully stupid

On top of that, I'm going to tell you that you don't really need the transom saver. It's just insurance, can take some of the hit in a rear end, or keep the motor up if the hydraulics fail. You could have shrugged it off, and discovered it when you go home and all would be fine.

Hope the marriage heals.

John

Hahahaha,

That's what you get.
 

hopkins11

Cadet
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
6
Re: So carefully stupid

Haha - I did the same thing 2 weeks ago, but mine stuck to the lower unit so I got it back right away.

I didn't have the courage to post up but now I see I'm not the only one!

Rookie move.... :p
 

mtp9302

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
42
Re: So carefully stupid

I did something similar, but I have an I/O so it wasn't with a transom saver.

The previous owner of my boat would tie the outdrive to the swim ladder on the transom with a bungee cord while towing. I think it must have been to take some strain off the hydraulics and prevent the drive from swinging/bouncing around. I don't know if it's needed or if anyone else does this, but I thought it couldn't hurt so I kept the practice.

On my second time out, I was with my wife. We launched, I started to put the drive down and asked her how it looked. She replied "Is that bungee cord supposed to be there?"

At least I was able to put the drive up and take it off quickly, even if I did feel like an idiot. I added the bungee cord to my pre-launch checklist right away.
 

Thad

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
1,028
Re: So carefully stupid

This is too funny.:D I can't say that I have ever done this one, but there are many more "mistakes" to be made that I HAVE done.:rolleyes: You boat long enough, you will undoubtedly make most of them.;)

T minus..."I forgot the plug".:p
 

korygrandy

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Messages
698
Re: So carefully stupid

he went to remove the winch strap and I started yelling dont take that out till Im in the water!! He said he always did, and I referred him to Google to look at the hundreds of boats that fell off the trailer going down the boat ramp. He rolled his eyes and said fine.

My dad wanted to do the same thing. Although I have a bunk trailer I still don't trust inertia sliding the boat off. I explained it to my dad and told him I had seen 4 people's boats drop off the trailer onto the launch and it was enough to convince him to do it with his own boat now.
 

Thad

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
1,028
Re: So carefully stupid

My dad wanted to do the same thing. Although I have a bunk trailer I still don't trust inertia sliding the boat off. I explained it to my dad and told him I had seen 4 people's boats drop off the trailer onto the launch and it was enough to convince him to do it with his own boat now.

I always undo my straps before launch. Dry boat on a dry trailer.

NEVER will I pull the boat out without strap and chain in place. Wet boat on a wet trailer:eek:

I would also never do it on a roller trailer. Very bad idea.
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: So carefully stupid

Another reason not to buy a transom "saver."

Boating is difficult, though, as one is learning, because there are "little" things that look like they can't be that important, which are crucial, and big things that often make little difference. You can do something over and over that (you later learn) is bad for your boatt, with no ill effects, but then you can do one bad thing once with catastrophic effects.

Someone may have a certain way of doing things in his boat that make no apparent sense, yet there is a very important reason. Someone else may observe and copy a procedure, only to find after years that it was never intended to be part of the process.
 

drrpm

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 24, 2008
Messages
707
Re: So carefully stupid

I've never seen or heard of anyone bungee cording the lower drive unit to the swim ladder. I don't imagine it would take much strain off, but I guess it probably won't do any harm.

It seems like the opportunities to screw up with a boat are never ending.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: So carefully stupid

I always undo my straps before launch. Dry boat on a dry trailer.


Very brave soul! So what is the fastest you ever have backed at... 5 mph maybe? Would you absolutely trust your boat with your life that you could back up at 5 mph and then slam on the brakes as hard as you can, and the boat wouldn't move? How about the kids life when he runs behind your trailer when you are backing...

personally, if the boat isn't touching water, the safety chain and winch are ALWAYS attached.
 

PGFISHER

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
321
Re: So carefully stupid

I use silicone spray on my bunk carpet; so I certainly don't release the strap 'till I'm in the water.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: So carefully stupid

Very brave soul! So what is the fastest you ever have backed at... 5 mph maybe? Would you absolutely trust your boat with your life that you could back up at 5 mph and then slam on the brakes as hard as you can, and the boat wouldn't move? How about the kids life when he runs behind your trailer when you are backing...

personally, if the boat isn't touching water, the safety chain and winch are ALWAYS attached.

A boat sitting properly on bunks is about as apt to slide as a timber on a flat bed semi. Mine's attached to the trailer by gravity after I'm done prepping it. When my turn comes, as I'm backing in, whoever is with me snatches the already attached dock line off the gunwale, and walks the dock as I back in. When the boat floats off, I pull out, and the mate ties it up. We hold up the ramp about 30 seconds. If no dock is available, the mate backs it in, and I start up as it gets wet and back off.

Unless the ramp is either rough or steep, we come out the same way. I drive on the trailer, the mate pulls out. I'm sitting in the driver's seat raising the engine. Tie up the ramp about 30 seconds.

I'm a yankee, but from what I've seen in the south, that's the way they all do it down there. They can pull out bass boats two a minute till they're done with a one lane ramp.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: So carefully stupid

Very brave soul! So what is the fastest you ever have backed at... 5 mph maybe? Would you absolutely trust your boat with your life that you could back up at 5 mph and then slam on the brakes as hard as you can, and the boat wouldn't move? How about the kids life when he runs behind your trailer when you are backing...

personally, if the boat isn't touching water, the safety chain and winch are ALWAYS attached.

5 mph backing is pretty crazy, but even then, my boat might slide 6 inches. Certainly no big deal.
 

TerryMSU

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
743
Re: So carefully stupid

Yep, and people who say otherwise might possibly be lazy IMO.;)

Well if you want to get personal, you might be a little arogant and opinionated, but that is just my opinion. :) I do undo my tie downs and transom support on the dry. I back down until the motor is over the wet, and undo the winch and chains. Then I tie off the boat on the dock, spike the brakes and watch the boat float off. Then I pull the trailer out from the water, make sure the boat is secure, park the trailer and take off in the boat. By the way, my boat is on bunks and unless the boat is partially in the water and I spike the brakes HARD, I cannot get the boat to slide off the trailer. I have seen a boat slide off the rollers when the winch ratchet was broken. Teenage girl borrowing daddy's boat to go fishing with her boy friend and others. Fortunately no damage to the boat, motor, etc. Not a pretty sight.

TerryMSU
 

skargo

Banned
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
4,640
Re: So carefully stupid

Well if you want to get personal, you might be a little arogant and opinionated, but that is just my opinion. :) I do undo my tie downs and transom support on the dry. I back down until the motor is over the wet, and undo the winch and chains. Then I tie off the boat on the dock, spike the brakes and watch the boat float off. Then I pull the trailer out from the water, make sure the boat is secure, park the trailer and take off in the boat. By the way, my boat is on bunks and unless the boat is partially in the water and I spike the brakes HARD, I cannot get the boat to slide off the trailer. I have seen a boat slide off the rollers when the winch ratchet was broken. Teenage girl borrowing daddy's boat to go fishing with her boy friend and others. Fortunately no damage to the boat, motor, etc. Not a pretty sight.

TerryMSU

Sounds like YOU are the one getting personal, I only stated my opinion. In addition to lazy, it is also my opinion that those same people are dangerous.

I'm arrogant? You don't know me at all.
Opinionated? Of course, who isn't?

Don't get your feeling hurt over someone's opinion on the internet, I stand by mine, but by all means feel free to form your own. :)
 

Daley

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 30, 2009
Messages
85
Re: So carefully stupid

I think this is one of those things where it just depends... My small boat (on bunks) couldn't be easier to handle. It stays put until it floats, so all the prep is done in staging and junior gets in the boat, where the winch gets un-clipped. We back down, and as the pump is deep enough to suck water, he starts it. I'm still backing in until I see the stern rise. I let him back away, and I pull out. Most times I'm in and out before the next person in line even realizes the boat's not even near the launch anymore.

J_martin made the comments "two a minute" and "they all do it down there". I WISH! (at least it doesn't at the ramps where I've launched) I keep thinking that maybe I'll set an example, but it doesn't get me anywhere (or at least hasn't yet).

That being said, we're looking at a bigger boat and I can't say that I'd be as efficient or trusting of the bunk friction as I am now. So the point is that if it works in a particular situation, then it works in that particular situation. Those boats that fell onto the ramp - well, those are the times it didn't work ;)
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: So carefully stupid

J_martin made the comments "two a minute" and "they all do it down there". I WISH! (at least it doesn't at the ramps where I've launched) I keep thinking that maybe I'll set an example, but it doesn't get me anywhere (or at least hasn't yet).

That was at Millwood Lake in Arkansas. Maybe Texas is different.:D

I'll have to investigate that.
 
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