Failure to Prepare .................

Don S · May 24, 2013

First holiday weekend coming up. I have to wonder how many boaters will drag the boat out of storage wash it off, go to the ramp and find the battery dead, or the engine won't start, or the motor/drive won't go down, or the engine overheats because the impeller is 15 years old, or the steering is froze up, or ___Fill in the blank___ .

Don't be one of those guys.

Simply starting it up on muffs and checking the systems in the driveway is all it takes to make sure everything works before you go to the ramp.

dls322 · May 24, 2013

Re: Failure to Prepare .................

That is sound advice that "non-iboaters" seem to never take.

a2dubnut · May 24, 2013

Re: Failure to Prepare .................

Advice accepted - Staying home.

Mine's already been thoroughly checked for the season - the weather's supposed to be awful by me, besides - don't want to deal with all the other nuts this weekend.
Good advice tho Don!

RogersJetboat454 · May 24, 2013

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My crystal ball foresees more "Water in the oil" threads popping up...

Posted by smartphone over the weekend, or by regular computer on Tuesday...

greenbush future · May 24, 2013

Re: Failure to Prepare .................

This is also rookie weekend at the ramps, bring the cameras to record the fun. Anyone who decides to go boating this weekend is asking for a frustrating weekend. My boat has been used for 2 months already, I avoid the holiday weekends on purpose.

Augoose · May 24, 2013

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Here's to hoping people actually acknowledge the "Boat Staging Area" and use that facility to prep, unload their trucks, etc. Unfortunately there will always be too many of "those guys" who drive right on by all the people doing the right thing only to block all three ramps while they unload in the wrong area.

agallant80 · May 24, 2013

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We plan on putting the boat in around 9

pm tonight to avoid these people.

GA_Boater · May 24, 2013

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I predict the forums will be a busy place this weekend.

Toddavid · May 24, 2013

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Even as a relative rookie, I have the wisdom to avoid going out on the water this weekend.

And July 4 weekend.

And Labor Day weekend.

But I did already go out this season for a pleasure weekend when it was in the 50s and blowing hard. So much for being wise.

wgl333 · May 24, 2013

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Kind of an ironic thread. Last week was at the marina tinkering on my toy when a guy launches, ties off, parks his vehicle, hops back in his boat...turns the key twice....and click click click...dead battery. Me guesses he was fresh from pulling the boat out of the pile of leaves in his back yard and right to the launch ramp and kinda bypassed all the necessary steps in between.

jigngrub · May 24, 2013

Re: Failure to Prepare .................

Don S said:
First holiday weekend coming up. I have to wonder how many boaters will drag the boat out of storage wash it off, go to the ramp and find the battery dead, or the engine won't start, or the motor/drive won't go down, or the engine overheats because the impeller is 15 years old, or the steering is froze up, or ___Fill in the blank___ .

Don't be one of those guys.

Simply starting it up on muffs and checking the systems in the driveway is all it takes to make sure everything works before you go to the ramp.

... of course this would cut down on some of the antics at the ramp, but there's more than enough that to go around on a holiday weekend.

I'd just like to add to save the alcohol for the end of the day when the boat and car/truck keys don't need to go in the ignition anymore.

Hope everyones holiday weekend is an awesome one!

tpenfield · May 24, 2013

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All the folks that are failing to prepare would actually be preparing to fail. . . they will be on iBoats during the evenings over the weekend, posting their tales of woe. I hope to be prepared . . .

I'm fixing the trim system on the port engine Saturday . . . then Sunday the boat hauler is scheduled to arrive to take the boat up to the 'good' launch ramp about 5 miles away. then we will need to bring the boat around to our harbor. the weather is not supposed to be so good on Cape Cod over the weekend. the wind will probably be blowing like stink.

I'm not sure I want my first voyage in the 'new' boat to be in rough seas :facepalm:

bradb · May 24, 2013

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"Failure to prepare is preparing to fail." -- John Wooden

Opnine99 · May 24, 2013

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luckily my boat is already in the water and ready to go. Going to hit the gas pumps early in the morning and get out of every ones way, drop anchor and ready the video camera. Let the chaos begin!

lakelover · May 24, 2013

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Ha - I made the preps this week, all ready to hook up the trailer and hit the road, then we called off our weekend trip due to predictions of snow at our destination! Waiting for better weather. Your right, a little preparation can make all the difference.

Geko45 · May 24, 2013

Re: Failure to Prepare .................

Already got my first preview of this yesterday evening. I went out to my slip just to sit in the boat, drink a beer and listen to the radio while enjoying the evening (as I have been known to do). While I was there I saw a family board a pontoon two slips down and on the opposite side. This is a boat that I have never seen leave the dock before. Their battery wasn't dead, but I wish it had been. The dad spent about 30 to 45 minutes trying to get it started while the mom and daughter just kinda sat there looking disappointed. A couple of times he almost got it going and it spat out a huge cloud of smoke that drifted over me and mine. Eventually they just gave up and left.

crabby captain john · May 24, 2013

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I went out and emptied my crab pots so the neighbor has crabs tonight. During that hour and another hour at the dock heard on the radio Boat US had 3 tows and Tow Boat had 1. One of the boat US tows was coming in the inlet-- pulled in from 25 miles offshore. I own an indoor dry stack at a marina with no ramp so I miss all the "ramp antics" now.

SWD · May 24, 2013

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Our long week-end was last week. I was ready two months prior to that. Launched at a local lake. Was the only one there the whole week-end. Bliss......absolute bliss!

airshot · May 24, 2013

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I can see it starting tomorrow afternoon.....I can't figure out what happened to my boat, it ran good when I put it away last year..........

25thmustang · May 24, 2013

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How do trailer boaters enjoy boating? It seems there are lots if threads around that discuss how bad other boaters are, how they create drama at the ramp, how they don't know what they are doing... Makes me glad I use a private ramp for the jet skis and the big boat is wet slipped.

Failure to Prepare .................

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