"Deep Six" your Outboard - 25 years later

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Blackcrowe14

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To "Deep Six" a motor - The act of incorrectly mounting an outboard which results in the motor flying off the boat while in gear while you hang on to the tiller arm shoulder deep in water to avoid "Davey Jones'n" your motor.

Not to be confused with....

To "Davey Jones" a motor - To permanently lose an outboard off the back of your boat. A true "Davey Jones" motor cannot be recovered due to depth and conditions, and will sit at the bottom of the lake or ocean forever.

About 25 years ago, I spent every summer at my best friends cottage. 3 months of fishing bliss as his mother was a teacher and had the season off to take care of us hooligans.

We took great pride in our 14ft aluminum pushed along with the trusty 9.5hp Johnson form the mid 50's. Some may know it as the old "Clam Shell" model 50th anniversary. It was reliable, a workhorse, and although was not a fast motor... it did the job.

One year, while attending the Toronto Boat Show, my friends Dad who must have been feeling generous, decided that the boys deserved a new motor! Right there, on the spot, he bought us a shiny new 15hp Nissan! Now, for a couple of 14 year olds who were simply mad about fishing, this motor was the equivalent to a 23ft Triton bass boat... the excitement was beyond description.

Soon after the boat show, we had the treasure delivered to the cottage. We lugged the beast down the steep trail all the way to the water, mounted the monster to the boat and patted ourselves on the back for graduating to a real motor!

The next day my friend headed down to the lake before me and took out our other fishing machine... the Bass Tender 10.2, powered by a Minnkota trolling motor. I was going to meet him in one of our fishing holes with the new 15hp Nissan.

I remember firing up the motor... it hummed, and ran so smooth. The power and acceleration was out of this world! I doodled around getting the feel for it, and realized it was quick enough to be dangerous with just one person in the boat... COOL!!!!

After doing some power turns, it was time to head to the spot to meet my friend. WOT, wind in my hair... I was feeling like a real hero! After a quick 5 minute run I could see my friend in the Tender. Surly I was looking cool, without doubt I had to make an entrance. I decided to show off some of my new power turn skills because... well... what else would a 14 year old think was appropriate?!

I flew in WOT, and at the the last second I reefed on the tiller. I could see my friend with a big smile as he was watching my boating expertise... Then it happened. His smiling face transformed to fear and his eyes widened. I felt the sparkling new 15hp and all of its gorgeousness pivot and fly into the air while still in full throttle. I held on for dear life as the motor plunged back into the 80ft deep water. It tore around the water like a alligator and I could feel my grip slipping. Just as I was about to lose my grasp, the motor shut down. I struggled to hang on to the dead weight with my one hand, and I'm sure the adrenaline was the only reason for my super human strength.

I grabbed the back with my other hand and pulled the motor back on board. My friends eyes were popped out of his head, and I could see him visibly shaking, as was l.

We remounted the motor and cautiously went on with our day. Later that night, his Dad asked while we were eating dinner.... " How do you boys like the new motor?" "It's Great!" We nervously replied. Fear is... the beat down we would have received. Times were different back then... parents were allowed to beat their children, and we were very close to getting one.

So, that's the day, the term "Deep Six" a motor was invented... and we thanked God that it never came to being "Davey Jones'd"!

Happy boating, and don't forget to tighten those clamps... PROPERLY!!!
 

Maclin

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Cool story. One of those that comes out years later at Thanksgiving or similar family get together :)
 

jimmbo

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It took me about 10 yrs before I told my dad I submerged one of his motors
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
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May 24, 2004
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Giving a kid an outboard is just asking for trouble, but it sure does make for some great memories!

I had my drivers licence in 76 when I flipped the boat. I guess in retrospect I would now consider a 16 yr old a kid
 

bajaunderground

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I grew up in Tacoma, WA and the Puget sound was our refuge for summer fun/trouble...Back in 1984-85 my brother, his friend and myself rented a 16' skiff with a 35hp (if my memory serves me right?) out of a marina on Day's Island we raced around all around from Days Island to Point Defiance. My brother's friend thought it was cool to manually lift the motor as we were cruising along to throw a rooster tail...after a few hours of doing this the motor gave up the ghost...we we're able to dock somewhere, call the marina, they came and got us and gave us another boat to use for the remainder of the day...it was like $100/day and we rented it the whole day...not 100% sure we over-heated and blew up that motor, but if I was a betting man???

Who would rent a boat to a 13 year old and 2 16 year olds?
 

HVACRat

Seaman Apprentice
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Aug 6, 2009
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I deep sixed a 70 lb trolling motor one time and it was the fight of my life. I couldn't imagine hanging on to a 15 horse motor at WOT!
 

ajgraz

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1,858
I had my drivers licence in 76 when I flipped the boat. I guess in retrospect I would now consider a 16 yr old a kid

The older I get, the more I realize that anyone younger than me is a "kid."
 

ajgraz

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1,858
I grew up in Tacoma, WA and the Puget sound was our refuge for summer fun/trouble...Back in 1984-85 my brother, his friend and myself rented a 16' skiff with a 35hp (if my memory serves me right?) out of a marina on Day's Island we raced around all around from Days Island to Point Defiance. My brother's friend thought it was cool to manually lift the motor as we were cruising along to throw a rooster tail...after a few hours of doing this the motor gave up the ghost...we we're able to dock somewhere, call the marina, they came and got us and gave us another boat to use for the remainder of the day...it was like $100/day and we rented it the whole day...not 100% sure we over-heated and blew up that motor, but if I was a betting man???

Who would rent a boat to a 13 year old and 2 16 year olds?

Hell, when I was around 13 my friends and I could swing by the liquor store, the gas station and the gun shop (yes, all conveniently located on three corners, with the church on the fourth corner), and pick up beer, cigs and powder--all "for Dad" of course--no problemo.

Try that these days!
 

mla2ofus

Chief Petty Officer
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Dec 30, 2008
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571
I've always had a safety chain bolted to my 15HP and the transom for just that reason and I'm a long way 16.
Mike
 

snowseeker

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Nov 1, 2004
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When they drained the river in our town I went out with the hovercraft to see some sights. There was plenty to see!

TbTBmAV.jpg
 

Boomyal

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Aug 16, 2003
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How/why do they/did they drain a river? That outboard looks older than 25 years!
 

82rude

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May 8, 2012
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Oh god for a second or so i thought it was a stork,lol.Friend took out my 18 merc 2 stroke years ago and stupidly i didnt have it chained down As he gave her full throttle the motor came off.Heres the amazing part, in one swift movement my fried grabbed the motor as it flew off the transom and heaved it into the front of the 14 footer where it died.I never challenged him to a arm wrestling match ever,lol.
 

staydry

Seaman
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Feb 3, 2010
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Back in the mid 60's....my dad was working on our outboard to go camping...a 5HP Chief...think it was made by Sears...anyway he got it running...we took it to the river for a trial run and couldn't get it to start....

back to the house into the tub and it started right up....back to the river and it wouldn't start....back to the house it ran just fine...once more back to the river and again it wouldn't start...he calmly unbolted it and threw it overboard....
 

EchoNovember

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 25, 2017
Messages
315
Back in the mid 60's....my dad was working on our outboard to go camping...a 5HP Chief...think it was made by Sears...anyway he got it running...we took it to the river for a trial run and couldn't get it to start....

back to the house into the tub and it started right up....back to the river and it wouldn't start....back to the house it ran just fine...once more back to the river and again it wouldn't start...he calmly unbolted it and threw it overboard....


LOL! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I'd have my beat my head against the wall trying to figure it out, probably just to find it was something simple after a couple frustration weeks...
 

ShoestringMariner

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Apr 18, 2015
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Back in the mid 60's....my dad was working on our outboard to go camping...a 5HP Chief...think it was made by Sears...anyway he got it running...we took it to the river for a trial run and couldn't get it to start....

back to the house into the tub and it started right up....back to the river and it wouldn't start....back to the house it ran just fine...once more back to the river and again it wouldn't start...he calmly unbolted it and threw it overboard....

I burst out laughing reading that one. I can so identify with that. Although the only difference is I wanted to do it and just couldn’t.
 
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