Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

[Lucy7]

Hi. I spoke with many of you when I was desperate for your opinions regarding buying my dad a used bass boat.
Well, this past Sunday Dad was out on the lake and driving about 70 miles an hour and he flipped it and smashed into the bank! He's okay though, but his boat needs some major repair. My husband and I got him a used one similar to this bass boat.

He's got a friend looking at the boat who can do engine repair, but he can't do body repair. My husband and I are going to try to pay for the repairs.

I'm telling you, he's just like a little kid. He's never wrecked a car, so I thought he would be okay with a fast boat.

How hard is it to wreck a boat? Or how common? I've never heard of anyone doing this. I'm still in shock.

 

[Philster]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Watch this (and google "boat accidents" after you make a big pot of coffee, and sit back and start reading and watching, so that you all respect the water. AND DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR DAD EXCEPT PAY FOR SERIOUS TRAINING):

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...C4LOo5mfTaSCOkiqw&sig2=EXtsVw5Q2ijTlImQ3qP0mg

Full version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEETjztLqI&feature=related

 

[blifsey]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Glad your dad is OK!

Not sure what the conditions were that lead to his accident but as video philster linked to shows, a bass boat can be very dangerous at high speeds if the water has much chop or you hit a big wake. Bass boats have a very flat bottom and at high speeds ride up on a "pad" or flat area at the rear of the hull. That is why they are so fast. I've watched several bass boats on lake we go to hit some chop and starts bouncing front/back and side/side when deep V's like big bow riders just cut through the chop. Another problem at high speed in bass boats is chine walking where the boat begins kind of bouncing from chine to chine (side to side). 70mph on water is FAST.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

TAKE THE BOAT KEYS AWAY FROM DAD. He is like a teenage Kid with the keys to dads new MUSTANG GT Shelby.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Full version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEETjztLqI&feature=related

My guess is this is exactly what happened.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Welcome back Lucy. Glad your dad is okay, but if he flipped and hit the bank I would think the right thing would be to involve the insurance company. If the hull can be repaired at all the cost will be significant and might result in their decision to declare it a total loss. This sort of thing is precisely what they're paid to handle. As others have said, bass boats are especially vulnerable to flipping at the hands of inattentive or inexperienced pilots due to their hull designs and the high rates of speed they're equipped to attain and maintain. As I recall your original thread quickly deteriorated into lectures and admonishments as to why some iboaters felt your father had no business owning a bass boat. I can see this one quickly doing the same thing, so I won't participate further since that is not the kind of input you're seeking. I'll just say once more I'm glad he's okay and I hope this will be a wake up call if one is necessary.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

'bass boats' aren't about bass fishing. That is code word for go-fast borderline racing boat. If he had no boating experience prior, dropping him into a boat that is capable of 70mph is about the same as putting him on the starting line of the daytona 500.

Honestly, the hull probably isn't salvageable. Get the insurance involved, and buy a nice lund with a nice little 4 stroke on the back, not a 300 hp turbocharged monster outboard.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Your father flipped a bass boat at 70 mph and hit a river bank???

He's okay?

Something doesn't add up here. 70mph and flipping/crashing, I can imagine it would cost a bit to fix the boat if it was even fixable.

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Glad nothings hurt but a little pride..

If I had wrecked a car when I was younger (which I did) due to negligence My father would not have paid for repairs(which he did not).

the boat was given to him and the use or neglect was his responsibility. The repairs should be his responsibility as well..

what you are doing is called enabling, and that is not healthy for either party.
sorry if I sound like a tool but I call em like I see em.

good luck raising dad:facepalm:

 

[Lucy7]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

"Your father flipped a bass boat at 70 mph and hit a river bank???

He's okay?

Something doesn't add up here. 70mph and flipping/crashing, I can imagine it would cost a bit to fix the boat if it was even fixable. "


Yeah, my family and I are really surprised that he didn't die. I think he must have tripped or something and hit the accelerator or something. He's not saying what really happened. I guess it's a pride thing.
I shouldn't have said he was okay. He did end up with a broken wrist. I kind of wonder if he hit it on something when he jumped or fell out of the boat. Again, details there are fuzzy.
He's a bit of a mystery.

 

[Lucy7]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEET...eature=related

That was awful. It made my stomach hurt. My dad doesn't even seemed phased by this accident.

 

[Lucy7]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Glad nothings hurt but a little pride..

If I had wrecked a car when I was younger (which I did) due to negligence My father would not have paid for repairs(which he did not).

the boat was given to him and the use or neglect was his responsibility. The repairs should be his responsibility as well..

what you are doing is called enabling, and that is not healthy for either party.
sorry if I sound like a tool but I call em like I see em.

good luck raising dad:facepalm:

You're right, it is enabling, and you don't sound like a tool. I just want him to be happy. That's what I would want for myself when I'm 65- to be happy.

 

[sasto]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

What lake was he on? Glad he is good to go again!

 

[wingmastr23]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

You're right, it is enabling, and you don't sound like a tool. I just want him to be happy. That's what I would want for myself when I'm 65- to be happy.

Sounds like he needs a nice little Bass Tracker with a 40 horse outboard......The only reason I would fix up that boat was to sell it......

An inexperienced driver in a bass boat going over 50mph is just plain stupid.....70 is insanity, and he is lucky he didn't harm anyone else - that kind of ignorance could have landed him in jail for years.

 

[Guest]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Boats can be replaced BUT DADS CAN"T! Thank God he is ok. Maybe next time put a goveror on it so all he can do putt are like the rest of us old farts :facepalm:

 

[CaptOchs]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Sounds like he needs a nice little Bass Tracker with a 40 horse outboard......The only reason I would fix up that boat was to sell it......

An inexperienced driver in a bass boat going over 50mph is just plain stupid.....70 is insanity, and he is lucky he didn't harm anyone else - that kind of ignorance could have landed him in jail for years.

My thoughts exactly! He can WOT a 40HP all he wants. LOL.

Lucy, do you have pics of the boat with the damage?

 

[ssobol]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

In almost all states it is illegal to be driving your car at 70mph (or any speed) without wearing seat belts. Reasonable people would not consider driving without them and will insist that their kids are suitably protected.

However, boats are not so equipped and yet people usually run a boat as fast as possible. They will wear a life jacket but do nothing to protect themselves (or other occupants) from a boat crash.

At times water can be rough enough that if it were an equivalent road, no one would consider driving on it. While boats and cars and their operating environments are not directly comparable, if you came across a defect in a road that was as big as the wake wave in the video, you certainly would not hit it at any sort of speed.

In some states the laws for drunk driving a boat are essentially the same as for driving a car. Perhaps automobile occupant restraint laws should also apply to boats.

Granted most people would not care for this (myself included). Sometimes laws are enacted to protect us from ourselves.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Are you serious with this post?

1. Dad wont tell you what happened

2. Dad is obviously a danger to himself and OTHER FAMILIES on the water

3. HE FLIPPED THE FREAKIN BOAT YOU JUST BOUGHT HIM!!?

And you want to repair it.

Forget that, your dad should not be on the water with more than a 30hp Johnson behind a boat ever again.

PLEASE for the sake of other families who love their own mothers and fathers and kids do NOT ever fix this boat and give it back to him. Get him a small underpowered boat and call it a day.

You say you just want him to be happy, well other kids want to be happy too, and have a father, they don't wish their father to die when your dad hits their dads boat at 70mph because "he tripped"

 

[guy74]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Turning an inexperienced boater loose with a boat capable of 70mph? It would be like letting my 13 year old daughter have the keys to my 450hp trans-am, not a good idea. I'm glad that your dad is ok, but I am also glad that he isn't on the water with me, he cannot be made "happy" at the expense of others safety.

 

[marapoint]

Re: Dad Wrecked the New Bass Boat

Lucy,
Your posting re the bass boat purchase - you wrote [quoting you]

So, we loaded up his truck and headed to the lake. He loves driving that boat fast. I'm so glad we went with the fast one. I even got to drive it. I can definitely see how much fun it is! Wow! [end quote]

I'm happy to hear you Dad's ok - however I agree with Thajeffski - your Dad is/was foolish - a 21 foot boat with
250hp ..............and your considering repairs -