Dumb rookie mistakes

[jeff.nelson83]

Hello everyone, just bought my first new boat 1992 cobalt 206 with a 5.7L alpha 1 2nd gen. My question is today i took it out for the 3rd time and I started the boat with the out drive up in the trailer position and ran for 5-10 seconds before i realized it. Didn't know how much damaged I did to it if any at all. Thanks.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

Probably no damage except to your pride. Sometimes it's good to get the currap scared out of you. It makes a stronger memory.. LOL...

 

[BonairII]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

It's most likely fine. You need to start going over a quick mental checklist before starting the boat etc....until everything becomes second nature.

 

[jeff.nelson83]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

It's most likely fine. You need to start going over a quick mental checklist before starting the boat etc....until everything becomes second nature.

Yeah about that checklist, started to make one when i got home. I was thinking about 10 other things and forgot one of the most important. At least now I can check them off.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

I haven't started my motor with it tilted up yet....but i HAVE taken off a couple times with my anchor still out. :facepalm:

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

Yeah the best way to learn unfortunately is sometimes the worst. I bet you will never again forget to put it down again.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

Yeah we all do dumb things sometimes it's human nature.

 

[oops!]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

just wait till you drop in the water, pull away from the dock and wonder why the boat seems to be filling up with water !

 

[belleview3]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

just wait till you drop in the water, pull away from the dock and wonder why the boat seems to be filling up with water !

Yep, you only leave the plug out once. I still remember mine at 16 years of age (four dacades ago). Thought Dad would s**t a brick when I got back and confessed. Nope, he simply told of the one time he did it. Fortunately, I haven't done the anchor thing.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

I am fairly new to boating and have yet to do anything monumentally stupid but I know it's coming one of these days. I just hope when it does come its only my pride that gets hurt. So far the worst I've done is forget to pump the primer bulb and wonder why it's taking so long to start and my vary first time boating I was cranking and cranking the hand pull and the darn thing just wouldn't start. After about 5 min I look at the tiller and see the throttle in the stop position!:facepalm: I guess those would qualify as dumb rookie mistakes lol.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

So far I have been pretty lucky with not making the rookie mistakes...although I know that day will eventually come. I do have the mental list of things to check before heading out...and so far it has helped.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

I try to go through the mental checklist too. Where I get into trouble is when the launch is crowded because I get into a rush cuz I feel like an *** when I'm holding people up. I know I shouldn't let it bother me but it still does.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

As long as the boat is not in gear and under heavy load, running with the drive trimmed way up really does not stress the U-joints all that much. Yeah, they are spinning, even in neutral, but the only loads on them in neutral are from the momentum of the gears and shafts in the drive accelerating and decelerating a bit, twice per revolution. Compare that to the stresses applied under full throttle in a tight turn, and you'll realize it's just not that big a deal. It sounds bad because you can clearly hear the rattle of the drive line lash (the slight amount of play in all the gears and shafts in the drive) being taken up in both directions twice per revolution. Also, U-joints are really cheap and easy to change so even if you did damage, that's about the best rookie mistake you could ever make...

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

there is a whole "confession booth" thread under Stupid Human Tricks about "mistakes you have made" and most of them are very basic boating mistakes made by experienced boaters.

One thing about boats and boat advice--you constantly hear "always" and "never" and it's hard to know which of those "rules" are crucial and which won't matter if you goof occasionally.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

FWIW - I have run my Bravo outdrive in the full up position occaissionally when in really shallow water. Only at idle, 'cuz the u-joints hate it.

One time during launching I had the swim ladder down and the drive fully up, and put it in gear. . . BANG . . . Ouch !

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

just wait till you drop in the water, pull away from the dock and wonder why the boat seems to be filling up with water !

For sure !!! One more to add... You will most likely also try to launch with your transom tie down straps still attached, then wonder why your boat wont float off the trailer:facepalm:
It will also happen when the boat launch is full of onlookers. Murphy LOVES boat launches!!!

 

[floatfan]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

It seems that each trip out, after the first swim stop of the day, I start to take off with the swim ladder down. I notice a little extra drag and some serious spray kicking up behind us...and I remember. In my defense, the times that I'm the last person back in the boat, I mostly remember. I generally consider myself a quick learner, but I guess it's because it's out of sight, out of mind that I can't seem to remember it.

I've done the plug thing...ONCE. Also forgot to pull anchor once. It's a scary thing to see a danforth flying out of the water and 10 ft into the air behind you. That's one I've imprinted to memory!

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

FWIW - I have run my Bravo outdrive in the full up position occaissionally when in really shallow water. Only at idle, 'cuz the u-joints hate it.

Me too. The Mercruiser manual says it's allowed as long as you don't exceed 1200 RPM, if memory serves.

I was in my garage the other day and spotted a spare Bravo input shaft assembly sitting on one of my shelves right next to a spare front Durango half shaft (with two CV joints attached) and started thinking I should combine parts from the two and do away with the double cardan U-joint entirely.

 

[jeff.nelson83]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

Well thanks for all the info everyone. Just printed and lamitated my checklist for the boat. I think after a few more months it will be second nature.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Dumb rookie mistakes

Ya gotta be especially careful once you get the hang of things and about the time you're becoming an "old pro" because that's when it's easiest to forget the little things that you previously tried so hard to remember.