First time out, burn up engine

[SoulWinner]

Last summer I decided that I wanted a boat. I had never owned one, but I did have a jet ski once; and that was a real disaster (read "jet skis, why I can't have one". Anyhoo, I searched around and found a nice little bow rider for not much money and bought it. Let me state here that I bought the boat even though my wife had that "this is not such a great idea" look on her face. I figured she was still just a little traumatized by the jet ski, so onward I blundered. It was a 14 foot Winner with an 85 Hp Johnson V-4. I got it registered and off we went for our maiden voyage. Things went fine for about an hour as we tooled around Black Water River, looking at places where we had fished from the bank. I spent a lot of time on the river with my Dad when I was a kid, so I was showing my wife all the places I had been, and of course I was an expert on the river Well, we went up one little side river that got shallow, and since I wasn't paying attention, I buried the lower unit of the motor in the sloppiest muck I ever encountered. In the process of trying to get boat out of the mud under it's own power (that's what I do in my 4X4, right?) I destroyed the water pump. Hey, I didn't even know boat motors had water pumps . We got unstuck and made it back out to the main river when the motor died. I pulled the cowl and was hit by an increadible blast of heat. All the paint had burned off the back side of the motor. This was just great, the jet ski tried to drown us, now my stupidity left us up the river, literally without a paddle. I improvised some paddles out of some wood I found and we paddled back to the ramp. <br /><br />The engine was ruined. My very gracious and sweet hearted wife helped me tear the motor down and rebuild it. When the motor was rebuilt we took the boat out for a second time. The motor ran fine and we had a nice little run up and down the river until we got back to the ramp. This time a bunch of drunks started screwing with us and I thought I was going to get the hell beat out of me, and didn't (and still don't)know why. Well, I pulled the boat straight from the ramp to a friends house and asked if he wanted it. He accepted my gracious gift and I haven't been out since. My wife said that our next boat will be new, with warrantees on everything, a depth finder, and we will never launch from Bagdad (where the drunks were) again. I'll tell ya, boating sure is fun

 

[Ross J]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

Isn't there always some trash in the most unexpected places. Thankfully this trash hasn't got the intelligence to know what they're doing and soon go away.<br />Good on you sport, there's a great wife too! Give her an extra hug tonight, she's one out of the box mate! When you buy the new boat be sure to keep us updated, and don't wait too long, its summer over there now!!<br />Ross

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

Can't help with the boat problems at one time or another we have all done stupid things that cause problems. However the ramp behaviour is not something that happens all that often but I take every precaution to make sure I am prepared if it does. Usually openly transporting my gator protection device from the boat to the truck when I go to back it up solves any problem that has ever reared it's ugly head. I have only had to do this twice in my 16 years of boating on my own. Only once did I realy feel I was in a position I realy might have to use it. Now that sounds like overkill to carry something every trip but I spend a lot of time on the water alone and come up to boat ramps mostly after dark so I tend to be a little on the cautious side. I am even more so when I have the wife and kids with me. In the future a purchase from the local shop might be a good idea and my I suggest stainless.

 

[88spl]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

Myself and daughter take Magan (choc lab) to the ramp to swim, we go just befor dark as their are no boats being launched in or out. Well these 2 bums started walking over to us from a distance, so I got Magan out of the water and Brooke both up on the dock, and waited for their arival. They kept walking straight for us, I grabbed Magans coller and sat with her close, Brooke I asked to not look at them and do not say a word. Well now they are a good 12 feet from us and Magan let out a hairific growl...I mean it was all i could do to hold her back, one of the bums said "I bet if I throw a rock out in the lake that dog will go get it.......yea right after she tears your f@$*ing head off, Well they kept their distance and befor u know it our local a cop makeing his rounds pulls up and asked them for some ID. We tookoff, and dont go after dark anymore, ist a shame.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

i'm sorry to hear of those problems. its a shame. its depressing, and i've been there also. but to put a smile on my face, i thought of that little phrase someone here uses "believe me, i smell what you're stepping in"

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

Thanks for the replies I am planning on picking up a brand spanking new boat in the next week or two. I decided to get a Sun Dance Skiff, and from now on we will bring our Rottwieler named Precious with us. I live in Florida and posses a consealed firearms carry permit, but I must say that I am glad that I did not have my pistol on my person that day. I am sure that I would have been forced to use it, and I would hate to have to fill out a bunch of paper work just because a drunk wanted to end his misserable existance. Can't wait to pick up the new boat!

 

[88spl]

Re: First time out, burn up engine

Good luck on the new boat!