Regal Boat Hit's Dock

[nikoniko74]

A friend of mine has a nice newer Regal Boat.

Is it common for a boat to ever not engage in reverse?

I sold my boat 2 years ago, and have been lightly boating for the last 15 years, and this has never happened to me.

I was approaching the dock to pick my friend up the other day. I was idling forward, pulled back to neutral and waited a few seconds. Pulled the trigger, put it in reverse idle to slow it down. Then my buddy started hollering from the dock reverse reverse. I just waited another second or two because I thought I was already there and should be slowing down soon. When I realized I was not going to slow down soon enough, I pulled all the way back, but the only thing we did was revved the engine. The boat did not engage in reverse.

The boat only sustained very minor damage. A small chip in the fiberglass is all we could find. However, in an attempt to slow the boat down and save the boat, my friend tried to catch it. In doing so, he got his finger pinched between the boat and the dock and broke his finger.

I feel horrible about the whole situation, and am asking questions because I feel bad, and via their body language, am obviously being blamed for this. I was told that I accidentally pushed the button to rev the engine instead of going into reverse. I'm ALMOST positive that didn't happen because I would have had to use two hands to do so. I had one hand on the steering wheel, and one hand on the throttle the whole time.

After the incident, while waiting for the truck and trailer to get down to the water, I played with it a few times, and it engaged in reverse every time. So I don't know. I really feel like it just did not engage in reverse, but it worked every time after that so maybe I did do something wrong.

I am far from being a boating expert, but have been around water and boats enough to be comfortable. I am curious what other people's thoughts are.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

My first thought is that you shouldn't have been in forward gear that long while pulling into a slip. Once you're lined up you should only need to bump it into forward gear once or twice to pull in. I see many guys (mainly O/B guys) who will pull into a slip with more forward speed than necessary, then throw it into reverse to stop the boat before they reach the end of the slip. All it takes is once (as you found out) for the transmission not to grab the gear and you end up barrelling into the dock.

If your throttle-only switch is on the hub of the gear shift like most of them are, I doubt it slipped there. Sometimes the gears just don't engage smoothly.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

The world is an imperfect place. Things break. Machinery malfunctions. Crap happens.

On the other hand, you don't indicate the age of the boat in question. Could be that the cable is stretched; loose from the linkage in the throttle; slipping from it's retaining assembly. Happened to my brother's boat when it was 2 years old and he ended up hitting a seawall. Get it looked at by a professional before someone gets hurt any worse.

BTW, you stated you sold your boat 2 years ago but lightly boating since. Is this your boat or were you operating it for someone else? I'm only wondering due to the personal injury liability issue.

 

[zagger]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

First off make sure your friend is well taken care off, your insurance should pick up all medical expenses. Second the linkage should be inspected and adjusted. If it happened once it will happen again, possibly with more serious consequences. Good luck.

 

[zagger]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

Just realized it was not your boat! In any case the linkage should be inspected and adjusted. The liability would fall on the boat owner and insurance company.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

Try not to feel so bad about it, you were only trying to help and you meant well. You might have even bump the neutal button with your leg and not realized it or something.

... but, this is the very reason I don't let anyone help me with my boat. No one knows my boat like I do, nor do they know my tow vehicle like I do. It seems like every time I've had someone try to "help" me something has gone wrong.

Instead of having someone help me with the boat or truck, I'll give them something else to do if they want to help. Like go inside and pay for the launch, take the days worth of trash to the trash can, or go buy us some cold drinks and snacks for the drive home. This usually works much better for me.

 

[mancho]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

I can't imagine ever "bumping" a throttle only button. I know my 98 larson isn't brand spakin' new, but it takes a good punch of the button (and holding it briefly) while a forcing front or rearward thrust with the other hand. No way a knee would make it engage in throttle only.

However, maybe newer boats the button is a feather touch, I don't know. Hard to imagine. PIcs! LOL

Sorry to hear of the broken finger. That sucks. Keep ALL elements clear of boats and docs if you value them.

I swear this thread was about the "accident" I witnessed yesterday when a guy was on the dock and I assume his wife was bringing it to dock when she had the wind on her back. She didn't realize to turn up into the wind and came in hot. He tried to slow it down but the rear was swinging fast and I heard it crack the dock from about 25 yards away and he was throwing all his body weight into it trying to slow it down.

Docking is just something you do very slow and cautiously... like landing a plane. I would NEVER rely on reverse to pull my decisions clear.

I guess having jet skis for 15 years teaches you there IS NO REVERSE, so I just come to dock inching my way in, barely a bump to correct a drift.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

The best rule of thumb in this case is never approach the dock and or slip any faster than you want to hit it!!!!!!!and remember things don't always work the way they should!!!!

 

[Stachi]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

My first thought is that you shouldn't have been in forward gear that long while pulling into a slip. Once you're lined up you should only need to bump it into forward gear once or twice to pull in. I see many guys (mainly O/B guys) who will pull into a slip with more forward speed than necessary, then throw it into reverse to stop the boat before they reach the end of the slip. All it takes is once (as you found out) for the transmission not to grab the gear and you end up barrelling into the dock.

If your throttle-only switch is on the hub of the gear shift like most of them are, I doubt it slipped there. Sometimes the gears just don't engage smoothly.

While I agree , that it sounds like he was coming in too fast to begin with... please don't imply that outboard owners cannot operate a boat safely....

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

I'm always reminding my passengers to never get between the boat and the dock. Let the thing take a beating if necessary but trying to stop a couple thousand pounds with some momentum behind it is a fool's errand. Hard to resist I know - I've jumped to react myself to save that precious gel coat. But it's a great way to put your back out, break bones, and just generally mess yourself up good.

Best advice EVER is that one about approaching no faster than you care to hit.

I too don't see how you can accidentally engage the neutral fast idle on any throttle setup I've used in the last few decades but as has been noted, stuff happens. Sorry for your bad day.

 

[backyardhockey2]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

When I first switched from a 3 blade prop to a 4 blade I thought the shift/trans had developed issues. That small of a change made the boat act different at idle speed. You were in a new-to-you boat so the "suprise" you experienced is not all that suprising. Every boat is a little different.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

Is it common for a boat to ever not engage in reverse?

I wouldn't say it's common, but it happens to my 2008 occasionally when there's very little water and the prop is churning up the mud. I don't know what low water has to do with the gears engaging other than load on the prop, but that's what happens. Typically tho, advancing the throttle in reverse gets it to catch right before the revs come up.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Regal Boat Hit's Dock

While I agree , that it sounds like he was coming in too fast to begin with... please don't imply that outboard owners cannot operate a boat safely....

I wasn't implying anything of the sort. I simply provided a reference to the instances in which I have observed people coming into the dock at a higher-than-needed rate of speed. To be honest 90% of the time it's a guy on a pontoon boat with an O/B. The type of powerplant isn't significant in and of itself, but I don't typically see it much with inboard or I/O boats.