I bought my first boat last spring. It was a 16' tri-hull with a 115 Evinrude. The guy I bought if from did what I thought a pretty good job going over everything. So we spent a couple days cleaning it out and getting everything ready for the maiden voyage. We decided that we were going to go camping for a couple days and take the boat with us. The lake is about 35 minutes away and I have a buddy that lives about 5 minutes from the lake. So he came over after work and hooked up my boat and took it to his house so I could pull my camper the next day. We get to the camp site and get everything setup. Time to go get the boat. This was a Friday and it was fairly slow at the ramp. We get the boat ready to launch and have gone over my mental checklist 3 times. Everythings good to go. I get the boat backed down and in the water. I crawled in and got the motor started and had the wife undo the winch and go park the truck. She comes back and we are off. Had a little trouble with the boat not wanting to run right but all in all it was a good first launch. We cruised around for a while and checked out some of the little coves and such. We decided to take it out and head back to camp. We had dinner and ran over the local Walmart and got some new plugs thinking that might help with the motor issue. I changed the plugs and decided the go back out for test run. Went through the same procedure. I'm tied off tothe dock waiting for wife. She comes down and we untie. She decides that she needs to push the boat away from the dock. Don't ask me why. So she pushes the boat not realizing how fast it would move away from the dock and tries to jump in real quick. She trips on her sandal and is now hanging of the bow of the boat. I'm telling her to pull herself up but she has absolutly no upper body strenght at all. So I walk up and grab ahold of the back of her shorts and pull her up. Meanwhile her sandal (the one she tripped on) fell of and floated under the dock and is now stuck in somewhat of a limbo. I tie back up to the dock and am trying to figure out how to get her sandal. She's kinda ducking down in the boat because everybody sitting at the marina is now watching and she's embarrased. Her sandal finnaly floats out, I grab it and were off. The next day we take to boat out and pull the kids on the tube for awhile and enjoy the day. Her dad decides to drive down and meet us at the lake to check out the boat. We all sit down and have some dinner and decided to take the FIL out for ride. After about 10 minutes he figures he's had enough and is ready to leave. We dropped him off at the dock and head back out. After a littl while longer we decide we better head back in. Now normally I dock the boat go get the truck and back the trailer down. Get back in the boat and drive it on the trailer. But I asked the wifey if she felt comfortable trying to back the trailer in. There was one other couple at the ramp loading their boat so she said she thought she could do it. I reminder her to take her time and keep checking the mirrors. I'm floating in the marina watching her come down. She was doing really good then right as she was about to the water it started going sideways so she pulled up to get it straight. OK attempt #2. She's got it going good then almost to the water she looses it again. Now I'm thinking I should tie off and do it myself but I don't make her fell like I'm rushing. She's has pullid back up is straight once more. Attempt #3. Now there is a couple of people waiting to unload/load. So I think she's getting nervous. She's coming down the trailers straight and then starts to go the the right. I'm thinking ok she'll pull up and try it again. But wait she's still coming down and the trailer is still going to the right. I'm in the boat yelling at her stop. My yelling is doing nothing but getting the attention of all the people at the marina. Their all watching and she's still coming down. Next thing I know the trailer is on one wheel and right next to the side of my truck. I get over to the dock and get tied off. I run up to the ramp as she's walking down to me. The wife of the man that was loading at the time runs up and gets the trailer straight and begins to back it down. I'm thinking thats great there's probably a huge dent on the side of my truck. She's walks by and says sorry and just gets back in the boat. The woman has the trailer backed up and go to inspect the damage. Low and behold and dent about the size of a softball right on the corner of the bed. I get the boat loaded and begin drilling her about what she was thinking. She crying, I'm pissed, the kids don't know what to do so they for once sit there quitely. We get back to camp and I tell her that's it were going home. I leave her at camp to take to boat back to my buddies house. The whole time I'm trying tell myself it's only a truck. I drop off the boat and get back to camp. She has everything ready to hookup and go. After saying sorry multiple time to her for yelling were back to normal except for the truck. The next day we pick up some friends and head back to the lake where she will have no part of the launch or load. We find a little cove and drop the anchor. Everybody but me is in the water having fun. I'm trying to get thinks put away so we have more room. All of sudden I hear what sounds like a peice of metal hit the ladder and then a splash. I look back and wife asks, What was that metal thing that sits right here that you told me earlier not to pull on? I replay it the vent cover, WHY??? Well I was trying to get out and I grabbed ahold of it and it came off and fell in the lake. Ok she is now at strike 3. I'm thinking this boat is 1 year younger than me, and I'm sure I'll never find another one of those covers. So with a pissed off look on my face I tell her she better swim down and get it. Granted we were in about 6 feet of water just off the shore. After about 20 minutes of her going up and down she found it. So now I'm happy again but still feel the need for a little pay back. We decided to get back on the tube for some fun. It's her turn on the tube so she jump in. She has this visor on and her sunglasses. My oldest tells her mommy you should take off your hat and glasses. She replys no it's ok your dad won't make fall in. Normally she would be right but today is different. After about 2 minutes on the tube at comfortable speed for her she gets relaxed. That's when I open it up and turn as hard as I can right over a wave. In she goes the visor is floating and glasses sank. Only bad part about it was I remembered that I had just bought her those glasses and now I have to go back and get another pair. But all in all it was well worth it. Sorry for the long post, I guess I got carried away.
P.S. I got the truck fixed and to this day she is still not allowed to back the trailer up.
P.S. I got the truck fixed and to this day she is still not allowed to back the trailer up.
