What boating mistakes have you made?

[Tig]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Pulled the bow of my runabout up on the river bank and then decided to hit the bilge pump since there was some water in the sump. Once that was cleared I walked to the house. 20 minutes later I found my boat on the bottom of the river. Seems that my bilge pump outlet at the stern, was submerged when the bow was raised like that. I siphoned the river in. :redface:

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

"Fail to secure small outboard (9.8hp) on transom with bolts use thumb screws only= Engine flying off at wide open throttle a rather big surprise but not as troubling as the 6 gallon fuel tank still attached to the engine launching from the bow and passing by your head. "

Now that's the funniest picture I've had in a long time.

I don't know if this counts as an accident since it was an experiment but I wondered if a large-ball trailer will stay put on a small ball, pulling out of the water. Won't. But the chains hold. This is why I always hook up chains even just to launch from a dry slip 50' from the ramp.

Here's my view on boating--you learn something new every time you go out. If you don't, you're not paying attention, and you missed it.

 

[Lakemeadan]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

And, THAT is, without a doubt, the worst boating mistake of all!

TII

Happens to me about every time.

 

[freelancer]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Was out working on a 21 ft Boston Whaler (alone in the winter) and was going around the side to relieve myself when I slipped on some spray (fresh water) that had frozen. I was holding a rail on the side of the boat but I went in almost to the waist. It was about 27 degrees outside and I spent the rest of the shift drying off in the cabin and thanking my luck stars that I got back onto the boat. I was young and inexperienced...always ware a life vest and never rush on the boat unless it's an emergency.

 

[jjhjrcmh]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

One of the funniest things happened this year. Wife and I have fished on our 23 foot Neptune center console for 3 years without a GPS unit and never ran aground. Got everywere by compass. So we got a new Garmin unit this year and I was following the course it set for us. Suddenly we here this beeping noise as I watch the screen and suddenly the depth finder beeps that we are in 2 feet of water. Bam ran aground on a sand bar. We now know the alarm was off course alarm and just dont rely on GPS. Watch all surroundings.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I don't think my wife surfs this site so I think I can talk about it here, her mistake, I think is the dumbest to happen to us and it happened this last weekend, of course I have forgotten the plug transom straps etc etc but here goes

Done for the fathers day boat ride wife is at the helm to drop me at the dock and maintain a loitering position at the busy ramp while I go get the truck and trailer, I jump off the bow and grab the boat to make sure it does not touch the dock which is pretty simple since she is a pro at this and I start to push her back out she feels the change in direction and puts the boat into reverse........well maybe not, she puts it into forward and adds a little gas, the boat is now pushing me backwards and I've got a deer in the headlight look, I can't get the bow away from the dock roller fast enough and the hull hits the roller and starts climbing it which is when the wife figures out shes done something bad and hits reverse. well I have a nice 3' long scratch in the gel coat but other then that no big deal so I see my wife is tearing up so I assure her its fine I will be right back to load. Retrieval goes without incident (wife driving the boat) and I see my wife is struggling to control herself, I know she whoopsed and she feels horrible about it, but all I can say is the boats fine don't worry about it, no structural damage just a little more money to be spent in the off season is all, shes the best.

 

[SWTobias]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

The day I bought my new boat the wheel fell off the trailer on the way home. I guess that was the dealer's stupid mistake but I sure felt stupid.

One month later after getting same boat back from dealer after 20 hour break-in period check-up was in the middle of Boston harbor when heard a strange noise from engine and my wife asked " what's that funny smell"? Stopped the engine & checked engine compartment to find every drop of engine oil in the bilge. Again, maybe not my mistake but sure felt stupid paddling to nearest marina. Got a new boat from dealer.

On the last outing of the season with new boat the bilge pump comes on??? I was sure I put the plug in but dutifully check only to find it was in. Getting worried, I start checking everything but can't find leak. Taking on water faster than bilge pump can keep up with, I start the engine to get to shore as fast as possible. The water stops coming in while engine is running. Mechanic finds the exhaust butterfly valve has come loose & drilled a nice size hole below water line in exhaust system.

Left plug put with non-functioning bilg pump. Won't ever make that mistake again, I hope.

Forgot tie-down straps were left on.

Forgot to un-do winch cable once at ramp. That got some chuckles!

Last but not least, drove 20 miles to ramp only to find I had left boat keys at home.

I just got this same boat running again after 5 years in storage. Am being very, very careful not to repeat my stupid mistakes.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

OK the #1 Biggest Mistake I every made with the boat.

#1 Left the DOG at home and didn't take her boating with us last time out. Kids were POed at me. They love that dumb Dog.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

SHHH!! Don't tell anyone this.Once went into the store and got ice and paid for 50 bucks in gas...Went out to tow rig and proceeded to pack cooler full of beer and water<For the dog>.Packed up and started vehicle and left...Got to boat launch,got the boat wet, and went to park tow rig and realized i forgot to put gas in the boat.So waited in line again to get boat out of water and go back to store and get gas.Lucky for us that the store was only 8 miles away.What a pita...All and all the day turned out great.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

OK the #1 Biggest Mistake I every made with the boat.

#1 Left the DOG at home and didn't take her boating with us last time out. Kids were POed at me. They love that dumb Dog.

Be alot more peaceful to forget the kids and take the dog,lol

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

In the 70's I had an Aristocraft I/O. We went to the marina, stuck the spigot into the gas filler neck. After pumping in 22 gallons, I was ready to leave. My father saw some liquid coming out of the engine cover, and quietly said don't start it.

The radiator hose between the gas filler neck and the tank had come loose, and I filled the transom with fuel. One spark and we would have been toast.

Lesson to be learned: Watch your gas gauge when filling up your boat to make sure it's going in the tank. Go to church on Sunday, and you might be protected from your mistakes.

 

[reddogg]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Once while launching at an unfamiliar ramp in brackish water I backed in just a bit to far and felt this big bang. Turns out the trailer had run off the end of the concrete ramp and than decided to get it's springs wedged under the lip of the ramp. Took me and 4 other guys about 2 hours to get it unstuck. One guy almost drowned when the trailer shifted and pined him underwater.

red

 

[Free?Boat]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Last month, I was finaly taking my first boat out for the first time ever. It was after a long winter of repairs and tweaks to a forty year old boat that was given to me by a friend. Needless to say I was terribly excited, I had never driven a boat with more than 15 horses before and my boat has 190. I was alone on a Thursday morning and there was no one else at the ramp. I backed in and got the boat off the trailer and tied up, she started right up and was idleing nicely. I took the car and trailer up and parked and ran back down for my first ride. I idled around the harbour and all was good, smooth shifting and smooth engine. I was in dreamland, it was so much fun. I took her out and opened her up, it was great and all was working as it should. I took her in and tied up at the ramp(the docking was NOT PRETTY) but I made it. When I went to get the car I found that in my excitment I had left it running, windows open, wallet and cell on the passenger seat for almost two hours. What a dummy I am.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

^^^ that's a prize winner right there. Thanks for confessing.

 

[Lucy7]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Recently, my husband and I gave my dad a used bass boat for his 65th birthday. In less than one month of owning it, Dad took the keys out to scratch his neck, or something weird like that, and he dropped the keys into the lake. Luckily, he was in swallow water but it was dark and he spent a while trying to find those keys.
I got him one of those long strings, that just to be so popular, to put his keys on. Who takes their key out of the ignition to scratch themselves? That's so weird! And funny of course.
I've enjoyed reading your mistakes. I'll let Dad know.

 

[2 Eagles]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

When I went to get the car I found that in my excitment I had left it running, windows open, wallet and cell on the passenger seat for almost two hours.

That one takes the grand prize. I'll bet you don't ever do that again. But I thank we all under stand your excitment. I know I feel the kind of excitment very year on the fist trip out.

 

[tomslick]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Running a 150 foot crab boat back to dutch at 2:00 am. I just couldn't get the radar to clean up no matter how much I adjusted it. The sonar looked funny it was such a steep angle, and almost all yellow. Oh @#$% We are here. Nothing wakes up the crew faster than full reverse on twin jimmies. Backed away from the rocks and followed the radar in.

 

[Triton II]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Nothing wakes up the crew faster than full reverse on twin jimmies.

I bet! Great story Tom... by the way, just out of curiosity, where's the 'slick' come in, is that from the time you did hit something?

TII

 

[anubix00]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

When I was 17 I "restored" an old tri-hull. Needless to say on a 17 year olds budget and sense, I've made quite a lot of mistakes
Forgot boat keys at home
Launched boat w/o plug
Stuck in shallow water, which turned out to be especially bad because of the swarm of mosquitos among us
Had the trailer hitch pop off the ball on my truck, luckily the safety chains were in place
Lost an anchor

And I'm sure there's plenty more. But my experiences have better prepared me to be a safe and smarter captain on the 2000 19' Pro Line I currently have.

 

[Incog]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

#1 Took my fiance out on the boat to watch the fireworks. The original plan was to propose to her that night, fortunately she got impatient and I did it two weeks earlier. At the harbor mouth we took a 4'+ wave over the bow and she kinda freaked out. Told her everything was fine, trimmed up a little too far, and gave it a little throttle to get the bow up. All we had to do was go around the breakwall and we would be in calm water for the fireworks.

One semi-loud bang and I had no forward or reverse. Coupler shot. Boat was being pushed out by the current and smashed in by the waves. Nothing like sitting on a rollercoaster boat parallel to the waves. Fiance now really freaking out... Got the attention of another boat that rescued us before we hit the breakwall.

#2 Came in from a morning of fishing with my limit of salmon. I don't have a cooler on board, but there is a hatch in my floor where I throw the fish + 3-5 bags of ice, depending on how long I'm fishing. The ice slowly melts and drains into the bilge. On the run in, I normally hit the bilge pump at the lighthouse, but forgot this time.

I pulled up to the dock next to a beautiful scarab type boat that was launching. Dude that looked like he popped steroids like pez stayed with the boat, while his extremely silconed significant other parked the truck. Meanwhile, I had already pulled my boat out of the water and was checking the position on the trailer when I remembered that I had forgot to pump the bilge. A quick flick of the switch yeilded a suprisingly high pitched scream. Ran around to the other side of the boat to see "Significant Other" coated with a mixture of blood, fish slime, and smelly bilge water. Hit her point blank in the side of the head.

I really was sorry and tried to apologize, but when the "HULK" turned green and started my way - it was time to get out of there.