What boating mistakes have you made?

[jlongsta]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I'm not going to consider this too much of a mistake on our part, but I think it's worth sharing......the first time we took our new boat out, my huband backed the trailer down, I floated off our brand new 21' pontoon boat off the trailer and backed out a ways into the cove. I was going to go and pick my husband up at the courtesy dock...Low and behold, I couldn't steer the boat at all. You would think a brand new boat would be lake ready. All I could do was go forward and back. I looked around the steering to see if there was some kind of safety lock or something. My husband was at the dock and yelled at me to come in. I yelled back, "I can't steer it!" I had driven my dad's boats so I knew something was wrong. Fortunately, I had my cell phone and called the dealer. He said that sometimes, the factory puts a bracket on the front of the motor to keep it from moving during shipping. I was getting ready to check and my husband had found a nice person to come and tow us in. At the dock, we discovered the "bracket" on the front of the outboard. We simply reached down and hand unscrewed the bracket. To our amazement, the boat steered like a dream the rest of the day. Personally, I think the dealer should have sent us a gift card for dinner or something, but of course, we didn't even get an apology.

 

[rube740]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

1. improper anchoring!
2. Cruising with GPS off
3. smelled gas, didn't do nothing about it.

#1 I let off way to much rope for shallow water and I don't have a automatic winch. So I Told my wife to put the boat on drive while I pulled in the rope. To much rope got under the boat and into the prop(which was running). The prop cut the rope and anchor was on its way!​

#2 I thought I knew the area and was just going for a very short ride. Well I got to close to rocks and smashed my prop really bad. Lucky for me I didn't do any damage to the out drive.​

#3 My dad started telling me about this smell of gas but I didn't think to much of it. This happened at the same time #2 happened. As I was slowly heading back to my marina BOOM!!! Explosion do to gas leak from my starboard side gas tank!​

I thank the all might lord I am still alive this day. #3 really scared the demons out of me!

 

[JB]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Yeah. I once thought I could be happy with a boat that was not a Boston Whaler. Bought a Tracker V-17.

BIG mistake.

 

[YZ165]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Ok, I'll fess up...

#1 I bought a Monterey 194FS three summers ago. First thing first, bought a set of muffs for the outdrive. Thing fired right up in the driveway, good water flow bla bla. Took it to the lake(150 miles away) the following weekend. Forgot the muffs at the house, damn it. Ran to the local general store, picked up a new set, 8 bucks, no big deal. Run it at my friends lake house, everything is good, great weekend. Left boat at friends lake house under a carport as I planned to come back in a week or two. Two weekends later, returned to the lake for another weekend, but my friend was not coming to the lake that weekend. The second set of muffs were locked in the garage..:facepalm:...Back to the general store, 8 more bucks, oh well, now I have tree pairs, one in every possible location the boat will be in. So, Middle of last summer I decdide to do a little clean up of the bilge and notice a hose hanging down under the motor. Give it a little tug, and out pops the other end with a little plug on the end designed to be attached to a garden hose and supply water to the cooling system..:facepalm:

#2 After two full seasons of using this boat on a regular basis, Unhooking the battery after every use at the negative terminal, I was cleaning one of the storrage compartments where the bumpers are stored...with all the bumpers, and other crap out of there, I notice a big switch attached to the back wall, kinda hidden.....:facepalm:...Had a perko switch the whole time

Moral of the story, I should have read the owners manual on day one.....Jeez...Ha Ha!

 

[Mel Taylor]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Put the hose on a portable Evinrude gas tank backwards so that the arrow on the primer bulb that should have been pointing towards the motor pointed to the tank instead. No matter how hard, or how many times I pumped the primer bulb the motor just wouldn't pick up gas and run. Now, each time I go to connect the fuel hose, I remind myself that there is an arrow on the primer bulb and I look at that arrow before I attach the hose to the tank and motor.

 

[BSnB]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

My boat repair shop has a parking spot with a sign printed with my name on it. They say they miss me when I don't drop in on Monday's. I really am careful and many of my visits are because it's an older boat and parts fail. Not all though...

• Unhooked the safety chain before backing the boat down the ramp...boat rolled off 10 ft short of the water....check
• Launched boat at the ramp with a wind blowing away from the dock. The bow rope was too short so the Admiral simply let it go....check...(another boater retreived the wayward boat)
• Running at speed downriver resulting in rapid deceleration on a sandbar that required three drunk bearded bikers on a pontoon, and me, to push the boat off...check
• Recovered the boat and dragged the skeg all the way up the ramp...check...(had to buy a skeg guard on Monday)

That was one bad Saturday...:facepalm:

PS...I found the bearded bikers on their pontoon a week later and gave them a 12-pack. They made it pretty clear that a case would have been much, much better.

 

[Thom1879]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I like to dock like captain ron, except one time my engine died when I kicked it in reverse=nasty deep scrape from dock
Forgot to unhook winch when launching on a windy day=ended up in weeds and needing a new prop

 

[Gibbles]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

My Father-in-law and I were out with his boat and forgot to put the plug in...

I assumed he did it, and he assumed I did it...
I launch him, park my truck, came back to get in, I noticed his boat seemed to have a bit of a list to it...

I did not think much of it until we are going out and I see water coming up...

we made it back to the ramp just in time for the boat to settle down on it.

got the plug back in, and started bailing till we got it high enough in the water to get the trailer under it, then pulled it out with the plug out, and let it drain for about 20min....

then we went fishing with soggy seats

 

[W_Guy]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Why don't people just hang the plug on the bow eye???? You're gonna see it before you launch the boat off the trailer!

 

[Gibbles]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

In my boat I make check before we leave the house, and I put the plug in at that time, then right before we launch, check the plug again.
I also like to stick one in a transom drain tube when we leave the lake, that way I will see it the next time around.

And in his boat he stashed plugs all over the place, even one right next to the ign so he will see it when getting ready to start it up...

And we had a good laugh about that one, my worry is if we did it in my boat; would I sink like a rock (starcraft tincan)?

Right now I'm doing a mild restore, floors, transom, and stuffing foam anywhere I can!

 

[destroyer_85_golf]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

when i was in high school we lived on a farm. it was next to the river so when it flooded you had to take a boat out. So i would get up and take my dad out and come home, wait a hour and take my step mom out. this went on for a week or so when one day.... I took dad out and came back out to take mom out i was trying to start the motor a 35 hp johnyrude. pull starting it no less anyway i kept giving it just a little more gas and just a little more gas when it finally popped it was in gear. throwing my step mom and 4 year old brother in the bottom of the boat. As we were doing doughnuts in the middle of the pasture im trying to pick myself up and hit the kill switch. needless to say after that i always made sure that it wasnt in gear!!!

almost forgot i got a 6 gallon plastic tank from a buddy went to the gas station to fill the tank up. I went do some other things before i was ready to go out on the river. i came back and the gas tank was swelled up like a basketball and hissing. apearently the vent on the tank was bad. shouldve just used my own tank.

 

[windshield_time]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Lots and lots of things. The two "best".

Let my wife drive :facepalm: I said to her, you need to turn left now, she adjusted about a degree, I was trying not to freak her out so I said it again, turn left now babe, I did she says as the boat runs into the sand bar, that was a hydraulic line. The first and only boat repair she hasn't complained about.

Second one was all me, set the boat up ready for the water one spring, put it in, started right up, YEAH !!!, ummm where is all this water coming from ??? I forgot to close the engine drains, lucky I caught it at the dock.

 

[Gibbles]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

lol

I took my wife out and had her drive the boat around, and when we went to leave the lake I told her to wait and I will get in the boat with you and let you drive it onto the trailer

so I back the trailer in the water and I get out and I see her backing the boat off of the dock so I try and call her cell, she is not used to driving the boat, and I did not teach her how to back up yet...

Well she pulls up, does a great job!
Misses the front of the trailer just a little, I tell her to hold on I'll just get in the water
She puts it in reverse and at the last second I see the motor is cranked all the way to the right, I tell her to stop! Look at the engine, & straighten it up!
To late
my pos trailer has metal side posts, she got one really good and put a deep scratch down the side... all the way down the side. :facepalm:

I laugh it off the best I can as the only thing that boat did not need was a paint job
I don't want to make it a negative experience for her

 

[CPTom21]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

2011 Was my first year with a boat, and I can honestly say I made no serious mistakes!! This was thanks to reading this forum though. Every new boater should have a read through of this thread. Now I've gotta try not to be too cocky though this Summer.

p.s. I did leave a transom strap on once. Only 1 of them though lol.

 

[cribber]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

CPT you're not alone with forgetting a transom strap or two... done that a couple of times while obsessing over remembering the plug.

 

[Stachi]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

My return to boating after a 9 yr hiatus. Second trip out......
All went well for most of the day ...if you don't count my date (a boat person in her own rights),reminding me to park my truck and trailer someplace other than the launch ramp as I was casting off lines. I returned to my boat with the reddest face a man should ever have on a first date, and pulled away from the dock without further incident (Thank God ).
We spent the day cruising the river and were heading back to the ramp , and it was then that I learned that my fuel gauge wasn't kidding when it was close to E. She , ofcourse , believed I was pulling the old " aww geeze.... we just ran out of gas " thing.
I was lucky enough to find a kind soul to tow me back to the ramp, he was heading there as well.I was three miles downstream with an outgoing tide.
When we got to the ramp, I had to lower my engine to accomodate docking .
I retrieved my tow vehicle and trailer , and backed down the ramp,set the brake and went to grab the rope attached to the bow of my boat to pull her onto the trailer. In my haste, I forgot to raise the engine , and proceeded to winch her up,safety chain her , and drag my skeg up the ramp. Albeit , it WAS 8:30 PM and dark by then...lol.....
So , I forgot to park my rig,I ran out of fuel , and dragged my skeg up the ramp... not too bad an outing after 9 yrs !
I am proud to have remembered to put the plug in...lol :facepalm:

 

[Gibbles]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

One I just remembered...

We were loading up at the end of the day, the boat ramp was very busy, lots of people waiting trying to load and unload

And right in the middle of the loading ramp was this old man parked with the engine running with a little tiller steer 14-15ft boat

I try my best to be as polite as I can and ask him if he is waiting for a truck to load up, he states no...
Guy had been sitting there for a good 15+min, about 10 of that was me waiting for him to do something so I could back in

So I try and politely point out the dock to his right for parking, and this dock is for loading and unloading only, noted the sign stating 10min time limit…

He blows me off; whatever.

Just a few minutes later a 22ft ski boat launches, he was not paying attention as he started to back out.

His steering was cranked all the way over, I honk and move my trailer out of his way, he then looks up and hits his throttle hard slamming the guy’s boat into the dock (wake)

he was not even 2 inches away from slamming into the guys boat

Old man just sat there and watched as his boat almost gets crushed by a 22ft ski boat
And he still did not get the idea and move to the correct dock

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

So , I forgot to park my rig,I ran out of fuel , and dragged my skeg up the ramp... not too bad an outing after 9 yrs !

those are the sort of things that happen once every nine years, so you just caught up all in one day.

 

[mommicked]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Not lookin were I'm goin! Just this summer I finally got a tachometer on my 1860G3 jon w F90. A stupid Tinytack that reads exactly 1/2 my rpms. so I have do do the math! I was watching it at wot, in the middle of the uncrowded lake, while triming when my buddy said "watchout" I looked up to see some giant 3-4' rollers dead ahead from a huge, ballasted wakeboard boat that was 4-5 hundred yrds away. I yanked the throttle back just in time to aviod a very rough, exciting, compound boat durability/how well is the gear stowed?/will the rods stay in the vertical rodholders? test! Scared the crap out of me and reminded me it's never safe to take your eyes off the bow too long, even when it looks calm and clear.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Keep the stories coming. These are great.