Just bought my 1st boat in July (18' Bayliner) and I have been pretty good so far not messing up too bad. So Labor day week-end we stayed in a camping cabin only accessable by boat on Candlewood Lake which is like 5400 acres. The boat launch is about a 3-5 minute boat ride from the cabin. So Monday morning I go to the launch which is right next to a store so we can get some food. I am waiting with my boat on the beach area and a jeep pulls in off the street and goes right to the launch without preping, I think I see the transom straps still on as this guy immediately backs it into the water. I was thinking about saying something but since I'm new to this I thought this guy might have some system. He backs so deep into the water that his muffler is submerged. I didn't really see him go to the back of the boat so next he runs into the jeep without even pushing the boat off, so I thinking he is going to speed up the ramp and drop the boat in the water. I'm thinking this can get ugly if he left the straps on. He pulls up and the boat is still on the trailer. I had pushed off by this time so I'm guessing he realized the straps were still on. As I leave I see water pouring out of the drain. He forgot to put the plug in and take the straps off.<br /><br />Now to my SHT, we rented this cabin from a really nice guy who was staying about five cabins down from us that week-end. It was his first time renting it and he wanted to make sure we had everything we needed so he continually was saying, if you forgot or need anything come ask him first, don't go running to the store if you need some sugar or anything like that. He must have said that line atleast 5 times. So over the week-end we burn through 52 gallons of gas. It's Monday and we are near empty so we go to a marina and throw 12 more gallons in for one last joy ride. So after an hour or so we are a little above empty and we are packing the boat up to leave to go to the ramp. We had so many bags and gear that you couldn't even see the floor of the boat. Then add 5 people and I'm pretty sure we were atleast 200-300lb over the weight limit. All I needed to go was about 4 minutes to the ramp. About 50 seconds out WOT the boat loses power and dies. Now it won't start. I'm thinking I can't believe we ran out of gas. In some sections of this lake when it is busy the waves are 3-4 feet high. I even saw 5 foot waves at one point. Now we are stuck in the middle with a ton of boats flying by being tossed around. The boat was so full, we even had some full trash bags with us, that we must of looked like cuban refugees trying to get to florida. We wave a boat down and they thankfully tow us back to the owner of the cabins dock. He comes running down and before I can say anything my girlfriend shouts "We need to borrow some sugar". It was funny as hell. He gave us five gallons and we made it back fine. But it was the worst place to run out, and such bad timing for my first SHT. I will always keep a few gallons on the boat for now on. And I will finally be able to figure out how much the boat holds on my next fill up.
<br /><br />SHT's are easy, but that must have been kind of scary?<br /><br />We always carry a spare little engine and a set of paddles but I reckon in your case that extra weight might have sunk the boat completely 
