Foolish Mistakes 101

[marco422]

Thought I would ask about the most common mistakes boaters make. I would start with the obvious ones:

1. Leaving the transom plug out. I've done it twice. The second time I went to park the car and came back to six inches of water. I couldn't understand why the bilge pump wasn't bailing the boat (bailer was running) until I realized I had installed the check valve backwards when I previously rerouted the pump outflow. Had to do a repair while kneeling in a foot of water (the boat tilted with my weight in the stern).

2a. Not engaging the kill switch. Sometimes happens to me in spring when everything has been put away through the winter and routines are forgotten. One year I brought the boat out and confidently tried to start it. No matter what I did, it wouldn't fire and I began to take apart the fuel system and the sparks. Finally I opened the manual and realized I had forgotten this essential.

2b. Trying to start the engine in gear. Occasionally happens when the engine dies in a tricky spot and you get that momentary panic when it won't restart. Calm down and think it through...

3. Forgetting the keys. I went on a two hundred mile trailer trip and realized I had forgotten the boat keys. Thankfully a thorough search of the boat turned up the spares.

4. Not opening the gas tank vent. Done this a couple of times. Realize my mistake when the engine dies and the gas tank is sucked up into a concave shape. I guess that reverses the gas tank set from swelling during the hot days...

5. Leaving the motor down on a gravel road. Only done it once. Didn't like all the resulting stone chips.

Don't know if I am particularly absent-minded or these happen to everyone.

[Sea Wolf]

marco422-

Wow! Great Start! And the first one is a Two-Star Double Boo-Boo!!

I'll add a few:

6. Forgetting the stern/transom tie-down straps, which can lead to real disaster, as can...

7. Forgetting to hook up the bow safety chain that backs up the winch, should it's ratchet fail, or the cable break. The boat is now ready for re-launch on freeway! Oops, here comes that 18-wheeler right behind it! You wanted an excuse to buy a new boat, right?

8. Forgetting to re-attach the trailer electrical connection, should you have taken it out on launching to prevent electrolysis, or breaking the hot bulbs in the water. Now we have no trailer lights, and in some cases, no brakes! We're getting smarter by the minute! Yes? No?

9. Not stopping to check the tire pressure or wheel bearing temperature, either before starting the trip, or more likely, on a hurried, tired, trip home. How much longer will the trip take if you have to change the tire, or replace the wheel bearing? Add failing to check the brake system hydraulic fluid, too!

10. Not folding down the antennas before trailering, usually on the way home. Let's see, the cheap antennas are about $80 each, the best about $200... How many did you leave up? Oh, you left the fold-down radar tower up, too.... Ouch! (Can also happen on low bridges, like in the California Delta, especially at high water/tide.)

11. Here's one I'll admit to: Your brand new 4-stroke runs so quietly, you can't hear it running over common background noise. You discover it's still putt-putt-putting as you get out of the tow vehicle up in the trailer parking lot! OMG! Jump into the boat and dive for the kill switch/ignition key! (Mine was unhurt after 30 seconds, or so, probably residual water from the head kept the impeller cool, and the head didn't have time to heat up that much.) Suppose you discovered it later, much later ......!!!

This so much fun. I think I'll save some for the rest of you fellow C-Brats!

I'll be waiting............

Joe.

[hardee]

l. Forgetting to unplug the trailer light plug from the truck prior to backing into the water. (Failure to do this shortens the life of the bulbs)
2. Making sure the battery switches are off when parking the boat on the trailer for any extended time.
3. When staying on board, not leaving the Bilge pump on "Auto" over night, especially if it is raining.
5. Making sure that electrical swithes for any accessories to be used, are in the on position, when trying to use the accessory, (VHF or Trim tabs etc.)
6. Open windows on the tow vehicle before backing down the ramp, to be able to hear anyone on the dock, if needed.

Harvey
SleepyC

[colobear]

Installing a new house battery and discovering that you have no power to anything but the engines on the next trip, no lights, no chartplotter, no radio, cursing, muttering, etc, etc. making the trip with a hand-held and paper charts; then noticing that you had failed to re-engage the circuit breaker you had so carefully opened to isolate the battery.

[joefish]

Oh this is so much fun. I'm laughing out loud reading it. And nothing yet as to "the rest of the story". Like when I committed Boo Boo #1 and saw the bilge pump kick in as I was leaving the dock. I was in a small boat so I tried to reach waaaaayyyy down in the water to screw in the drain plug when suddenly WHOA! I went head over heels into the water. Yeeooww! Water COLD! Wallet WET!

My piece of advice, beyond the out and out obvious, is to put your wallet, and other important papers into a safe dry place as soon as you get on the boat.

[localboy]

1. Got so fixated on the GPS you wander off course and come to an abrupt stop...in mud thankfully.

2. While launching the bow line gets wrapped around a bunk. As you pull forward the trailer starts pulling the boat up the ramp. Your lovely wife is trying to hold the line as it rips through her palms. Finally she releases it, just as the Everett PD Marine Officer on the dock is yelling for you to stop. No injuries or damage. Just a lesson.

[rogerbum]

How about not taking it fully out of gear before hopping out with line in hand to tie it off? Not that I've ever done that.... but it's very hard to get that line tied off quickly to the cleat when the 40hp engine is pulling against you (even at idle)

[Pacificcoast101]

I was diving a shipwreck a few miles offshore once. I came back up, set my video housing/lights on the swimstep and began climbing the ladder. I got out of my gear, showered, changed clothes, pulled anchor and returned to my slip. While washing down the boat I noticed my video unit still on the swimstep. It hadn't fallen off in the five miles I travelled to get home.

[Tug]

Launching the Boat by Yourself

Forgetting to tie the bow line to the dock when backing the trailer into the water and watching your boat float down the river.Did that with my StarCraft Islander and had to hitch a ride to retrieve my boat. ha!ha! Tug

[starcrafttom]

all of the above plus getting to the fishing grounds, set out the downriggers, set up a flasher and hoochi then turn to the EMPTY rod rack....... left then in the house.

[Capn Jack]

Having to call the wife and ask her to bring you the keys to the launch ramp. Luckily she was home.

[aiches50]

Back in sailing days, pulling the trailer tilt pin before boat was in the water. Slight gel coat scratch from hull on concrete contact.

[lloyds]

The plug is a big one. Did it last year, hadn't done it in 40 years. Unfortunately the SOSpenders were on the floor. They actually do self deploy. Re-arming is expensive.

[Byrdman]

Departing Butterfly Cove (nick name...not on maps) on Lake Martin in AL.

After another boat that departed with me catches up and is waving frantically. Of course, after a few wave backs to my friends thinking....Yes, this TomCat is a cool looking boat running down the lake at about 25 knots....

I started to really listening to that new, never heard before sound of chain agains fiberglass. Next move, turn down the sound system, and quickly remember that the guy who was tied to the mooring ball departed the cove about 1 hour prior to the rest of us.... and it was me on my TomCat who set an anchor and the others rafted up to me......rather than any of us on the mooring ball.

I realised that new noise was my anchor chain against the bottom of the boat,...... glad I had a good spread on the twin Honda 90s... and was running straight.... with about 40 foot of chain out.


Ever felt real stupid with your friends trying to tell you that the anchor is splashing about 15' behind your boat? One more reason to have twin hulls!!!!

So, now days, I have a little red tag that states....ANCHOR... that I put on the wheel when anchor is down.

I sure miss that boat.

Byrdman

[starcrafttom]

Pat i did the same thing on a rented pontoon boat. only no chain rope and anchor. cut the rope and lost the anchor.

Hit the same rock in a rented 12 fter while watching a girl skiing. twice.