Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...
My next story:
Kind of a long read - but it all happens at the boat access.
So I've been out and about a few times inbetween incidents until one day.....
I arrive at the access, weekday just before the afternoon rush comes. By rush at this access means 4-5 rigs pull in. I go out, get some sun, get hungry, come back to the car. Well, there's an old trihull at the dock. I beached my boat away from the dock, as I was going out again and don't like blocking traffic. Well, this younger college age guy walks up and asks me if I have jumper cables, as someone stole his 2 marine batteries out of his boat the night before. I'm a pretty good judge of charactor and despite seldom believing sob stories, this seemed pretty legit. Afterall, he wasn't asking for money, gas, or a ride. Just jumper cables.
So I agreed, and as I said yes he shouts down to his buddies, "Bring the bike!" I walk down there with the cables, and they drove some old crotch rocket down onto the dock. They hooked it up, (the boat did have a battery, but the motor wasn't firing) and the jump was successful. So I took my cables back to the car, and as I did so, they took off. As I was walking down to my boat again I notice one of their friends (the one with the bike, who when he had to park it, got ditched) at the dock. Then, as I thought - Gee if they had to jump it at the dock, and they shut it off out there or it dies, how would they get it back to the dock? I saw their boat sputter to a stop in the middle of the lake.
So, the friend at the dock says, "Well looks like they're stranded out there, not much I can do but shout moral support." I said, yeah, and at this point realized I was the only one there with an operable vessel. So I motor on out there, and there they sat. I offerred to tow them back, and they said, "Well if we could just hook onto your battery, we should be able to get it started again." Evidently this 60's Evinrude 65hp couldn't start for sh*t. My battery wasn't even enough to start it. I realized right away that the motor needed some serious tune up.
So after all that was done, they tell me that they have their own jumper cables and it was hooking the battery up to the motor, and he knocked off one of the cables and that's what killed the motor. Now, I have an old Evy, and I never heard of a gas motor such as that needing constant battery contact to keep running. Seemed a bit fishy to me, but they wouldn't listen to my points that the motor itself needed repair. The owner said "I tried to kill this motor last year and couldn't, Evinrudes just don't die!" He continued to tell me how this thing hit a sand bar at full tilt, and a slew of other abuse. I pointed out that when it was running, I didn't see water coming out of the exhaust port.
They reassured me that it was okay because "there's another output under water." I said, well if you smoked your impeller, you're well on your way to blowing the motor.
So I told them to grab my line and I towed them back. (They weren't too concerned about getting back to the dock, where their friend stands alone waiting.)
So I swung them back to the dock, and once again grabbed my jumper cables. I knew it, I was thinking it, but I just couldn't bring myself to say "No, get your own, get a rig that works, fix it THEN come to the lake." But, I didn't. Instead I watched them hook it up once again, only to arc the points on the bike, and BOOM! There goes the battery caps. Now they have a dead boat, AND a dead bike. They were also kind enough to melt 2 holes in my clamps. These guys were nice enough, but just college age reckless drunks that care only for the moment. I know many like this in my family, so perhaps that's why I tolerated their idiocy. I hear comments like "Man, I hate this access, I always have problems when I'm here."
Gee whiz there kid, I can't imagine why that is. Then he goes on to say "Man, I should have brought the I/O instead. In fact, I think you were here last time we had it out, and that drunk guy was trying to use his sail boat."
Yup- the guys working on their boat that day, were the same ones working on their boat this day (a different boat I might add).
So my patience is hereby run out. I asked for my cables back, and couldn't leave the access just yet. No, instead another guy shows up. He's got a nice old rig, 1957 aluminum Cadillac with a 60's Johnson on it. Nice restoration project, but once again- group of thoughtless drunks who can't get their motor to go.
So I get asked once again - "Hey, do you have a wrench?"
Ok, now I'm not above lying. NOPE! Sorry, I was unprepared to come to the lake today!
They eventually got it in gear after reving up the motor into the red - can't tell you the cringe I had hearing that poor thing being wrenched on.
Point is - I can understand having an unexpected problem on the water, getting towed in so you can get it home again to fix it. But at WHICH POINT DO YOU CALL IT A DAY?!?!?!?! This went on for 4 hours!
I hate those who just don't get the hint! It's simple - boat not work - no fun, go home. No tools, can't fix, go home. Battery gone, can't start motor, go buy one before coming out.
Access = bad times, nothing works - BE PREPARED AND FIX YOUR SH*T! They at one point asked, "Man what's it like having a motor that starts on the first try?"
Great! But at the same time, terrible because then I'm the idiot's only lifeline!
Some side observations - Drunks with Caddy boat got out of truck with open beers. While working on motor, one drops an unopened bottle at the dock. They take off, guys with trihull fish it out (water is still pretty cold) and promptly drink it. As one is drinking it, his buddy is shouting at him that he better slam it, because if he stops he's going to punch him in the jaw.
Drunks in Caddy driving at full speed around access end of the lake. If they stopped, the motor wouldn't go back into gear. They never slowed down as they whooped and hollered holding up their beers. Where's water patrol when you need them?
College idiots take 30 minutes trying to get trihull back onto trailer, trailer rollers don't roll, as the wheels hardly did either.
Inbetween these 2 groups of idiots, another comes with a new boat. Jack-knifes his trailer 3 times before getting it to the waterline. When it does reach there, it's 45 degrees to the shore, stearn facing the dock (which has 2 boats tied up with attempted repairs going on). So the boat won't launch straight off because the dock was in his way. So he wades with his pants into the water, behind the boat, and lifts it over the side.
(Was a small fishing boat, 7 1/2 hp Johnson.)
He has his wife, and 1 year old with, and they go out. 10 minutes later, they come back. Trihull idiots ask them if they're having trouble too. The wife answers, "No he's just got to go to work." All that trouble to use the boat 10 minutes, and come back in. So he attempts to get his boat on the trailer again. Backs it in, clips it on, pulls out with the *** end of his boat 45 degrees off the side of the trailer. What is it with him and that angle?
After seeing his face that said, "God I gotta do it again?" I kindly suggested lifting over the side. He did, and he was gone.
WHEW! I'm out of breath. May seem like weeks worth of stories, but no. It was ONE DAY where it all happens; at the boat landing!
