Never any problems when you are alone . . .

[AZMinyard]

I was feeling rather confident after having a flawless first launch of my boat a couple weeks ago, so I had no worries in mind when going out last weekend with my 8 year old stepson.

I should have known better . . .

Perfect morning for fishing, the ramp was rather empty and the boat launched off the trailer with ease. The plug was in place, happy times ahead. I go and park the boat while SS watches the boat on the dock. Hustle down the ramp to the boat, hop in with SS and untie. Reach around and tug on the pull cord to start the motor ? nothing. Adjust the choke, try again ? nothing. More fiddling with the choke and more trying ? nothing. By this time we had drifted away from the dock and towards the one and only other boat in sight, the one that is getting ready to launch. I decide that it is time for plan B and go to drop the trolling motor down, but the tilt is stuck. The gentleman launching the boat wades out to us with a grin and gives us a shove toward the dock, where I promptly lash the boat.

By this time I am pretty red ? as red, I would say, as the fuel cut off switch that I failed to turn from the off position prior to trying to start the motor . . .

When SS asked what was wrong (after I got the motor started), I simply replied, ?I forgot to turn the switch on? to which he replied, ?Shouldn?t you do that first?? This was the highlight of the trip for him and the only thing he told his mother about the whole trip.

At this point, all I could do is laugh . . . :redface:

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

out of the mouth of babes

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

not a boat but our riding lawnmower, but we always shut the gas off when we put it in the shed. I got it out last year and started to mow and it dies and would not restart. I check and it's not getting any gas to the carb so right away I think fuel filter. I tell my wife to go to autozone and get a filter so she goes in the house to get the car keys. I pull the hood up to get to the filter and of course see the gas valve. I turned it on and started the motor. My wife comes out and says "what was wrong?" I grumbled "never mind" I gave her the rider and went to get the push mower. She still hasn't given me the rider back.

 

[evinice66]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

haha kids are smart. ive done something similar where i forgot to connect the fuel line after filling the tank, i got a good ways away from the dock at midnight... no cell phone... boat is too small to handle waves.... i anchored in a sheltered area and fell asleep, when i woke up i looked in front of me and there it was, the end of the fuel line glistening in the rising sun, not connected to the tank. alot of the time things seem to happen for a reason. i just hope that there good reasons...

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

I love it when the kids state the obvious, you just have to laugh

Last December my son and I were 20 miles from any launch ramp on Lake Mohave when I pulled out heading back home. Just as I got the boat on plane the engine let out this gawd awful noise and I shut it down,,, popped the hatch and fired it up with more bad noises coming from the engine. Seeing how the engine was toast I sat for a minute pondering our circumstances when my son asked "Dad is the boat dead..." (Thinking to myself WHY *#^&@ YES the boat is dead) I answered him, yes looks like we are going to have a long trip home.

Then later as I was trying to compute in my brain how long it was going to take us to troll back on 4 batteries,,, and if we could even make it 1/2 way on 4 batteries... My son said "who even made that engine did a crappy job". I thought back 12 years when I rebuilt the engine... Just have to smile and laugh

 

[j_martin]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

haha kids are smart. ive done something similar where i forgot to connect the fuel line after filling the tank, i got a good ways away from the dock at midnight... no cell phone... boat is too small to handle waves.... i anchored in a sheltered area and fell asleep, when i woke up i looked in front of me and there it was, the end of the fuel line glistening in the rising sun, not connected to the tank. alot of the time things seem to happen for a reason. i just hope that there good reasons...

It's obvious to me that you needed the sleep.

John

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

Simple things are often the most easily missed !!!!

 

[rndn]

Re: Never any problems when you are alone . . .

Kids are great for pointing things like that out, after the fact.