You Can't Make This Stuff Up

[Sirecks]

Hello, I'm new around here. Just bought my boat, and already had a need to ask a technical question. So, I thought I would share something with y'all.

Okay folks, here's something that my dad shared with me yesterday, and I just had to share with you guys.

To preface this story, you have to understand the geography of my parents house. The front of the house faces the street. From street level, to the creek in the back yard, the elevation drops about 50 to 70 feet. There is no level off at all. The driveway goes down the side of the house. At the end of the driveway the yard continues to go down hill to the creek.

I've got a brother who is about 13 years younger than me. He is a freshman in college, living at home. He comes home yesterday, and parks his car here, at the top of the driveway, facing down hill.

The car, rolls down to here, because he didn't set the parking brake all the way, and didn't put the car in gear.

This is the spot where my father keeps his boat. It's a 2004 Sea Pro 206 CC. A descent enough sized boat.

Notice that where my brothers car stopped, is just about where the boat was kept, and notice where the pink paver bricks are in the grass, behind where the boat was kept

This is the end result of Mr. Newton's physical laws when a body in motion hits a body at rest.

See the marks in the grass as the boat was rolling down the hill.

This was the impact point of my brothers car, and the trailer hitch on the boat.

The impact of the car was enough to push the boat over 4" or so thick paver bricks being used as chocks, and then momentum took over, and the boat when rolling down the hill. Thank God, the boat came to rest against the swim step and a small tree. The left trim tab actuator was broken off, and that was it. NO OTHER DAMAGE!! The motor was fine, the transom, the trailer, everything else was great.

The problem now that my dad faces is how to get this thing back up the lawn, to the driveway. This was just too strange not to laugh and be in complete awe of. My dad says it's like something you see on a funny insurance commercial on TV.

Anyway, just had to share. Take care all, and have a great day.

 

[samagee1]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Wow, good thing nothing more was done to it.

I would first see if a neighbor has a really good lawn tractor to try and haul it up with. If not, hook ropes down to it and pull it with a vehicle from the drive. You will need to reset periodically, otherwise rent a lawn tractor or bobcat.

 

[douglloyd]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Call a tow truck and have him winch it up the hill.

 

[ne7800]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

if the vehical your dad pulls the boat with is a 4x4 just put it in 4 low should pull it up the hill no problem without tearing up the yard any worse than the boat did

 

[Sirecks]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Yeah, they had a truck from their local energy company in the backyard because in the opposite corner from where the boat is now, there is a utility pole. The truck TORE up the yard trying to get up the hill. So, tow trucks and stuff make my folks a little nervous right now. There is talk of winching it up, and placing boards under the front wheel as it goes up the hill.

We'll see.

 

[david_r]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

you could always put the tow vehicle at the edge of the grass and hook a chain and come-along to the bumper and winch it out that way......or a long chain or tow rope and stay on the concrete.


at least the boat only received minor injuries.

 

[rndn]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

All things considered, your father and brother were very lucky with the outcome.

 

[Rowroy]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Be thankful that nobody was hurt. When I was a kid, my neighbor's car rolled down his driveway, across the street, and into the swing set and pool that was opposite of his house.

This happened at 11am and nobody noticed until 4pm when everyone arrived home from work and school.

 

[j_martin]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

A relatively light tow truck operated by someone who knows his business should make quick work out of getting that boat to the top of the hill without doing any more damage to the yard (other than wheel tracks) or the boat.

Boom and winch, and a stable base is the key to the task. If I were doing it and didn't have a hydraulic or live winch boom, I'd carry a come-along and a snatch block so I could pull the tongue down as it approached the truck and keep the dolly wheel lightly touching the ground.

Unfortunately, most operators today under 50 only understand brute force.

hope it helps
John

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Find a towing company that also does "recovery" work. What I mean by this is that some towing companies have expertise in removing vehicles from gullies, righting overturned tractor trailers, etc.

This sort of company will pull the boat up the hill with no problem. They will simply park the tow truck in the driveway, brake and chock it, run a cable down to the trailer, and pull it up the hill. You may get a bit more grass damage from the tongue dolly, but all things considered, the recovery should be pretty painless ... well, at least painless except for the bill.

 

[Sirecks]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

My father was able to use the anchor line, and tie it to the trailer.

He was able to double up the rope, and pull it up about 5 to 8 feet or so, by putting boards in front of the wheel up front. He hooked up the rope to the truck up in the driveway and move it like this. Each time he moved it up enough, he doubled the rope back on itself after moving the truck back again, and tripled it, then quadrupled it, and so on until it was up in the driveway again.

Crazy, I know, but the only thing they found was that the trim tab actuator was snapped off it's mount from the transom, and the swim step in the back was dinged. Thank God that was it.

 

[INJUN]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Wow, you guys had someone looking out for yall. Just think of what could have happened had it trailed into the fence, especially if children were over there playing.

 

[greggholmes]

Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

the uphill neighbors, at my folks place, tranny failed and there trans am rolled down there driveway across the street down theirs and into the garage doors. it hit a 200# butcher block and sent it through the air into my dads rollaway tool box. they finally got the garage door fixed that i broke when my 60 chevy pu rolled into it.