Tow boat breaks down while towing

[briguy2817]

Went out for the day yesterday in the Illinois River. Had a great time tubing and just farting around. On the way back to the launch we saw some people waving us down. I went over and asked if they needed help. The guy replied his boat died out and needed a tow back to the same launch as us.

No problems, he ties us up and off we go. I'm just putting along at a nice easy pace, making sure I won't sink him, or me for that matter. Seems as if there are too many *****holes out there that want to cut too close to you when your going at a no wake speed. It was freeking my wife out and many times she was giving the one finger wave to those people. But, for every moron out there, there were 15 nice people that slowed down and gave us plenty of room.

So any way, like I said, were putting along when all of a sudden my motor craps out. What the heck? The tow vehicle breaks down while doing a tow. I'm laughing. My wife's not. The couples in the other boat are thinking, maybe we should have waited until someone else stopped.

Turns out we ran out of gas. We we left that morning, I fueled up but my sending unit only would read until it got to half way, after that it would go to empty. I pulled it out earlier in the morning and saw the reason is because the small wires were broken from half way down.

I'm trying to come up with a plan when the other guy asks if I have jumper wires. Yeah right, on a boat? I suggest that I take my battery out and put it into his boat and he'll pull me back. Works like a charm, I'm laughing even harder now, just the irony of the whole situation.

We get it back to the dock and I tell him to go ahead and trailer his boat first, as I need the battery to raise my motor. I half swim/half drown to get the boat to the dock and tie off. The people in the other boat came over and gave me a hand in getting it on the trailer, and my battery back. By this time my wife and kids are in a better mood and everyone is talking about the irony of the whole situation.

I figured we had plenty of gas to get back to the dock, it was the combo of having another boat and going against the current that made me burn off so much so fast. Either way, I'm getting a sending unit in a day or so. Not that that would have helped me any, I still would have stopped to pull him back, and still would have ran out of gas, I just would have figured it out sooner.

Brian

 

[ziggy]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

one good turn, deserves another. or what comes around, goes around. i just ain't never heard of it occurring quite so close together.... sounds like ya really worked as a team there. maybe even made a new friend. glad it all worked out for you and everyone returned safely.....what a good rescue story with a happy ending.....

 

[mattfish11]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

Nice work on helping out a fellow boater... I had to get my *** towed on the Raritan River here in NJ this weekend and the guy I flagged down was an excellent help... Towed me probably 2 miles up stream and wouldn't take a dime from me... What a guy!!!

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

Nothing like being stranded in the water. Glad that all worked out..

My uncle and I were out fishing in his boat a good distance from where we launched. He had 2 bad batteries and 1 big good trolling battery so we ended up hooking the starter and all to the one good battery before we took off for the last fishing trip and we left the other batteries at the boat house.

Well our fishing came to an end, he went to start the motor and the battery was dead (from using the electric trolling motor). I had my battery booster with us but it still wouldn't turn the motor over fast enough. We were right in front of a marina when we found out that we had a dead battery so we docked the boat there and went to find help but nobody had any way to jump us off. It figures the game warden left out just about 30 minutes before, and wasn't expected back for a while. So we were setting around for a few minutes, I am asking any and everybody that passes by if they have a way to jump us off, finally somebody came through for us. A pontoon boat came by with several guys, father and sons. The man had several batteries on hand and let us borrow one to jump the uncle's motor off. We got the motor running, I got shocked a couple of times from swapping the betteries out.

My uncle was saying all along that we should of had those other batteries but he didn't think about the fact that they weren't strong enough to turn the motor over fast enough to start the motor. Funny thing is that my boat was sitting at our camp site, and I had 3 good batteries all charged, but I might not of had enough gas to get us to where we wanted to go and back. I must add that my motor is easier to start then my uncle's motor. Here he paid $650 to get his motor back in running order and still seems to have problems. I bought the parts for my motor and did all the work myself and so far haven't had any problems .

 

[rlk]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

Nice work on helping out a fellow boater... I had to get my *** towed on the Raritan River here in NJ this weekend and the guy I flagged down was an excellent help... Towed me probably 2 miles up stream and wouldn't take a dime from me... What a guy!!!

Do people generally charge you for lending a helping hand? I have towed a lot of boats, and have needed to be towed myself a few times. I have never accepted payment even though it is usually offered. No one that towed me would accept payment either.

Just curious of how it works in other parts of the country.

Bob

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

In central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, I have provided many tows, one that took over 4 hours, and have never asked for any $$. All I ask is that they return the favor some day.

I have never been towed, so I don't know about the reciprocity.

As LOTO is huge (close to 1,100 miles of shoreline), friendly tows are just about a must.

An observation - we have a lot of cruisers and go-fast boats. I have never seen a cruiser ever tow a boat in trouble and have only seen a go-fast boat towing another go-fast boat. Run abouts and pontoons owners seem to do the most towing.

A couple years ago we just got our first BoatUS towboat and now have 3, so that might make a difference in who tows who in the future. And yes, been a BoatUS member for years and finally was able to add the tow insurance.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

The only time I paid was when my son and I used his boss' boat and the battery took a dump. We were able to call Sea Tow and for the princely sum of $200 they jumped us and we were off. They didn't hang around after the motor was started to make sure we would get far. I guess if they had to tow, that would be another $200.

I just this past spring came across acouple of guys stranded and we were both on maiden voyages with our boats. Luckily, mine had dual batteries and we gave him one to keep his outdrive running till we could get in. Turned out they had launched from another ramp. We loaded up and ran one of the guys over to get their truck. Guy tried to shove a couple of $20's at me, but there was no way I would take it. By taking him there I learned of another ramp in the area I didn't know about, and one that when you launch and return is all fresh water from the river and large springs.

With the newer boat I will venture a little farther off shore, so took advantage of the latest boat show special from Boatus and bought the tow insurance for $123. Cheap insurance. Will see how much it goes up the next year!

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

I hope I see the guy one day, I asked them three different times if they got their tow rope from my boat and they said they did. Guess what, I got my boat out of the water and there it was sitting on the front seats.

So, if you were towed over the weekend in Morris, let me know and I'll get your rope back to you.

Brian
Oh yeah, one more thing. I didn't realize this was a Stupid Human Trick. Sounds more like general boating to me, that's why it was put into the general folder. I guess next time I won't be stupid and stop for someone.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

I had my 10 horse junker towed back to the campsite by a go fast bassboat on Lake Namakan. Since I got the bass boat, I've towed little ones and big ones.

I've towed, and I've been towed, but never swapped roles like that. Great story.

 

[evinice66]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

yeah sounds like a bituvi..... achem... where is he anyway!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

You just learned why you should be willing to help another boater - namely that one day you will need some help. In your case, you just saw the "what goes around, comes around" effect much quicker than most people do.

Good job and, yup, don't forget the fact that you will burn a lot more fuel than you usually do when you have someone under tow.

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

Of course my wife can laugh about it now but, at the time she was madder than a hooker with lock jaw.

Brian

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

I have to agree, it seems as though the ones that tow others are almost always the smaller fishing craft. Most will refuse any compensation.

I have towed with a 14 foot tinny and a 30 foot steam launch a number of times. I had to be towed once in my 15 foot fish&ski with a Corps of Engineers supervisor on board (ignition module gave up that day) and it was a good time because of all the laughs that the tow boat crew had with us.

There have bee several boaters refuse a tow because my boat was too hick in their opinion (the plain Jane tinny with a 40 year old kicker). The one I really had a hard time understanding was when a 35 foot cruiser refused to be towed because they did not want to be seen being towed by a steam launch. I had the same Corps guy on board that day and he radioed his people not to be in a hurry to come to the aid of the cruiser.

The old maxim of "one third out, one third in, one third reserve" is a good way to avoid the gas tank blues. If you can't see the level in your tank by taking off the cap, then a well kept record of fuel usage will give you an idea of when your gauge is lying to you. Been there,done that. (it is really embarrassing with a steam boat that has ran out of boiler water )

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

...at the time she was madder than a hooker with lock jaw. Brian

Haha...

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

I have to agree, it seems as though the ones that tow others are almost always the smaller fishing craft. Most will refuse any compensation.

I have towed with a 14 foot tinny and a 30 foot steam launch a number of times. I had to be towed once in my 15 foot fish&ski with a Corps of Engineers supervisor on board (ignition module gave up that day) and it was a good time because of all the laughs that the tow boat crew had with us.

There have bee several boaters refuse a tow because my boat was too hick in their opinion (the plain Jane tinny with a 40 year old kicker). The one I really had a hard time understanding was when a 35 foot cruiser refused to be towed because they did not want to be seen being towed by a steam launch. I had the same Corps guy on board that day and he radioed his people not to be in a hurry to come to the aid of the cruiser.

The old maxim of "one third out, one third in, one third reserve" is a good way to avoid the gas tank blues. If you can't see the level in your tank by taking off the cap, then a well kept record of fuel usage will give you an idea of when your gauge is lying to you. Been there,done that. (it is really embarrassing with a steam boat that has ran out of boiler water )

A steam boat? How cool is that, do you have photos?

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

steamlaunchphoenix.com or look at my byline.

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

A steam boat? Hmmm, I've got to make me one of those. That's neat.

Brian

 

[salty87]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

Went out for the day yesterday in the Illinois River. Had a great time tubing and just farting around. On the way back to the launch we saw some people waving us down. I went over and asked if they needed help. The guy replied his boat died out and needed a tow back to the same launch as us.

No problems, he ties us up and off we go. I'm just putting along at a nice easy pace, making sure I won't sink him, or me for that matter. Seems as if there are too many *****holes out there that want to cut too close to you when your going at a no wake speed. It was freeking my wife out and many times she was giving the one finger wave to those people. But, for every moron out there, there were 15 nice people that slowed down and gave us plenty of room.

So any way, like I said, were putting along when all of a sudden my motor craps out. What the heck? The tow vehicle breaks down while doing a tow. I'm laughing. My wife's not. The couples in the other boat are thinking, maybe we should have waited until someone else stopped.

Turns out we ran out of gas. We we left that morning, I fueled up but my sending unit only would read until it got to half way, after that it would go to empty. I pulled it out earlier in the morning and saw the reason is because the small wires were broken from half way down.

I'm trying to come up with a plan when the other guy asks if I have jumper wires. Yeah right, on a boat? I suggest that I take my battery out and put it into his boat and he'll pull me back. Works like a charm, I'm laughing even harder now, just the irony of the whole situation.

We get it back to the dock and I tell him to go ahead and trailer his boat first, as I need the battery to raise my motor. I half swim/half drown to get the boat to the dock and tie off. The people in the other boat came over and gave me a hand in getting it on the trailer, and my battery back. By this time my wife and kids are in a better mood and everyone is talking about the irony of the whole situation.

I figured we had plenty of gas to get back to the dock, it was the combo of having another boat and going against the current that made me burn off so much so fast. Either way, I'm getting a sending unit in a day or so. Not that that would have helped me any, I still would have stopped to pull him back, and still would have ran out of gas, I just would have figured it out sooner.

Brian

talk about paying it forward

that's some karma...lend a hand/need a hand?

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

steamlaunchphoenix.com or look at my byline.

EC, I just went to your site above and got a 'threat' notice from my AVG.

 

[captquest]

Re: Tow boat breaks down while towing

EC, I just went to your site above and got a 'threat' notice from my AVG.

I just confirmed that. It's a malware (virus) called html/Framer. If your AVG catches it, send it to the vault then delete it from there. Some victims have trouble removing it, my AVG8 seemed to handle it fine. If not might have to research it more...


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080219070103AAubHdj