First time driving with boat.....

[defcondaze]

got my first boat the other day 17 ft silverline w/ trailer. wasnt running, got engine unseased 11am tried to start no go , friend come over at like 6 and try it again, fires up . so we decide .. hell yea lets take it out, put trailer on truck and start out .. about 1/4 mile from my block we hit a bump , i look in rear view mirror ... wheres that boat going ? skids across the road maybe 200 feet i managed to tap it over to other side of road and it ran up took out someones mail box stopping it. guy comes done driveway and says, sht thats my 6th mailbox are you kdding me . lol ... but he was cool about it helpd us jack the boat up to put wheel on trailer down<br />hitched it back up with chains this time (yeayea yea) and got gas .... got too dark to launch hoping to do it tomorrow, and when we got home the trailer didnt want to come off the truck .. pain in the ***

 

[heyttown]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

Geesh, I can see many more updates on this thread before its done....Keep us posted,this may get really good.<br />Be safe.

 

[AzMeadMan]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

OMG, what a first trip. Hang in there and don't give up.

 

[Marauderk]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

You might want to read up on towing and boating safety before you try again

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

Let me know when you head out again. I don't want to be anywhere in the area, road or water .

 

[Braxton]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

better make a check list!!

 

[defcondaze]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

lol, took her out today no incident.lesson learned. went out 4 people total on boat ,not too speedy bout 30mph but she went good for what it was worth

 

[defcondaze]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

come on guys i know im not the only one this has happend to , and im sure there are people with alot worse experiences with it

 

[jtexas]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

yup, I saw my boat & trailer go past me on the street couple years ago, aquafiend...there's a thread around here somewhere on it. Past a couple brick mailboxes up a driveway; missed the curb, a car & a tree & stopped in the turf. All ya can do is watch in horror. And change your underwear. welcome to iboats!

 

[tomatolord]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

I almost got a used boat that way - friend of mine sold his boat - he took a check for it - got a call 1/2 later the guy told him the trailer jumped the hitch and the boat and trailer are now in a ditch, he was canceling the check...<br /><br />The trailer was trashed but the boat was ok - he got more in insurance then he sold the boat for, but I did not have a tow vehicle nor a trailer...<br /><br />tomatolord

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

Aquafiend if it makes you feel any better heres a little tale about what happens even to professionals :<br /><br />I was in the UK Coastguard and we had a 4 metre (about 13 ft) Rigid Inflatable Boat at the station. We used to tow it behind a Landrover.<br />One day we had another Coastguard vehicle following us up a busy road and all of a sudden there was a very loud noise and looking in the mirror there were sparks flying from the trailer.<br /><br />Slammed on the brakes, ran back and found that one of the wheels on the trailer had come off <br /><br />Turns out the wheelnuts (I think Americans call them lugnuts?) had worked themselves loose one by one as we came up the road, but that ain't the best bit <br /><br />We asked the Coastguard who had been following us in the second vehicle if he'd seen anything and why didn't he radio us to tell us we had a problem?<br /><br />His answer was that yes, he had noticed "something" flying off that side of the trailer every couple of miles but he hadn't bothered to tell us as he figured we must have known <br /><br />the worst bit was that despite searching for hours we couldn't find the missing wheel in the undergrowth, we didn't have a spare with us and it took ages to get the spare from the garage at the station where we'd left it sitting pretty on the rack

 

[djzyla1980]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

That reminds me.... I need to get the spare tire attatched to trailer....

 

[djzyla1980]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

Thought must also add.... <br /><br />We here in America call them Lug Nuts for one reason and one reason only....<br /><br />If you forget to check um..... You'll feel like a LUG when the tire falls off

 

[defcondaze]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

good times........ good times

 

[fgough]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

I bought my wife a used 14' McKee Craft (BW clone) a couple of years ago, because I didn't trust her to run my 20' SeaCraft. Nice little boat with a 40 Merc. Her first trip out, she forgets to install the new transom straps. She turns into McDonalds to get lunch forgetting the boat is following her. Yep, cut the corner a little close, the 4.80x8" tire on the right side jumps the 10" curb flinging the boat off the trailer sideways. But wait, the bow is still hooked to the winch, so it comes sliding around trying to pass her truck on the left. Some of the hysterical crowd at Mickey D's decides to help, so about 8 guys pick up the boat (less the motor whose transom bracket broke) and lift/fling the boat onto the trailer, breaking the rear bunk in tyhe process and leaving a galvanized bracket sticking up which promptly punches a hole bigger than my fist into the hull. Now, because it's not sitting straight on the trailer, they collectively decide to pick it up and slam it down again, punching a 2nd fist sized hole in the hull 8 inches away from the first. Then one strong young fellow decides it needs to be cranked up on the trailer closer to the winch. SO he engages the electric winch while the rear bunk bracket is stuck 8" up through the hull. <br />You need to understand, the winch is an old used Powerwinch III I used to have on the trailer for my 34' Scarab Raider. It's a 12,000 lb single-line pull rated winch.<br />It was like taking a can opener to the bottom of that boat. It was amazing.<br />By the time I got there after my wife called, there was a 17" long rip through the hull, plus a hole the size of my fist. And none of those guys stuck around.<br />Every now and then, I still call my wife "Captain Pavement"

 

[solidwaste75]

Re: First time driving with boat.....

FR FRANK.I live in marion county FL and I sure wish I could have been there to see that..I install satellites and home theaters all around FL and my wife never believes how incredably stupid some of these people are around here..I mean the good samaritians that is..Beeing good doesnt always mean what it implies..