LVChris
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 124
Don't try this at home!
Had to confess, hoping I will be forgiven by confessing my stupidity.
Just got the biggest boat I have ever owned 1996 24 ft Four Winns Vista. With that purchase I had to get a bigger truck and a bigger spot at the storage yard and decided why not make it easier and get a drive through spot. Parked it the first time a few weeks ago, easy as pie.
Yesterday we take her out for the day, all went well. I forgot to put the truck in park when I backed her in the water, but my habits have taught me to apply the parking brake when launching, so when I got back in the truck she hadn't moved and inch. Pulled her out no problem and drove back to the new storage area and thought I would be in and out in minutes.
I misjudged my path (I think because I entered from the opposite direction than the last time) and somehow got my boat wedged in between a pontoon and another boat with only inches to manuever on either side. On top of that my truck is severly jackknifed. I have been trailering for a long time and honestly have never seen such a mess. After 20 minutes of trying; I get the idea that I will simply disconnect the trailer and straighten out the truck...you probably see where this is going.
The ball is stuck in the tongue (even though I always grease her) and I jump up and down on the bumper but no luck. So I put the truck in drive and inch forward. I hear it release and at the same time hear my 16 year old scream! I'm in Park and out of the truck before I see it --- My boat is rolling down hill and moving pretty fast.
What happens now is all in about 5-10 seconds; I scream for my daughter to grab the chock and I grab one and run to the wheels and throw it under then I notice I am getting squeezed between my boat and the one next to me. Within seconds I am released (the chock I think turned the boat) and I see the trailer tire roll right over the chock, but it slowed it a little. Too unsafe to try that again, so I run for the tongue, grab it and plant my feet firmly into the dirt. Using every ounce of strength I have I manage to slow it to a near standstill and my wife appears from the truck I beg them to throw the chocks under the wheels and we get her stopped.
I am sure I must have at least damaged both boats beside mine and mine as well. After several minutes of uncontrollable gasping and shaking I open my eyes and start to look....
nothing...not a scratch anywhere...
10 ft from the back of my boat...I long line of jetskis that she would have rolled over like nothing...
and all downhill and hundreds of baots for at least 1000 yards before the highway.
Angels?
Luck?
Teamwork?
Adrenaline?
Call it what you want, but I for one was a praying man that day, and a lucky man, and part of a great team, and full of adrenaline.
I am sore today, body kind of feels like I was hit by a truck. But me and my family are alive and well. No one was injured, no property was damaged, and I learned a valuable lesson...
"LOOK FOR ANY SLOPE, AND LEAVE THE CHAINS ON UNTIL YOU ARE CHOCKED."
Hooked it all back up, turned her around and parked from the other direction, drove right in no problem.
Hope this stops anyone else from ever making the same mistake.
Had to confess, hoping I will be forgiven by confessing my stupidity.
Just got the biggest boat I have ever owned 1996 24 ft Four Winns Vista. With that purchase I had to get a bigger truck and a bigger spot at the storage yard and decided why not make it easier and get a drive through spot. Parked it the first time a few weeks ago, easy as pie.
Yesterday we take her out for the day, all went well. I forgot to put the truck in park when I backed her in the water, but my habits have taught me to apply the parking brake when launching, so when I got back in the truck she hadn't moved and inch. Pulled her out no problem and drove back to the new storage area and thought I would be in and out in minutes.
I misjudged my path (I think because I entered from the opposite direction than the last time) and somehow got my boat wedged in between a pontoon and another boat with only inches to manuever on either side. On top of that my truck is severly jackknifed. I have been trailering for a long time and honestly have never seen such a mess. After 20 minutes of trying; I get the idea that I will simply disconnect the trailer and straighten out the truck...you probably see where this is going.
The ball is stuck in the tongue (even though I always grease her) and I jump up and down on the bumper but no luck. So I put the truck in drive and inch forward. I hear it release and at the same time hear my 16 year old scream! I'm in Park and out of the truck before I see it --- My boat is rolling down hill and moving pretty fast.
What happens now is all in about 5-10 seconds; I scream for my daughter to grab the chock and I grab one and run to the wheels and throw it under then I notice I am getting squeezed between my boat and the one next to me. Within seconds I am released (the chock I think turned the boat) and I see the trailer tire roll right over the chock, but it slowed it a little. Too unsafe to try that again, so I run for the tongue, grab it and plant my feet firmly into the dirt. Using every ounce of strength I have I manage to slow it to a near standstill and my wife appears from the truck I beg them to throw the chocks under the wheels and we get her stopped.
I am sure I must have at least damaged both boats beside mine and mine as well. After several minutes of uncontrollable gasping and shaking I open my eyes and start to look....
nothing...not a scratch anywhere...
10 ft from the back of my boat...I long line of jetskis that she would have rolled over like nothing...
and all downhill and hundreds of baots for at least 1000 yards before the highway.
Angels?
Luck?
Teamwork?
Adrenaline?
Call it what you want, but I for one was a praying man that day, and a lucky man, and part of a great team, and full of adrenaline.
I am sore today, body kind of feels like I was hit by a truck. But me and my family are alive and well. No one was injured, no property was damaged, and I learned a valuable lesson...
"LOOK FOR ANY SLOPE, AND LEAVE THE CHAINS ON UNTIL YOU ARE CHOCKED."
Hooked it all back up, turned her around and parked from the other direction, drove right in no problem.
Hope this stops anyone else from ever making the same mistake.
I'd certainly pay $20.00 for a video of the whole thing. Stopping 5000# of boat, motor, & trailer is quite a feat. You need to remind Alicia that ordinary, wimpy men can't do that !!!
