Keys don't float

[lou_ky_it]

Re: Keys don't float

The blackberry 8700 is for you, I've dropped mine in water 3 times and it's still working as good as new. Heck I've been trying to kill it, they make me carry it for work and well it can ruin a perfectly good boating trip in just seconds when it goes off.

 

[Ezrider_92356]

Re: Keys don't float

The blackberry 8700 is for you, I've dropped mine in water 3 times and it's still working as good as new. Heck I've been trying to kill it, they make me carry it for work and well it can ruin a perfectly good boating trip in just seconds when it goes off.

same here, somtimes i want to throw the phone overboard on purpous

 

[frayedknotarts]

Re: Keys don't float

Last year we had three great things happen all in one weekend: Was down in Baltimore for a work weekend on the USS ZUNI (ATF95) and we had some young visitors come down while biking. SHE was CUTE! Especially in her speedo outfit. Well, she and he parked their bikes and came aboard for the five-dollar tour. They spent about two hours (Harry's "quick tour." Be warned.) aboard and then left after making a nice contribution. The young lady had never been aboard a naval vessel before and was intrigued that even tied up she moved quite a bit with the wind and tide.

Next we heard was "Dammit! Someone's stolen our bikes!"

I can see the wiser heads already nodding. Yep. They'd leaned their bikes against the big tire fenders and while aboard, the tide had dropped and the ship had moved out from the dock.... bye-bye bikes, and the pouches where they had their car keys and apartment keys.

Well, we had no grapnel aboard, but Harry (always resourceful) poked about and about ten minutes later came on deck with two small fire-extinguisher hangars bolted back-to back which made a perfect substitute. A few minutes of 'fishing' and we had both bikes on the pier and a very grateful pair of bicyclists who now knew not to do that anymore.

Next day, we were all over at the Naval Reserve pier and one of the photographers forgot he didn't have his strap around his neck. Plop went his best digital camera into the drink. The Reserve Center did not have a grapnel either, so we went back and got the makeshift grapnel and managed to rescue that for him as well. No good, though - digital cameras and water are not friends.

Then, that afternoon, don'ch'a know, some young sweetie ties up astern of us and drops her entire ring of keys while getting from boat to pier.... this time we grabbed a big ALNICO magnet and lashed it to some line... we found a couple dozen feet of iron pipe, her keys and three other sets of keys to boot, a rusty handgun, and assorted steel junk. After she left, we kept on fishin' to see if we could find the plug for the Inner Harbour, but no luck.

Interestin' weekend.

 

[Johnson 225]

Re: Keys don't float

I have a special truck boat floaty. As soon as I get to the lake house I pull my normal keys out and put in the lake keys. I have had 2 friends drop the keys just getting in the boat. Then I have a spare in the dry bag.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Keys don't float

I know this is an older thread. When launching the boat I am normally responsible for backing the boat down the ramp and launching using somebody else's vehicle. I am rarely in the boat as it's being launched. I hate having the responsibility of having the other person's keys on me. That would suck if I dropped them into the water, I would never live that one down. Normally we launch at my uncle's lot on the lake, if nobody else is on the lot when we launch we take the keys out of the vehicle. If a family member is at the lot when we launch we leave the keys in the vehicle that way if they need to move it for any reason it can be moved. They can be trusted with keys left in the vehicle, they never really half to move the vehicle anyways.

 

[oops!]

Re: Keys don't float

first time i ever saw a dry bag was when i had 9 o the boyz on the boat. a big german guy, ulli. (hes allways prepaired) pulls out a ziplock bag and sticks his wallet keys and cellphone in it! takes a deep breath and inflates the bag and zips it up.
we all busted ourselves up laughing at him...
half hour later we took a big wave over the bow. it was the first time my bow had ever gone under! the bow popped right back up and all we saw is a big wall o water come right over the wind sheild! totally soaked us all. we all got our phones wet. ulli just laughed at us as he called his wife and gloated!
we got in at 1130 that night. i forgot that my keys were attached to the new auto starter/alarm. i hit the button to turn off the alarm. it didnt work, it was still soaked. so for half an hour the alarm was going off LOUD at the shore. we woke up the whole lake.(it was a new system and in my panic to silence the thing i forgot about the secret panic shut off). any hoo, we finally disconected the horns on the car and drove home.
i now keep a tupperware box in the glove compartment of the boat. it has ulli written on it in felt pen!

 

[manofprawnz]

Re: Keys don't float

We always put the car keys in a waterproof bag along with all the electronics, cameras and whatever. Also, bought my son the Walmart magnet and 100ft of line for dockside entertainment, he loves it, so far the only real "treasure" has been a quarter, but it sure keeps him going.

Don't forget to pack a spare set for the boat. Even a floaty thing can go missing; I changed my little chain attachment over to a zap strap so it would not rust out. At the same time, not a bad idea to have a spare safety landlard clip. I was able to get home buy pulling the switch out and using a small piece of rope to hold it in place. Could also have used vice grips. Food for thought.

 

[getinmerry]

Re: Keys don't float

I was a kid when this happened, and small details are fuzzy, but I have a good one.

It was at least 25 years ago when Sanibel Island (in Florida) was still a tropical paradise barely touched by humans. We had driven from New York to Sanibel in my father's Fiat. One day he woke me up early and told me he had rented a canoe and he and I were going to paddle through the nature preserve on the island (Ding Darling). Off we went. We launched the canoe at some remote spot that nobody in the world would ever find without a helicopter.

We paddled for a few hours exploring all the little nooks and crannies of the alligator infested waters (swamps) of the preserve. My father had to relieve himself, so he straddled the back of the canoe and did his business. As he went to turn around and get back in his seat I feel the canoe lurch side to side and hear ***PLUNK*** then tons of swearing. The car keys went in. Dad was just about to dive in after them when we both spotted about 10 alligators swimming over to investigate the goodies we just dropped in for them. Needless to say the keys were gone.

We paddled back to the car, parked the canoe next to it, and started walking to a pay phone. We walked for at least an hour to a phone in 95 degree temps. We looked in the phone book and very quickly found out that the island didn't have a locksmith. (did I mention that the spare keys were in NY?). Dad reached into his pocket to get some money out and get change to call Ft. Meyers information to have a locksmith sent over. No wallet. It was back in the swamp with the keys! Now we're really screwed!

Long story short, we hitched our way to the other end of the island where my mother was poolside. He used the phone at the condo, called for a locksmith from the mainland. Dad made a deal with the locksmith that he'd throw in another $20 if he picked us up and drove us back to the car. He did, and we eventually made our way back to the car. Upon arriving at the car, the locksmith took one look at it and calmly stated "I don't have blanks for that car". My father just about lost his mind right there and then.

The locksmith returned us to the condo, and promised he could help us out the following day.

The next day he arrived bright and early to pick us up. We returned to the car, but the car and canoe were gone. At this point, it had become comical and dad was hoping the car was stolen.

A trip to the police station revealed that the car and canoe had been impounded. It was a $100 fine to get them both out. Dad paid the fine and asked where to go to get the car. The officer replied that we had one more thing to take care of before getting the car back.

It appears we were trespassing in the preserve and there was another $250 fine to be paid. Out comes the Master Charge. The policeman stated "cash only". They finally settled on travelers checks, and the locksmith had to loan dad $30 to make up the balance.

Once again the question was asked..."where's the car?" out back was the reply..."but you have a small problem". The passenger window was smashed when we found the car and the radio is gone.

The locksmith made my father 3 sets of keys and only charged him $20...which my father couldn't pay because all his money was gone. The guy was so decent about everything, he told dad to mail a check when we got back to New York. Which dad did, along with the $30 he owed the guy and a $50 tip.

We eventually returned the canoe and had to pay for the extra days rental. We got the window fixed, and had a great time listening to each other breathe for 2000 miles on the way back home.

Total cost of the canoe trip: about $1300 for everything

The morale of the story: don't ever rent a canoe! They cost too much!

Chuck

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Keys don't float

Dude, Getinmerry and that was a true story? I don't know if I have ever had such bad luck as that lol. That story was a trip. Coming from New York to visit down south I can relate to we use to visit Alabama before we moved from New York to. Nothing ever happened to that affect thank god.

 

[getinmerry]

Re: Keys don't float

Yes, 100% true story. I left out a few other things just to keep the post short enough.

1. at one point dad had me trying to beg for spare change outside the store to use the pay phone. No takers..just dirty looks.

2. My mother threatened to castrate my father if he EVER bought another foreign car that nobody can fix.

3. Dad ended up getting cellulitis on his neck from all of the noseeum bites that we both got that day in the canoe.

It was a hell of a trip.

Chuck

 

[slongholio]

Re: Keys don't float

I wonder if they could be retrieved with a big magnet on a line?

I left my keys on the cover over the engine compartment while I was putting away the cover. My wife comes onboard and I ask her to hand me they keys, realizing they are in a position to be swept over. Somehow she forgot to pick up her hand while reaching for them and over they went. I sent her up to the marina office and they have a nice big magnet on a rope.

Found the keys after 15-20 pulls, and it was only 4 feet of water. Turns out none of my keys are made of anything that a magnet sticks to, probably all aluminum, but the ring had something in it and we pulled them out.

Had a USB flash drive that still worked after letting it dry out.

So it's possible, but not easy... if you have some real metal somewhere on your keyring.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Keys don't float

2 years old post but still has some validity and good info.

Last night one of my guest had his key (just the keyfob and the key) in his jeans. Long story short... We went to the lake this morning with a big magnet from BassProshops but no help. Im sure the keys were pushed past the ramp by the other unsuspecting boaters that used the ramp and did a bit of power loading. Good thing he is staying with us for some time. We are going tomorrow to get the key cut by the dealer... I have a spare in my wallet and my girl has 2 copies of my truck, one with her keys and the other one in her wallet... I do the same for her... Not fool prof, but it gives me a bit of piece of mind...

 

[MudSkunk]

Re: Keys don't float

havent done that but i use a d-ring type thing to clip my keys to my belt loop.

i got a floaty for the boat key.

 

[koberlee]

Re: Keys don't float

I had a friend go swimming in the swim area one time when we were camping and he had his only set of keys in his pocket. Well the keys were gone and they were it no spares any where. We were staying for a few days and went to the local auto parts store and bought a new ignition switch with key. The day we were to leave I was just about finished changing the ignition switch and a ranger comes up and says hay you guys the one who lost the keys. Turns out some kid snorkling had found the keys.
Its still a joke to this day every time he goes near the water we make him check his pockets and half the time he has something in them.


First thing I do when I get in the boat is take every thing keys, wallets, phones and into the dry bag in the glovebox. I also make sure I am ready to go into the lake at a moments notice. We boat with kids so I am always on the ready and don't want to even have to worry about taking things out of my pocket.

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: Keys don't float

verizon GZ cell phone, waterproof, and shock proof, fairly cheap too, and have the same one for two years, made to military specs.

 

[cribber]

Re: Keys don't float

I put my cell phone in a ziplock bag before I leave the house and stick in my front pocket. My keys are in the other pocket walking back from parking. I also have two of those 200# retrieval magnets in the ski locker just in case I forget the keys are in my hand. I also have spares in the engine compartment as my 3rd backup.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Keys don't float

Went scuba diving one day 60 feet deep in key west. Forgot I had the smart key in my pocket.

Ever need a Chrysler dealer in Key West on a Sunday morning with a mandatory hurricane evacuation in progress. God what a fiasco. I did learn how to outsmart the built in key security on a Durango though

 

[Steve Cook]

Re: Keys don't float

Any one else ever drop their keys in the water? Not the boat keys with the smart little floaty on it... the car keys!

yup did that in Baja Mexico

the wind had come up and the launch ramp was unuseable with waves breaking right on it

I put my truck keys on a boat key float, pulled up as close as I could to the ramp and tossed them to a friend who was standing on the ramp... he missed the catch and in doing so batted them into the water... sank with the key float and gone for good

that was expensive

 

[idrownworms]

Re: Keys don't float

I have my car and house keys on a carabiner that I hook onto the shift cable, I also have two floats on it it still sinks with one. The plus side is that you show off that your a boater when your out and about with the floats hanging out of your back pocket.