Lessons learned

brother chris

Commander
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
2,063
Last Sundays boating trip from Hell.<br />Me and a friend take my 16ft boat out for a day of cruising/fishing. Meet up with some friends..fish a bit more...then it is time to go home. <br />It is getting dark and I go to turn the lights on...nothing. So I ask my bud to drive while I fix the lights. After 20 minutes I manage to get the stern light on, but not the bow lights. Lightbulb is burnt out. <br />So I take over driving and about 10 minutes later I realize that we are going the wrong way. We are 10-15 miles off course. :eek: <br />It is 830pm and dark now....I check the gas and we do not have enough to get back. :eek: <br />I tell my friend about the gas situation and we thought if we trolled at the lowest speed, we might make it back. <br />Twenty minutes later we are out of gas. We floated in the Fraser river from 9pm until 230am. We finally got some gas from a wood mill on the river...but now I had no oil to put in the gas...but I see a dock across the river(about 1 mile across). So we book it over there and I walk up to the gas station and get some oil. <br />We make it back to the dock at 3am. Load the boat up and take it out of the water. We get the boat up past the ramp and on level ground....just then the trailer brakes in half. :eek: <br />I mean the trailer literally broke into 2 pieces. <br />We had to unload the entire boat and leave it there until morning. <br />I get home at 345am and realize I had to work at 5am. I fell asleep and woke up at 1130am and called my boss and told him what happened.<br />At least he was understanding. I never got fired for not calling or showing up. <br /><br />Lessons learned: <br />1)Tell the driver which way to go whilst fixing ANYTHING.<br />2)Bring spare bulbs with me.<br />3)Bring GPS so driver knows which way to go in case I forget to tell him which way to go. <br />4)Bring extra 2 stroke oil. <br /><br />Boy I feel stupid...it was all my fault for not telling him which way to go. I thought he knew. :rolleyes:
 

OBJ

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
10,161
Re: Lessons learned

It happens Chris....don't beat yourself up for it. Once in Canada, my dad and I were fishing up on a point about a mile and a half from the area we beach at....(no docks). My cousin comes cuising by with a boat load. We speak for a while and then he asked us which way to get back. I said just follow this shore line, the beach area will show up. Well, we are back at camp and the cuz isn't back at his yet. Getting worried so we go get the camp owner and out we go. We got on the lake and could just barely make out a light several miles away....on the other side of the lake. Yep...it was cuz. Big fire on shore. Said he got lost. Well they spent the night there....none the worst for wear. Cooked fish over the fire and had some bererages also. It happens.<br /><br />But what would have set me off is the trailer breaking in half..... :D :D
 

NYMINUTE

Captain
Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
3,298
Re: Lessons learned

Your experience is not limited to you. We all go there with different issues and events. Just when you think you covered everything.....BOOM, the unexpected. Don't let it prevent new experiences.
 

all thumbs

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
438
Re: Lessons learned

brother chris <br />Member # 14014 posted August 24, 2005 09:37 PM
I mean the trailer literally broke into 2 pieces.
The good news is you wern't driving down the road at the time :eek: Guess ya need to weld it back up now ;) :)
 

brother chris

Commander
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
2,063
Re: Lessons learned

No, I am not going to weld it myself...that would be worse than it is now. :rolleyes: <br />I have not practiced my welding yet. <br />I am just going to put new square tubing on the trailer. <br /><br />One thing I never mentioned in my post was: While we were tied up along the bank of the river, I used my emergency flares....3 times. Nobody came to help! <br />One time there was even a tug boat that went by when I shot off the flare gun. <br />Isn't that amazing...I am required to carry a flare gun by law...but what is the point if no-one is going to help? :confused:
 
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