Well this is my third year boating and I have managed my first mistake. It's kinda funny now that I am safe on land. AT the time I was pretty pissed at myself.<br /><br />Late last year my steering cable locked up on my 17' bass boat. I bought a new cable and helm kit and installed it in October. The temperature dropped fast and I didn't get to put it in the water until today. So I backed the boat into the water, fired it up, pulled the trailer out and parked. All fine. My wife was in the boat waiting for me. I came back, hopped on board. Untied the lines and put it in reverse. I have had a bit of a hard time learning to back up straight but today was very bad. I felt like a drunken idiot. Luckily the dock was empty except for me. I finally cleared the dock, put it in forward and turned the wheel to the left...<br /><br />THE BOAT TURNED RIGHT!!!!!<br /><br />I looked at my wife and she is staring back at be like I'm a moron. Well I am but that's besides the point. She asked why I turned back towards the dock. I said I didn't I turned left! Mt steering was comletely backwards! <br /><br />I have been waiting to go fishing for the past 3 weeks. Had to buy a new trolling motor, water pump, fish finder and clean up some wiring. Then wait for clear weather. So I just trolled just above idle to my fishing spot. If there had been anyone at all out there, I would have just came back in, but it was pretty empty. I just used the trolling motor the rest of the day. We finished back at the dock so no harm done. We got home, I pulled the helm apart. I installed it just like the directions said. I still have the directions. It shows the rack on the bottom side of the helm. I flipped it over to the top side and everything in fine.<br /><br />I have never felt like Tim the Tool Man Taylor in my whole life!!!<br /><br />Hopefully that will be the worst stupid thing I ever do on the water.
