Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

[GatorMike]

The other day 2 of my sons and I were cruising Mosquito Lagoon and we came upon 4 young men trying to pull their beached boat into the water. Seems them and a couple of young ladies had camped overnight on an island and the tide had gone out and left them high & dry. I pulled my boat up on shore and the boys and I jumped out to give these guys a hand. While my sons and the boys on the beach discussed a gameplan I, having boated for almost 50 years knew exactly what needed to be done. I simply walked up to the bow of the boat, put my shoulder under it and lifted with my legs swinging the bow twards open water. One of the kids shouted "come on let's help the old man", but before they got there I almost had the boat afloat. Knowing something about the weight balance of a boat and leverage turned this old man into some kind of a stud. Anyway those kids could have pulled from the stern till the cows came home and never budged that boat. I sucked in my massive 58 year old gut, stuck out my chest and struted my stuff right past the young ladies as I boarded my boat laughing.

 

[JB]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Waaaay COOL, Mike!!<br /><br />Get some respect for we "mature" dudes.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Good job "pops".

 

[Triton II]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Please explain again in EXACT detail how you did this stunning trick... I have a desperate need to impress and this is something that would be useful as well!

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Originally posted by Triton II:<br /> Please explain again in EXACT detail how you did this stunning trick... I have a desperate need to impress and this is something that would be useful as well!

I use a similar trick moving my boat on a slope. It's easy to push it sideways from the bow when it's impossible to push it up a slight slope, i.e. my driveway and carport.<br /><br />Swing it in one direction, put a chock under the wheel on the side you were swinging towards, then swing in the other direction, chock that wheel and keep doing it until you're where you want to be. <br /><br />Easy!

 

[Triton II]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Nice one Tink. However, it'd take you about four hours to move the thing any distance in my driveway/carport area. Total width available 3m, my boat is 2.3m wide. Might give it a go just for laughs!

 

[BigPoppaG]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

SWEEEEEET Would have loved to see that. Gotta remember it also. lol

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Triton II,<br />Seventy five percent of the weight of your boat is at the stern so if you are beached there is no way you are going to lift of pull the stern of the boat into the water. However if you have a fair amount of strength in your legs you can put your shoulder under the bow and drive it twards the water much like you were driving a football tackling sled. Actually it is easier if you turn around and really get your back into it. The boat will pivot around the center of gravity, usually near the stern. The bow of say an 18 footer is not all that heavy. Once you have the bow afloat you should be able to slide her right into the water.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Nice one Tink. However, it'd take you about four hours to move the thing any distance in my driveway/carport area. Total width available 3m, my boat is 2.3m wide. Might give it a go just for laughs! [Big Grin]

I had a similar problem once. I used Tinkerers method of putting the boat in the garage for the winter in a house I had just purchased. <br /><br />Spring rolled around and it was time to get it out, oops! I couldnt get the boat out. I had to take out the center pole of the garage and converte it to a single door. <br /><br />Congrats GatorMike, you did us old folks proud.

 

[Capt Joe]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

"Spring rolled around and it was time to get it out, oops! I couldnt get the boat out. I had to take out the center pole of the garage and converte it to a single door"<br /><br />So how did you get it there in the first place?

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Good job!

 

[Twidget]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

So how did you get it there in the first place?

Well, being the genius I am, I realize that getting it in by backing with the truck would probably hit the door frame. <br /><br />I backed up, chocked the wheels and disconnected. The driveway didnt have much of a slope, so I would pull the tongue around a little and have my wife chock the wheel. Then push the tongue the other way to move it further, then wife chocked the wheel.<br /><br />It took about 20 minutes of that to get it in the garage. I must have entered just "right", it went in with no problem. I just couldnt get it back out. To this day, I think the door shrank over the winter.

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

My boat won't go in my garage due to the height of my center console and windshield. I lack about 2 inches. I once told my wife I was going to let the air out of the tires and back it on in. She said "don't you dare." She won that arguement. It tears me up having that boat out in the sun though.

 

[Capt Joe]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

A mate of mine had the same problem with his caravan. He had a set a spare rims (no tyres).<br />He used to put the bare rims on the caravan & in it went.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Mike, can't you just increase the clearance of the garage door? (Man, I made it sound easy there, didn't I).<br /><br />Red Green could do it in an afternoon. A sledgehammer, some duck tape, Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt...

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Age and wisdom have their benefits. Rock On Gator Mike!

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Originally posted by GatorMike:<br /> My boat won't go in my garage due to the height of my center console and windshield. I lack about 2 inches. I once told my wife I was going to let the air out of the tires and back it on in. She said "don't you dare." She won that arguement. It tears me up having that boat out in the sun though.

I had that same problem with my boat and garage door. I got an adjustable hitch from uhaul and when it is time to back it in I drop that hitch all the way, boat slides right in.

 

[OneFineFiftyNine]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

Thanks for the tip there, GatorMike. I'm pretty sure I'll get my boat stuck a few times in Mosquito Lagoon, if I ever get it seaworthy!

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Not sure what these youngsters were thinkin

My boat won't go in my garage due to the height of my center console and windshield. I lack about 2 inches. I once told my wife I was going to let the air out of the tires and back it on in. She said "don't you dare." She won that arguement. It tears me up having that boat out in the sun though.

The windshield and bar thingy(the one over the windshield) are often held on with bolts. Just replace them with plastic knueral knobs, and it will come off in a flash.