Sinking keys

[Boatman30]

Here is another good one!!<br /><br />A guy I know went to the local dealer and bought a $15000 fish and ski combo. Him and a couple others took it out for the maiden voyage a couple days later. <br /><br />The guy was bragging about how he talked the salesman down on price, and also got him to throw in a float for his key chain. One of the other guys with him told him that those little floats wont keep your keys afloat and he should have talked the guy down even more on the price of the boat.<br /><br />I defense of himself, he plucked the keys out of the ignition in the boat ( these boys were clear on the other side of the lake in 15 ft of water ) and pitched them over the side!!!!! Guess what, all 15 keys and the little float, sank. LOL<br /><br />After diving for them to no avail, he had to tear the dash out of his brand new boat and hot wire it to get them acrossed the lake. Good thing he had a spare truck key in his wallet.<br /><br />Stupid is as stupid does. LOL

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Sinking keys

Very cute.<br /><br />A few years back at the Miami Boat show a company was giving away those plastic tube key floats. The idea was you could keep your registration in the float that had the boat key on it. Remember -- this was a give away for free deal. Some guy paid his way back into the show to tell the company that their "float" sank with his key AND he lost two dollars worth of quarters too!<br /><br />The guy in the booth didn't say a word. He just very calmly took all the floats off the counter.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Sinking keys

Very cute.<br /><br />A few years back at the Miami Boat show a company was giving away those plastic tube key floats. The idea was you could keep your registration in the float that had the boat key on it. Remember -- this was a give away for free deal. Some guy paid his way back into the show to tell the company that their "float" sank with his key AND he lost two dollars worth of quarters too!<br /><br />The guy in the booth didn't say a word. He just very calmly took all the floats off the counter.

Damn, I wuz drinking a cup of coffee. Now I have a desk to clean up.

 

[rndn]

Re: Sinking keys

Would have loved to have been there to watch this first hand. On a different boat of course, one where the owner didn't throw the keys overboard.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Sinking keys

Hilarious. It probably would have floated fine with just the boat key on it, but this guy had to put it on his big key set. Clever.

I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I have multiple copies of boat and tow vehicle keys. They're in tackle boxes (all four of them), and anywhere else I can manage to find a place for them. Same with drain plugs. I don't take chances with that stuff.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Sinking keys

Today, I just came across a new key ring device on the check out rack at West Marine that when wet pops open and out rolls a balloon like tube. Pretty cool.

I was trying to find a way of attaching something to make my new Standard Horizon VHF phone float like the one Icom has. Mine is waterproof to a few feet but that won't help when the radio is at the bottom of the lake!

The clerk showed me the key device, but it only floats about 2.5 ounces of keys and once it pops open it's done.

Costs about $6.95

 

[eli_lilly]

Re: Sinking keys

Geez, I'm glad I read this thread. I just tested my float and it does +not+ stay afloat with the boat key and trailer lock key on it.

-E

 

[kmk_7110]

Re: Sinking keys

Thats why I like my 18hp Outboard. No keys to worry about. Just hide the vehicle keys on the vehicle in a unknown place.

 

[ddennis]

Re: Sinking keys

I do the same as CATtransplant...I keep multiple copies of my truck key everywhere...wallet, tacklebox..etc. Once I get a real boat I will do the same with it. Showed my B-I-L this weekend a good stashing place for a spare boat key. take some velcro strip and velcro a spare boat key and saftey cord to the wiring bundle under the dash.

 

[Rob454]

Re: Sinking keys

I use one of those foam floaters that have the plastic coating. its only the boat key and the front lock key. all the other keys wallet cell etc go in a waterproof floating box.
Rob

 

[Expidia]

Re: Sinking keys

I like that posters idea of hooking a spare under the dash . . . great idea.

I think I'll use a bag tie for a couple of needed emergency keys and attach them way up to an under the dash wire.

Thx

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Sinking keys

3 keys on my floater key chain. Boat, glovebox and hitchlock. Tested them in my pool before heading out to the lake. Yes they float.
Spare keys in my boat toolbox, glovebox and van. Spare van key in the boat glovebox.

 

[jasonh]

Re: Sinking keys

RE KMK_7110 ---

Another important thing to keep around if your 18hp was like mine (Johnson) is to keep some shear pins handy. I bopped a sandbar and the pin snapped like it was designed to do.

Let's just say a nail cut to length DOES NOT a shear pin make!

 

[burroak]

Re: Sinking keys

RE KMK_7110 ---

Another important thing to keep around if your 18hp was like mine (Johnson) is to keep some shear pins handy. I bopped a sandbar and the pin snapped like it was designed to do.

Let's just say a nail cut to length DOES NOT a shear pin make!

It does if you are miles from the launch site.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: Sinking keys

It does if you are miles from the launch site.

Yep! Had to take a nail out of a no trespassing sign that was posted on public land to get home once! About a mile back upriver.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Sinking keys

Congrats . . . this was really ingenious thinking! I would have NEVER thought to do that.

This just reminded me to put my stainless steel $10 fastener and nut and bolt kit I picked up at Wally World for $10 on my boat. I know the bolts won't hold long but they will get me back to the dock in an emergency.

Many newer outboards now come with a rubber holder under the cowling that holds a few cotter pins and shear pins. If your's doesn't, you might also think of putting a few in a small holder and clipping them under there somewhere under the cowling cover. I keep extras onboard in the little tool pouch that came with my motor.

Also reminds me to see if my new Mercury 40 hp comes with them (just cheked it doesn't). My Honda had them.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Sinking keys

Shear pins. I have them in my tackle boxes, too, and in the boat toolbox. There are a couple, along with cotter pins in the little rubber holder under the cowling of the motor, too.

I hate rowing back to the ramp, although I've done it a few times. My little 12 foot aluminum boat actually rows pretty well.

 

[sdunt]

Re: Sinking keys

Shear pins. I have them in my tackle boxes, too, and in the boat toolbox. There are a couple, along with cotter pins in the little rubber holder under the cowling of the motor, too.

Y'all might want to read this article and add some recommended parts to your boat tool box. You do have a tool kit on the boat at all times right?

 

[dave4151]

Re: Sinking keys

We bought a used boat and the guy gave us 2 sets of keys. One set with a red float and one set with a yellow float. About the 8th trip I went to use the red set. The boat already launched and tied to the dock. The key wouldn't even fit into the ignition switch. After cussing for about 5 minutes I just put the freshly launched boat back on the trailer, packed up the disappointed crew and went home.

After a trip to the local hardware store I now have 8 keys that all work.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Sinking keys

We bought a used boat and the guy gave us 2 sets of keys. One set with a red float and one set with a yellow float. About the 8th trip I went to use the red set. The boat already launched and tied to the dock. The key wouldn't even fit into the ignition switch. After cussing for about 5 minutes I just put the freshly launched boat back on the trailer, packed up the disappointed crew and went home.

After a trip to the local hardware store I now have 8 keys that all work.

Good point . . . and I just realized I still have "both" keys to my new boat on the float it came with!