Ok nothing so stupid as my first couple times out.<br /><br />Last time I was out I was slowly idling in towards a beach so we could swim. I hit muck in the bottom of the lake and in a panic, instead of pulling it into neutral I "floored" it and hit some submerged rocks. <br /><br />After cleaning up the prop (aluminum) with a file (only 1 real large ding) I took it out this weekend. Got past the "no wake" from the marina and gunned it. Took off like a striped *** ape, and as it started coming on plane, I heard a grinding sound from the back and the motor started over revving.<br /><br />So I throttle down, it seems ok, throttle back up and as the boat starts to plane, I hear this grinding kind of sound again and the motor starts over revving.<br /><br />Hmmm.. So I'm sitting there trying to figure out how to salvage the day with a spun hub.<br /><br />I go back to the back of the boat, and realize that my manual trim is set all the way up. (It's a 67(or 68) merc 650 with a set of holes for trim). <br /><br />I was cavitating. Not spinning the prop.<br /><br />Shut down, someone calls out "You ok?" as I raise the motor. I wave and yell "Yep" and re-adjust the trim. Motor back down, start it up and throttle up.<br /><br />Boat jumps up on plane and all is good.<br /><br />*whew*<br /><br />Didn't even run out of gas this trip out!!!<br /><br />(don't ask, but I'm starting to carry a 1 gal gas can for emergency spare..not so big of a lake, a gallon would get me pretty much anywhere I needed to go in a pinch).