What boating mistakes have you made?

[coreybv]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

forgot to put plug in.......lesson learned

I said that the first time, too.
And the second.
And the third.
And the fourth.

And I'm sure I'll say it again next time.

 

[Runwithem513]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

ive done all the basics, plugs, skags, lost anchor, but the most recent and totally dim witted oops was end of last fishing season, im used to the ohio river so the jetties at the end of the St. Johns is new to me, i was ancored up against the rocks fishing, went to leave the spot and had the anchor stuck, tied anchor to cleat and tried to drive it out, rope wrapped around leg and prop, forgot knife, bow drifted down stream facing atlantic, and water rushed over transom from insanely strong current, luckly a passerby had a fillet knife.

 

[cribber]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I just had my 1st SHT of the year this past weekend. I always tell people do not let yourself get caught between the boat and dock and to just let it go. Well I didn't take my one words to heart when getting ready to dock up so I can retrieve my boat. I got my elbow caught beteewn the rub rail and the aluminum dock when a gust of wind blew the boat into the dock. Wound up with a golf ball sized hematoma on the back of my elbow from the bimini turnscrew getting jammed into the back of my elbow. I lucked out and didn't break any bones but man that hurt!!

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I almost sold my boat!!!! YIKES!!! What was I thinking!!! BIG MISTAKE!

 

[Hoosmatroos]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

I just bought one!!! Mistake too :lol:

But sold two others.

 

[mbrown2097]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Man in my neighborhood lives at the top of a hill. He disconnected the trailer from his truck before blocking the wheels. Said boat and trailer wound up impailed in a house at the bottom of the hill. Practically destroyed the house!!!

 

[sutor623]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Man in my neighborhood lives at the top of a hill. He disconnected the trailer from his truck before blocking the wheels. Said boat and trailer wound up impailed in a house at the bottom of the hill. Practically destroyed the house!!!

I call B.S.!! If it's in your neighborhood did you get any pictures?

 

[mbrown2097]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Understand your skepticism, I was 14 at the time and didn't own a camera. This was 25 yrs ago. Was quite the show when the wrecker removed it from the house.

 

[Opnine99]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Plug twice
skag three times
but there are 2 SHT's that I will never forget
Usually when I was ready to load I would tie off at the dock and my ex wife would wait in the boat while I got the truck and backed the trailer in, on this particular day it was very crowded at the ramp so I told my wife to go circle around a couple of times and then bring it in and I would catch her. I got halfway to my truck looked back and saw her standing behind the boat pulling on it because she had beached it about 30 yards down the shore. Ruined the brand new prop I put on the day before.
but the best one was my fault. I waited around as long as I could wait for my wife to get home from work so we could head to the lake...she ended up working later than normal so I told her I would take the kids and she could meet us out there after she got off work. I had gotten pretty good at launching by myself so I didn't think anything of it. Waited in line at the ramp finally got my turn, backed down and told the kids to wait in the truck and I'd be right back. Launched the boat no problems and cruised up to the dock to tie off so I could go park. I then grabbed the line went to step off the boat onto the dock but the dock was gone, I had left the boat in reverse and in the lake I went, swimming like a mad man and chasing my boat down had to be a very great form of entertainment for the onlookers who gave me a round of applause after catching my boat and finally getting her tied to the dock. To add insult to injury when I got back in the truck to park it my oldest daughter looks at me puzzled and asked "why are you all wet". :facepalm:

 

[littlerayray]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

does let my wife aboard count??????

 

[southkogs]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

... left the petcock valve open on the engine block for the first time this year. Bilge pump was keeping up with the water flow just fine, and it took me a few to figure out what I had done.

New box on the spring checklist added.

 

[Royglastron]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Not knowing about and forgetting to winterizing my motor(2-stroke Evinrude 115hp). I will check it out this weekend to see if there is any damage. If there is, then get of of boat. I live in Dallas so we don't get hard freezes so maybe ok, we will see.

 

[Opnine99]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

in most cases yes..........:tape:

 

[CJ River Rider]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

First ride of the season (on the jet-ski), put in freshly charged battery, check oil, remove desiccant dryer container, put in lanyard, press button and nothing. No display or anything. Pull off battery and wire brush cables, still nothing. Get battery for boat which is also charged and connect with cables, still nothing. Get meter and check battery voltage which is good, check voltage at coil, also good. Check fuses to see if blown, they are not. Contemplate removing steering cover to see if safety switch is not working, and as I throw safety lanyard in glove box, I notice key sitting there un-touched by my hands.....................

 

[Armyboater]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Let's see I've made quite a few expensive learning oppurutnities for myself over the one boating season I had a boat for.
-Bought a boat with a cracked block
-Bought a boat with Automotive parts on it:blue:
-Released the boat before it was started at the boat ramp
-Found a couple shallow spots in the lake:facepalm:
-Didn't have extra fuses in the boat (Had to rig one up with a foil seal from a bottle of power steering fluid... don't judge it worked ha)

I haven't left the plug out of it yet but the keyword is yet...

 

[o'neal]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Just the other day I finally was able to take my 1978 SC holiday out for cruise after buying it last sept and put it away for the winter(This is my very first boat and first time doing the unload and load a boat by myself).....Made sure the plug was in,removed tie downs off the back,then backed her in.Jumped in fired it up,although took a few min to get her to stay running and up to temp then made my way to the bow and removed the front winch then went ahead and started to back off the trailer....Here is the good part,after getting out in the water I open the enclosure to the engine and wouldn't ya know.....I forgot to put the plug back in the side of the block kinda where #4cyl is and well....It was plum full of water to the oil pan!! Already off the trailer,floating I started freakin out for a few seconds.Shut her down,turned on the bilge pump,put the plug back in and waited until the water was pumped out then fired her up....it was a good ride after that ordeal.

 

[jdlough]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Left my boats on the boat lifts during Hurricane Sandy.

Pier is trashed, but lucked out and the boats are fine.

The lift still works for the bigger boat, the other lift has no power.
I'm taking the bigger boat out fishing this week, then a couple of weeks pier rebuilding.

 

[VIPNiSS]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

heres mine.. i took the boat out for the first time yesterday for the season.. i trim the stern down and hooked up a hose to do a fresh water flush after we got back home.. put everything up BUT my trim.. so i reverse in to my driveway and sCRATCHHHHHH.. my fin didnt take much damage but the driveway did.. haha

 

[thomasando]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Only new to boating, but made a couple.

I used to borrow a boat off someone. Had someone else help me prep for launch, they didn't do up one of the bungs properly as the hole was cross threaded. Way out in middle of the bay and I started getting water lapping at my feet. Not a great time to discover the bilge didn't work. Ended up hanging over the back of the boat, with a pair of pliers, to do up the bung. Boat was much more docile until I got back to the boat ramp!

Other mistake was with my own boat just a few weeks ago. Had a good session out fishing on my own, brought her back in, onto trailer and home. Got home and realised I didn't attach the strap. Lucky I have a turnbuckle for a solid safety tether to trailer on the winch point at the front, and lucky I live really close to the boat ramp!!!

 

[greenbush future]

Re: What boating mistakes have you made?

Shakedown run for 2013 was interesting, I always take my walleye boat to my local lake to make sure all is good prior to heading to the Detroit River for some serious walleye fishing. I back the boat down after removing the straps and putting the plug in. I released the winch and the strap unwinds, but the boat will not come off the trailer, and I'm rocking and pushing, and it wont slide back. So now I'm laughing at myself, because we all know there are only so many things that can cause this.....yep I forgot the safety chain. I wind her back in, released the chain, and she slid off with ease. Boat ran well even with some older gas in her, seems I never run an entire tank of gas through the year, so this year, I will not add any new gas to the tank. I want to use all the old stuff up. I bet I have some gas that's 3 years old in that boat,.