Return from hell-barely
 

The owner of the boat that took us out demonstrated the most flagrant disregard for lives of others as I have ever been exposed to..Check out : (photos can be found at==http://community.webshots.com/user/gdfatha

A friend of my buddy offered us a ride up the intracoastal from Edgewater to the ocean so we could calculate the time.

The actual travel time was 44 minutes. The time to go and return Including a one hour stop for lunch/dinner was an astounding eight (8) hours.
Here is a snapshot of event:
-Upon arrival at frinds house was notified outdrive would not pass water.
-Was asked to go to store and buy earmuffs
-got halfway there got called-told he found earmuffs and to come back
-friend fired up engine black sluge cam out the out drive--finall cleard up
-Since I noticed all tires were just about flat...I suggested they put in some air...Done.
-got in small jeep like car and headed off to the ramp
-20 minutes out..an oncoming car flashed lights-looked out rear mirrors-smoke billowing from under car.
-looked--shrugged piled back into car and kept it in 2nd gear
========
Finally got to marina
========
-launched boat without stern lines (huh??)
-lost control and almost hit other boat in launch area
-finally got control....I got in and tripped on box of nuts and bolts. The cabin was a disaster.
======
-fired engine and away we went
-I positioned myself at the open walk thru window.
-17 minutes out the engine quit
-driver did somtin in the engine compartment.. Fired up and started again. Engine crapped out 2 more times before we reached the ocean. Both times driver would use wrench, hit carborator, screw around with a wire and restart engine.
=======
Finally reached ocean inlet but not before getting caught on some sandbars a couple of times.
=======
-Turned around and headed for a on water restaurant..
- Spied a marina with an open parking slot (dock) next to restaurant.
-Tried to parallel park banged into one of the boats tied up.
-Tide too swift.. gave up and move on.
==============
-Throughout the return trip engine stopped a total of 17.5 times. Driver did same thing each time. Went back to engine housing, diddled around...hit carborator several time with a wrench.
My buddy (Tom) had the task of wiping up the gas that spewed from the carborator. I heard something about a stuck float each time.
===========
I got concerned and finally went to the engine compartment and GASPED.. There was fuel pouring out of the carborator right next to some bare jurry rigged wires. I was told they jumped the starter coil or it wouldn't work. They stopped..fixed again and off we went.
============
I was now wondering how high I would actually fly if the boat blew up.. I never should have looked.
=========
After a while (still looking for a restaurant) I peeked again. Told driver there was fluid all over the floor. Was asked how much in the bildge?? Signalled about four (4) inches and gas/oil floating on top. Got a shrug and we continued on.
=====
found restaurant. No parkin dock. so parked under dock.
- Food sucked.. I had a double Black Label.
==========
Sun was going down fast, still had to observer speed rules.
=======
Several more engine quits with same fix=it was now dark.. NO boat lights worked.
==========
Reached marina.. THANK GAWD we were alive..LITTLE DID I KNOW!!!
=======
Driver backed trailer down to boat. HOLLY $$hit!!!This is a 24footer..NO winch!!
=======
Busted A$$ to get boat forward on trailer...
=====
Whew....driver started to pull boat . the bow shot up and the hitch disloged from the car ball. Driver mumbled sumtin about WRONG SIZE HITCH BALL.
======
Started trying to MANUALLY lift trailer. Failed... Suggestion-Why not try the trailor jack..... OH...That worked...
==========
Started to drive home at last... NOT.... about 1/2 hour from marina boat trailor un hitched from car (we did have a safety chain thank God) and almost took us off the road. Thank GAWD it was a lonely road..SR 46 and there was little traffic.
========
car and trailor were abou one foot from sharp drop off and Tom almost fell down.
===========
Used jack rehitched trailer got rolling slowly
========
Stopped at fast food place left Tom to watch the boat driver and I went to Walmart. I cant repeat what I said when driver complained about cost of ball connection as well as the price of an adjustable wrenc..
=========
Got back to Tom and boat changed ball rehitched and go home with out further incident.
========
The irony of this??? The driver was a design engineer.
=====
Lesson learned??? I will never go boating with this guy again!!
===========
Please see photos of experience at:http://community.webshots.com/user/gdfatha

here is sample photo

Holy chit, Marc! That's unbelievable.
That thing is definately a death trap...

Glad you made it on one peace. See there are miracles after all.lol

I especially like the fine attention to sight lines that was applied during the mounting of the electronics. Looks like you've got at least 3, maybe 4 inches of clear vision over the fishfinder (?) at the helm. All you need, right?

I would have signaled someone to get me the hell off that thing, or when you got to the on water rest. I would have bailed... That is downright scary..

You knew better than boarding that POS!

Hell, I Thought It Was A Good Joke At First, But Then The Pic...... Damn You Got Balls For Riding With That Guy...............


Jeff

:eek: I don't think I'd have ever got on that thing! Glad you made it back in one piece!

If I hadn't seen the pictures, I'd of thought you were kidding. :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

Glad you....no....surprised you made it back in one piece.
What a piece of............!

Where is this Sea Love Marina??? Looks like a demolition project in progress.
I've seen some small "Mom and Pop" marinas before but that one beats all.

Ummmm.... You got ON THAT BOAT? I would have told him to F off! You have larger cahones then I do! WHERE was that?