What is the dumbest thing you have ever done while boating?
 

1. When backing my boat off of the trailer, forgot to unhook the safety straps. I wonder why the boat won't get off the trailer?;)

2. Was getting ready to pull someone on a tube and forgot to hook the rope up to the boat. I took off like a rocket looked back and they were still sitting in the water.

Anyone else?

The below mentioned incident set the precident for which has now become law on my boat:

Never board or deboard with anything important in you pockets or in hand.

Early last year, during one of our first excursions on our new boat there was a little mishap which took place...

After docking the boat, tying up and rechecking the dock lines, flushing the motor, thouroughly cleaning the boat and snapping on the mooring cover I find myself on the swim platform snapping the last few snaps on the transom part of the cover. Shortly after the last snap was in place, I take a small step backwards to admire my new boat one last time before haeding home for the night...That step was a little too far and I go in for a swim breaking the silence which had previously overtaken the marina at this late hour(not to mention, my lovely wife is cackling with uproarious laughter).

I didn't get hurt in the least(just my pride) but I did manage to empty the entire contents of my pockets -- My keychain, wallet, zippo lighter, some change and I think that's it.

The worst part is that my truck's keys were 10' feet below my boat in complete darkness(I would have tried to retrieve them in the daytime but the thought of seeing some aligators and other various creatures luking in the waters not a week before detered me...

So, without keys, without a phone and without any phone numbers(in the wallet) we had to completely undo the nightly preperations on the boat and head back to a friends house so that he could drive my wife to our home and get the spare set of keys. Luckily the boat/house keys were on a seperate key ring already in the "boat bag."

So I take the boat back to the marina, my wife meets me there with her car and we clean the boat/flush all over again!


What a clusterfv#k that was!

Once on my buddys 20 ft. Galaxy he was filling it up at the gas station in the harbor in the water..and his hose for his tank fell off...he pumped $30.00 of gas into his bilge and boat...the bilge pump kicked on and started pumping it out....luckily there was no mushroom cloud.....And I saw a guy in the chicago locks tie up his boat while waiting for the water to drop...needless to say his boat was hanging on for awhile till his cleat snapped off..oooops

OK..............Ill Admit It....................After 20 plus years of boating i broke my normal Prep routine and launched my boat with no drain plug !!!!! Had to idle for about 15 minutes to clear channel when i hit the throttles...........Well you know....

And how many of us have cranked the motor for an eternity scratching our heads trying to figure wtf **** is wrong to no avail until your better half points to the little red thing dangling on its' cord which is supposed to be clipped on the other end next to the key. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Might not be the dumbest ever, but it was a first for me. I fell off my dock this weekend, much to the enjoyment of everyone on my lagoon. I had just docked, climbed off the boat, and was trying to grab a bow rail with my big toe.

Heres a good story ...This happened 12 years ago or so...My buddy was tied up in Burnham harbor and was standing in his boat...There was a drunk guy with two under age girls in his car doing cookies in the parking lot next to the pier...Well he lost control and launched his car ontop of part of my buddies boat...throwing him...Needless to say...Chicago police are there in 2 minutes and are calming everyone down and telling my buddy that he is not gonna be saying anything about this ....and that the drivers insurance will take care of it...Turns out the driver is John Cusak....And he did take care of it...my buddy got 100,000 or so...go figure...so he bought a bigger boat and then forgot to winterize it and cracked the block...So I bought it from him for a big discount...

I took my G/F with me ONCE!!:D

Years ago I worked for a small marina. We used a yard tractor with a three point hitch to move boats around and launch/load them. The changable ball was bolted to a bar conected to the ends of the arms in the three point hitch, with a rod angled upto the base of an arm to prevent the bar from spining. (Look at a three point hitch on a tractor sometime, and you'll understand what I'm trying to discribe)

The ball was 1 7/8, and the 18' boat trailer was 2", and I was too tired to change the ball. Didn't matter anyway, right? While loading the boat, the rod slipped off the arm, the bar rotated forward, and the 1 7/8 ball slipped right out of the trailer tongue. (Didn't know that could happen) The trailer was trapped between the boat and the ramp, totally unconnected from the tractor (safety chains; what a good idea) and gravety was trying to pull the trailer down the ramp, and I was at the boat throtles gently trying to keep it above water. basicly, I was driving the boat trailer with the boat's prop. Couldn't get out of the boat to hook the trailer to the tractor because I had to constantly work the throttle to keep the trailer in place above water. Like the little boy with his finger stuck in the dyke (rock wall retaining water, not the woman).

A stranger walking by saw the problem, and hooked the trailer back to the tractor. Without his help, I would have probably lost the trailer down the ramp, and my boss was not too happy with me anyway. That stranger probably saved my job.

Rico, thats too funny:p

I had just got my first "fast" boat. 20ft hydrostream, motor would crank but not start. My dad said, let me see, its a mercury you should just have to curse at it(dont ask me, just something he has always said). He starts it right up, well i forgot the kill switch and he sneaked it on,

Same time, while sitting there tring to start the motor, forgot the plug, after i got the motor started i backed out and then tried to take off, ha, nope that didnt happen, stopped and saw gallons of water behind the back seat.

OUCH!!!
 

I'll never make this mistake again...took my boat out on Saturday, and while unloading the boat off the trailer I forgot to lock the winch back in place...so...when I reached down to unhook the boat a small wave pushed the boat up and then back, spinning the winch handle right into my head! Gave everyone at the dock a nice gory show while blood gushed down my face...luckily no stitches, and I still made it out on the water that day!

Racing_Fan :) :p

That's gonna leave a mark...:rolleyes:

While anchored at a sand bar on a windy day, I noticed a boat drifting toward my bow. I climbed up on the deck and ran toward the bow. The boat was now rapidly approaching as they'd pulled their anchor trying to reset it. My plan was to sit on the bow and fend them off with my feet. As I sat down rapidly I sat right on the bow cleat (lengthwise). I really had to bite my lip to avoid the pain of embarassment to any onlookers and the others in my boat. Nobody even noticed!!

I think the stupidest thing I ever did was to look at a faster/bigger boat. Those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it! That may be the good side!
Tim T.

Oh, one other time (someone who looked exactly like me with same boat truck etc.) was camping from the boat at a reservoir. Wife and I decided to go to town for a hot meal and supplies so we put the boat back on the trailer with the intention of leaving the boat at the ramp lot and just taking the truck to town. Ever been to one of those mystery spots where everything uphill looks down hill and so? This ramp had trees that were bowed from the wind. The lot was long flat (or so I thought) and smooth. So there I am unhooking the boat from the truck and the coupler gets stuck on the hitch so I jump up and down on the step bumper. Eventually it comes unhooked and I go to step back onto the trailer and it is gone! Parking lot had an ever so slight grade to it, hardly perceptible (after three days of partying). I figure no problem just jump in the boat and grab a wheel chock. Climb up into the boat and toss out a fender or two. Jump out of the boat and place behind the wheel. Well 5600 lbs. Just flattened the fender. No biggy just get the anchor, rolled over that.

By this time the boat is going slightly faster and heading for the end of the lot about a ¼ mile away. Lots of time, consider fetching the truck decided against it. Tried skiing behind the trailer, slowed it a little but 101/2 D’s have little effect. Finally forced the tongue of the trailer at a right angle to the incline. Ah, success she is slowing down. Hey isn’t that at dually with a bass boat we are heading for? Push the tongue around the other way, now I am heading for the side of the lot with no curb and a swamp on the other side, **** back the other way! Finally got it stopped, took all of a minute. Thing that really pissed me off was the dozen or bass boaters that just stood by and watched. Never moved their Skool chomping asses to give a hand. Oh well never unhook the safety chains until you are chocked.

Tim T,

I drank too much and actually thought that I could drive home at night with dead recogning. I passed a chanel marker at 45 mph or so about 1" off of my starbord. never again, that was by far the stupidest thing I ever did.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES!!!

Pulled our former boat (21' Scarab) up the boat ramp, dragging the outdrive all the way. Had waaayyy toooo much to drink. Didn't realize what the scraping noise was at first. Thank God the skeg is sacrificial.

First day out in our new 32' Fountain. Thought that 1/4 tank on the fuel gauge meant 1/4 tank (about 35 gallons remaining). Thought wrong. Got pulled back to the docks by a pontoon boat.


==== Things I've Seen ====
Once saw sombody who locked his keys in his truck, at the boat ramp, with his boat on the trailer, and the trailer in the water. The truck was still running.

Once saw sombody in a large cruiser (approx 40') trying to put it onto a shop trailer. Missed the trailer, and lodged it onto the ramp a good 15'.

A tri-hull approached a slip way too fast. Front corner of the boat hit the entry to the slip. Launched the passenger into the air, where he splash landed in the slip. Captain and passenger were obviously tanked.

I think the dumbest thing I want to admit is going without a boat for 10 or so yrs..... of course I 've certainly made my share of the same ole same ole mistakes....I hope to never be boatless again..:)

just thought o f a good one. .. night fishing off Canveral in 5 footers...also was my first night outing in eons....we were to bottom fish at the shelf all night cop a few zzzss, and start trolling fisrt thing...for those of you not from here the ledge is approx 28-32 miles offshore.. as we headed outside the inlet my friend looked at me and said . "should we be going out " SURE ...I said, anyhow we stayed in at about 4 miles trying to see where the seas were going to end up...after about 6 sharks and a few nausous moments we tuked our tails and headed in....ended up being about 5-7 that next day..... all i can say is boy that ship basin felt good..... nice and flat....

of course there is the time my buddy made a hammock in the cockpit and was practically sleeping if no tsleeping while running up the coast about 10 miles off at 35 mph , i was nodding up front when i got up for something to drink and there he lay.....needless to say i was awake after that.....scary sh#%

put me under the same story as baja daze . . .cept we spent an hour and a half :rolleyes: wrenching on the motors before we remembered the kill switch tabs . . . .they were on the lifeline vests . . . . . . on the back of the boat . . . .D'OH . . . .:rolleyes:

Had a few drinks-- about 5 boats rafted to me when a friend pulls up to my stern-- tied the boats stern to stern with x ropes. He didn't have an anchor so I got out my spare. gave him the end of the rope and was going to set the anchor myself ( by hand). Grabbed a toss cusion and the anchor. Held the toss cushion with one hand to my chest. NOW IT GETS GOOD. Anchor is heavy - right. So I figure it will sink faster than I will when I dive in -RIGHT. I hold the anchor out in front of me and jump. What I failed to realize ( due to the drinks ) was that the anchor is a flat surface and when it hit the water it stopped for a second before it sank. Nice gash and BIG bump on the forehead. GOOD thing for the alcohol!!!

well one of mine has to be on the 4th of July, getting out on the bow, with anchor in hand, I throw the anchor out and forgot to let go with the other hand, well I ended up in the water, when I surfaced everyone was clapping, one moment i wish i could forget.
Mark:rolleyes:

a buddy of mine lives right on the water, early last season (when it was still running) me and 3 of my friedns drove up to teh beach in front of his house and started shooting potatoes of of my spud canon at his place and thenj eventually at him while he ran out to scream at us. :D

well here goes,
1. First time out on my 22' Scarab i walked out to the front of the bow with the anchor,slipped a landed on my ass( on the boat) LAST time I waxed the deck.
2.A few monthes later went out with my girlfriends brother and had him help me reset the anchor right before a little ride.Needless to say he misunderstood the whole concept of what an anchor does and FORGOT to unclip it before the ride.Well thats okay the prop undid it for us.We dragged a frayed 21' rope for a half an hour and returned to no anchor.hmmm I was wondering why it cavitated for a second on take off.Oh by the way..if you don't believe this story....yup the girlfriend got it on video tape.c-y.....Mike

Many many years ago a buddy and I decided to spend the night camped out on the beach in Silver Bay (Toms River, NJ).
We planned to go skiing the next morning at first light.
That evening a 30 ft sport fish pulled in and anchored about 150-200 yards out. We started a long distance conversation with the people on board (yelling back and forth).
They invited us out to party with them. Sure no problem.
We jumped in my boat and motored out, tied along side and began to have fun. The booze was flowing like water, smoke was passed around and in a short time we were all screwed up.
It was like that all evening. Talk about getting f@*ked up!
Somewhere around 2 AM we decided to head back to the beach. Started up and headed off in the last known direction that the beach was in. It was real dark, no moon, no lights on the beach.
My friend asked if I was sure I could find our way back. Sure, when we tied up we were pointing right at the beach. All we have to do is head straight till we run aground. I said with a slurr.
What I didn't know was that the had wind shifted and swung us around 180 degrees and I was headed out to the middle of the bay.
After idling along for about 30 min I realized something was wrong, it shouldn't have taken this long to hit the beach.
So I tried another direction. No beach that way.
Change direction again. Still no beach.
Now I've lost sight of the party boat. They had no lights on, not even an anchor light.
Somehow I managed to make enough turns that I stumbled across the partiers and asked which way the beach was. Laughing, they all pointed towards it and off we went.
Finally found it, made our way to the campsite and passed out.
We never did go skiing the next day.

this goes back awhile,
It was when I had my first boat as a teenager, took my girl out for a ride got to the marina,uncovered started up pulled out about 100 yards from the marina it stalled and wouldn't restart, so me being the macho man dive in with a rope tie it to the bow hook and swim in pulling the boat behind me,kinda embarassed cover the boat and as I cover the back I noticed the gas line was never connected
:eek: :o :p
gee honey I really wanted to take you for a spin but????
must be some major engine malfunction!!!!
well she's still around but now I call her wife!!!!


Mattyboy

Joined this board.........But I am still boating