Indy

The thread posted today titled: "LOL You know those days when things just won't go your way" got me thinking after Smarty pretty much said it...we've all had bad docking experiences. Considering the boats we own it can be doubly embarrassing because they call attention to themselves because of their very nature, people love it when the dude in the loud dick boat fuks up. Got any to share (I know we ALL have them)?

Mine (one of many): Just took delivery of a brand new 28' Nordic Heat. Couldn't wait to get it out on the Sound to enjoy my first ride. Had a fellow boater in the passenger seat to ride with me that day. Only a few gallons of gas in the tank so off we go across the harbor to gas up. Approach the dock to begin the process of getting it parallel. Coming in at an angle in neutral and throw it in reverse to slow and begin to swing the stern around...nothing, give it some throttle and the engine revs but nothing happens. Oh sh!t...back to neutral then back to reverse...nothing...sh!t...forward and nothing, neutral to reverse 800 times in two seconds nothing...fuk...people at the dock start to look alarmed...total panic sets in with me, friend looks at me like WTF? People on the dock scatter...crash...scrape...bang...stop. WTF? Gouge in my 15 minute old Nordic.

Turns out the cotter pin on the throttle cable linkage to the engine was never put in, the clevis pin must have vibrated out and we can't find it. So my buddy sits in the engine compartment on the way back to the marina while I shout "forward-reverse" instructions to him from the helm. Trust me, the docking procedure back at the marina was ugly with that method too. People were looking at us coming in like WTF...again LOL!!!

Got any?

Jpzaluski

I think we've all had our days. Anytime there's a crowd of people and you have to abort your first attempt you look like a schmuck. The beginning of this year though I ran a small local poker run. Showed up a bit late and found a place to tie up along side of a dock behind the t-head. Had a slight breeze blowing me in and docking was no problem. By the time the run was ready to leave though the wind had picked up and I was glued to the dock. You can't overcome it with propulsion, you could shove the boat off and it'd be laying against the dock in a split second. I couldn't ease to the end of the dock because the T-head was in front of me. It took some creative "roping" and a tense moment or two before she'd point the right way. I guess not being able to leave the dock is ten times worse then not being able to dock LOL

Indy

I started getting the hang of a spring line at times...works really good.

Champs3

We went out early one day was suppose to be nice out all day went over to a local hang out spot by the beach so we brought a grill and coolers and all that to be there all day long. Well the afternoon came around we wanted to cook but i forgot the grill in the back of the truck so i left a few people there to save my spot and me and a buddy took off to go get the grill. I had a couple drinks already and of course the boat dock/ramp was full of people i pull up quick to just jump out grab it and come back. Well i pull up to the dock slow and go to put it in reverse and i noticed i wasn't going in reverse so i gave it so more gas still nothing, well turns out i was in forward still and ran right into the dock. Not real fast didnt even scratch the boat but was embarrassing because everyone was watching and a few people i knew were there watching it all. That was my screw up this summer lol.

phragle

iTrader: (3)

A friend of mine has a 26 rinker mini cruiser thing, tall as hell and no room for anyone on the side of the boat to help tie up, plus its only got a 305 single. ANY crosswind and your phucked. The spring line trick is about the only thing that works

Kings11

iTrader: (1)

I've had a fairly heavy wind blowing down the length of the marina into all the boat slips. I planned my back out for when the wind died down a little bit so as to give me plenty of time to put one drive into forward and pivot the boat around. I dock a 30' boat in 35' wide dock to dock channel so things can get tough. The slips are all made for 20' boats, and everyone in my marina is just about 25' - 40' feet now. So running out of room is common. I usually refuse to go boating unless I have 1-2 good and capable co pilots.

So back to my story as I was backing out I shifted my starboard drive into forward in an attempt to pivot and the engine coughed, sputtered, and died. This was my power steering equipped engine... As I scrambled to fire it up, rev it up, and get rid of the now pooled fuel the wind started. I ended up doing about a 270 degree turn and where I wanted my bow to be my aft was. I was lucky that we spun in exactly the middle of everything and didn't hit anything. I managed to back all the way out of the channel into an open part of the marina, slam both drives into forward and do a power turn. I was white knuckling the entire time and am terrified at times to go into my slip still when I'm alone or with one other.

Chris

Just this past summer we were leaving Kelleys island with some friends. Just like the video posteed the wind was blowing. We depart from the dock, one engine stalls and we blowing sideways in the channel. All I could do was back out so I could maintain control while until I was able to get the other engine running. Defiantly was embarrassed but the only thing hurt was my ego.

TeamSaris

It's always the really simple ones that get me. Need me to back a cat with no power steering and crash boxes in between two boats? No problem.
Need me to dock a narrow, responsive, family runabout next to a dock......no good. lol

Wobble

Picture this one. I had a nice Taylor jet boat that I took down to clear lake with the kids to watch the planes in the nearby airshow circle around. The ramp is wide and was fairly busy. Loaded the kids up in the boat and tied boat off to back of trailer with about 30' line with climbers type clip on the end. The wind was blowing off the ramp and I figured I could back it let it float to end of line pull up six feet and then walk boat over to dock.

The backing in and floating off part worked like a dream, somehow the line got a twist in it and flipped over and undid the clip. Now I am seeing my boat blowing towards the rock breakwater with a 5 and 7 year old adrift in it.

Only thing to do was run down the jetty and dive in, water was pretty cold but still manged the recovery in time to avoid damage.

Things did not go so well for my cell phone and wallet.

I never did figure out how that clip opened, I know I will never use clips over a knot again.

The kids thought it was great fun

Interceptor

I once had the rack guys drop my old Mako C.C. into water and I fired up and started down the river and the boat wouldn't get up on plane. It didn't take long to figure out the drain plug wasn't installed and the hull was filling with water. Turned around and got back to the take out well and couldn't back with the wind and river current. Finally got it in and they lift the boat out and shut the fork lift off and go get everyone available to see the water draining from the hull. Most embarrassing day.