So I went out to anchor on a River this past Saturday. I arrived at my anchorage in the morning, towing a Dinghy with a "floating" painter.....not. While backing down on the anchor, I wrapped the painter around the port prop and the port engine stalled.
After multiple attempts to unwrap I finally gave up. No worries, thought I. I've got an extra motor! Wind increased at about 10PM that night and shifted direction, and my drag alarm went off.
I fired up my remaining engine, and headed for the nearest marina in pitch darkness.
At the mouth of the harbor, I throttled back and my one engine died. You couldn't have driven a pin up my butt with a sledge hammer. I dropped the anchor and fired up the engine. whew it runs!! Pulled up the anchor and it died again. Meanwhile I'm drifting towards the pilons to port and then rocks to starboard. After 3 more cycles of anchor drop, start, anchor weigh, engine stop, drift, panic, etc., I finally realized my engine would run if kept slightly above idle.
I finally made my way into an empty slip and chilled for the night. Next morning, I had TowBoat US tow me back to my own marina 14 miles away.
I've reached several conclusions as a result of this ordeal.
- Floating ropes don't
- The IAC valve is pretty handy to have working.
- That floodlight on the bow is damn nice to have
- 4 years of Tow boat insurance will pay for itself in one trip, with a boat buck left over
- Murphy is really an A$$hole.
After multiple attempts to unwrap I finally gave up. No worries, thought I. I've got an extra motor! Wind increased at about 10PM that night and shifted direction, and my drag alarm went off.
I fired up my remaining engine, and headed for the nearest marina in pitch darkness.
At the mouth of the harbor, I throttled back and my one engine died. You couldn't have driven a pin up my butt with a sledge hammer. I dropped the anchor and fired up the engine. whew it runs!! Pulled up the anchor and it died again. Meanwhile I'm drifting towards the pilons to port and then rocks to starboard. After 3 more cycles of anchor drop, start, anchor weigh, engine stop, drift, panic, etc., I finally realized my engine would run if kept slightly above idle.
I finally made my way into an empty slip and chilled for the night. Next morning, I had TowBoat US tow me back to my own marina 14 miles away.
I've reached several conclusions as a result of this ordeal.
- Floating ropes don't
- The IAC valve is pretty handy to have working.
- That floodlight on the bow is damn nice to have
- 4 years of Tow boat insurance will pay for itself in one trip, with a boat buck left over
- Murphy is really an A$$hole.