Boneheaded Mistakes

J.Wilt

J.Wilt

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
1,083
W. Mich. / Lake Michigan
Boat Info
420 Sundancer 2005
Engines
Cumming 6cta V Drives
Highfield 310 , 20hp Suzuki
While rafting-up to a friend this past weekend I let to much anchor line out...you geussed it...it got twisted around my starboard propeller.:smt013 After six dives under the boat holding my breath in 50 degree water with no mask I was able to losen it up enough to free it.:smt001 Not something I would advise everyone to do but it saved our beautiful day.

My other mistake was I broke the head off the our selfserve pump out hose. oops.:smt101

Please post your mistakes so I don't feel like a fool. Or maybe others can learn.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
LetsRock said:
Here you go, check this thread I started...I should have been more prepared for this!!!

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31130
Click to expand...
See the same thread for three of mine. In addition I drifted into a shell filled pier at low tide, tried to prevent it by pushing on it with my hands before contact. All I ended up with was sliced up palms and fingers and a scuffed up 6" section of rub rail, from the shells upon impact.

Hope that helps - stuff happens.
 
So, it was going to be a planned Memorial Day long weekend to Gig Harbor--inspite of the weather!!

Made two mistakes that cost me the weekend:

1. While loading the boat, the admiral was getting the cabin set and I was carrying a case of water, you guessed it, with both hands.

2. Was not wearing boat shoes--was planning on changing when got things settled.

Well, as I was stepping on the boat carrying the water my foot slipped and I fell backwards. Hit the cleat with my ribs and fell into the water.

Results: Two fractured ribs, one bruised ego, and no boating for us:

So, the obviously lessons which I knew is:

One hand on the boat, on hand on what you are carrying, or have help as you are passing supplies from the dock to the boat.

Have proper shoes right at the beginning.

Believe me, it would have saved me a painful weekend and the pain will go on for another month. Thank God for pain killers.

PS: I was going to barbecue ribs!!!!
 
The one thing you don't want to hear is "Hey dad why is there water coming in?" Only to remember the drain plug is still in the dash compartment. Yeah, here's your sign.
 
How about this one... Travelling an hour to your favorite overnight location at a distant marina, you get there and the kids are hot and want to hit the pool and you just want to relax. As you dock in the slip, you ask your wife to get your wallet out of the cabin and she say's she can't find it. Then you realize that you left your wallet in the truck parked back at your marina! You ask her if she brought her wallet with the debit card and she says, I did not this time because I never use money when you are around! Instant result -- you have to travel an hour home because you don't have a cent to your name! True story.
 
Not a bonehead mistake per se -- but I performed the worst docking job of my life while backing into my slip with 18+ mph opposing winds on Saturday (with gusts around 30 mph). To make it worse, my normally placid slip was sloshing like a washing machine on the heavy-duty cycle due to all of the boats coming in and out. I had a few veins popping out of my forehead when I finally got it tied up (and I owed the admiral several apologies).
 
Last edited:
Tonka Boater said:
Not a bonehead mistake per se -- but I performed the worst docking job of my life while backing into my slip with 18+ mph opposing winds on Saturday (with gusts around 30 mph). To make it worse, my normally placid slip was sloshing like a washing machine on the heavy-duty cycle due to all of the boats coming in and out. I had a few veins popping out of my forehead when I finally got it tied up (and I owed the admiral several apologies).
Click to expand...
I really have to hold my tongue when it come to asking my wife or kids for help when docking, thy do their best, otherwise I might find myself boating alone.
Drop swedish fish or chesse curls in the seats and their toast:smt013
 
Well, yesterday, after loading the boat at the dock, I fell INTO the boat when my sandal got caught on the dock line as I was stepping in. Luckily I landed on the nice soft rear seat. Also, luckily nobody (wife or kids) actually saw it happen even though they were right there. :grin: Then later on, after several cold beers, while beached, I was getting out of the boat and the 3-step ladder we use as a bow ladder tipped and I landed right on my a$$ in the sand at the edge of the water. Unfortunately, everyone (friends and family) saw that one. :lol:
 
The worst Dumb mistake i made was 2 wks ago. I took my boat out with 2 new to boating people. We launched her. they sat with the boat while I parked my truck. We get out on the lake in the middle of the go fast lane. The boat is well not running well. Top speed was about 8 mph. I open the engine compartment to what I can only describe as a fountain coming off the Front of the engine. I say a few cuss words yell we have a leak and then realize I forgot the plug that is in my pocket still. The water was pretty high in the engine area. almost to the top of the batteries. Killed the engine jumped in no way I could get the plug in. I couldnt get myself down to the drain hole. The water was so cold eveytime my head hit the water I just had to gasp for air. I yelled the the one person that is afraid of water and he jumps in I by now have stuck my foot on the drain in hopes of helping the water to stop gushing in my boat. We got the plug in. get up on the boat and the bilg pump has sucked a leaf in from god knows where. So we are filling buckets up and dumping them over the side. The the one thing that I figured would never get any real use. The Water Bazookas toys. We used them to suck more water out and then push it over the side.

Lessons I learned this day.

First and foremost Never leave the Admiral at home as she knows all and reminds me of everything. (Its not just nagging )

Second Always have home depot buckets as they will at anytime save your butt.

Third I will never get mad at the Water toys the kids have to carry with us. As they also are tools to save my butt

Fourth Never forget the Plug

Fifth The young man that saved the Day was named Jesus So I would say that Jesus Save us always Take Jesus with you

47 years old, Boating since I was 7 and I still learn and know when I made the big mistakes
 
parkerboatman said:
The worst Dumb mistake i made was 2 wks ago. I took my boat out with 2 new to boating people. We launched her. they sat with the boat while I parked my truck. We get out on the lake in the middle of the go fast lane. The boat is well not running well. Top speed was about 8 mph. I open the engine compartment to what I can only describe as a fountain coming off the Front of the engine. I say a few cuss words yell we have a leak and then realize I forgot the plug that is in my pocket still. The water was pretty high in the engine area. almost to the top of the batteries. Killed the engine jumped in no way I could get the plug in. I couldnt get myself down to the drain hole. The water was so cold eveytime my head hit the water I just had to gasp for air. I yelled the the one person that is afraid of water and he jumps in I by now have stuck my foot on the drain in hopes of helping the water to stop gushing in my boat. We got the plug in. get up on the boat and the bilg pump has sucked a leaf in from god knows where. So we are filling buckets up and dumping them over the side. The the one thing that I figured would never get any real use. The Water Bazookas toys. We used them to suck more water out and then push it over the side.

Lessons I learned this day.

First and foremost Never leave the Admiral at home as she knows all and reminds me of everything. (Its not just nagging )

Second Always have home depot buckets as they will at anytime save your butt.

Third I will never get mad at the Water toys the kids have to carry with us. As they also are tools to save my butt

Fourth Never forget the Plug

Fifth The young man that saved the Day was named Jesus So I would say that Jesus Save us always Take Jesus with you

47 years old, Boating since I was 7 and I still learn and know when I made the big mistakes
Click to expand...
We all made that mistake Good bonehead story!!!!!!!
 
While trailering the boat home, something in my rear view mirror caught my attention. It looked like a small piece of aluminum foid (wrapper?) had falled off the back of my truck, and went under my boat.

After I got home, I checked out my boat and trailer and did not see anything missing or wrong.

The next weekend, I was getting ready for the ramp, and realized that I was missing the handle from the winch on the trailer.:smt021

Apparently, the last time I put the boat on the trailer, and adjusted the handle, I did not reattach it securely.

All I can say is that I hope no one was tailgating me too closely when I lost that handle....it would have made for a very bad day for any car following me.
 
1. Letting my brother-in-law drive my boat.

2. Not watching him close enough.
 
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