Ever had to call for a tow?
- Thread starter chazaroo
- Start date
Amberjack01
Member
Not for the Sea Ray. Had a Wellcraft 180 Fisherman (CC) a few years ago. The throttle cable snapped while entering Vineyard Haven (in the outer part of the harbor). Called Sea Tow and they arrived from Falmouth in about 20 minutes and dragged the boat back home. I fixed the cable myself...not too big a deal...but bought a spare just in case. Two summers later the kids had the boat in Lagoon Pond on the Vineyard tubing and the shift cable snapped. (the 2 cables are identical). They called me and I loaded up the Sea Ray with parts/tools and met them and replaced the cable with the 2 boats tied up together. An hour later they were tubing again and I was back at the dock feeling like a hero!
Hang in there....Spring is coming!
Hang in there....Spring is coming!
osd9
New Member
Three time....
Twice...Outdrive failure on my '83 225 SXL....alpha drive
Once.....points failure on my 1966 Thompson Lapstreak with 65HP Evinrude....
Twice...Outdrive failure on my '83 225 SXL....alpha drive
Once.....points failure on my 1966 Thompson Lapstreak with 65HP Evinrude....
MAKC
Member
- Oct 23, 2006
- 519
- Boat Info
- 1997 400 Sedan Bridge
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillar
I havent had to call them and am more than happy to pay them yearly and NEVER have to!
rondds
Well-Known Member
- Oct 3, 2006
- 8,859
- Boat Info
- 2001 380DA
- Engines
- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
ok, two bouts with stupidity for me.
1. summer 1986, i'm water skiing, my buddy is driving. after a fall he stops next to me, passes through neutral and into reverse (stupid alpha one!) and wraps the tow rope in the prop so tightly it shuts down the engine. there was a nice chop in jamaica bay that day (from boat traffic) so i COULD NOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME cut the line free without being clunked repeatedly by the swim platform. a good samaritan towed us back in.
2. summer 2006 (20 year anniversary??). some of you have heard this story. high bar harbor, right off of barnegat inlet. bright sunny day, but 20 mph winds, i hesitated before entering a marina i was unfamiliar with (to fuel up) and i got blown into an unmarked flat. i had consulted local knowledge, was told about the flat and how to avoid it (which, initially, i did) but the wind got me and before i knew it, i was soft aground! towboat/US arrived within an hour and it took every ft-lb of torque that diesel scow had to get me free, but it worked. they were great. towed me to deep water, anchored to do the paperwork, then hung around to be sure my props/shafts were OK. the other three boats we were travelling with did not need fuel so they had taken off. i radioed them as well and told them not to come back, as there was nothing they could possibly do anyway. anyone of you folks that knows barnegat inlet knows you dont want to turn around in oyster creek channel under ANY circumstances!
1. summer 1986, i'm water skiing, my buddy is driving. after a fall he stops next to me, passes through neutral and into reverse (stupid alpha one!) and wraps the tow rope in the prop so tightly it shuts down the engine. there was a nice chop in jamaica bay that day (from boat traffic) so i COULD NOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME cut the line free without being clunked repeatedly by the swim platform. a good samaritan towed us back in.
2. summer 2006 (20 year anniversary??). some of you have heard this story. high bar harbor, right off of barnegat inlet. bright sunny day, but 20 mph winds, i hesitated before entering a marina i was unfamiliar with (to fuel up) and i got blown into an unmarked flat. i had consulted local knowledge, was told about the flat and how to avoid it (which, initially, i did) but the wind got me and before i knew it, i was soft aground! towboat/US arrived within an hour and it took every ft-lb of torque that diesel scow had to get me free, but it worked. they were great. towed me to deep water, anchored to do the paperwork, then hung around to be sure my props/shafts were OK. the other three boats we were travelling with did not need fuel so they had taken off. i radioed them as well and told them not to come back, as there was nothing they could possibly do anyway. anyone of you folks that knows barnegat inlet knows you dont want to turn around in oyster creek channel under ANY circumstances!
SearayPaul
Active Member
I have never been towed since becoming a tad bit more mature than in my youthful days. There was no towing service available at that time so if you broke down you waited until a good samaritan came by.
I was towed in at least four times for motors that were defective. I had a 25hp Johnson on an 8ft Cypress Gardens boat. The piston went thru the head, kissed that motor good bye.
Being young I then bought a Mercury 25 hp two bladed race motor and mounted it on the same boat. Motor siezed up. Next came the 35 hp Evinrude on the same boat and boy that thing would scoot. Seems the piston skirt let go and punched a hole in the block.
I wised up this time and went to a big boat, 15ft, with a 50HP Evinrude. This was the only brand new motor I ever owned and I got about two years out of it. Another defective piston skirt that let go and punched a hole thru the block.
I am sure none of these motors let go do to over reving the motor or abuse. So that ya'll don't think I was spoiled I bought and paid for all those motors with my yard mowing money. I am a hard worker but a slow learner.
I was towed in at least four times for motors that were defective. I had a 25hp Johnson on an 8ft Cypress Gardens boat. The piston went thru the head, kissed that motor good bye.
Being young I then bought a Mercury 25 hp two bladed race motor and mounted it on the same boat. Motor siezed up. Next came the 35 hp Evinrude on the same boat and boy that thing would scoot. Seems the piston skirt let go and punched a hole in the block.
I wised up this time and went to a big boat, 15ft, with a 50HP Evinrude. This was the only brand new motor I ever owned and I got about two years out of it. Another defective piston skirt that let go and punched a hole thru the block.
I am sure none of these motors let go do to over reving the motor or abuse. So that ya'll don't think I was spoiled I bought and paid for all those motors with my yard mowing money. I am a hard worker but a slow learner.
Chief
New Member
Need A tow
Last year,
Coming out of the Choptank to the Chesapake Bay, Hit something, all of the sudden boat starts shimmering, I shut it down immediately, check to see if anything is leaking no leaks. Check to see what I hit can not see anything. Start it back up put both engines in gear, ease up the throttle, and around 2500 RPMs the starboard starts vibrating again. I shut it down. Call Boat US and within an hour a tow boat is there. Now for the next eight hours we get towed back to home. Had my wife, son, dog, cat on board, needless to say the dog was begging to get to land to do his business after 8 hours at 5 knots. We get it back into the slip. Do the paperwork and look at what it would have cost me if I did not purchase the unlimited towing from Boat US...whew. Next day pull the boat out, and discover the inner fender well from a large truck wrapped around my shaft, luckily absolutely no damage to shaft or props. Unlimited towing is definitely worth the money, even if you never think you will use it or go several seasons without ever using it
Craig
Last year,
Coming out of the Choptank to the Chesapake Bay, Hit something, all of the sudden boat starts shimmering, I shut it down immediately, check to see if anything is leaking no leaks. Check to see what I hit can not see anything. Start it back up put both engines in gear, ease up the throttle, and around 2500 RPMs the starboard starts vibrating again. I shut it down. Call Boat US and within an hour a tow boat is there. Now for the next eight hours we get towed back to home. Had my wife, son, dog, cat on board, needless to say the dog was begging to get to land to do his business after 8 hours at 5 knots. We get it back into the slip. Do the paperwork and look at what it would have cost me if I did not purchase the unlimited towing from Boat US...whew. Next day pull the boat out, and discover the inner fender well from a large truck wrapped around my shaft, luckily absolutely no damage to shaft or props. Unlimited towing is definitely worth the money, even if you never think you will use it or go several seasons without ever using it
Craig