How about a stupid boater thread?

Boy was yesterday one for the ages! Sorry kinda long.

So we thought we were done with the boat for the year a couple weeks ago, but this weekend looked nice so last minute decided to go one more weekend. Pulled the camper over on thursday, worked 1/2 friday and hooked on to the boat. Pulled down the block to the gas station, but the only pump that I can really use without blocking the whole parking lot, had a pickup parked at it, so I pulled into a little tight parking lot next door and waited. And waited.. and waited... No sign of the driver for what seemed like an hour, so I said eff it, I would head toward the lake and stop at a tiny town that had fuel pumps about half way to the lake, well I had set there so long, I forgot how I parked with a light pole pretty close to the starboard side, well in my haste to leave, I cut to sharp and caught the front tire on my trailer on a bolt, and I immediately hears shhhhhhhh. so I headed right back 1/2 block to the shop where I had floor jack and impact. Put spare on real quick (I really need a beer at this point) and head toward the lake, yep, pickup is still parked at that pump, no sign of driver, so I head to next option.
The next place for fuel is half way from my house to the lake, is a unmanned fuel stop, so I pull in and run my card, select premium, will not pump, out of premium I guess. so I hang up and re-run my card and select mid grade. pumps about 1/2 gallon and quits. do not want to put ethanol crap in, last trip of the year( I really need a beer) so I just head toward the little town right at the lake and pull into the only little convenience store and swipe my card, and the card reader isnt working, so I have to go inside and give the clerk my card, go back and fuel, then go back and pay. So I am not in a good mood, and really need about a dozen beers at this point.

Just wait, it gets worse

I pull into the boat ramp parking lot, it is empty, not surprising on a weekday, so I get fenders in place for docking, and back the boat into the lake, and I am starting to feel good about the day again, unhook the winch, jump in the boat and go to turn on the battery switch, and realize I left it on the last time we used the boat, not completely dead, but not enough juice to crank. To hell with it, hook the winch back up and pull up to the parking lot to think about my choices and grab a beer, look back at the boat, and the rear of the boat floated to the side while i was in the lake, and it was sitting funky on the trailer.
Pound the beer, and pull back around, and back into the lake again, and decide since no one will be waiting, I am just going to shut off my pickup and steal one of the batteries out of the duramax and jump my boat, so I pull a battery and climb in hook jumper cables up to one of the batteries, and it still wont crank with the selector on Both batteries, so I switch to battery 1 and it starts right up. SUCCESS! So I back off of the trailer, pull over to the dock and tie off, take jumper cables off and turn the selector to "both" *( remember this point) so the batteries can be charging while I park pickup. I put the battery back into the pickup, pull to the parking area, and back to the boat.
Untie, and out on the lake at last, I text my wife, she is at camp and not quite ready, so I tell her I am going to cruise a while to charge batteries. I change mode on gauge where I can monitor voltage, and the voltage is doing weird crap, running 16v, when ever I trim, drops down. The radio isnt working right, weird static, and volume wont turn up. so I think ill just sit and let idle and charge batteries up, but I just feel something is not right. Go back to check, and instead of turning selector to "Both" batteries, I turned it to "off".
Well being in the middle of the lake I have no choice, I switch selector to both with the engine running, and the radio screeches and comes on LOUD. I figure I fried my alternator, but it appears to be charging running around 13v. so I figure I dodged a bullet, pick up the wife and decide to go back and take the battery out of my pickup and have with us "just in case".
Rest of the day went without a hitch and we had a nice relaxing afternoon, but man what a day!
 
Surely wasn't expecting a positive ending to that saga. I believe you've accomplished what many of us have only dreamt of. Although I've had my share of days like that, I don't recall it all just passing and returning to normal before the sun set. Congratulations!
 
JayhawkCurtis said:
Boy was yesterday one for the ages! Sorry kinda long.

So we thought we were done with the boat for the year a couple weeks ago, but this weekend looked nice so last minute decided to go one more weekend. Pulled the camper over on thursday, worked 1/2 friday and hooked on to the boat. Pulled down the block to the gas station, but the only pump that I can really use without blocking the whole parking lot, had a pickup parked at it, so I pulled into a little tight parking lot next door and waited. And waited.. and waited... No sign of the driver for what seemed like an hour, so I said eff it, I would head toward the lake and stop at a tiny town that had fuel pumps about half way to the lake, well I had set there so long, I forgot how I parked with a light pole pretty close to the starboard side, well in my haste to leave, I cut to sharp and caught the front tire on my trailer on a bolt, and I immediately hears shhhhhhhh. so I headed right back 1/2 block to the shop where I had floor jack and impact. Put spare on real quick (I really need a beer at this point) and head toward the lake, yep, pickup is still parked at that pump, no sign of driver, so I head to next option.
The next place for fuel is half way from my house to the lake, is a unmanned fuel stop, so I pull in and run my card, select premium, will not pump, out of premium I guess. so I hang up and re-run my card and select mid grade. pumps about 1/2 gallon and quits. do not want to put ethanol crap in, last trip of the year( I really need a beer) so I just head toward the little town right at the lake and pull into the only little convenience store and swipe my card, and the card reader isnt working, so I have to go inside and give the clerk my card, go back and fuel, then go back and pay. So I am not in a good mood, and really need about a dozen beers at this point.

Just wait, it gets worse

I pull into the boat ramp parking lot, it is empty, not surprising on a weekday, so I get fenders in place for docking, and back the boat into the lake, and I am starting to feel good about the day again, unhook the winch, jump in the boat and go to turn on the battery switch, and realize I left it on the last time we used the boat, not completely dead, but not enough juice to crank. To hell with it, hook the winch back up and pull up to the parking lot to think about my choices and grab a beer, look back at the boat, and the rear of the boat floated to the side while i was in the lake, and it was sitting funky on the trailer.
Pound the beer, and pull back around, and back into the lake again, and decide since no one will be waiting, I am just going to shut off my pickup and steal one of the batteries out of the duramax and jump my boat, so I pull a battery and climb in hook jumper cables up to one of the batteries, and it still wont crank with the selector on Both batteries, so I switch to battery 1 and it starts right up. SUCCESS! So I back off of the trailer, pull over to the dock and tie off, take jumper cables off and turn the selector to "both" *( remember this point) so the batteries can be charging while I park pickup. I put the battery back into the pickup, pull to the parking area, and back to the boat.
Untie, and out on the lake at last, I text my wife, she is at camp and not quite ready, so I tell her I am going to cruise a while to charge batteries. I change mode on gauge where I can monitor voltage, and the voltage is doing weird crap, running 16v, when ever I trim, drops down. The radio isnt working right, weird static, and volume wont turn up. so I think ill just sit and let idle and charge batteries up, but I just feel something is not right. Go back to check, and instead of turning selector to "Both" batteries, I turned it to "off".
Well being in the middle of the lake I have no choice, I switch selector to both with the engine running, and the radio screeches and comes on LOUD. I figure I fried my alternator, but it appears to be charging running around 13v. so I figure I dodged a bullet, pick up the wife and decide to go back and take the battery out of my pickup and have with us "just in case".
Rest of the day went without a hitch and we had a nice relaxing afternoon, but man what a day!
Click to expand...
Phew! I'm exhausted just reading that.

Maybe I missed it, where did you end up getting gas?
 
Yendor said:
Surely wasn't expecting a positive ending to that saga. I believe you've accomplished what many of us have only dreamt of. Although I've had my share of days like that, I don't recall it all just passing and returning to normal before the sun set. Congratulations!
Click to expand...
Yea we did recover pretty well, and had a great afternoon just wife and the dog, no grandkids this weekend, This is probably what I needed, we have had a great summer of boating, and especially the last 2 trips have been awesome. I told my wife when we got home from our last weekend that I was not ready for the season to end. Well yesterday cured me of that, I am perfectly fine with this being our last of the year, I have every thing to service boat, and will be doing the year end oil change and maintenance next week.
 
Read that back with to yourself with the Benny Hill theme playing in your head. It suits your post a little better than my recent bout with my own stupidity

Glad it all worked out, is your boat EFI? If so the draw from the ECM and pump are probably what saved the alternator

Edit: derp, 350 MPI… you’ll be fine
 
Pirate Lady said:
1. I would have called it a day at the convenience store.
2. The reason I have always slipped a boat and will never trailer one.
3. You are far more patient than I would have been.
Click to expand...
Same, I blew a tire out once on a trailer the exact same way. And I hate hate hate the crowds and anxiety at the ramps.
 
Pirate Lady said:
1. I would have called it a day at the convenience store.
2. The reason I have always slipped a boat and will never trailer one.
3. You are far more patient than I would have been.
Click to expand...
Slipping is not a option on our little lake, so trailer it is.
 
IMG_2320.jpeg
In case you were wondering, this is what a $432 stupid tax looks like…
 
OllieC said:
Those are the greatest creation to mankind…..
Click to expand...


It did come in handy in New Jersey, extending into the late fall season. I think my 300 W lightbulb of doom in the bilge did more to keep things from freezing than that drain though.
 
JayhawkCurtis said:
Well being in the middle of the lake I have no choice, I switch selector to both with the engine running
Click to expand...
You're ok going that way. Shutting the switch to "off" while the motor is running is the alternator killer. Also most multi-bank switches these days are "make before break" so you don't cook the alternator even if you switch from "both" to "1" or whatever.

Good to be wary of the switch while operating (even if it is M-before-B, things fail) but all that going from off to both will do is momentarily increase the load on the alternator. Going to "off" will increase the voltage (current goes to zero, voltage goes upppppppp) and that will blow the diodes in the alternator.

Anyway I realize this is supposed to be a fun thread, I'll get my coat :)
 
If you have not seen this video of this destroyed yacht it’s worth watching. Sounds like the owner may be in some hot water. :oops:

 
Mauler34Rod said:
If you have not seen this video of this destroyed yacht it’s worth watching. Sounds like the owner may be in some hot water. :oops:

Click to expand...
What a shit show. I was thinking they should checked for leaks or holes and have some pumps on board especially since they removed the batteries. Then they yanked it right out to sea. I was like that seems dumb. Then it sank and yep it was dumb.
 
Yeah or at least place inflatables under it to tow it to salvage….what did they think was going to happen. I think after the worker trying to burn off the props and almost drown himself, they said screw it we ain’t patching s__t!
 
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