- Oct 3, 2006
- 4,404
- Boat Info
- 280 Sundancer, Westerbeke MPV generator
- Engines
- twin 5.0's w/BIII drives
I’ve taken the course and do the safe vessel checks however some things you just need to learn by going boating.
One of the reasons I read this very forum is to learn what NOT to do, just as much as to lean what to do.
The recent post about a boat club here
http://www.byowneryachts.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2042&highlight=
reminded me about my one and only experience with a boat club member. This BAD experience caused me to add one more item to my list of things I will NOT do, well, not do again.
With my guard down and my mind set to leisure mode I was at the marina prepping the boat for an upcoming journey. A chap came along onto my finger pier and said another member of the marina said I might have one of those portable power units for jump starting. I don’t but I have jumper cables and offered them up. Of course they would not do him any good unless I start my boat, untie, boat around to the other side of the marina, tie along side his boat, pull back my carpet, remove my engine cover and attach the cables to my battery.
I’m not trying to sound lazy but getting to the batteries in a 1998 240DA is not as easy as on the new boats. The cockpit carpet is all one piece. The engine hatch does not swig up and out of the way, you lift it off and put it somewhere, say on a seat.
I did not know this guy from Adam. Never had met him before. His wife, I assume, was standing in the background.
Yeah, I agreed to it. Got my boat over there, opened her up, attached the cables.
It turned out his problem was something other then a dead battery. I’m no mechanic but when he turned the switch he got nothing, not even a click.
It was then that he said the guy before him must have done something. I asked what guy and he then proceeded to explain that he was in a boat club and the boat was co-owned by 6 different couples. As I was putting things away he said he was going to run home and get a power-jump starter he owns and try it again. I asked him where that was. It was about a 5 minute drive away!!!!
I packed up, put things back, untied and went back to my slip, oh, on my own and self-docked. Not that I have a issue with single handed docking I just figured that he’d come over and help me dock. Nope.
In total this took me about 45 minutes.
In the end I felt used. Partly because he was a member of a boat group, sort of cheating (my psychological issue) partly because we were not successful in getting the boat going so I did not get that endorphin release feeling of success, partly because after taking MY weekend time I found out in the same amount of time or less he could have drove home and got his own darn jumper and done this himself however the #1 reason I was mad was I was mad at myself for being stupid. He was not out on the water stuck heading for the rocks and in danger. He was safely in his slip. Had the jump start worked he would have been in more danger. Had he headed off and the engine stalled he may again not be able to start the boat and be in a worse situation.
My new rule: If you are not out to sea I am not giving you a jump.
Again, I was mostly mad at myself.
Since this experience I have had an issue with boat club people.
One of the reasons I read this very forum is to learn what NOT to do, just as much as to lean what to do.
The recent post about a boat club here
http://www.byowneryachts.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2042&highlight=
reminded me about my one and only experience with a boat club member. This BAD experience caused me to add one more item to my list of things I will NOT do, well, not do again.
With my guard down and my mind set to leisure mode I was at the marina prepping the boat for an upcoming journey. A chap came along onto my finger pier and said another member of the marina said I might have one of those portable power units for jump starting. I don’t but I have jumper cables and offered them up. Of course they would not do him any good unless I start my boat, untie, boat around to the other side of the marina, tie along side his boat, pull back my carpet, remove my engine cover and attach the cables to my battery.
I’m not trying to sound lazy but getting to the batteries in a 1998 240DA is not as easy as on the new boats. The cockpit carpet is all one piece. The engine hatch does not swig up and out of the way, you lift it off and put it somewhere, say on a seat.
I did not know this guy from Adam. Never had met him before. His wife, I assume, was standing in the background.
Yeah, I agreed to it. Got my boat over there, opened her up, attached the cables.
It turned out his problem was something other then a dead battery. I’m no mechanic but when he turned the switch he got nothing, not even a click.
It was then that he said the guy before him must have done something. I asked what guy and he then proceeded to explain that he was in a boat club and the boat was co-owned by 6 different couples. As I was putting things away he said he was going to run home and get a power-jump starter he owns and try it again. I asked him where that was. It was about a 5 minute drive away!!!!
I packed up, put things back, untied and went back to my slip, oh, on my own and self-docked. Not that I have a issue with single handed docking I just figured that he’d come over and help me dock. Nope.
In total this took me about 45 minutes.
In the end I felt used. Partly because he was a member of a boat group, sort of cheating (my psychological issue) partly because we were not successful in getting the boat going so I did not get that endorphin release feeling of success, partly because after taking MY weekend time I found out in the same amount of time or less he could have drove home and got his own darn jumper and done this himself however the #1 reason I was mad was I was mad at myself for being stupid. He was not out on the water stuck heading for the rocks and in danger. He was safely in his slip. Had the jump start worked he would have been in more danger. Had he headed off and the engine stalled he may again not be able to start the boat and be in a worse situation.
My new rule: If you are not out to sea I am not giving you a jump.
Again, I was mostly mad at myself.
Since this experience I have had an issue with boat club people.