SCORPIO
Well-Known Member
We had our first weekend on the boat over the holiday and I can say that this season's beginnings have been unlike any other I've had.
It began last Wed. with a slow leak in the bilge after launch, that seems to have stopped, at least for now, planning on a short haul to do inspection and possible repairs if any needed.
While I was dealing with the leak issue, my brother in law was washing off the trailer and he says 'HEY one of your spring shackle bolts is missing!' This is a brand new trailer last fall and had just done it's first return trip with the boat. All shackle bolts were present and accounted for prior to leaving home. Somewhere on the 200 mile trip the drivers side rear axle front bolt with self locking nut came undone and parted ways with us. I never had any indication that anything was wrong, no sway, bounce etc. I also noted several other self lockers had backed off to varying degrees. Glad we didn't have to go any further as I don't know how the trailer would have handled with more than one spring only partly attached to the frame. I had a spare bolt the right size and put it in to get trailer road worthy and then I called the manufacturer the next day and the they told me the bolts should be snug and certainly not come off. They sent me all new bolts and nuts no charge.
Fast forward to Sunday night, we had rain all afternoon, very heavy at times along with HUGE tidal swings for the past week, low lows and super high high tides, over the docks. We came back late after watching a local band and just as the water was cresting the docks I notice that we have no shore power, panel dark. I go check dock breaker and it is ON so I check my cord and notice it's not there! Someone apparently didn't like all the slack I had left in the cord which is necessary to allow for the large tidal range. They proceeded to place several loops of cord over a J hook on the piling I use to place my cord over when we go out for the day. I know they put it there as it is now an "L" hook, such was the force exerted by the cord. When the tide went out, the cord drew tight, pulled out of the twist lock and pulled right through the threaded ring and the end was now submerged four feet deep in salt water, and ENERGIZED! I shut off breaker and retrieved cord end. It had been soaking in the cold salt water for about six hours I think and when I took hold of the female end, it was WARM, like a cup of coffee in the hand! I would have thought the breaker would have tripped but apparently not. I got a hose and flushed fresh water into the connector for a minute or so and then reattached it to the boat and to my surprise, it worked! Fortunately, the boat receptical was not damaged and it didn't pull it out of the boat. Almost glad to have a plastic Marinco shore power inlet instead of the metal one I really want to put on. That may not have ended well. I went to West Marine on Monday and got a new 30A cord as mine was old and faded and I can't help but think those contacts will turn green in short order. I made a point of telling the marina manager what happened and informed him that no one is to mess with my cord set unless there is a safety issue. I told him I was not happy about what happened and left it at that.
Lastly, we overfilled the holding tank and I now need to recharge my fart filter. Other than that, an uneventful trip
It began last Wed. with a slow leak in the bilge after launch, that seems to have stopped, at least for now, planning on a short haul to do inspection and possible repairs if any needed.
While I was dealing with the leak issue, my brother in law was washing off the trailer and he says 'HEY one of your spring shackle bolts is missing!' This is a brand new trailer last fall and had just done it's first return trip with the boat. All shackle bolts were present and accounted for prior to leaving home. Somewhere on the 200 mile trip the drivers side rear axle front bolt with self locking nut came undone and parted ways with us. I never had any indication that anything was wrong, no sway, bounce etc. I also noted several other self lockers had backed off to varying degrees. Glad we didn't have to go any further as I don't know how the trailer would have handled with more than one spring only partly attached to the frame. I had a spare bolt the right size and put it in to get trailer road worthy and then I called the manufacturer the next day and the they told me the bolts should be snug and certainly not come off. They sent me all new bolts and nuts no charge.
Fast forward to Sunday night, we had rain all afternoon, very heavy at times along with HUGE tidal swings for the past week, low lows and super high high tides, over the docks. We came back late after watching a local band and just as the water was cresting the docks I notice that we have no shore power, panel dark. I go check dock breaker and it is ON so I check my cord and notice it's not there! Someone apparently didn't like all the slack I had left in the cord which is necessary to allow for the large tidal range. They proceeded to place several loops of cord over a J hook on the piling I use to place my cord over when we go out for the day. I know they put it there as it is now an "L" hook, such was the force exerted by the cord. When the tide went out, the cord drew tight, pulled out of the twist lock and pulled right through the threaded ring and the end was now submerged four feet deep in salt water, and ENERGIZED! I shut off breaker and retrieved cord end. It had been soaking in the cold salt water for about six hours I think and when I took hold of the female end, it was WARM, like a cup of coffee in the hand! I would have thought the breaker would have tripped but apparently not. I got a hose and flushed fresh water into the connector for a minute or so and then reattached it to the boat and to my surprise, it worked! Fortunately, the boat receptical was not damaged and it didn't pull it out of the boat. Almost glad to have a plastic Marinco shore power inlet instead of the metal one I really want to put on. That may not have ended well. I went to West Marine on Monday and got a new 30A cord as mine was old and faded and I can't help but think those contacts will turn green in short order. I made a point of telling the marina manager what happened and informed him that no one is to mess with my cord set unless there is a safety issue. I told him I was not happy about what happened and left it at that.
Lastly, we overfilled the holding tank and I now need to recharge my fart filter. Other than that, an uneventful trip
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