Your Dumbest Moment in Boating

Four Suns

Four Suns

Not a pot stirrer
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
10,533
Williamsburg, VA
Boat Info
2003 480 DB
Engines
QSM-11 Diesels
OK... Let's see if people are brave enough to tell the world the single dumbest thing you have done in boating. Can't tell on "someone else". It's what the dumbest thing YOU have done over the years. (and don't say "I bought a boat")

Here's mine:

I got my 480 DB in 2003 and was not used to not being able to see everything around when undocking like the Sundancer. My wife and kids had untied the lines but I forgot to unplug the 50 amp power cord from the power tower. Ripped the power tower right off the dock and dragged it right out of the marina before I realized what had happened. Didn't hear a thing and I'm sure it was a sight to watch as I pulled out of the marina.
 
I left the forward spring line tied on the 380. Got halfway out of the slip before it went tight, and about gave me whiplash yanking me back into the slip. I felt like a total fool. Luckily, there was no one around to see that one.

OK, I'll add one with the 185BR I had (our first boat). On first launch, we pushed off the trailer at low tide, right into the mud. Had to be pulled off by a jon boat, of all things. Then, we hit ground about 4 times on the way out. Then, a cold front came through whilst we were out, and normally docile Tampa Bay went to hell. The seas kicked up to about 4 feet (which felt like 20 on the maiden voyage), and the kids were tucked up under the helm under feet, yelling "we're gonna die". So, I didn't check tides, and didn't check weather. 2 dummies on the maiden voyage.

Hope that helps the sport boat guys. :thumbsup:
 
Is this just for you big boat dummies or can sport boat dummies join in? :huh: You know, the guys with the deleted category! :smt021
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
Is this just for you big boat dummies or can sport boat dummies join in? :huh: You know, the guys with the deleted category! :smt021
Click to expand...

I don't think so Richard... Now maybe if we owned dinghies, (didn't we delete sport boats to make room for that?) I wonder what kind of trade in I could get on a nice dinghy... :smt043
 
Since the topic is in the General Discussion area I think the Sport Boats can post to the topic too. Just not sure if we would have any thing worth posting since sport boat owners don't make dumb mistakes. :grin:

Ok sometimes we have great learning experiences happen. Like the time we forget to turn off the VHF radio and run the battery down, or the time we get in seas over our heads all of a sudden, or forget to put the plug in. Dumb mistakes never.... Great learning experiences. :thumbsup: It all in how you look at :smt100
 
Chuck I knew there was a reason I looked up to you! :smt101 Learning Experience's....politically correct as always.


Aquia, Dingy Captain's don't make mistakes so they won't have anything to contribute to this thread. :lol:
 
After a beautiful day on our previous 270, I was backing in to our covered slip....when I heard ANTENNA! The next sound I heard was it scrapping roof then ping-splash and it was shorter :smt089

Last year with the new boat...there I was backing in again while everyone was watching...I heard it again ANTENNA! This time they caught me before I used the "Roof Feeler" option on our new boat :smt101
 
We had just accepted delivery of a new 225 Weekender. Not really knowing anything about trailering, my wife and I cautiously pulled the boat down the highway toward home. So far, so good. Entering our neighborhood, we pulled the boat up a hill and rounded a cul-de-sac to begin the process of backing the trailer into our driveway. Wham, bump, bump -- the hitch pulled off the tow ball and the trailer headed down the hill. Had it not been for the safety chains and the trailer tongue digging into the pavement, our boat would have crashed into the house at the bottom of the hill. Now we know there are several different sizes of tow balls! :thumbsup:
 
Lake Powell AZ, 4 couples out on a 60' house boat for a two week vacation. After a 7 hour drive, we check in, load the boat and start the blenders. 6 hour cruise up the lake, we find a nice cove to take a swim. I shut down the engines and throw a HUGE anchor over. the rope is letting out, still going, still going, 200' still going, i look down and realized I didn't tie off the line. So I go in to refill my drink kind of laughing at how stupid that was. few minutes later I hear a loud noise in the front of the boat, my friend decided to throw the second anchor over, this time tieing it to the rail. Well it pulled the rail right off the boat and into the water. Needless to say we didn't get our deposit back but we have a good laugh every year about it.
 
I has my old 280 delivered on a beautiful 80 degree April day just a few days after ice out on the local lake. Since this is Minnesota, it got cold again. About 1 week after the boat was delivered (2 weeks after ice out), I was putting up the very new and very stiff camper top and isenglass. I was admiring my handywork and took a few steps backward on the dock to take it all in. Next thing I knew, I ran out of dock.

Damn that was cold. :smt021
 
Picture it: A quiet evening fishing on Lake Quinsigamond, 1987.
1st boat, a 1970 Starcraft 17 foot center console ,with a 50 HP outboard.
One of those foolish expandible rubber plugs at the stern, you know, the kind that your supposed to adjust so that when you flip down the toggle, it fits nice and tight in the drain hole.
My wife and I, sitting on the lake, fishing...So far, so good.

You guessed it.... :smt021 :smt021 :smt021
First clue...wet feet... :smt101 :smt101
Second clue...bow high and stern low, squirming at what seemed like a crawl while scampering 5 miles headed for the trailer... :smt100 :smt100
Well, finally got her out of the water, and boy, did she drain for a long time. :smt101 :smt101 :smt101
We can look back now and laugh... :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I was invited to a lake cabin for a weekend retreat, I took my bass boat, and after getting directions to the boat ramp I took off. When I got to the ramp (what I thought was the ramp) people were laying out as if they were on the beach. Now, there was a paved road to the waters edge so I politely asked some of the people to move so I could launch. Everyone was so nice and without any confrontation I backed in, and the water was shallow, so shallow I had to lock in the 4 wheel drive and back out in the water. When I got far enough out in the lake and cleared the trees, heck there's the ramp over there. Needless to say I dumped the boat off acted like I knew what I was doing, parked the truck and off fishing I went.
 
At the current time I had a 40' Oday sailboat. After long runs it seemed to stall out when idling down. After making the run from Windsor "Lakeview Park" to Port Huron I was entering the black river to pull up to Desmonds and pull her down and stalled out. I jumped down to re-fire the engine and my son couldn't make it down to the wheel before at 4 knots I ran into an all wood Bayfield. To say the least it was a mess.
 
You guys really know how to make me laugh in the morning. :thumbsup: As I would normally not tell on my self but this does seem to involve some therapy. (maybe a little more for the deleted group) I guess there are two that come to mind. Its on my first boat (17' foot open bow) First trip out after winter the fuel pick tube touching the bottom of the tank and starving the engine as I pull out into the very fast moving current of the river and punch th engine all but dies, I freak because I'm heading for bridge so I get it started and head fo sanding beach, well trim up is not working either, so I hit the beach and out drive. Solve the fuel problem and pull back out, now the the out drive has a dent in it that will not allow to turn, so here i am doing slow 360's to get back to the sandy beach. Walk three miles to marina and had a jet ski tow me in. The other was with the 260 middle of winter wind is howling as I come in to marina. (we have the camper inclosure up so we are a big kite) I ask my wife to jump off and grab the foward rails so I can get off. Next thing I hear is the scary sound off mife wife. I stick my head around and see her feet on the dock and her body stretching while still holding onto the rails. (yes I laughed) She's in trouble as she can't swim. Any ladies out there will understand what happened next she went into the having baby attitude of I hate you , I hate you while holding on for dear life. She's yelling get me in and I know the only way is for her to drop to the through ring and I'll pull her the ladder. I think you get the picture. She now keeps her vest on until the boat and her and secure. O did I mention this was a 6 year wedding anniversary trip. :thumbsup:
 
I guess I can tell this one because my wife was driving at the time :grin: (but I was giving her "directions". :smt043)

We were very unfamiliar with our lake and cruising in our first boat which was a 210 Sundeck which we had only had for about a week. We came upon an area with multiple buoys scattered around a large area making it a bit confusing for newbies. My wife said........ which way should I go? Being a bit confused with all the bouys :smt021 I tell her to go between two of them that were spaced real far apart. Yep.....you guessed it......... we went (or tried to go) right thru a sandbar. Well, the boat stopped pretty abrubtly as the skeg dug into the sand. Needless to say we learned the meaning of all the bouys very soon after that and I learned you don't give the Admiral "directions" either. :grin:
 
Thanks everyone for a great read this morning.

I have two to share.

First was in Charlevoix when my brother-in-law asked me to drive his Ski Nautique onto the trailer for him. I wasn't "hip" to rudder angle and when I gave it some gas, all of a sudden the boat was crosswise in the trailer. How did that happen? :huh:

Luckily, I had given it enough thrust that the boat jumped right over the trailer wheels and hit absolutely nothing. I was happy to relinquish the wheel.

Second was in the Bahamas anchored off Cat Island. I jumped off the boat to go snorkeling at the reef across the way and had failed to notice the tide was rushing out through the cut. Nor did I understand, way back then, how to get out of such a situation. A nice boater picked me up about a MILE out to sea and brought me back to the boat.
 
Left ear-muffs on and drove off.

(Different Day) Ear-muffs fell off on wash rack.

Antenna in trees when towing.

Beached boat on overnight camping due to tide going out - Waded out and pushed boat waaaayyy out and set the anchor. Had to swim to boat in morning. Shoulda stayed in bed all night.

Many more, but no time right now.
 
Left bow support down on trailer (on swing arm). Drove off, slammed on brakes, boat came forward just far enough for the bow to scrape the tail gate on the truck (about 4 feet or so).

Coming home with wide open throttle at midnight, and ran out of gas 1.5 miles from dock. Used cooler lid to "row" to shore, then drug boat in shallow water for 1.5 miles to marina (wife held flashlight looking for sharks and gators), pushed off the jettys to coast to dock. Took about 3 - 4 hours.
 
Mine was stupid and nearly resulted in very bad things. I took delivery of a new 260 on April 1st. I had several 19 foot runabouts but this was my first experience with a cruiser. After the dealer took me on a checkout cruise I decided it was smart to take my labrador retreiver for a ride. It was a great ride. When I pulled into the slip after the ride withought touching the sides I decided I was the best boatman ever. However, when I stepped from the swim platform to the dock, something went wrong and I found myself headed for the water between the dock and the boat. On the way down I tried to catch myself on the dock and immediately dislocated my right shoulder. So now, I am in 34 degree water, with one arm, no flotation device between a 7500 lb. boat and the dock that is not tied up with no one around to help due to the fact it is just the start of the season. To make a long story short, I was able to do a one arm pullup onto the dock (funny what adreneline will do when you figure out you might die quickly from hypothermia), tie the boat up with one good arm and drive myself to the hospital to get put back together. Oh and I forgot to mention, no sooner than did I get myself out of the water, a duck landed nearby and the dog decided to jump in and chase it. So I had to get her back on board.

Lessons learned. Wear a flotation device when you are by yourself, even if you have been on the boat 1000 times. When you buy a new boat, don't go by yourself until you have sufficient experience. Think safety whenever you are on the boat, it only takes a second to put yourself in a dangerous situation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,172
Messages
1,427,856
Members
61,086
Latest member
MrWebster
Back
Top