Stupid Happens!!

Well, just a chance to laugh at me.....Woke up to a beautiful morning here in NorCal and thought "I am gonna drop the boat in the lake (Berryessa) and go for a cruise." I needed to put the boat in the water and check on a few things and make sure all of the improvements were working properly. Well, since I went up by myself, I had to launch by myself, no biggie. Launch it, tie it off, park the truck, untie it, cruise. Easy right? Should be, but in my "it is such a nice day" haze, I forgot to pull the rope into the boat after I untied it from the dock. Clicked it in gear and instantly remembered the rope, but not before it had wrapped up a bit on the prop and shaft. 17 years of driving boats, both recreationally and professionally, and I finally wrapped a rope. So, I stripped down to my shorts and hopped in, swam under the boat to unwrap the rope. Let me tell ya, 54 degree water in trunks to untie the rope around the shaft is not fun. This should still be easy right? Well it was, until I found out how damn sharp the prop really is. I cut my hand in 3 places while yanking on the rope and when I got out of the water, I was bleeding like a stuck pig! FUN! Had to take the boat to the lake didn't I? So, after unwrapping the rope, doctoring up my hand, and wiping up all of the blood that was everywhere, I got to go for a cruise on the lake. The day was great, after a slow start. Moral of the story, props are sharp, stupid happens, and it helps to keep the rope out from under the boat, LOL. Summer will be here soon.....RD

Nice!

On my last day out this year, I wrapped the rope around my prop also.. I was waiting for my rider to get ready and the current was strong and I started to drift into the weeds, click it into gear and it was already to late. Sh*t happens!

Don't ya hate that. Ussually happens when people are talking to me and I am not paying total attention. I ruined my best rope and handle last year the first day I took it out because I wasnt paying attention and let the rope sneak under the boat.

We always say, "it's not a matter of (if), but....(when)"!!!

I've done it twice now in 27 years of boating. Once was an anchor buddy late at night with just my girlfriend and my self and the other time was a handle (brand new of course) in really heavy current.

Sucked both times. Happens to the best of us, and yes the props are sharp. Pretty sure I ended up cut up both times.

Dont' take it personal. It's winter, so you're out of practice!

Stupid Question. Im guessing you were right at the dock. Why didnt you just put your boat back on the trailer and pull out just enough to un tangle the rope while your boat was on the trailer. Wait! Then you wouldnt have a story. LOL sorry that happend to you. I have never wraped a rope on my boat "Knock On wood" Yett. But I have had to do it on 2 other friends boat's And Yes that prop is sharp. You have to be very carefull. Now that I think of it If I ever have to do it again Im gonna wear some of the ski glove's. Always have some goggels in your boat as well.

just curious, what do you do for a living that you get to opperate boats?

Yaaaah....putting it on the trailer was like admitting defeat, plus I had kinda floated away from the dock already. lol. Oh well, swim felt good later, once I thawed out. For the job, it was not much of a living, but I drove boats and taught skiing and wakeboarding for the Mission Bay Aquatic Center in San Diego while I was going to college. Real shame to have to teach young freshman cuties how to wakeboard, but someone had to do it...Thanks everyone for reading and laughing with/at me

I once launched my tournament ski boat in the San Francisco bay in February. Long story what I was doing in the bay in a ski boat in February.

I was alone, and it was early in the morning. I launched the boat, tied it to the dock, went and parked the car.

When I got back to the boat the water was already covering the carpet.

Yep, I forgot the drain plug.

It was like 7:00 AM, cold and foggy, and the bay is coooolllllddd!!!

I didn't think that I had time to go get the trailer back so I stripped down, grabbed the plug and over the side.

I hadn't planned on getting wet so I had no towell to dry off. It was salt water so I was cold and sticky the rest of the day. Not one of my more pleasant boat trips....

This is exactly why I carry a sharp knife. I think it's a bit easier cutting the rope off then trying to unwind.

yep, 2 knives in our glove box haha. (Good for fending off Pirates too ) But yeah, don't even worry, I think we all have our horror stories that we can look back on and laugh a little.

You are in Woodland and go to Berryessa often? If so, we are pretty close. We should link up and get some trips going once things warm up again!

Rod M....tough luck for sure on the plug in your boat that morning. Fortunately, or unfortunately for me....I learned that lesson a long time ago with my Dad's bass boat instead of my Tige.....launched it, beached it, went to park the truck, and came back to a boat with the rear half full of water and my lunch and tackle floating everywhere! Luckily I was beached! Got in the water, put the plug in, and bailed with a minnow bucket, with the bilge running for almost an hour. Since that day (and the years that followed of my Dad teasing me and telling the embarrasing story to everyone he knew), I have an automatic paranoia that checks the plug before I leave the house to go to the lake, once while I am getting ready to launch, and probably once more just before it's backed in! Stupid is as stupid does!

I got two. First I was putting my uncles boat in the water while I was waiting on my friends. I forgot the plug and by the time I got back to the boat the gas cans in the back were floating. Once I realized what I did I put the plug in ran and got the truck and jammed it half sideways on the trailer. Then pulled the truck up and let the water run out while and watched the people laughing at me. I felt like an idiot.

The other time we were out riding and one of my friends showed up at the dock so I just told the rider to let go when we got close to the dock. He let go I just kept on going to the dock to get my friend. Well it was windy and he was moving slow so in the process I backed over the rope. So I was stuck at the dock with the rope around the prop, the wind blowing me to the shore, and a rider stranded out in the water. It was a disaster. In the process of helping me my friend thought that he dropped his keys in the lake so he was freaking out as well but he had actually thrown them into the boat. Luckily I was able to untangle the rope, without goggles or a knife, while my friend held the boat off of the rocks. It was a disaster and I felt like an idiot but I learned a couple of things.
1. I always check the plug twice.
2. I always pull the rope in when it is not being used.
3. If you forget to put your plug in just get up to speed and the water will drain out through the plug hole, once you get out as much as you can put the plug back in and let the bilge do the rest.

I too am an idiot. I ran over my rope, got it all tangled up in the prop, and had a hell of a time getting it untangled. Worse yet, I fried one of my 2 cutlass bearings and had to pay a ton to get it replaced. Won't be doing that again!

worst launch/boat trip for me was our first.
we dropped the boat in, which weighs close to 3000 punds with a chevy s10 2.2 liter engine!!!! first mistake!
which was ok dropping it in, and we went out for a cruise, while we were out, one guy lost his hat, b/c we were going full out!
and we came back in to the dock, forgot to trim the engine ofcourse! and then the truck would not pull the boat out, so we literally pushed the boat out! and then while we were waiting, my little brother almost fell in, and my mom grabbed him before he fell in off the dock, and dropped the keys in the lake while doing so! (keys had no floats!!!) so my dad waded in, this was january 1st!, swam down and got the keys to my moms car!!
so ummm yea, beat that! lol
we now have floats on all of our keys, and carry an extra set of keys in the boat, we also upgraded the truck to an f-150 which tows amazingly well, even though it now has 110,000 miles on it!
also, we have never forgot to trim the engine sine, except for when my dad went out with friends!-its usually my job to drive the boat onto the trailer, and trim it!
gosh, that was a fun day lol

RD, sorry to hear about your mishap, but...damn, looking at that smooth water makes me anxious to get back out there.

Warmer weather is around the corner!!!