Foolish Mistakes 101

When I was growing up. My dad had a 1964 16 ft Texas Maid. The trailer got a flat. The only jack we had was a ratchet car jack. That was tooooo long. put gouges in the side. He never did fix them. Also if you see needle bearings flying out the hub ,Stop. Also DONOT LOSE THE HUB NUT. As a family. we had a lot of fun with that boat. 1964 TEXAS MAID 16 ft with a 1964 75 hp V4 EVENRUDE. :D DONOT EVER FORGET to make sure the trailer is secured to the hitch ball. :shock:
 
Left the motor cover off an I/O I had advertised for sale. Big storm came in that very night and blew the boat cover off in just the perfect "V" funnel formation (up against the flame arrester) to fill the entire engine right up to the choke plate. Did not realize it and wondered why it wouldn't turn over.

Had a prospective buyer coming over in a half hour. Too embarrassed to tell him the story and not knowing the extent of any permanent damage, I just told him "sorry the boat had been sold". As I recall, he offered to increase the price if I canceled the other thransaction. Even a white lie doesn't seem to let you off easy.

Perfect case of Murphy's law.
 
Terry I did the same thing with my brother at the store. I just got my license and begged to to to the store for my mother, anything to drive. She made me take pat with me. When I got home I was unloading the car and mom ask" weres pat?" Oh Hell.. I ran back to the store and he was at the curb reading a magazine.

your just luck a eagle did not get that dog of yours, well not enough for a full meal.
 
So I see this small sailboat show up anchored in Henderson bay in front of our house.

Strange time of year to see that.

This bay is also very popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders and you know what that means.

The wind picks up a bit and I can tell the boat is dragging anchor at least a little.

More wind comes overnight as it does very regularly and I figure the boat dragged for sure.

The view that morning and still this morning.

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As I reread my anchoring book I am reminded that even the best gear (like I just bought for the 19) won't make up for a lack of poor judgement.
 
Fun thread that I had not seen before. I can add one: Problem caused by distraction (to top it off, the distraction was caused by anticipation of a problem that never even occurred).

Place was Lake Powell. This was my first real trip with the 22, and docking it is not easy for me as it's (for me) an "odd" combination of things that were different for me on other boats, that, put together, are tricky for me. For example:

Tiller steered outboard? Grew up with one and it feels like an extension of my arm.
Wheel? No problem, been driving cars for years.
Levers for throttle and transmission? Fine, had them on bigger, single-screw boats... but I'm used to them being separate levers (so when I want to speed up in reverse I push the lever forward like I'm used to...)

Putting the above all together in the same boat is proving to be a challenge for the old motor memory (and the mental visualization/understanding what I need to do as well, which for me is actually the main thing). Anyway, on this day a sub-group of the Powell CBGT gang was heading into Dangling Rope marina for re-supply. I'd been in there a few times before, so knew in general what to expect. There is a breakwater of sorts that you round (between it and shore) on the way in to the docking area. Was I focused on the task at hand? NooOOOooo. I was worrying in advance about docking the boat with an "audience" of experienced C-Brats. Bad move!

There is an unmarked ledge to starboard as you head around the breakwater. Well, there IS an orange ball there, but it marks the termination of a rope/anchor and not the ledge which is nearby but not under the ball. Not that that's much of an excuse. Naturally (and preoccupied), I swung a bit wide and ran right up on the ledge :oops: I felt like a total idiot as it was clearly visible in the sunlight, and plus I knew it was there from before. Jeeze! Luckily I was only going about 1-2 knots, and was easily able to back off (later I checked and it only put a whisper of a mark into the gelcoat... whew). To top it off, I actually glided *perfectly* into the slip (once I got there), but... no-one was watching anyway :roll:

I thus named it "Bonehead Ledge." I have managed to keep away from it on several subsequent visits, and now it serves as a reminder to focus on the task at hand, not possible future vanity/embarrassment. But..... stupid!
 
Aurelia":8r99ltce said:
As I reread my anchoring book I am reminded that even the best gear (like I just bought for the 19) won't make up for a lack of poor judgement.
Click to expand...

Wait a second, isn't a lack of poor judgement a good thing?
 
Aurelia":20nli44a said:
As I reread my anchoring book I am reminded that even the best gear (like I just bought for the 19) won't make up for a lack of poor judgement.
Click to expand...

Wait a second, isn't a lack of poor judgement a good thing?
 
How about forgetting to turn the fuel on when leaving the mooring. I can confirm that there is just enough fuel in the lines to get into the middle of the mooring field before the motor sputters to silence. Of course it happened with guest on board. And yes, the smart sailor should use a checklist.
 
johnr":apsjcshu said:
Aurelia":apsjcshu said:
As I reread my anchoring book I am reminded that even the best gear (like I just bought for the 19) won't make up for a lack of poor judgement.
Click to expand...

Wait a second, isn't a lack of poor judgement a good thing?
Click to expand...

Yeah I reveresed that on accident but didn't notice in time.
 
Topping off the diesel fuel tank with the potable water hose.

Leaving my significant other aboard alone with my "X" while I went snorkeling with the kids.

Aaarrggg!

Aye.
 
When adding fuel I always add my fuel additives (Stabil and Startron) first, then pump in the gas. so carefully measured the Stabil, poured it into the hole, crossed the cockpit and started to do the same on the starboard side. As I glanced over my shoulder at a "funny smell", I notice this pink stuff running down the gutter under the gunnel. Some idiot poured the Stabil into the flush mount rod holder instead of the fuel fill port. :oops:

Sure glad it was the Stabil and not the gas hose I put in there. :roll: :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
Plan to go to launch boat and moor in marina for big, exciting fishing derby next day. Wife comes to help, great! We plan to have nice, romantic dinner on boat after securing in slip.
Launch boat, tie to dock. See other fishing-obsessed C-Brat come in from fishing trip. Ask important, fishing related questions:
Any fish? Lost how many? Caught that many? Where? How deep? What lure did you use? What time?
Meanwhile, wife looks into boat and suggests I come over to boat. Yeah, sure, be there in a minute.
Wife implores me to get my a** over to the boat, now! Ok, guess I better get over and see what the big emergency is. Say goodbye to the other fish obsessed C-Brat.
Walk over to boat, OK, what's so important? Oh Sh**! Cockpit floor is flooded and water has crested and pouring into cabin. Wife's purse is sitting in the water. Uh Oh, gosh darn it. Wife asks, "Didn't you put the plug in?" Me says, "I guess not." All the while thinking I could amuse her while impersonating comedian Bill Engvall and say,"I sure 'nuff did, but I guess water is mysteriously coming through another hole down there, oh wait. there isn't another one down there....Here's your sign" or some other witty response. Instead take less volatile road.
Better fix this, I guess. Casually put plug in and turn on bilge pump.
Proceed to drive slowly out and get bow up and let pump do its thing. Wife plays captain while I open plug at bottom of cabin/cockpit threshhold to drain cabin floor and get on hands and knees with towel to dry floor.
With deck drying, moor in marina and enjoy dinner with wife and remark what a "special" time this is. Enjoying boating the C-Brat way!
:) :) :) :) :? :shock:
 
B~C":xkdyo77u said:
Harvey, Harvey, it sounds like you need to get a better nights sleep, maybe you should see somebody about that
Click to expand...

I Do Ken.. Check in with Sandman every day at work.......

10-12 hours each day. :wink: :arrow: :clock

Someday I'll get over it :rainbow

BTW, I've only pulled that one once.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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While snorkeling in Maui, I didn't understand why I was the only one hearing the humpback whales calling to each other under the water until my wife pointed out that I forgot to take off my hearing aids. Apparently me and the whales were on the same frequency until the aids shorted out.

I'll know the rest of the story when I get the repair bill.
 
Backed down the steep driveway with both outdrives down. No problem until the props and fins dug into the pavement. I'll never do that again.

Once, as a teenager, I forgot to strap the back end of dad's john boat down to the trailer. I realized my mistake as I crossed a rough railroad embankment and had the boat pass me to port.

Never pass under a bridge that has less clearance than your boat, including the lenghts of the brand new VHS and (then) Loran antennas, that had been installed only days before.

Never make a 90 degree turn in your dinghy unless you have personally checked to see if your teenager really tightened the transom clamps. It would have been nice if he had hooked the OB safety lanyard to the transom eye bolt.
 
Ignoring local advice: Water in the bay at our community dock is flat as a mill pond, my boat is secured to the dock, and I'm tired. Plus I know it all. Old timer tells me I'd better get her out on a buoy for the night. Brush him off and saunter off to the cabin...wind kicks up late that night. Next morning I find my boat with a grapefruit-size hole in the fiberglass from beating against the dock. Fenders had twisted on their whips and moved out of place. Mike. :oops:
 
Dinghy w/motor tied to dock (not very well). Dinghy w/motor drifts under dock. Tide comes in with dinghy/motor under dock. Dinghy/motor found underwater at end of mooring line.

There's more...

Dinghy put on simpathetic next-door-neighbor's boat lift (not very well). Come down to dock with kids next morning. Step in dinghy, toward the stern. Dinghy suddenly flips over with me landing in the water under dinghy. Come up for air -- kids hysterically laughing.
 
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