- Aug 25, 2008
- 1,819
- Boat Info
- 2006 320 V-Drives 6.2s, Bow Thruster, Generator, Raymarine C80, Radar, Fish Finder
- Engines
- 6.2 Horizons 320HP
Ok. After reading several posts where people shared some of their boating mistakes I thought it would be good to start a thread where people could post some of the dumb things they (or their friends) did while boating that had disastrous consequences. Hopefully we can all learn something and not repeat these mistakes.
I have a few stories, but I’ll start with this one.
Back in the late 80’s I bought my first boat. A 1979 260 sundancer with a Merc 260 and Alpha 1 stern drive. The first winter I owned it, I winterized the engine and removed the plugs on the exhaust manifolds to drain the water. When I put one of the plugs back in it didn’t tighten up correctly. It was snug but turning it more didn’t tighten it. The former owner had placed a bunch of gasket sealant (orange stuff) on the plug so it probably was already stripped. I didn’t have any sealant with me :huh:so I left the plug in the way it was and planned on dealing with it in the spring. :thumbsup:
Spring came, the sun was shining the air was warm and I got the boat ready for launch. I reinstalled the batteries and the stern drive. I hooked up water with the ear muffs and started the boat on land and let it run for about 10 minutes. I checked for leaks and everything looked fine. :smt038 I completely forgot about the plug on the manifold. The marina launched the boat, I jumped on and off I went.
I was alone on the boat and was heading north from Lawrence Harbor up through the Arthur Kill water way towards Bayonne. This waterway is heavily used by oil tankers and offshore tugs pushing garbage barges. It was early April.
I was on plane heading north, just south of the Outer Bridge Crossing and came across an oil tanker that was being turned around by tug boats. I had to stop and wait for the ship to get out of the way. When driving, I noticed that nose of the boat was rising and there was something wrong with the trim tabs. When I pushed the buttons for the trim tabs the engine slowed down. :smt017 When I came off plane, the boat stalled. I tried to restart it but the motor wouldn’t crank. I opened up the bilge and there was water up to the intake manifold. :wow: The batteries were under water. My trim tabs were fine. I WAS SINKING.
I was on the left side of the channel, drifting back towards the middle and I couldn’t start the boat. I was being pushed by a very strong current coming down the channel AND THERE WAS A VERY LARGE BARGE HEADING IN MY DIRECTION.
I picked up the VHF got on Channel 16 and called a SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE to alert them of my situation. :smt100I explained that I lost power in the channel and was trying to get my boat restarted. I asked them to try to get the captain of the barge to stop because I was drifting on a path that was going to put me directly in front of him.
I forget what happened next, but it was clear that the tugboat was still heading down the channel towards me and my boat was not going start.
I ran downstairs grabbed a life vest and put it on. I then went to the front of the boat and in total desperation, threw the anchor out with as much line as I could. I didnt have time to lower it. I just threw it all over board. (I was in about 45 feet of water).
At this point the barge was less than 1/8 of a mile away and my boat was going to float right in front of it.
I got back on the VHF, shaking like a leaf and told the Coast Guard that the barge was not stopping and that I was about to jump over board. Just as I did this, the anchor took hold, the line got tight and I started to pivot on the anchor line. I wasn’t sure if it would swing enough to avoid the barge. I stood on the side of the boat and prepared to jump. The tug boat was blowing his horn at me and I was waiving my life vest back at him. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. The current was pushing him. I stood on the side of my boat getting ready to jump and the barge got closer. I got lucky. The anchor trick worked. I stopped drifting and the barge passed me with about 10 feet to spare.
After he passed, I pulled up my anchor and drifted all the way to the other side of the channel and dropped anchor again outside of the channel. The batteries had enough juice in them to run the bilge pump. I pumped out the boat, found the plug in the bilge and screwed it back into the manifold. A NJ State police boat came by after hearing my calls and I convinced them to give me a jump start. I got the engine running and idled back to my marina.
Welcome to boating…
I have a few stories, but I’ll start with this one.
Back in the late 80’s I bought my first boat. A 1979 260 sundancer with a Merc 260 and Alpha 1 stern drive. The first winter I owned it, I winterized the engine and removed the plugs on the exhaust manifolds to drain the water. When I put one of the plugs back in it didn’t tighten up correctly. It was snug but turning it more didn’t tighten it. The former owner had placed a bunch of gasket sealant (orange stuff) on the plug so it probably was already stripped. I didn’t have any sealant with me :huh:so I left the plug in the way it was and planned on dealing with it in the spring. :thumbsup:
Spring came, the sun was shining the air was warm and I got the boat ready for launch. I reinstalled the batteries and the stern drive. I hooked up water with the ear muffs and started the boat on land and let it run for about 10 minutes. I checked for leaks and everything looked fine. :smt038 I completely forgot about the plug on the manifold. The marina launched the boat, I jumped on and off I went.
I was alone on the boat and was heading north from Lawrence Harbor up through the Arthur Kill water way towards Bayonne. This waterway is heavily used by oil tankers and offshore tugs pushing garbage barges. It was early April.
I was on plane heading north, just south of the Outer Bridge Crossing and came across an oil tanker that was being turned around by tug boats. I had to stop and wait for the ship to get out of the way. When driving, I noticed that nose of the boat was rising and there was something wrong with the trim tabs. When I pushed the buttons for the trim tabs the engine slowed down. :smt017 When I came off plane, the boat stalled. I tried to restart it but the motor wouldn’t crank. I opened up the bilge and there was water up to the intake manifold. :wow: The batteries were under water. My trim tabs were fine. I WAS SINKING.
I was on the left side of the channel, drifting back towards the middle and I couldn’t start the boat. I was being pushed by a very strong current coming down the channel AND THERE WAS A VERY LARGE BARGE HEADING IN MY DIRECTION.
I picked up the VHF got on Channel 16 and called a SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE to alert them of my situation. :smt100I explained that I lost power in the channel and was trying to get my boat restarted. I asked them to try to get the captain of the barge to stop because I was drifting on a path that was going to put me directly in front of him.
I forget what happened next, but it was clear that the tugboat was still heading down the channel towards me and my boat was not going start.
I ran downstairs grabbed a life vest and put it on. I then went to the front of the boat and in total desperation, threw the anchor out with as much line as I could. I didnt have time to lower it. I just threw it all over board. (I was in about 45 feet of water).
At this point the barge was less than 1/8 of a mile away and my boat was going to float right in front of it.
I got back on the VHF, shaking like a leaf and told the Coast Guard that the barge was not stopping and that I was about to jump over board. Just as I did this, the anchor took hold, the line got tight and I started to pivot on the anchor line. I wasn’t sure if it would swing enough to avoid the barge. I stood on the side of the boat and prepared to jump. The tug boat was blowing his horn at me and I was waiving my life vest back at him. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. The current was pushing him. I stood on the side of my boat getting ready to jump and the barge got closer. I got lucky. The anchor trick worked. I stopped drifting and the barge passed me with about 10 feet to spare.
After he passed, I pulled up my anchor and drifted all the way to the other side of the channel and dropped anchor again outside of the channel. The batteries had enough juice in them to run the bilge pump. I pumped out the boat, found the plug in the bilge and screwed it back into the manifold. A NJ State police boat came by after hearing my calls and I convinced them to give me a jump start. I got the engine running and idled back to my marina.
Welcome to boating…
