scary day

So what did you tear up with the log? Only the prop?

Other mistakes to avoid...hmmmmm...don't bet on the Bears or Ohio St.

We actually haven't had it back on the water yet, but we have had it looked at and they couldn't find anything wrong with the shaft or anything other than the prop, but the prop was pretty bad. We will put it back in the water sunday.

Hey thanks for the tip on securing the boat to the trailer. That sounds like it was quite an ordeal. I hope it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Were you able to fix it?

As stupid as it sounds, I think we all have had the experience of forgeting the drain plug. Mine was making the mistake of not checking myself and thinking my son had put it in. I ended up blowing through a slow no wake to get the boat to the shore station!

Dobbin, There was quite a thread on hooking the boat to the trailer while launching or pulling out The general concensus was that it's important no matter what you've heard about CC's "drive on - off" trailers. We heard from several people that ended up with their boats on the ramp. Watch out for the logs!

Welcome to the world of boat ownership!!! It doesn't matter how careful you are, it seems that at some point in time, something happens that you just want to kick yourself in the ass about.

A couple of things that I've had the pleasure to experience;
1) The plug (or lack there of). Also make sure that the plug is not only in but in very snug. Just last summer, I found the plug had worked it's way out after we had been on the water for almost two hours. I had been distracted while putting in the plug and probably only tightened it a turn or two, not all the way.
2) Backing the trailer too far into the water and without guide posts, hammering the prop against the steel trailer when the boat got off center. Ouch!!!
3) ALWAYS CHECK ALL GAUGES before you leave the trailer!!!!!! Make sure that everything is normal (the water temp wouldn't be but . CHECK ALL GAUGES occasionally during your boating session. ALWAYS!!!!!! I've had the alternator go out twice on me in the middle of the lake and end up getting towed in when the battery went dead the first time. The second time I noticed that the alternator wasn't charging and the battery was all that was running the boat. Made it back to the launch without incident just because I was watching the gauges. Those gauges are there for a reason, use them. I've gotten to a point that I give all gauges a quick look every couple of minutes.
4) Make sure that you use some sort of trailer tie-down on the back of the boat. The first time you hit a good bump and the rear end of the boat jumps a couple of feet into the air and slams back down on the trailer, you'll remember!!!


I've also started carrying a remote starter switch in the boat that has saved my bacon more than once and a couple of other boaters too. Takes up no room and only costs a couple bucks.

Hey Joe, What's a "moc". I'm here in the midwest and have never heard the term. A "native American" ??

On that note, everyone have a safe boating season.

My drain plug hangs between the throttle control and the neutral button. If I attempt to start it without the drain plug in, the drain plug will clank out of place and hit the floor. So far, no issues.

Ken

Joe, Thanks for filling me in! I didn't know that the mocs liked their boards that much!!

Sounds like the bottom of the ramp was washed out from people powering their boats onto their trailers. CC I think invented the concept but now I see the newer trailers have winches on them. I really hate it because I've been there with the trailer wheels in the bottomless pit from the powering on to the trailer.

Dobb I never left my boat on the ramp, was just giving some insight of what not to do. As 8122 stated there is a rather indepth thread on whether to hook the boat to the trailer or not while launching and loading.

I hope never to leave one on the launch ramp.

i forgot my drain plug when nite on my old renken.we were going out at nite to catfish when my buddy standing in the boat yells "hey theres a lot of water in here". i replied to him that thats because it rained a few hrs ago.it finally dawned on me the plug wasnt in..so clothes on and all i dove under the boat and put the drain plud in..after the boat was half full of water..

Don't do this.

Ski, Yeh, have you ever noticed all the scrape marks up the center of the ramps?

It's not much fun trying to pull someone out of the water and into the boat without anything to step on. It does pay to be a good friend once in a while for times like that.