Tell us your boat horror stories

[Al Czervik]

On 7/8/2018 at 3:40 PM, PNWguy said:

Now that all the boat people are in here...

What is good and bad about this boat?

 fishing

 

I don't know anything about freshwater, I/O craft, but it ain't got no rod holders. ?

[F14Scott]

This was supposed to be a reply to SmokeRoss's post. Don't know why it didn't show up.

 

In the jet, it is called "out of the envelope," meaning the ejection envelope. Sometimes, because the mission requires it, you do things that, if they go sideways, will be beyond the seat's capability to save you. Supersonic flight, 60 degree bombing runs down low, inverted flight crossing ridges, stuff like that. Anyway, you always knew when it was happening, and it was never comfortable.

 

Nowadays, I get that same feeling when out in the wilderness or out on other people's boats. More than, say two miles from civilization in either case, and it's too far for me to crawl with a broken leg or swim for it. I bought a PLB and take it with me whenever I'm OOTE.

 

I was just on a great diving trip in Belize, on a beautiful, chartered 40', triple 200 hp outboard, dive boat with a crew of three. We cruised 90 minutes at 30+ knots to get to our spot, and it was spectacular. But, when I asked the captain what he would do if we lost all electrical power, he said he'd try to use the VHF radio (wouldn't work without power) or maybe push the red "emergency" button on his console-mounted GPS (also wouldn't work without power). Our cell phones were out of range.

 

I was very glad to have had my little $350 PLB life insurance policy, and he was very interested in it, too. Without it, we were a dead battery away from Gilligan's Island.

 

ACR Aqualink View PLB - Programmed... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AC821PW?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[Bow Commander]

I don't own a boat, but have enjoyed reading all these stories! The types of threads are always my favorite on forums. Say, we need a "creepiest things you've found/come across in the wilderness" thread. 

[DaveD]

Went to check oil on the inboard. Dip stick was about 4" long, slipped half way out and hit the battery. Started to arc and jump like a pogo stick. Went to grab it, too hot, grab with a rag, rag starts on fire, took off my shoes and used them as oven mitts to grab it.  Lucky I didn't blow up!

[janice6]

This wasn't a horror story, to me at least.

But.  Two of my colleagues at work knew I had an outboard/boat, and fished.  They decided that we should take a fishing trip to Lake Mille Lacs in MN.  This is a large but shallow lake, about 40 feet at maximum depth.

I told them my boat was a "Drag and Ski boat, 15 foot long, covered bow, no keel..  They had no reservations.  I had a 70 HP Evinrude outboard with 3 six gallon tanks w/valve selection.

One of the group was an avid fisherman of this lake.  The other was a cabin owner on a very small lake, and also an avid fisherman.  He also was a paraplegic with leg braces from Polio. 

We set out and decided to go to the mud flats in the center of the lake.  After a few hours, the sky started clouding up and the wind picked up.  Eventually the wind produced waves from 3 to 5 feet high and the resort fishing launches left for shore.

We decided to stick it out for a little while, and when the waves got to around 6 feet plus, we made plans to get to shore.  The best chance we had was to go to the opposite shore than we launched from and wait out the storm.  I quickly found out that I had to use full power to climb each wave, and then cut the throttle to slide down the other side.  Quickly we started taking green water over the windshield and a considerable gymnastics were necessary to keep from being thrown out.

At one point we punched through the next wave near the middle, and picked up quite a bit of water.  The bilge pump wasn't able to handle this much water, but it did what it could.

The next wave flipped us straight up and then we fell straight down.  I had the wheel  in my hand, my front passenger had a grip on the grab bar over the windshield, and my disabled passenger on the back bench seat disappeared.  I thought we lost him over the side.  Turns out he said, he did a flip in the air, and came down next to the guy in the front seat and on the floor.

I continued to full throttle up the wave and no throttle down the wave.  We went through six gallons of gas to go about 4 miles.  We finally got out of the wind and took stock.  We had water sloshing about 2 inches deep on the floor and I even had to wring out my billfold.  The rain was so heavy that the resort we finally arrived at, had two boats tied to the dock, sink they were so full of water.

We finally got calm weather and went back across the lake to load up and leave.

 

It was unanimously agreed that this was the best fishing trip any of us ever had.  I decided I needed a bigger boat!

[Walt Longmire]

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 10:14 AM, F14Scott said:

This was supposed to be a reply to SmokeRoss's post. Don't know why it didn't show up.

 

In the jet, it is called "out of the envelope," meaning the ejection envelope. Sometimes, because the mission requires it, you do things that, if they go sideways, will be beyond the seat's capability to save you. Supersonic flight, 60 degree bombing runs down low, inverted flight crossing ridges, stuff like that. Anyway, you always knew when it was happening, and it was never comfortable.

 

Nowadays, I get that same feeling when out in the wilderness or out on other people's boats. More than, say two miles from civilization in either case, and it's too far for me to crawl with a broken leg or swim for it. I bought a PLB and take it with me whenever I'm OOTE.

 

I was just on a great diving trip in Belize, on a beautiful, chartered 40', triple 200 hp outboard, dive boat with a crew of three. We cruised 90 minutes at 30+ knots to get to our spot, and it was spectacular. But, when I asked the captain what he would do if we lost all electrical power, he said he'd try to use the VHF radio (wouldn't work without power) or maybe push the red "emergency" button on his console-mounted GPS (also wouldn't work without power). Our cell phones were out of range.

 

I was very glad to have had my little $350 PLB life insurance policy, and he was very interested in it, too. Without it, we were a dead battery away from Gilligan's Island.

 

ACR Aqualink View PLB - Programmed... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AC821PW?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

I bought a PLB last year. I have taken it into the mountains on a goat hunt. I take it with me when I head out to my remote cabin. Also have taken it along on a few boating trips. I even take it along on road trips to Anchorage since the cell coverage is spotty in many areas.

[t4terrific]

I own a boat. That’s my horror story.

Abandoning the boat and turning the boat trailer into a utility trailer would be a happy ending.

[XSIV4S]

I'm not sure how they managed this one?

 

[Hoochrunners]

I used to race SST-60 in its early years. Modified LeMans start off the beach, second or third lane racing for the first turn buoy. Guy in fourth lane turns left early and is now sideways right in front of me. Classic chop. It was either go right through him destroying both our boats and likely seriously injuring him or yank yard left at 80mph with my front end still aired out. I yanked. Hit him hard but parallel enough. Instead of my boat being flat to the water it turned up 90 degrees. Right side was down. Left side was up. Received lots of comments saying they could read my boat number on the bottom of the boat. Both of us sustained damage. If I stopped I would sink. I hurt for a couple weeks. 

And then there was the time I stuffed the entire boat under the water at 5mph. Rescue boat that was slowly heading out for our heat was deep in the water putting up a massive wake.  First wave fine. Second wave I stuffed. My safety capsule filled with water. Boat flotation yanked everything in reverse. Crane operator said I was completely gone. All I saw was green water.