As we all count down to spring, I thought I would come up with another topic we could all chime in on . The picture thread was great and if you didn't post, or have more pictures to post, go ahead. I loved all of them.
After you read some of my bonehead moves, none of you would probably step foot with me at the helm but oh well here they go.
1. The first year we had a boat (225 Sundowner), we took a cruise on the Ohio River. Part of our cruise required us to go through a locking system, which I had never done. I did learn about it thruogh the Power Squadron Boating course. So I did as I recalled and hailed the lockmaster on the VHF Radio. I didn't get a response. Someone who had done the trip before me told me that sometimes it can take up to two hours to get through so be patient. Well, patient we were and we waited for almost 2 hours. I had my inlaws with me to make it worse. They got the food out and made lunch. A barge began to approach and the lock doors oppened so I figured "what the hell", so I proceeded to enter the barge lock only to get yelled at by someone working the lock. He told me to go the other side and sound the alarm. Unnoticed by me and my crew, was a large bright yellow 4'x8' sign that clearly stated "for lockage, please pull chain". So we pulled the chain, doors opened and away we went. Just to show how big of an idiot I am, I will even share the picture with you.
2. There is a large lake in the hometown that I grew up in, by the name of "Lake Wawasee". We have gone up there almost every year at least once and rented a slip at this small marina. To get to our slip we had to go through this tunnel. The 248 Vista would barely fit but I had to put down the bimini top. You can all see where this is going. So one night, we went out for a late night idle cruise. As we come back, of course I am not dumb enought to go through the tunnel with the bimini up. So my crew and I lowered the bimini and proceeded through the tunnel only to hear. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. I had forgotten to put down the anchor light pole and that sound was the light hitting the top of the tunnel. It broke the plastic socket but was easliy repairable.
3. Before we began slipping our boat last season, we had a really nice oversized garage that one of my wifes coworkers (a doctor) so gracioulsy let us keep our boat in. Well, it was no treat to back this boat into this garage because of the way the drive way was layed out. But I was always able to get it in eventually with enough swearing. Well usually once I had the dang thing lined up and the door opened, I would just back it in, ...........except I forgot to put the bimini down on the boat before I backed it in. oops! I bent the hell out of my poles. Thank god they were stainless steel because I was able to bend them back into place. I wasn 't just dumb enough to do this once though, I did it a second time a couple weeks later. DOH!
4. Last boating trip of the season last fall, it was my wife and her father. We were going to take one last cruise around the lake before we pulled it out for the summer. Sometimes as a captain, you have to trust your crew. Especially when they have been on your boat numerous times and know what to do. Well, we got the boat all untied from the slip, power cord was unplugged and safely on the dock, and we began to pull out of the slip. Only to be reminded after the fact that I (it's ultimately my faulty being the captain) and/or my crew had forgotten to disconnect the water. So, as part of my spring commissioning, I have to install a new water hookup to the transom of the boat.
5. The last one that I can think of for now has to do with a deinition of a "small craft". I have had a waverunner, a 22ft cuddy, and now my 248 Vista. To me, ( and especially when it's on a trailer), my boat doesn't look like a "small craft". Well, the wife and I had 2 summers ago to Launch from East Chicago and cruise up to Chicago and stay the weekend for a Cubs game. After work on Friday, we drove up to East Chicago and got there at about 6:30ish. Now, I know better than to go out on Lake Michigan without checking the weather. So, I check the weather to hear 4-6 ft. waves with a small craft advisory. Like I mentioned, I didn't consider our boat a small craft (at the time). I figured if we went slow we should be fine. WRONG!!!! We launched the boat and began to head out. I had the tabs all the way down as to be on plane at the slowest speed possible. After coming off of one wave and hitting the next, the 10ft walls of water that spalshed off the bow, were enought for my wife and I to do an about face. We put the boat back on the trailer and drove it to Chicago. Finding a launch ramp at 10:00 in downtown Chicago was not easy. So, lesson learned that I do still have a small craft and 4-6' waves means, don't go out on the Lake.
Ok, now it's your turn.
48 Days till Launch, 34 Days till she comes out of storage
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) and she said have fun, but don't call me from the ER. You know where this is going. Needless to say doing cookies at 40 mph in white caps is not a good idea. I through the jet ski side was and skipped across the top of the white caps until it caught and through over the handle bars. I of course hung on to the throttle and the jet ski spun as I was falling and ran over me. Had a 2 inch skull fracture and was bleeding from a head wound, my nose, and mouth. My friends said it looked like I had face paint on there was so much blood. You would think that would be enough, but the story gets better. I am floating in the water with no one around and blood everywhere. I reach up gently to touch what I was sure was a busted noise and found it in tact. The blood was flowing down my face so I knew I had to get to shore. I finally climb up on the Sea Doo, which was white, and proceed to head back to the dock. I look down and the jet ski is now red instead of white. I hit the no wake bouy and guess what I did. Yup I slowed down to 5 mph. I took a few seconds to realzse that being covered in blood was justification for breaking that rule and I sped up and headed to the dock. I hop off the jet ski and start walking up the dock leaving a trail of blood behind me. I will never forget this moment. I look up about half way down the dock and see this beautiful girl standing there and smile and say hi. She screamed and jumped into the water. Long story short my buddy had to call my mom for me since she said not to call. 
