www.iFourWinns.com

OK so this was the first weekend I had to boat out. After a wonderful and successful day out on the water for the first time in my boat and the first time as the Capt of a boat everything went well. The ramp was not busy when I got there so I was able to take a little more time launching the boat seeing as I have never launched a boat before. It was launched and everything was good. Took it for a little ride. Went to a little hang out dropped anchor and had a pontoon boat pick us up and take us in to the resturant to grab some food. After that I headed back to load the boat up and call it a day. Drove the boat up on the trailer no problem. Hooked the saftey strap up and the trucked pulled me out. While being pulled out I hear a scraping noise and knew something was wrong. I had forgotten to trim my motor up. Lesson learned this will never happen again. Here is a picture of the damage.

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2008 H200SS
4.3 merc
2008 Chevy 2500

Don't feel too bad. I think many of us have done the same thing. Mine is even a little better. Last weekend we launched our boat for the 3rd time. The first two times, my brother was there to help, but this was the first weekend for my wife, son, and I. Park the boat, pull the trailer around and swap with the wife. I get in boat, pull boat on trailer and leave it running while I go up to make sure it was on the roller good and have my 9 year-old son, hook up the strap and crank it down. Went very smooth. While looking over the front to make sure it doesn't slip back, tell my wife to slowly pull out. We get to the top and I hear this engine running...of course, it was mine...run back and turn it off. I also did not trim up my motor, but fortunately, my outdrive did not scrape. My son said he was watching it the whole time (of course, he thought his dad knew what he was doing or he would have said something). He said it had about 3 inches to spare.

Hopefully, I didn't hurt anything (like the impeller) running the engine without water (it was only around 30 seconds)...I haven't had it back in the water yet and we're planning a 3-day boating trip this weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Like you said, I'm pretty sure this won't happen again, but...

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John
2001 Four Winns Horizon 230
VP 5.7 GSi / DP
2007 Ford Expedition EL

Everyone has a "doh" moment every once in a while...wait til you forget to put in the drain plug. Thats a mistake you only make once

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2007 Four Winns 220SS (Sold!!)
2006 Toyota Tacoma

Noob, we were all one at some point.

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

Done the same thing our first trip out! Forgot to trim up the motor.

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav

Forgot to trim up on my last boat.

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08 210 SS Sunset Orange 300 Horse MPI Bravo1
98 Dodge Ram 12 valve Cummins 425 RWHP

That's too bad, Jason ... I know the sick in the stomach feeling ......

You can file that back into shape and hit it with some Mercruiser spray paint and no one will ever know.

I've been boating for many years (and many boats) and still make those occasional ....DUhhhh.... mistakes. Typically due to too tired or too much going on and distracted.

Over the years, I've done most of them:

* No drain plug

* Float the trailer (leave the transom straps on)

* Ding the prop on the ramp

* Back down in the water too fast and have the boat darn near pull my wife off the dock

Hmm ..... I'm sure there's more.......

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Dont feel bad, i whacked a rock at 20 mph on day two of our new boat. Been all over the lake never knew there was a rock there. Take a file and smooth the edges over it will be fine. If you ever really smack it you can get new skegs welded on pretty cheap.

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Guns kill people like spoons make people fat.
2007 Horizon 190 Gxi
97 Pathfinder SE 4x4
73 International Scout II

I hate those Gel Coat scratches..
The first one you cry, the rest you just put your arms up in the air , crack open a cold one and say OH WELL !!!

Our boat is 1 year old and 120 Hours on it already .. We have a few war wounds !!!

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2007 Four Winns 220 Horizon SS
Boat name = Mooring Debt
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Lick it, Slam It, Suck It

I also have some battle scars on my skeg as well. This was probably the second or third time out with the boat. This happened while my wife was pulling me on my wakeboard, as I started to surface I heard a loud smack and saw the lower unit bounce up. I thought oh Sheet, She hit a rock! That was a scary sight & sound. I thought for sure the lower unit was gone. I had the dealer file & straighten it out and it's good as new.

Many on this site probably remember my cries for help!!! Thanks again to all who help me put my mind to ease, buy letting me know that this was not a major problem.

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2005 Horizon 200 LE - Volvo Penta 5.0GXi 270

Ok, my Memorial Day weekend is off to a scary start. I am renting a cabin in a park I've never been in and while driving down the road, I went over a bump or railroad tracks or something that snuck up on me and I probably went to fast. The boat got a good jolt, but everything appeared to be fine. Well, after getting my boat parked tonight and I started to work on mounting my spare tire, I realized that both my winch strap (a little old and planning to replace) and my front tie down were both broken and the boat is sitting about 4-5 inches from the from front roller. Like an idiot, I didn't have my back straps on because I am generally just taking my boat a very short distance from storage to the ramp. When I saw this, my heart skipped a beat and I am still a little concerned that there may be some boat or trailer damage that I couldn't see. I will inspect the trailer good when after I launch the boat in the morning. Fortunately, I had another winch strap that I was planning to replace tonight anyway and I had my back tie straps so I've got one in the front now.

If I survive this one without there having been any damage, I will count my blessing and continue to pray that I don't have any more close calls.

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John
2001 Four Winns Horizon 230
VP 5.7 GSi / DP
2007 Ford Expedition EL

I hit a bump like that once, and know the feeling. However, I did have my straps on . My advice is, get under the transom when you have very good daylight to see, and get up very close to the gel coat all along the bottom edge of the transom, from one side to the other, and look for any hairline cracks. Check your windshield for any looseness or play. If everything's OK in those two areas, you're probably fine.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Never... never .. never .... trailer without both bow and transom tie-downs. Of course, now you know that. Besides the heart-skipping possibility that your boat could have fully come off the rear of the trailer (eventually), it likely bounced at the transom ... hence, Mike's suggestion to look for any signs of stress.

You never know ... even on a short hop to the local watering hole .... what may come up.

You certainly don't want this:

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

A little trivia for some of the new 1st-time boat owners out there - the point of your transom straps is not to hold the boat down on the trailer; none of the straps made are strong enough to hold a 2-ton boat down in a hard bounce. Their purpose is to hold the trailer up against the boat so that whatever they do, they do it together.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I had never thought of it that way. I'll be sure to get a new front tie down and hook up the transom straps from now on.

I will try to get up under the boat in the morning and check for any cracks.

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John
2001 Four Winns Horizon 230
VP 5.7 GSi / DP
2007 Ford Expedition EL