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First Weekend Out Error
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Author:  jason24 [ Mon May 19, 2008 12:30 pm ]
Post subject:  First Weekend Out Error
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.

Image
Author:  AmericaRocks [ Mon May 19, 2008 12:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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...
Author:  Paradise [ Mon May 19, 2008 12:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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
Author:  BrentC5Z [ Mon May 19, 2008 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
Noob, we were all one at some point.
Author:  1NiceHarley [ Mon May 19, 2008 3:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
Done the same thing our first trip out! Forgot to trim up the motor.
Author:  B.Nichol [ Mon May 19, 2008 4:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
Forgot to trim up on my last boat.
Author:  M3eater [ Mon May 19, 2008 8:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.......
Author:  Architectdave [ Tue May 20, 2008 7:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.
Author:  mastequila [ Tue May 20, 2008 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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 !!!
Author:  my200winns [ Tue May 20, 2008 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.

Image
Author:  AmericaRocks [ Fri May 23, 2008 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.
Author:  230 Mike [ Fri May 23, 2008 10:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.
Author:  M3eater [ Sat May 24, 2008 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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:

Image
Author:  230 Mike [ Sat May 24, 2008 3:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
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.
Author:  AmericaRocks [ Sun May 25, 2008 9:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First Weekend Out Error
230 Mike wrote:
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.


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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