www.iFourWinns.com

I thought it would be a learning experience or lessons learned if we all expressed our boating accidents / booboo's / near misses.

The only story I have so far is being towed on a tube by the Admiral. It seemed like 50 knots while the boat was swinging from side to side to make my ride fun. I was waving frantically to say SLOW DOWN!!! It took me about 3 weeks to get over my back pain (severe) from that fun ride. Anyway.....I gave up tube riding forever.

The UFC should take on prop fighting!

Ok Gordon your turn.......................

Tell us your story!

Mine's just an "almost"....leaving the ramp/cove area to main part of lake I didn't see a jet ski coming on the right. It wasn't even close but still I was in the wrong for not seeing him on my right.

Like I said he was a ways out but I know he had to slow down and allow me to go but once I realize my mistake I felt stupid. Just took it as a lesson to be more thorough at that point in the future.

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2005 Horizon 210, 5.7L Volvo

I dropped a coors light can on the swim platform this weekend. It was ugly.

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Mojo
North East River, MD
04 268

Damn, that is a tragedy. Glad nobody was hurt!

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

It would be more like WWF (or whatever it's currently called ...) .... it's fixed!

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

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

Not exactly my story, but it came up due to my prop kicking foolishness ....


One of the guys that I work with (a systems programmer), has an artificial left leg. I never knew why (didn't think it was proper to ask). He was asking me about my foot and then said something about how he had bone and tissue fragments popping up and out of his leg for quite a while. So, I asked.... "what happened to your leg?".

"Shark ate it ......." , he says.

Oh .......

He is a sail boater & lives on the boat with his wife (in Portland, ME area). Years ago, he was in the Bahamas, swimming. Never saw it coming.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

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

Classic

Around 1988 or so, I was skiing behind my dad's boat at Lake Perris, California. Cut outside the wake, cut back, launched off the wake, back foot came out of rear binding, twist. Broken growth plate in my knee.

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Matt-

2007 Four Winns H190
Earth First, We'll Mine the Other Planets Later

The beer turned out to be OK, right?

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

So the lessons learned so far are - don't wrestle with your prop, don't feed the sharks, and especially DON'T drop your beer!!!

Uh, and don't ride on the back of a jet ski with your 15 year old daughter driving. 'Nuff said.

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

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

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

Mine was similar to FWFords but it wasn't my back that was hurting. It was a windy day, enough to make a pretty good chop and there were no takers on the tube so I decided to get the fun started. My wife was driving the boat and I must have been in bad standing with here because it was a ride from #*!&. Not to long into the ride my shorts started to slide down so I was waving for her to slow down but it was to late, I completely lost them before I let go. WOW does that hurt the family jewels!!!!

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1985 170 Horizon

Last year while attempting to slip in 25 plus mph winds and rain my wife attempted to jump off the bow with the line and fell into the water when the wind pushed the boat away from the dock. Luckily she was able to swim around the dock to another boat and pull herself up with the lines. She dislocated her shoulder, that she popped back in while pulling herself out of the water. Lessons learned..
NEVER JUMP FROM THE BOW
With inclement weather grab the easiest slip, and worry about sorting it out the next day.

We were VERY fortunate, and everytime i climb aboard i'm thankful how luck we were.

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Michael Bova


"Swept Aweigh"
2003 Four Winns 328 Vista

Previous Boat
2003 Crownline 230CCR

Here's the potentially worst and recent OOPS for me. This Sunday the Admiral and I were on our way to meet up with Walt on the river for the Air Show, but due to the condition of the ramp opted to stay ashore. The plan was to drop the boat/trailer and go downtown to a place overlooking the Airport. Just as we got the trailer unhooked the Admiral tells me about a place she seen others viewing the show at a place only a few miles away and there would be room to bring the boat. I hooked everything back up and off we went. All was fine till I made a right turn. The truck lurched to the left so I look in the mirror to see the boat and trailer swinging to the left of the lane and relived I forgot the tongue pin. We pull to a stop and I jump out put the pin in(had to raise the trailer slightly) and check for visible damage which there wasn't any(LUCKY) and was back on the road before my sister and brother-in law caught up to us to see that anything had even happened. Just glad we get up on the highway immediately.

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Mike
Smithville, MO
08' Hayabusa, 2011 Subaru Outback, 03' Infiniti G-35 S.C.

Busacharger - your story reminds me of one of mine acouple years ago. We had a pontoon and used a jetski to have speed fun. Bought a brand new 2007 yamaha FX cruiser HO. The Admiral was bringing her towards the trailer and when she got about 1/2 way up the trailer hitch lifted right off the ball. It had been a long day on the water so without thinking it through I moved the truck up a little so I could put more weight on it by pushing it down to get it hooked up again. This was while all of these ramp watchers are watching all this. I move the truck up and the trailer tongue smacks right into the truck tailgate.............company truck. Someone finally helped me get the tongue down and the Admiral was glad she didn't have to hang off the back anymore. So $200.00 bucks later it looks good as new.

Since I have bought 12 hitch pins. I have extras everywhere so ther is no excuse why one isn't where it shoud be.