[Z280Bob]

Dumb Rookie Mistake #1 - Took the advice of my Marina Service Manager and ran some bleach through the water system to clean it out. First drain the tank by opening faucets and then poured some bleach in and filled it back up. Then tried to run the faucets until I could smell bleach. Had the faucets on for 30 minutes and nothing happened. Called the Service Manager over to see what the problem was and he thumped on the water tank and said that it was empty. I had bleached and filled the waste holding tank instead of the water tank.

Dumb Rookie Mistake #2 - Got on the boat ran the blower and tried to fire up the ignition. Nothing happened. Unlike some others in this forum I had the where withall to check the kill switch and it was not the problem. Called my salesman over and he checked the battery switch which was still turned off from when I left the previous week. Guess you can't start the boat on shore power alone!

[WetWilly]

[Tom]

Your holding tank will be meadow fresh!! You can truly say your s@#* doesn't stink!!

[wplaine]

Running aground at 30 knots in soft mud......

Only having one beer......

Thank goodness the tide was coming in and 45 minutes later we climbed on the bow and paddled to 6' of water

Lesson learned: Always have a full cooler

[Smackitwitha2x4]

Originally Posted by Z280Bob

I had bleached and filled the waste holding tank instead of the water tank.

Bet the Corn and Peanuts survived.......

[daveraymyers]

Not that this one tops that but the clasic one that every new boater does (sooner then later) is forget the drainplug when launching (only once for me, luckily with a previous fishing boat and not with our Mariah!)

A classic one that I saw at a launch ramp once just after we recovered, was while these other boaters where backing down their trailer to recover their boat, for some reason thought they should disconnect the trailer from the car! Hahaha!!!! Was funny for us but not for them!

Sometimes the hardest (and funniest) leasons we learn are the ones we make ourselves.

Dave

[jchemotti]

We had forgotten about the drain plug when launching it in the summer of '08. As my daughter was driving across the lake to our mooring, she called her dad to ask him why the boat was riding so low, and slow. He told her to dock the boat so he could check it out, and it took on even more water! Our neighbor later said that she should have gunned it and planed it up 'till the water drained. Live and learn...

[birdwatcher]

I watched a boater tie a heavy bow rope to the back of a trailer. I stopped and ask him why? He told me this way he does not have to get his feet wet while launching the boat. He said as I slowly pull the trailer out of the water the boat will follow. Then when the trailer clears the water I can stop and pull the boat to the beach. We talk for a few minutes and he got in his truck back the boat into the water to the proper depth. The boat floated off the trailer just like he said it would. Then, I guess he forgot about the rope and pulled the trailer out of the water very fast. The next thing I saw was a boat sitting on the ramp completely out of the water. He stop after feeling a major pull on his truck. After a few words came out of his mouth he looked over at me and said what am I going to do???? I wanted to launch my boat but the ramp was now closed. There were 5 other boats waiting to lanuch after me. He told me I guess I will just wrench the boat back on the trailer. This will invole draging the boat on the concerte ramp. I stopped him and sugested that we get the other 5 boat owner that was waiting to launch to help. So he back the trailer up to the boat and we lifted the bow enought to get the bow on the back of the trailer. Then I told him to back up slow. As he backed up we lifted and wrenched his boat back on the tailer. Well the good news was the ramp was now open again. The bad news was the bottom of this boat got to be rebuilt. The moral of this story is never loan your boat to someone that does not know how to launch a boat.

[180diablo]

Hmmm, can't top those..

But 2 seasons ago, I wasn't paying attention to the markers and smacked the skeg on a rock. But water levels were also up A LOT higher then normal, so had they been at normal levels I bet more damage would have occured. I have not had a chance to see the bottom since that time and boat was in storage all summer last year.

Another mistake, missing the drop cables when inside a lock with other boaters following up the stern watching you to see wtf you are doing.

Hmm one more, on Lake Couchaching (central ontario) I was coming back into the channel (slowing down my speed) a big arse cruiser was JUST getting onto wake at the time. Soooo a 18 foot boat vs 4 foot wake and the fiancee sitting in the bow under very low power equaled a tidal wave coming into the boat.

Lesson learnt, big waves, outta the bow ASAP and keep the bow up and plow it and hold on.

[95 riverboat]

ony my old boat i didnt put the outdrive down and was wondering why the boat was riding a wheelie untill the lake police pulled me over to see why i would do something like that

i was thinkin....this boat rides like %$#@