river_wolf
Well-known member
Well Not sure where on the board this fits, but somewhere between lessons learned and humor. Keep in mind, A} Excited about finally getting to take the boat out, B} worked all night and kept thinking about taking the boat out today C} First boat {Although I had it last year....} D} Frustration by the end of the day.
Well I came home from work this morning and raced in, took the dog out, fed him breakfast, changed clothes raced out, threw the tackle in the car, hooked up the trailer and took off in a mad dash for the lake. I get to the lake and with it being truly the first really beautiful day, the boat trailer parking is packed! But hey, they are already on the water and with me being by myself and never launching by myself, I knew it would take some time, Needless to day the ramp was clear, so I backed right up and checked my patch work from over the winter for leakage, GUESS WHAT!!
So in frustration, I just pull right back out and head for home to trouble shoot. Find that I guess it fatigued from hitting a pot hole on the road or something, but I didn’t want this to break my spirit, so off to Wal-Mart for my good ole friend, JB Weld. I go home and think “I am going to do this right, I get my wire wheel and clean the paint that I labored on out of the bilge around the cracks and start cleaning them up, mix the JB Weld and start covering the cracks in question. I go in to the house take a nap for a bit while it cures. Then I go back out and look at it with the scratched up paint, Well I cant have it looking like that, so I throw a quick coat of paint on it to make it look good. Thinking it will dry while going down the road, “It’s only the bilge” Ok, I lash down the back of the boat, and I look over and tell myself, “Don’t forget to put the plug in when you get there…. OFF I GO!
I get to the lake and have the nice gentleman remind me that they close at 6:00 till after Memorial day. It’s only 3 and I really only want to check the boat so no problem right? Right…. Head down to the ramp and there is a guy taking his sweet time lashing down his boat even though there are signs there that tell you to clear the ramp after you get the bow hooked up and go up to the loading area to secure your boat. But, hey, he has to wash and wax, shine his shoes, and what have you Mean while I jump out and take the back straps off, throw the tackle and vest in the boat then get back in my truck to finish watching this guy comb his hair, brush his teeth and what have you… FINALLY, he moves, I look over at the dock and it is LOADED with people fishing, Well that means I am going to have to ground the boat instead of waling it up to the edge of the dock. Oh well, no biggie right? Right….
I pull up, back right down the ramp FIRST TIME! Like a champ. People are looking at the boat with the “ODD” paint job. Get it down in the water and I run back to see if its leaking again. As I get back there, I see water GUSHING in the bilge!!!!!!!! I am like WHAT THE #($%! Then I look over on the seat and see the plug sitting there on its little tether!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, all these people are turning this in to a spectator sport now, as I calmly walk up to the truck and pull it back up off the ramp. 5 minutes later after all the water decided to run out of the drain, I put the plug in, and of course, I have no rags, or towels to sop up the water left behind so I can only gauge it now,
As I back down the ramp 4 or 5 times, in frustration, I finally get the boat in the water, and I don’t see a influx of any more water but spent about 2 hours out on the water and brought it back. Now, I will get some sleep tonight and wake up early REFRESHED so that I can jump up and do it all again. UMMM Without the drain plug incident…….. By the way, HAPPY EASTER ALL!!!!! Wife is out of town and I am by my self so I am going fishing!!!!!!
Well I came home from work this morning and raced in, took the dog out, fed him breakfast, changed clothes raced out, threw the tackle in the car, hooked up the trailer and took off in a mad dash for the lake. I get to the lake and with it being truly the first really beautiful day, the boat trailer parking is packed! But hey, they are already on the water and with me being by myself and never launching by myself, I knew it would take some time, Needless to day the ramp was clear, so I backed right up and checked my patch work from over the winter for leakage, GUESS WHAT!!
So in frustration, I just pull right back out and head for home to trouble shoot. Find that I guess it fatigued from hitting a pot hole on the road or something, but I didn’t want this to break my spirit, so off to Wal-Mart for my good ole friend, JB Weld. I go home and think “I am going to do this right, I get my wire wheel and clean the paint that I labored on out of the bilge around the cracks and start cleaning them up, mix the JB Weld and start covering the cracks in question. I go in to the house take a nap for a bit while it cures. Then I go back out and look at it with the scratched up paint, Well I cant have it looking like that, so I throw a quick coat of paint on it to make it look good. Thinking it will dry while going down the road, “It’s only the bilge” Ok, I lash down the back of the boat, and I look over and tell myself, “Don’t forget to put the plug in when you get there…. OFF I GO!
I get to the lake and have the nice gentleman remind me that they close at 6:00 till after Memorial day. It’s only 3 and I really only want to check the boat so no problem right? Right…. Head down to the ramp and there is a guy taking his sweet time lashing down his boat even though there are signs there that tell you to clear the ramp after you get the bow hooked up and go up to the loading area to secure your boat. But, hey, he has to wash and wax, shine his shoes, and what have you Mean while I jump out and take the back straps off, throw the tackle and vest in the boat then get back in my truck to finish watching this guy comb his hair, brush his teeth and what have you… FINALLY, he moves, I look over at the dock and it is LOADED with people fishing, Well that means I am going to have to ground the boat instead of waling it up to the edge of the dock. Oh well, no biggie right? Right….
I pull up, back right down the ramp FIRST TIME! Like a champ. People are looking at the boat with the “ODD” paint job. Get it down in the water and I run back to see if its leaking again. As I get back there, I see water GUSHING in the bilge!!!!!!!! I am like WHAT THE #($%! Then I look over on the seat and see the plug sitting there on its little tether!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, all these people are turning this in to a spectator sport now, as I calmly walk up to the truck and pull it back up off the ramp. 5 minutes later after all the water decided to run out of the drain, I put the plug in, and of course, I have no rags, or towels to sop up the water left behind so I can only gauge it now,
As I back down the ramp 4 or 5 times, in frustration, I finally get the boat in the water, and I don’t see a influx of any more water but spent about 2 hours out on the water and brought it back. Now, I will get some sleep tonight and wake up early REFRESHED so that I can jump up and do it all again. UMMM Without the drain plug incident…….. By the way, HAPPY EASTER ALL!!!!! Wife is out of town and I am by my self so I am going fishing!!!!!!