Whoops - that ws embarassing!

SailorChlud · #1 06-07-2020, 07:17 PM

Well, it has been a long time (I'm 56) but It happened for the first time today - I forgot to put the plug in at the ramp. I have no excuse - my wife even asked me if I did, and I must have said yes. But I was distracted helping put some other poor boater whose tie-down strap was jammed, and the ramp was packed, and the jet skis were roaring up and down the river, yada yada.

So launch went OK with a 13 knot wind at 90 degrees to the ramp PLUS an outgoing tide, PLUS the river current. Kind of gunned it in reverse into the current, turned downriver, and in a moment I was 30 yards form the ramp...with water coming up into the footwell of my Seafari. Yikes!

Had a flash of recognition, holy cow, no plug. Then: why no bilge pump on? OH --- its set to manual.. thankfully I turned right around and tried to get out of the channel, to a quieter spot, with some room to drift, while my son found the plug resting in its usual spot in the toolbox. Tried to put the plug in from the boat - whoops, can't quite reach down that far laying over the splashwell, contorted.... Yikes again!

Hustled back to the ramp, where there were 3 boats, a jet ski and a gaggle of 20 or so onlookers. Hot rodded to the ramp, and tied off at the end of the pier right under the gazebo where the crowd gathers to watch us idiots. Leapt into the 7 foot murky mucky river and screwed in the plug. Tightened with wrench. Emerged from the river water like t was radioactive to the crowd of adoring fans....laughing. their asses. off.

I acted like this was part of my usual launch procedure, then calmly restarted my engine and slowly motored away.....

NoBones · #2 06-07-2020, 07:45 PM

Do not feel bad, we have all been there !!
Went to launch by myself...
Trailer just right at the ramp for a roller trailer..
Push on bow as holding dock line with other hand...
All good till end of rope was NOT looped through the
cleat !!

Strong current, go figure !

Had to dive in and chase boat down...

Best part, late at night going Snook fishing, No one saw my screw-up !!

That was 28 years ago...

Tarpun · #3 06-07-2020, 09:15 PM

Oh the stories i could tell! Only thing protecting No Bones is the stories he could he could tell on me. Lotta tales after fifty years of friendship.

erebus · #4 06-07-2020, 09:47 PM

When I redid the transom on my 23 Sceptre I did away with the traditional drain plug and installed one of these in the bottom of the hull aft:

Can be screwed in from inside the boat, and I find it drains just as well if not better than a traditional plug!

https://www.amazon.com/Perko-0363DP0.../dp/B000FOW3RE

Capt Terry · #5 06-07-2020, 10:17 PM

I have had a permanent threaded plug in my Seafari since it was docked behind my former home in Palm City. However, my most memorable plug left out event was when I was a 16 year old high school student and had a Guatemalan exchange student staying with my family. The two of us drove to the White City Park on the north fork of the St Lucie River. I launched and left him holding the lines to my 14’ Lyman. As I returned from parking the truck and trailer, he was pointing excitedly downward yelling, “EL AQUA, EL AGUA”! I am thinking of course el aqua there is a lot of it here until I realized he was pointing into the boat. Fortunately when I jumped in the boat didn’t swamp. No bilge pump as I recall. Stick the plug in until underway, the. Pull it back out. Kind of a funny story through the years.

Capt Terry · #6 06-07-2020, 10:21 PM

I have had a permanent threaded plug in my Seafari since it was docked behind my former home in Palm City. However, my most memorable plug left out event was when I was a 16 year old high school student and had a Guatemalan exchange student staying with my family. The two of us drove to the White City Park on the north fork of the St Lucie River. I launched and left him holding the lines to my 14’ Lyman. As I returned from parking the truck and trailer, he was pointing excitedly downward yelling, “EL AQUA, EL AGUA”! I am thinking of course el aqua there is a lot of it here until I realized he was pointing into the boat. Fortunately when I jumped in the boat didn’t swamp. No bilge pump as I recall. Stick the plug in until underway, then pull it back out. Kind of a funny story through the years.

Capt Terry · #7 06-07-2020, 10:24 PM

I must have double clutched the submit button, and not alcohol induced!

bumpdraft · #8 06-08-2020, 09:43 AM

I haven't had the plug out of my boat in about half of dozen years. The auto bilge pump pretty much takes care of most rain water that leaks in (from stern hatches I asume). I see people at the ramp back boat up to water, then start loading fishing gear, coolers and yes , put plug in. Not a fan of that at all. I try to have everything ready to go when I launch and boat comes out the same way.
A very long time ago, before they had all the fish regulations they do now, we use to filet fish when on long trips. After being out at Marqesas for a few days, my friend took his cooler out of his boat and set it on the dock to lighten the load before cranking it on the trailer. We got about 40 miles north of Key West and he called me on the radio to inform me that he left his cooler full of fish on the dock. We didn't go back.

Capt Chuck · #9 06-08-2020, 10:07 AM

There was a reason I built the Gucci extended T-handle stainless drain plug in my 23'. I'm sure the new owner is enjoying the ease of pulling & inserting the drain plug while on the trailer or the lift.

flyingfrizzle · #10 06-10-2020, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt Chuck

There was a reason I built the Gucci extended T-handle stainless drain plug in my 23'. I'm sure the new owner is enjoying the ease of pulling & inserting the drain plug while on the trailer or the lift.

That's a sweet design on the tee handle, I may have to remember that one