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Tower Near Miss


JoeFro

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I am the proud new owner of a 2006 Wakesetter VLX with an illusion X tower.  I have been working to get everything up and running on the boat and we have had it out a few times.  

Last night I was returning it to the garage and was about to back it in with the tower up, which would have likely damaged both the boat and the garage.  If not for someone yelling out to watch the tower, I would have definitely hit.  Just curious as to any tips that you may use to remember to put the tower down.  I am actually thinking of attaching the garage key to one of the tower pins so I have to pull the pin to open the garage.  This would require that I carry the pin with me when I leave the boat.  

Other near miss - or this one may be a hit.  We had to do a quick winterization late one night due to a coming in cold front.  First time through the process and evidently we did not get the J hose connected up properly.  Probably forgot to tighten the clamp because it ultimately detached it on the other end.  I ran the boat across the lake and looked down to see my bilge pump was on and we were taking on water.  That was a little scary but had it fixed in a couple of minutes.  Incredible volume of water through the J hose.

Joe Fro

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You didn't sink or overheat so I consider that a near miss.  I've never had a garage big enough to house my boat but I'd like to think I wouldn't forget to put the tower down after that first near miss.  

  • Like 2
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I've forgotten to put the mirror down (tower mounted) and made contact with the trim around the garage.  Still occassionally initially neglect that, but haven't completely forgotten again. 

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Put a small proximity sensor/alarm on the tower perhaps? 

I once forgot to take my mountain bikes off the roof of my car once and drove right in. That was an epic fail and made a mess of the bikes, car and garage! 

  • Like 1
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Since you almost hit the tower I imagine it will be ingrained in your mind now to always check the tower position. I know when I do something like that and get away scot free that I always remember for the future to not make the same mistake again

  • Like 3
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57 minutes ago, thejean said:

Put a small proximity sensor/alarm on the tower perhaps? 

I once forgot to take my mountain bikes off the roof of my car once and drove right in. That was an epic fail and made a mess of the bikes, car and garage! 

Noooooo!  The horror.

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Seems to me that the rookie mistakes are inevitable.   The question is how quickly the mistake is recognized, and whether significant damage is avoided.   Look at it this way, you caught it EARLY... good for you!

@minnmarker  Nice to have a list of things that I can forget with a new wake boat.   My prior boat was an I/O, I managed to leave the engine cover unsecured (caught it before wind tore the cover off), forgot the put the drive in trailer mode (caught by my crew before I dragged the skeg), and didnt get the key to the "off" position once - which cost me about 2 hours on my meter.   I still have not left the plug out yet (now I will have TWO to worry about right?), and I havent had ballast yet at all, so I cant have screwed that up yet.  

Noone is harder on me than me when I do stuff like that.  With the I/O, I did settle into a routine, which eliminated brain farts like that, but with the new boat, I have to get a NEW routine locked in quickly.  

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3 hours ago, minnmarker said:

Both rookie mistakes that many/most new owners go through. You'll likely never do either again. Enjoy.

Now just wait to do the following: Leave drain plug out; leave stereo on all night/week; forget to empty ballast bag(s) before putting boat on trailer or lift; forget to secure hatch before towing; not notice you're drifted forward on lift before putting boat in reverse; cut head on racks that are rotated in; etc.  Ask me how I know these things?  Many years of opportunities to screw up.

You forgot running over the rope and having to cut it out of the prop, forgetting to stow towels, lifejackets, hats, sweatshirts, etc and losing them to the lake gods, forgetting to pull anchor and take off, diving in with smartphone, launching without removing transom straps....I could go on forever.

Edited by braindamage
  • Like 4
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The list could go on and on. So many little things. 

Before we got a vdrive we had an I/O and our problem and worry was to always remember to raise the leg. I don't think we ever forgot completely but times were definitely close. I guess that's just another reason why these boats are so great!

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Once we came back in from a day on the lake at a friends house on the water.  I dropped him off so he could drive my truck and trailer around to the dock to pick me up.  We unloaded a few things at his dock and I took the straps off the wakeboards assuming he was gonna unload them.  (I was still in boat he was on dock).  I guess he grabbed one and not the other (mine).  I took off across the lake and as I usually do I was hitting it pretty hard to clean out the cobwebs from cruising around at 22 all day,lol.  I went down aways and did a pretty sharp turn and then on to the ramp.  We get back to the house and I am like "where did you put my wakeboard"?  He says I didn't do anything with it.  I am like crap! and jump on a jetski and take off to where I did the turn.  Had been out of the water maybe 15 min....no wakeboard.  Someone picked it up that quickly. Had had it a couple months. :(

That's just one of the stupid things I have done over the years...some more expensive than others.  The worst was the end of the first season I had owned my boat.  Going out with some friends on my B-day in October for the last trip of the year.  I was meeting them at the ramp....gorgeous sunny day....middle of the week.  I stopped to get some gas on the way and for the first time had to pull up to a pump on starboard side of boat.  I left the gas station and drove about 45 min to the lake.  When I arrived I was there first and got out to admire my shiny pristine boat which I had managed to put 100 hours on that year without a scratch.  As I walked around to the starboard side I noticed something funny looking.  OH NO!!!  I forgot to screw the damn gas cap back on.  For the last 45 minutes it had just beat the crap out of the side of my boat!  Somehow that dang chain held up the whole trip.  I was sick to my stomach. Friends arrived and we managed to have a decent day but that mistake was in the back of my mind all day.  Nothing several hundred in gel repairs couldn't fix, lol.  

Bottom line is you will probably screw up and have more near misses.  Usually you learn from them.  I find myself checking both of my caps before I leave a gas station even the one I know I didn't use.  Haha

 

 

 

 

 

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Worst I've seen is someone forgetting to lower the tower and smashing into a car wash/pressure washer stall.  It was bad.  Pretty sure alcohol was involved haha

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I towed recently with my transom straps too tight in the cold. Hello $1500 in gel cracks. And that is even before I've had the thing out for a maiden voyage. If this is a sign of things to come... :(

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Just now, thejean said:

I towed recently with my transom straps too tight in the cold. Hello $1500 in gel cracks. And that is even before I've had the thing out for a maiden voyage. If this is a sign of things to come... :(

Umm what?

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Just now, thejean said:

I towed recently with my transom straps too tight in the cold. Hello $1500 in gel cracks. And that is even before I've had the thing out for a maiden voyage. If this is a sign of things to come... :(

How cold is too cold? Also, how tight are people making them? 

 

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I'm not sure guys as this is my first boat and the previous owner ratcheted them down. But they were TIGHT! And it was only a few degrees above freezing on the 7 hr trip over pretty rough frost heaved roads. 

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Make it a practice that when you pull the boat out of the water, and are strapping down and cleaning out, the last thing you do before getting out of the boat, maybe even prior to strapping the boat to the trailer, is to lower the tower. I know it does not look as cool while trailering it, but at least it is down and wont get torn off by forgetting later. 

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6 hours ago, williemon said:

Make it a practice that when you pull the boat out of the water, and are strapping down and cleaning out, the last thing you do before getting out of the boat, maybe even prior to strapping the boat to the trailer, is to lower the tower. I know it does not look as cool while trailering it, but at least it is down and wont get torn off by forgetting later. 

can't tow most towers in down position.

  • Like 1
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Wow - thanks for all the responses.  I feel that I am in good company.  I had to to laugh at some of the stories, until I realized that I will probably make the same mistakes and more!  

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IMG_9834.jpg

 

This is my old MC X45.  

Anyone notice the different color stucco just above the garage door on the right side?  That is where I tried to back a boat in with the tower up.  Nobody was around to save me from myself that day.  

Rookie mistakes happen, you just pray you don't get hurt, or have to spend thousands on a learning experience.  

Edited by TallRedRider
  • Like 2
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On 4/26/2017 at 11:33 AM, thejean said:

I once forgot to take my mountain bikes off the roof of my car once and drove right in. That was an epic fail and made a mess of the bikes, car and garage! 

I did this exact thing. I was late that day for something, don't remember what.  

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