Lets hear about your boating accidents.

[kwold]

About 10 years ago, I was jet skiing (well I was on a wave runner) with some people in the bay near Alcatraz, SF, CA. That was a day I will never forget.

We were clowning around jumping the wakes off the huge ferry boats. One A hole in the group decides he needs to show off near pier 39. So he does some submarines and stuff, then decides it would be a great idea to fire hose (basically sitting on a jet ski's nose, thereby raising the rear end allowing to shoot a jet of water) the sea lions that inhabit the docs by pier 39. I told my friend this aint good and we start to leave wanting no part of it when the coast guard shows up. They wrangled ALL of us together and threatend us with a 3500 dollar fine each if we even come close to those docks. Man that guy was a retard.

Then the group desolves and my friend and I decide to stay out a bit longer near the golden gate bridge. We go clowning around there when my friend nails something big time and flys off his ski. My first thought was Oh crap, we hit a damn Sea Lion. I help him recover his ski and we start to circle in case we did hit something living. Well about 10 yards off our stern the object surfaces again. It was a dead body!! It looked fake, but just to be sure I stayed with the corpse and my friend goes off to get the coast guard. Well, we got to see them haul up the body ( they use a hook and hook the body up by its waist line ). We were freaking at this point. The coast guard told us it not very uncommon to find bodies near the Golden Gate. In fact, it happens so often no one really even reports it anymore. It was pretty bloated and nasty looking.

So we decide, enough fun for 1 day and head back to hunters point to go home. We spied one last ferry on the way back and my friend HAS to jump one more wake....

So I idle in a circle as he speeds off towards the ferry. I see him launch about 7-8' straigt up into the air. The only problem was he came straight back down and his ski did the splits (Pole Handle and body decided to try and go in different directions). He was ok, but he cracked the nose right off his old Kawi 550. We had a hell of a time towing that thing back to shore on my crappy wave runner 650.

That was the last time I rode my wave runner. Stuck to the Glastron boat after that...LOL.

Edited November 27, 2006 by kwold

[pennery]

About 10 years ago, I was jet skiing (well I was on a wave runner) with some people in the bay near Alcatraz, SF, CA. That was a day I will never forget.

We were clowning around jumping the wakes off the huge ferry boats. One A hole in the group decides he needs to show off near pier 39. So he does some submarines and stuff, then decides it would be a great idea to fire hose (basically sitting on a jet ski's nose, thereby raising the rear end allowing to shoot a jet of water) the sea lions that inhabit the docs by pier 39. I told my friend this aint good and we start to leave wanting no part of it when the coast guard shows up. They wrangled ALL of us together and threatend us with a 3500 dollar fine each if we even come close to those docks. Man that guy was a retard.

Then the group desolves and my friend and I decide to stay out a bit longer near the golden gate bridge. We go clowning around there when my friend nails something big time and flys off his ski. My first thought was Oh crap, we hit a damn Sea Lion. I help him recover his ski and we start to circle in case we did hit something living. Well about 10 yards off our stern the object surfaces again. It was a dead body!! It looked fake, but just to be sure I stayed with the corpse and my friend goes off to get the coast guard. Well, we got to see them haul up the body ( they use a hook and hook the body up by its waist line ). We were freaking at this point. The coast guard told us it not very uncommon to find bodies near the Golden Gate. In fact, it happens so often no one really even reports it anymore. It was pretty bloated and nasty looking.

So we decide, enough fun for 1 day and head back to hunters point to go home. We spied one last ferry on the way back and my friend HAS to jump one more wake....

So I idle in a circle as he speeds off towards the ferry. I see him launch about 7-8' straigt up into the air. The only problem was he came straight back down and his ski did the splits (Pole Handle and body decided to try and go in different directions). He was ok, but he cracked the nose right off his old Kawi 550. We had a hell of a time towing that thing back to shore on my crappy wave runner 650.

That was the last time I rode my wave runner. Stuck to the Glastron boat after that...LOL.

That's horrible.

[relentless]

We beat all the Wally's out to favorite cove in our old '85 Ski Centurion on fine Saturday morning. I coasted to a stop and got the wakeboard out on the deck and noticed that the water was up above my ankles. Hmmm I thought. Usually the water is just barely over the teak even with the FatSac full. I mentally ran thru my prelaunch checklist and drew a blank when trying to remember putting in the plugs (all 3 of them). I hollered at my wife "THE PLUGS!!" thinking that would spin her into action since I was already half way into my bindings. Well, she panicked and became motion-less. So in short order I had to remove my bindings and hop into the drivers seat. Said a quick prayer to the carb gods that she fire on the first turn and motored across the lake wondering what I was going to do. A quick check of the mid-ship drain plug revealed it was in place so it was just the two stern plugs that were out. Those are out of the water once you're underway so we were safe as long as we were moving. So we drove around for about 15 min wondering what we were going to do. Finally I remembered a shoreline that was very gradual and drove over to it. I figured if we could beach it and hop out and plug it quickly it wouldn't be too bad. Thankfully the plan worked although we must have looked very funny both bailing out the back of the boat as it skidded to a stop on the beach and plunging our heads under the platform. Luckily neither of us dropped a plug and the bilge pump saved the day.

Of course by the time we got it all figured out and taken care of...drumroll please...there was not one but TWO tubers destorying our glass. Man did I feel dumb.

On the plus side, I learned my lesson because this has only happened once since we got the 'Bu.....

we did the same thing in our old MC we now own a BU but after i had pulled it off i waited for about 15 min. for my dad to park the car in the mean time the boat was filling up and i had no idea. Luckily i leaft the engine running. we he got in we turned around and took off. about half way to our spot the engine starts to sputter and and i start to slow down until i see the plug light is on so i floor it luckily my uncle was at his dock so we phone him. in the end we were able get it up on the lift. only problem is that we had left it on the trail so it was anywhere between our house and the ramp. After stealing a plug from the local dealer (i called it borrowing without asking with the intent of returning) and it didnt fit we used my brothers plastic paint ball barrel plug.

[gonorth]

Hey Beakley, I don't think those tubers messed up your glass. I am guessing you did a pretty good job of it cruising the lake for 15 minutes draining the boat.

Note to myself. Don't boat near the golden gate bridge.

[Peacock]

I have a couple of stories to share on this topic...The worst I ever did first.

When I bought my first boat it was with the intent of learning about boating...I grew up economically challenged, so boating was out of my realm. I bought a 84 19 ft. bayliner crapi with a 94 140hp suzuki outboard. Paid 2 K for boat and trailer. Took it to a suzuki guy who said the boat was crappy, but the motor was worth more than what I paid. Got into wakeboarding right after that...(this was in '98 I think). Trying to max the boat, I bought sacks, and a pole.

The lake we frequented at the time has a bridge that you can cruise under, but you have to duck if you are standing. My boy loved going under the bridge. One day I headed under the bridge forgetting about the pole, and kathunk! Slammed the pole into the bridge. I did a great job installing the pole because it stopped us instantly, and didn't bust out. I have a bunch of story's about that boat, but that is my worst accident.

The funniest one I saw was a guy who was trying to launch his center console with a mini van. The boat was about 26' on a triple axel trailer. By the time he got his boat to float, so was his van. His wife (in the van) started screaming as water was rising in the van so the guy in his boat decided to try and push the van back to solid ground by accelerating his 26 footer back on the trailer and pushing. It looked like it might work until the van tires hit ground. It was still in gear and shut off so created quite a bit of resistance. The boat creeped up the trailer until it hit the bow roller and kind of stopped, but the guy his the gas even harder and he got his boat to go up over the bow roller and smash the back window of the van.

I ended up towing both the van and the boat out of the way with my truck, but I was laughing the whole time.

[Baddog]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

It was only a Ski Nautique, so no harm, no foul.

[relentless]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

It was only a Ski Nautique, so no harm, no foul.

i have seen pics of that but always wondered how people do

[Texasguy]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

Hey Now, Don't be lumping us all together as "Silly Texans" Notice the T A&M on the back of that guys truck. Those guys are Aggies not just Texans!!

The funniest thing about that picture is the guy standing on the ramp looking like he is throwing up.

This is the kind of picture that deserves a Caption Contest. "Back it up till the water covers the wheels ... a little bit more ... OK that's good"

[eubanks]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

Hey Now, Don't be lumping us all together as "Silly Texans" Notice the T A&M on the back of that guys truck. Those guys are Aggies not just Texans!!

The funniest thing about that picture is the guy standing on the ramp looking like he is throwing up.

This is the kind of picture that deserves a Caption Contest. "Back it up till the water covers the wheels ... a little bit more ... OK that's good"

The ATM is photoshopped. There was a thread on Wakeworld about this picture. I have to protect my Aggie brothers!

[gonorth]

The guy ralphing on shore must be the owner of the truck. Notice that the dog house of the Nautique is up, oh so typical...

[Faceplant409]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

Hey Now, Don't be lumping us all together as "Silly Texans" Notice the T A&M on the back of that guys truck. Those guys are Aggies not just Texans!!

The funniest thing about that picture is the guy standing on the ramp looking like he is throwing up.

This is the kind of picture that deserves a Caption Contest. "Back it up till the water covers the wheels ... a little bit more ... OK that's good"

Or doubled over in laughter...

P

Lets remember it COULD be mechanical failure of a brake cable in a manual trans truck...

[88Skier]

Not my accident...

But a funny pic nonetheless. Silly Texans...

Hey Now, Don't be lumping us all together as "Silly Texans" Notice the T A&M on the back of that guys truck. Those guys are Aggies not just Texans!!

The funniest thing about that picture is the guy standing on the ramp looking like he is throwing up.

This is the kind of picture that deserves a Caption Contest. "Back it up till the water covers the wheels ... a little bit more ... OK that's good"

Or doubled over in laughter...

P

Lets remember it COULD be mechanical failure of a brake cable in a manual trans truck...

...then he should have chocked his wheel. At least his boat is still afloat. I've always wondered if the boat would float the trailer.

[VinRLX]

I've always wondered if the boat would float the trailer.

Apparently, the boat has enough bouyancy to hold the trailer up, but not the back end of the truck.

[Baddog]

I've always wondered if the boat would float the trailer.

Apparently, the boat has enough bouyancy to hold the trailer up, but not the back end of the truck.

If it had been a Malibu, I bet it could have held up the truck.

[Beau]

Years ago my cousin was running his Century Resorter about 40 mph on Lake Rabun in NE GA. It had that screw type throttle. He and the rest of us were sitting on the gunnels like dumbasses. (This is years before those shut off lanyards were even thought of. ) Caught a wave that turned us hard to port. We all including the driver went in the drink and from the water we watched that thing run right up on the bank! Go home and explain THAT ONE to Dad.

[GoldschlagerVT]

We were at Powell a few summers ago with my cousins Tige. We found a nice spot, parked the houseboat and decided to teach his daughter to kneeboard. We were out in the middle of the cove, doing about 10mph when WHAM. We hit a rock that was sticking up in the middle and bent the drive shaft. Got it all the way over to shore vibrating so if it would sink, it would rest on the shore. Luckily no damage like that. But when it's your only ski boat, it put a dampener on those last two days... We had to two it all the way back to the marina with the houseboat and jet skis. Luckily it was late in the year so there weren't a lot of boats over by the dam. If there had been, towing a Tige behind the houseboat could have been even more of a disaster

[MIKEGOUGH1]

Last summer we had both the Malibu and our pontoon boat at the launch, very busy saturday morning, 10-15 knot wind blowing, which makes launching a pontoon boat difficult. A couple of old timers in a 60's era

fishing boat with a old Merc outboard in the launch area off to the side with the engine up, and on the foot they had some of the bolt on plastic fins to help it plane off. Launched the Bu, then tied it up and went to help the wife with the pontoon boat. I should have been on the pontoon as Diana had not had much experience with the pontoon, but she wanted to drive it and me the Bu. So I backed her down in and she backs off the trailer. Looking good until the wind caught her and started pushing her over towards the old timers. Oh *(&%!!!. Whack, snap. There goes the plastic fin. Diana puts it in forward trying to get out of the area, old timers fussing. After some damage control and a $20, they calmed down. We laugh about it now, but at the time it was not very funny.

[Big Dubya]

the boat i had before this one was a 21-foot sailboat that i had restored from salvage (i miss that boat).

the first time i went to launch at Nacimiento, the launch guards made me pull into the parking area to set-up my mast and rigging, then get back in the line (always a long-line at the launch ramp in the summer) to launch. (this was after waiting in that line to get up to the ramp where you pay to launch)

well, after setting up (which was no quick task) i pulled the truck & trailer around to go back to the end of the line.

didn't really take note of the trees planted along the side of the drive... and the branches only about 12-feet above ground level...

SNAP!!! BANG!!!

oh no...

let's just say, i did some tree-trimming for free... and luckily didn't tear the mast off the boat (that's a different story). i sure was and it didn't help with all the toothless redneck jetboat owners laughing at me in the lot.

After that I would refuse to go back to the end of the line after waiting and paying... i'd make them let me go straight from the parking lot to the ramp.

[chathamsolutions]

On MBO there was a guy who said he took his boat into the dealer and left it there after the dealer was closed. He took the boat off the trailer ball and started to walk away. The truck started to move - he hadn't put it in park and when he ran to get it the boat started to roll too, he hadn't chaulked it either.

Reading his story was incredibly funny. I tried a couple time to find it again, but wasn't able to. It was a great read.

[NorCaliBu]

I remember that story Andy. It was kind of like that one where the bonehead let his boat start rolling down the driveway towards his truck so he jumped in between the boat and the truck and ended up shattering his wrist... ...what a maroon!

Man I do some dumb things sometimes.

[chathamsolutions]

yep. That's the one. They were similar, but the first one was funny. Yours was just sad becuase I could see myself doing the same thing. Reflex to save your Precious.

[obski]

This whole thread could be filled with Andy's stories.

It's not that the rest of us don't have stupid moments. We just have more pride.

[VinRLX]

They were similar, but the first one was funny. Yours was just sad becuase I could see myself doing the same thing.

Nah, both stories were funny. I remember the one you've mentioned, Andy. I can see the whole thing happening in slow motion. Michael's story is funny because, well, it's Michael.

[Mike00LXI]

OK, here's my stupid moments story. I used to be part of a ski club that is more like a party club with a skiing problem. Anyway, it's around...1 am and a bunch of us decide to go skinny dipping because it was a full moon. So about 20 people jump in my boat and we drive down to the launch ramp and launch the boat. We motor out a ways from the launch area and have a good time. As we idled our way back to the ramp my wife was driving and she looks over at me and says...honey...I think there's something wrong with the motor. Half paying attention, I reply...Nah...nothing's wrong. A few seconds go by...Honey...I really think there's something wrong with the motor. My reply....relax babe....A few more seconds go by. Honey, I think we're running out of gas. My reply, Nah...there's plenty of gas, Don't worry. About 2 minutes later Cha chunk, Ca clunk...silence. Oh s*** I say...I think we just ran out of gas! Wife rolls eyes at me. Good news is 3 of the ladies on the boat were strong swimmers so we tied a rope to the bow and they swam the boat to the dock....naked of course

Moral of the story....don't run out of gas on the lake in the middle of the night unless you've got naked chicks on your boat.

[VinRLX]

Moral of the story....don't run out of gas on the lake in the middle of the night unless you've got naked chicks on your boat.

OR. . .if you've got naked chicks on your boat, be sure to pull the "ran out of gas" routine.