You Cant Make This Up

[jhoffman]

70 degrees yesterday, I took a half day off work. Buddy told me the river was really low so I hooked up my boat and went to a susquehanna impoundment, 30 min drive get there and the launch is closed. Closest one from there is an hour, Im already off so I go for it. Get there and it has white cap waves and 30mph wind coming straight down the lake. Not today in a 16' aluminum so I head home defeated. Drove 100 miles and never even backed in.

Wake up in the middle of the night last night and it dawns on me.... the key was still hanging on the hanger by the front door. Even if I couldve fished I couldnt have fished more than the trolling motor.

One of those days that was not meant to be I suppose.

[GreenPig]

Truck glove compart doubles as a spare key holder too. Most of us have a similar story.

[Zcoker]

Man, I feel for ya. I've had similar situations. I now have a detailed "fishing list" in my notes on my phone that I can check every time I take off. I'm also on top of the weather for any given area that I may go fish. 

[jhoffman]

26 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

Man, I feel for ya. I've had similar situations. I now have a detailed "fishing list" in my notes on my phone that I can check every time I take off. I'm also on top of the weather for any given area that I may go fish. 

I havent owned a boat in 2 years, on my 4th and probably final iteration unless I hit the lottery. We have been riding SXS' so much that it didnt even cross my mind. You cant get that thing out of the garage without a key.

A key is now living in the truck.

[Jig Man]

Why do you take the key out?  I never have.

[TOXIC]

Ranger plus.  1234 Start…..1234 Start.  No key needed although I do have a keyed ignition I can plug into the keypad wiring harness if it fails.  I recon that code will start 99% of the Rangers with keypads. ?

[WIGuide]

I usually leave my keys in the boat, but the spare set is in the glove box of my vehicle. The spare set has the keys for the trailer locks so I can't pull out of the driveway without at least a set of keys...now having the keys in the boat when it get's backed into the water is a whole different story lol. 

[gim]

43 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Why do you take the key out?

I presume that if the boat/trailer is stored outside, then you would remove the key.

 

Like you, my boat is kept in my garage so my key is always in the ignition.

[jhoffman]

Got in the habit of it fishing nation and traveling to places like the potomac river. Not exactly a place to let a key in anything. Where I live I can let my doors unlocked.

[TOXIC]

When I had my old NITRO guide boat, I would leave the key in the ignition but one trip home the floaty on the key ring was enough to pull it out of the ignition and out of the boat.  Going forward, it lived in the glovebox or teathered to the throttle handle.  

[Susky River Rat]

8 hours ago, jhoffman said:

Get there and it has white cap waves and 30mph wind coming straight down the lake.

Long level gets down right scary and it doesnt take much wind to do it.  Anything over 10mph look out. Something with the way the wind funnels through there. 
 

I keep my a lock on my hitch and that key is on my boat key ring. I can’t take the boat out of the garage without it. Now if I am going in a trip somewhere I take a spare set.

[Eric 26]

3 hours ago, jhoffman said:

Got in the habit of it fishing nation and traveling to places like the potomac river. Not exactly a place to let a key in anything. Where I live I can let my doors unlocked.

You are lucky and I’m jealous. When I was growing up, I’m 54 next month not only did my parents leave the door unlocked but on more than one occasion they left the front door completely open with only the screen door closed. Nowadays although I no longer live in the neighborhood I grew up in I wouldn’t dare not lock my doors overnight.

[BigAngus752]

I'm one of the "extra key in the truck" guys. 

 

I have also driven an hour just to turn around because the weatherman predicted the storm going a different direction.  Just part of the experience I guess.  Glad you turned around.  I'd hate to be reading a new article someone posted on here about you!

[Bluebasser86]

My boat doesn't have a glovebox but my truck has a cubby hole that I use for my boat keys. I don't think my keys would ever come out going down the road, but I'd be really mad at myself for leaving them in if they did.