Bream Master Posted January 18, 2007 Posted January 18, 2007 Though I don't have my own boat yet, two buddies and I pitched in and bought an $800 boat (late 80's model, I think). Well, it broke so we serviced it and after 3 months, we finally picked it up last Sat. We planned to be on the water by 10:30 so I drove from school back home. I get there about 11:00 AM and both my friends looked tired and upset. They've been up since about 8 trying to lower the motor. They told me they've pushed, pulled, turned and stretched every knob and line on the boat. Nothing seemed to be working. My brother gets there shortly afterwards, being the handyman that he is, looks around the motor and twists this knob and gets the motor to lower. So, we celebrate like it's Christmas and proceed. After about 30 min. we got the motor to crank. We tested it out in a big trash bin full of water seemed fine. Only problem is, we can't get the lock switch to work. We decide to worry about that once we're on the water. Alright, now we have to hook it up to my dad's truck. Well, the ball is too big. So, we leave to go buy a 1 7/8 size ball. We get back to the house and realize we have no tools! My friend's dad took their truck and the tools earlier. We go back and buy tools. Back at the house, we can't get the original ball on my dad's truck to come loose. After pondering, we noticed on the left and right of the ball are two other slots. Not sure if those slots are designed for towing purposes or not. We have no choice so we install the new ball to the left slot beside the original, center ball. This was our first time towing and it took forever to get out of the driveway. We get to the boating access dock and it takes another 30+ min. to get in the water properly. Nobody could drive straight and finally, we get it straight. We un-hook everything and turn on the engine. The engine flies striaght up out of the water. So, we go back to the lock switch and after blistering our fingers, we finally get the switch to lock. We put it in reverse. The boat wouldn't move! We just got it fixed. We get ticked and my friend calls the shop and cusses the guy out. It seems as if were going to get stranded on the dock. One guy is driving and the other 3 of use get out and tried to push the boat off the trailer. Useless. The boat is crooked on the trailer due to our pushing and pulling now. We have no choice but to push it out because we can't get it back in the trailer. Finally, one guy does a leg press on the boat and it leaves the trailer. We're happy and cheering now. My friend puts the boat in drive/reverse now. It worked!! We called the shop back and apologized to the guy. ;D Two guys pull up from fishing and one of them says, "Ya'll aint had it far 'nough out in the water boys." Well.....I'm sure everyone had a great time laughing and giggling at us. It is now about 2:00 PM. We have 4 guys, 13 poles, a 17 foot boat only a little wider than your average door. One guy brings a small folding chair to sit on. We catch nothing but I did learn how to work the foot-trolly. We decide to move and after we made it to our new spot, I realize I forgot to pull the T.M. up! Well, after fishing this new spot we decide to move again. When I tried to pull up the trolly, it wouldn't move! It's stuck now. All the pressure from the water probably did something to it. One guy takes some pliers and after a two man effort, we get it to come loose. We fish a new spot and then decided to go. For some reason, we all noticed we were going much, much slower. You know why. The guy sitting in the back forgot to pull up his anchor! We're halfway across the lake now! We stop to roll it up and half way to the boat, the anchor slips off the rope. There goes more money. Finally, we're at the dock. Three of us get off, one guy gets the truck. Now all we have to do is get the boat onto the trailer. We couldn't do it! The boat ran into the dock, one guy drove the moter over the trailer and hit something. We made about 18 circles trying to get the right position. On our last attempt, we decide to get the boat on the trailer best as possible, haul it out and then we'll position the boat by man labor. While hauling the boat out, we heard clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk....the guy driving the boat forgot to pull up the engine!! ;D Ahhhhhhhh. The boat is "on" the trailer. We get two guys to a side and tried to move it. No use. A guy comes up and with authority in his voice, "Let me show ya'll some 'um." "Boys, ya'll boat ain't on the trailer. Gonna lose that boat." He directed us back to the water and showed us how to do everything properly. Thank God for him. We took him out for a beer afterwards. We get back to my friends house and un-load the boat. While taking the boat off we realized we screwed up the bumper on my dad's truck big time! The metal looked like a twisted up pretzel! ;D My brother and I heard an earful but my father said because it was us and our friends, he wouldn't make us pay for it. Great guy. He told us you're suppose to have something else that goes underneath the car to help with the proper level of the boat and truck. I don't know. All we had was the boat trailer and we attached it straight onto the ball of the truck. There you have it. Total fish caught: 0. Quote
BASSMACHINE Posted January 18, 2007 Posted January 18, 2007 Well it may have been a rough day, but now that it's over you sure have one heck of a story! LOL Quote
NEBassMan Posted January 18, 2007 Posted January 18, 2007 Oh man, i could picture everything happening as i read that story. Was very cool of that guy to help you guys out, and you paid him back in the best way possible. 8-) Good luck on your next outing, hope it goes smoother ;D Jason Quote
Super User Chris at Tech Posted January 18, 2007 Super User Posted January 18, 2007 Well, I was planning on getting my first boat this year...thanks for squashing that thought Quote
Super User Dan: Posted January 18, 2007 Super User Posted January 18, 2007 i'll bet you'll laugh at that story when you tell it later Quote
Super User SPEEDBEAD. Posted January 18, 2007 Super User Posted January 18, 2007 HAHA, trust me....life with a boat will get better for you!!! It just takes a little practice. Thanks for sharing. Wayne Quote
titelinez Posted January 19, 2007 Posted January 19, 2007 That was a great story. I wish you guys had brought a video camera. ;D Quote
Super User Long Mike Posted January 20, 2007 Super User Posted January 20, 2007 I could have been worse. You might have forgotten to put the plug in the boat drain hole. You might have forgotten to put the truck in park and it rolled off into the water. You might not have had enough money to buy the Good Samaritan a beer. Look on the bright side. It could only get better from here. The next time, you might catch a few fish. Keep your chin up and thanks for a very funny story. Quote
Super User 5bass Posted January 20, 2007 Super User Posted January 20, 2007 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Not laughing at you,laughing with you! That story brings back memories,no kidding......my first boat was a 16 ft fiberglass deep side flat bottom and to this day,I havent ever seen one like it. It was affectionately called "the green bean".....first time launching it and fishing it went pretty much the same way.After being ticked off and frustrated for a few hours,we got big laughs talking about it later! It will get better man,trust me. Practice,practice,practice. Then practice some more. Quote
Guest avid Posted January 21, 2007 Posted January 21, 2007 LOL, Well buddy I gotta thank y'all for a good laugh. Man I'm just picturing you and the rest of the crew of "Earnest goes bassin'" Your dad is a good guy. Nice of you to buy the guy at the lake a beer. He deserved it for sure, but a little token of appreciation for the dad is definitly in order. Avid (a dad who's been there - done that) Quote
wvubassfan Posted January 21, 2007 Posted January 21, 2007 I have been there and done just about all of that. Never all at the same time, but look at like this you got it all out of the way at the same time. Keep your head up and better luck next time. Quote
clipper Posted January 21, 2007 Posted January 21, 2007 I think $800 was what I paid for my first boat and it was so waterlogged it wouldn't get up on plane. My son and I also paddled it back to the dock more than once. If you're going to own a boat, you need to know the real definition of the word boat: "a hole in the lake you pour money down". But owning a boat is worth it, there's nothing like being on the lake at sunup or sundown or right before or after a storm, or anytime. There's also nothing like feeling the wind in your face as you get up plane and skim across the top of the water. Catching fish is fun too. You will still have some bad days on the water (like the time I wouldn't leave and my wife and I got hit by a downpour and her pocketbook filled up with water >) but the good ones make up for it by far. Quote
NaterD Posted January 22, 2007 Posted January 22, 2007 We've all been there. Sometimes NOTHING seems to go right. I can remember last fall my brother and I were trying to hook up a trailer we borrowed to my dads truck and spent more time doing that than anything else that day.. . At the end of the day it sure is funny tho. Quote
BD Posted January 22, 2007 Posted January 22, 2007 And people say fishermen are lazy........... ;D We will do ANYTHING to go fishing, and this is one more story that proves that. Quote
craigaria Posted January 22, 2007 Posted January 22, 2007 I have had days like that too... Although, it seems like some of the biggest fish I have ever caught have been on days like these. It is almost like the fish might feel sorry for me sometimes ;D Quote
buzzbaitfool12 Posted January 22, 2007 Posted January 22, 2007 Pretty funny..reminded me of the first time took my boat out...I forget to put the plug in, I ran over a sand bar at lanier and messed up my shear shaft..My prop wouldnt turn..we were in shoal creek about 2miles or so from the boat dock in a 18 foot fisher fiberglass boat with a trolling motor that was on the brink..we had to paddle and troll back..took us almost 2hours to get back to the ramp..when we did we left and when were going down the road the winch strap broke and I hit a bump and my boat went up in the air and hit my motor..I dont think I cauesed any problems because I gave that 200 mercury hell after that lol...Trust me it gets better but nothing seems to fail..For a long time after that I was scared to go fishing. ;D Quote
Bream Master Posted January 23, 2007 Author Posted January 23, 2007 Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone. I sure do hope I get better at driving the boat back onto the trailer. That is the hardest trick for beginners. Good thing we have a cheap boat to practice on. Quote
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