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Bad boat launch by Chily D

Brian D

By Brian D
in Boating

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Brian D Newbie

Brian D

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A boat launch that went wrong, in true Chilly D form I stuffed up the launch more then once. A bit of a story but worth the read.

Reversing the trailer into ramp launch position I left wifie to park the car and I was to pick her up at the jetty. Having greased the rollers the boat should just fly off the trailer, I push and she flies, but the launching rope got caught around the bow cleat so to avoid the boat from escaping I dropped the rope, ran down the trailer frame and jumped onto the bow. “Phew†I thought, “that was close, lucky no one saw thatâ€. But in fact the 5 or 6 ramps where full of holiday makers with people everywhere and everyone witnessed my swan dive to bow.

As planned wifie drives off with the trailer but we didn’t realize that when I dropped the rope it caught around the roller and she dragged the boat up onto the ramp at about 20kph. A friendly fisho yells and screams, wifie realizes that something is wrong and she shouldn’t be dragging the boat alone the road. One word for you wifie “mirrorsâ€, check your mirrors. Not a nice way to treat a glass boat.

No damage done except for pride and a few gel coat scratches, so we man handle the boat back to floating position for re- launch. I start the motor to a horrible dry sound, I didn’t trim the motor to the water and she was airborne when I fired it up. I hate that and always judge other boaties harshly when they do the same. Not only was it a dry start but I left the motor supports in place and couldn’t activate the trim. By the time I manage to lift motor, release supports and lower motor I was against the rocks and I needed to fumble for a paddle to push the boat free before I could start the engine. Everyone was still watching and judging this experienced boatie make a fool of oneself.

Same tactics, wifie parks the car and I pick her up at the jetty. I put the boat into gear and thought “she a bit sluggish, hope the fuel is OKâ€. Then I hear a gurgling sound. Yeap I forgot the bungs. Me who knows boats and has launched trailer boats thousands of times didn’t do the basics, check the bungs. I drive the boat back up onto the ramp, again not a nice way to treat a glass boat.

In the meantime Wifie parks the car about half a Km away from the ramp and starts walking back to the ramp, she sees me waving arms and wonders what I going on about and why I am walking back to the car. I explain my actions and rightly so, not politely calls me a flipping fool or Aussie words to that effect and gets embarrassed. Yeap I know boats, trust me wifie, you’ll be safe with me. At this point she says “do you think we should go home and try again tomorrowâ€. Ouch, major hit to the pride.

Not being one for giving in to dilemma I back the trailer down and retrieve the boat, being full of water it was 3 times heavier then normal, this gave the appearance that I was a 65lb weakling who needed to buy an electric winch. Ten minutes later the hull and deck (twin bungs with a false floor) are drained and we are back to floating position.

From here it was all smooth boating and we had a great day, catching heaps of fish and having fantastic time. We return to the ramp to find it vacant. If only the same number of people were there at the launch I could pretend it didn’t happen.

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hulk Newbie

hulk

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Gees Brian,

I saw the Faulty Towers crew had reunited.I just didn't know they had employed you as a live script writer ;)

We all manage to have those dumb moments.You are definately more patient than myself.It would have been game over for me(unless of course you had some roadies with you to calm the aggravation)

Hulk

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Dusky Newbie

Dusky

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Hope ya don't do that at the Origin mate!! :woohoo:

The boys will never let ya forget it!! :S :S

Maybe it was the nerves playing up on ya when you decided to take wifie out ?? :P

Did ya end up catching any fish mate?? :dry:

Oh yeah!! how was the retrieve?? :blush:

Cheers :woohoo: :woohoo:

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Stinger Newbie

Stinger

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Great read mate.

We all have those kind of days and who hasn't forgot the bung at least once.

I've got to admit It looks like you got most of the embarasing moments out of the way in that one launch.

It could have been worse at least you did get to fish.

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Davo_Dinkum Newbie

Davo_Dinkum

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u know i can never remember my dad putting the boat in with out the bungs.

30 years i know of and he been boating for over 40 years.

and if he did with mates or family there would be a story about it for sure .

would have come up at his 50 or 60 birthday.

but he is like a navy captian in some ways.(physio)

check list while getting ready,check list loading boat,check list before leaving home,check list when get to ramp,check list before putting in water.

well he mite not be that bad but seamed like it when i was a kid.

guess it worked never forget stuff of forget to do stuff.

my little bro's left the bungs out once ,fishing in between peel and bird island .in a 10 foot tinny.the stopped started fishing ,and they where like where all this water coming from .lol

not going to say if i have done it.:)

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dhess Newbie

dhess

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noname wrote:

at least you remembered the bungs at the ramp, and not the barwon banks like i have done, sure i have forgotten something! :blink: wish i could have seen it though.:lol:

Holy crap! What did you end up doing? Getting up on the plane to drain it or did you bodgy up some other solution?

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bootyinblue Newbie

bootyinblue

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Ohhh dear Chilly... If only someone had a camera to record the moment, but then again I think the camera might have been deposited somewhere not so nice had you caught them!

I secretly think I have committed each of those misdemeanours previously, but all in the one launch is just p!ss funny.

I think you need to stick with the boats where they provide a nice chardy upon boarding and the only seafood to handle are those BBQ prawns on sticks!

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noname Newbie

noname

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dhess wrote:

noname wrote:
at least you remembered the bungs at the ramp, and not the barwon banks like i have done, sure i have forgotten something! :blink: wish i could have seen it though.:lol:

Holy crap! What did you end up doing? Getting up on the plane to drain it or did you bodgy up some other solution?

exactly that went cruising on the plane with the bilge pump on, when it stopped i went swimming as the bungs were still sitting in the threads.when i arrived at the ramp at moolloolaba, i was late, roadworks! and simply just in to much of a hurry. lost a brand new 6500 shimano bait runner the same day, always take a spare reel. it could still be hiding in the boat somewhere but i doubt that.:huh:
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  • 2 weeks later...
Brian D Newbie

Brian D

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ellicat wrote:

Bet you were fuming at the time. :evil:

The best bit is you can laugh about it now. :laugh: ....Like we all are :woohoo: :laugh:

Thanks for the feed back - it was funny then and is still funny now but at the time strangely enough I was quite calm and surreal. It was like I knew it had to happen sometime and I accepted it.

Let’s face it, going through this at Straddie is sure better then doing this at Brunswick in front of you guys :S So who will it be!

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