Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hi guys... have you ever done something so stupid it made you so mad.. Anyway the weather forecast for today ( Sunday ) was 72 and sunny.. Great idea, let's take the brand new pontoon boat out for a spin. So I go get the boat out of storeage Saturday night, it's been in storeage since we bought it 5 months ago, so I slap on the battery charger and let it run over night. Full charge, ready to go... Now mind you we have only had this boat in the water once since we bought it back in October, and that time my son ( who has owned a pontoon for 3 years ) went with us to walk us thru launching and putting it back on the trailer.. anyway all systems go, get to the launch, wait our turn, back that baby down and turn the key.... nothing, zero, nada... I had working gauges, working horn, stereo, everything except the one thing you need to make the damn thing go... the motor.. checked the terminals on the battery, checked everything I could think of, Finally since there was a line of people waiting to launch, I just yelled to my wife to pull the boat out.. We drive the 20 miles back home, and I check again, cant find anything... My next door neighbor, who is an avid fisherman comes over to see the boat and I explain to him what's going on... first words out of his mouth " are you sure your throttle is in neutral? "..... i am so stupid, stupid stupid... he jumped up in the boat, moved the throttle and just barely turned the key and bam! you could hear the motor start to fire... what do you want to bet that this never happens to me again! I can't believe I didn't think to check that.. oh well, the sandwiches momma made for our afternoon lunch on the lake tasted just as good sitting on the boat in the driveway. weather permitting we're gonna try it all again tomorrow ( Monday ).. I can't believe I am so stupid stupid stupid.

Roland

WELCOME TO THE CLUB ! They say there are two kinds of boaters, those that HAVE done something STUPID and those that WILLl Just be glad that is one lesson you probly won't have to relearn.

been there done that. Fortunetly when I did it, someone on the launch came over and put the throttle in neutral for me and we were able to go out. Yes embarrassing but at least no damage was done. Other stupid things I have done is pull out of a slip (one using mooring whips) and not watching. The whip caught the back bimini frame and next thing I know, the frame breaksm the anchor light goes flying (good thing it floated) and I have to travel home at night without my anchor light. Still waiting for the replacement frame for my bimini. Ask Repete his story about a low bridge! LOL

I think we have all done that at one time or another. I was lucky enough to check mine before hauling it back home. Like you said, it won't happen again.

Yea, we have all done something stupid like this when we get in a hurry to try and launch our boats. But it's one thing that you will check next time before you turn the key. You will get a routine down and when followed won't let you make stupid mistakes but you must take the boat out first to get a routine down and right for you.

we have all done something stupid a time or two... Another big mistake is when your safety switch gets pulled out a bit and you cant start the motor. Usually this is from little kids playing in the boat.

hey paul, does a "low dock roof" fall into the same catagory as a bridge? ive also done the throttle thing

HA HA Roland,

man I am glad I'm not that stupid.....now

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2321

at least I didn't make it to the water...

Next time it will be the kill switch lanyard. That's what got me the first time. It wasn't even pulled all the way off.

I dont know WHAT you people are talking about cause Ive NEVER done anything stupid!!







....ahh yea.. riiight...

Hey, your mistake didnt cost you a dime. Consider yourself covered by the boating God's!
Now get out there, n try again!!

That is the exact same thing I did when I took our boat out for the first time. I'd had other boats before too, but just didn't think to check this. Then later in the day when I realized what I'd done wrong, I took it to a different lake, and had a good time.

Here's your sign. was it Jeff foxworthy said ? You know if you keep that kind of behavior up the Government will require U take a IQ test before you can own a boat.Then again the government vs IQ oxymoron.

Hey at least the boat had not floated off the trailer yet.....then you would have been screwed trying to get it back on.

You probably would have have figured it out yourself if you had floated off though. I always get a little stressed at the launch with other people watching and waiting. Although floating around outta control where others are launching probably would have kept you in a panic.

Well, at least you won't do that again. And as others have said keep an eye on the lanyard on the kill switch......that will be what gets you next.

I did mine different in the middle of the lake, mine came from what I forgot to lube.

But any way ran the tank out and switched over but it wasn't starting, the starter motor was turning but it wouldn't start, took off the cover and seen the worm drive was dry so I lubed it so the gear would engage.

I check and lube that now when needed.

I once got out to the middle of the lake and noticed my pee spout wasn't whizzing. After a few curse words and thinking my day was ruined, I lifted the motor and noticed I still had the ear muffs on. Man I felt stupid. Not knowing if I had fried my intake impeller I drove slowly until I felt everything was working properly.
Burn and learn lessons. You don't forget those.