lets talk about the bad days
I know we have bad those days where if it could go wrong it does. I had one last spring the lake was rolling a bit windy and inexperienced people with me. Took till 9 to find fish once found the fun started. As I tried to rerig lines had my father pilot aimed the boat and I got to work I looked left saw dipsy line slacked to the boat said turn right it tightened and go spoon donated. Later on got fish on trying to net it struggling as the others watched so said help would be good about now. As the day went I came to believe dipsys were steering aids put em on the bottom and turn circles lol. After several not balls tangled lines 2 lost jets a few fish lots of gear called it quits headed in trolling as I picked lines one took on the rigger it managed to loop a jet line tangle that and it took a fish at same time so as I tried to figure the mess out wind blowing me not watching what my copilot was doing we spun around lines got to the prop another jet gone along with both baits. In total 3 jets 2 stick baits several worm harnesses lost. Figured about 60 bucks in gear donated lol. I will say even though it was tough out there it was still a great trip with memories to keep only took 6 home should of been limits for all but that's fishing. Sure you all have stories similar so share . I hope some of them are a good laugh.
My worst day ever...at least I hope so!
I know this is an older thread but want to share this story anyway. It's long but well worth the read.
It was early November 3-4 years back. The day was here to pull the boat and shore her up for the winter. It was a miserable day. Off and on rain, gloomy grey sky, and the hard blowing wind wind that sucks all the water out of west harbor. (I'm outta Foxhaven on Catawba and usually post on West Basin) Anyway, I brought one of my employees to help out as he likes boating and fishing and has a small runabout himself, but had never been on the "big water" on a decent size boat. Anyway, we got up to my boat and commenced to taking off all rods, electronics, foodstuffs, clothes, etc. Basically everything not needed to get to the crane (much easier carrying stuff down the dock than over the side of a shored up boat). So we get the boat cleared out of everything that goes home for the winter except the batteries. Being that I have help, I'm done with that much earlier than usual and have 3-4 hours to spare until my 2:00PM crane time. What should we do? I'll tell you what I shouldn't have done.
My employee the whole time wants to take the boat to open water and see how it rides and handles. He has a 16' 140HP boat. Mine is 32' and 770HP. I tried to discourage it all morning but here we are with 3 hours to wait. I, against my better judgement said ok. Just a quick one mile out one mile back run wont be bad. Fully aware of the 10-12 footers waiting outside the harbor, what could go wrong? I've been out in those several times and all has been ok and he would really get a sense of how Lake Erie can get and what a bigger boat can handle. No harm in that right?
Anyway, we head off and make for open water. We are 1.5 miles offshore and when i feel and hear something that is not right. Looking at my guages trying to figure out what is happening, all while pitching up and down and side to side, I see that my starboard engine has ZERO oil pressure. By the time I realized what just happened and turned the key to shut that engine down, it was too late the starboard engine had seized! Oh **** I thought. This is not good at all. This is serious. My employee opens the engine compartment and the whole engine room is black with oil. One of the oil lines to the remote filter on the starboard engine had ruptured. Needless to say, that was a hairy hairy ride back in but the worst is yet to come. Remember I have no electronics on the boat and that includes no radio! Both of our cell phones were also in my truck as well as our heavy jackets!
As we finally get back to West Harbor, I notice the low water is way way lower than when we left. I mean like 4 foot lower than it normally is. As we head in, I say we are never gonna make it in this low of water. I have never seen it this low. Sure enough. I hear my one spinning prop grinding up rocks. Now I'm stuck aground. Shifting from forward to reverse and turning the wheel hardover, my rudder must have got got in some rocks and I blow a hydraulic line to the helm! My rudders are now locked full hardover to starboard and only have a running port engine. You guys with twins know the bad situation I'm in now. So now I'm free of the rocks but can only drive in circles!
As I am doing circles in West Harbor in front of Foxhaven's fuel dock, I have missed my crane time, seized an engine, blew my steering, and it's getting dark. With the wind out of the West, if I do nothing I am going to blow into the rocks on the far side of the harbor or blow back under the bridge and back out towards open water. I don't like either of those options. I know the water is very shallow and its muck bottom at Foxhavens pump out. I'll try to maneuver there. With the wind, reverse, tight starboard turns and an hour and a half of white knuckle maneuvering I made it to the soft shallow spot by the pump out. Now what? Its dark and I'm aground again. We plan that if we can get a slight change in the wind and a little bit more water under us, we can blow over to the docks at Gem Beach marina and at least tie up there. A few hours of waiting and the time was right. I fired up my one running engine and did a 270 degree turn on shifted to neutral. Blow wind blow I thought. My angle was a bit off but are we gonna make the docks? The closer we get, the more I notice we are gonna miss the docks by 10-15 feet. My employee who was on the bow, takes loose my anchor and throws the 22lb hunk of metal over the end dock and is able to pull my boat close enough for me to hook the dock. SAVED! I tied up there and we walked back to my truck at Foxhaven which is one hell of a long walk by land and no coats! I called for TowBoatU.S. in the morning and they towed it back to the crane at Foxhaven on the following Monday. I ended up putting in 2 new 385HP 7.4L engines, 2 new Hurth 430A transmissions, and 2 new props. My employee sold his little boat and just bought a 27' Sportcraft 2 weeks ago. Crazy and hard to believe but sadly very very true!
