There are a lot of things happening these days from a cultural standpoint that I would never, in my wildest dreams, have envisioned. That's one of the major reasons my wife and I are getting on the boat and leaving the country.
The dumbest thing I've done
- Thread starter LeslieTroyer
- Start date
Not sure if this is stupidity or just ignorance, but I put 2 different brands of fuel treatment in the fuel tank for the winter. The two were incompatible and formed a rubbery material that sank to the bottom of the tank. The engine would start up and run fine, but then when the boat got to bouncing around the material would swirl in the tank, get caught in the suction strainer and shut down the engine. Then the material would sink back down to the bottom of the tank and I could start and run the engine again until the process started all over again. Took a LONG time to figure this one out!
Allowed a gentleman on my boat who proceeded to almost run the boat into a row of docks as we were proceeding down the fairway. He decided to roll out the 165 jib without so much as a "hey do you want me to unfurl the jib?"
Inquiring minds want to know, What products?????
We don't want to make the same mistake.
We have a word down here for him. Sombitch. Even if you still like him he'll alway be the sombitch that unfurled the Genoa without asking.
Somebody else remembers C.W. McCall??As the C W McCall song goes, "outside of that, she's cherry."
The last thing I remember from him was "Black Bear Road, you don't need to be crazy to drive this road, but it helps"
"The sign said clearance at the 12 foot line, but them chickens were attacked up 13, 9."
Another CW McCall song.
- Will
I just discovered the dumbest thing I did on our boat last Saturday.
We rarely get below 20° for more than 4 hours here on the Gulf Coasts. [who needs stinkin' freeze protection]
Forecast was for 14° for at least 8 hours. Oops!
I had never thought about winterizing out boat, beyond a few obvious things.
The Admiral and I rushed to the boat [now 20°] and found we couldn't board her, since the boat had iced up about 1" thick along the rub rails. Stepping on, we would have slipped and fell into the harbor.
After breaking the ice in one small spot, the Admiral boarded and "stomped/kicked" the ice until we had a full safe entry to the cockpit.
On board temperature was about 48° since one of the "heat pump AC" was running, but the discharge water froze as it was exiting overboard. Not panicking yet, I started the big "heat pump" and its water continues to flow overboard, not freezing YET!
Now I decide to light the propane cook top to provide heat. Guess what, we ran out of Propane in 3 minutes.. I went to switch Propane tanks and the tank hatch and access was frozen solid.
I had to analyze every point that we could freeze up. Temp [ now 18°]
As I sat and mentally traced each water line, discharge line. I came to the conclusion that the Refrig/Freezer cooling water was exposed since the compressor was under a hatch on the cockpit, thus the cooling water exposed. It was not running, the box and holdover plates were covered with ice too.
I turned it MAX cold and it all started and the water was flowing. If that line busted and frig started, our boat would have sunk.
My only option, break the water line and let drain empty, shut down the Refrig. After 20 minutes of hose breaking and manipulation, we got the line drained. Whew!! All is good.
Now the rest of the story....
Returning to the boat in 40° weather, we blew out the frig water line for spring cleaning. Started the Refrig up, no leaks, holdover plates cooling. All is good.
WRONG.
I forgot the water remained in the Condenser coil and could not drain.
New compressor unit needed now.
_______
Moral to the story...
I should have poured EF Antifreeze in the suction strainer until we saw it going overboard.
Jim...
PS: My grapefruit tree, freeze killed all the leaves, but brand new ones a budding now.
We rarely get below 20° for more than 4 hours here on the Gulf Coasts. [who needs stinkin' freeze protection]
Forecast was for 14° for at least 8 hours. Oops!
I had never thought about winterizing out boat, beyond a few obvious things.
The Admiral and I rushed to the boat [now 20°] and found we couldn't board her, since the boat had iced up about 1" thick along the rub rails. Stepping on, we would have slipped and fell into the harbor.
After breaking the ice in one small spot, the Admiral boarded and "stomped/kicked" the ice until we had a full safe entry to the cockpit.
On board temperature was about 48° since one of the "heat pump AC" was running, but the discharge water froze as it was exiting overboard.
Not panicking yet, I started the big "heat pump" and its water continues to flow overboard, not freezing YET!Now I decide to light the propane cook top to provide heat. Guess what, we ran out of Propane in 3 minutes.
. I went to switch Propane tanks and the tank hatch and access was frozen solid.I had to analyze every point that we could freeze up. Temp [ now 18°]
As I sat and mentally traced each water line, discharge line. I came to the conclusion that the Refrig/Freezer cooling water was exposed since the compressor was under a hatch on the cockpit, thus the cooling water exposed. It was not running, the box and holdover plates were covered with ice too.
I turned it MAX cold and it all started and the water was flowing. If that line busted and frig started, our boat would have sunk.
My only option, break the water line and let drain empty, shut down the Refrig. After 20 minutes of hose breaking and manipulation, we got the line drained. Whew!! All is good.
Now the rest of the story....
Returning to the boat in 40° weather, we blew out the frig water line for spring cleaning. Started the Refrig up, no leaks, holdover plates cooling. All is good.
WRONG.
I forgot the water remained in the Condenser coil and could not drain.
New compressor unit needed now.
_______
Moral to the story...
I should have poured EF Antifreeze in the suction strainer until we saw it going overboard.
Jim...
PS: My grapefruit tree, freeze killed all the leaves, but brand new ones a budding now.
"What was dat? Dis is not a chawade. We must have totaw concentwation. Now! Twy again. This time, wid feewing."
-Will (Dragonfly)
I’ve been boating in various size and types of boats for almost 50 years and have amassed such a large library of stupid mistakes that I sometimes think I’m lucky to still be alive. I’ve learned that boating is relaxing, entertaining and serious business and mixing those three things is like mixing oil and water. Experience teaches us what we can get away with and what we can’t. I’ve learned things like, never launch a boat from a trailer into a current without a line to secure the boat to shore; don’t try to raise the roller furled genoa with the spinnaker halyard; make sure the tools are secured with a line before going up the mast; never under estimate your speed when coming into your slip; throw the dock hand the looped end of the dock line. Well you get the idea.
Mine was wife #1. Wait. She’s not your #2 is she!?!? Oh the horror!
