SailBoats and bass fishing

[Bob McL]

So in the first picture (where we spent the night), the reason we spent the night is while trolling for bass in the shallower areas, we managed to find one of those submerged - just below the surface - rocks. Twilight, and just enough surface reflection that you can't see down. Finding ourselves stuck and not being able to back off, I wanted my son and grandson to come to the aft to raise the bow and back off. But they both went forward to check the damage. My son - seeing the rock only a few inches below the surface, jumps off to push us free. I am still in reverse rocking the boat in hope of freeing it and - shazam - we are going backwards. I look up and no son. He pushed us free and then hung on to the pulpit. I am sure you know how hard it is to get a man overboard up on the bow. Being only about 25 feet from shore I said hang on and let me know when your feet hit sand. So that is why we spent the night right there. Oh and cooked some delicious steaks.

When loading the boat, we heard a strange grinding sound and we thought it was a dragging brake. So - now you can see the result of loose lug nuts.

For the pictures: No 1 - is where we beached to retrieve my son and enjoy a good meal (and I forgot to tell you that my son forgot to remove his wallet and iphone before jumping in). The next two picture picturs show the gouges in the bottom. What is interesting about them is that they show that the original gel coat on my '76 Macgregor/Venture 25 was yellow. I also found this on the top under the blue color too. And the last two pictures show what happens if your lug nuts are not tight.

Not a typical fishing/testing trip - BUT an adventure!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Another good reason to leave your phone down below when out sailing.

 

[Joe]

Tough way to learn boats and rocks are incompatible, my friend.... The gouges can be repaired, losing the wallet sucks but losing the iphone could be a disaster for the boy.

Here's my rule for fishing off my boat..... at anchor only. I've tried trolling on trip to catalina and I thought "geez, what if I catch something? where to we clean it and the mess it makes in the boat?" Fortunately, we had no luck.... and enjoyed a nice restaurant dinner in Avalon. NO MESS and no smell.

 

[onecoolair]

Nice sun set....I hope you were not going 65 down the interstate at the time...

 

[Bob McL]

Nice sun set....I hope you were not going 65 down the interstate at the time...

Actually that was sun rise. When I trailer, I keep close watch on the boat out of both side mirrors, and I saw something come loose (a lug nut probably) and started to slow and exited immediately. But considering the possibilities, I was lucky I caused no pain or problems for anybody else. I do love having four tires on the trailer. Actually, there are five since this trailer is set up to beach launch and the spare is equipped with axle and hub can be rotated for use at the front when the extra long extender is used. I was able to use the hub from the spare when all else came loose. But I didn't have the jack so I hobbled home on three wheels. The whole thing to get the trailer back to good road condition was less than $70.

 

[onecoolair]

doing 65 and losing a trailor wheel

Actually that was sun rise. When I trailer, I keep close watch on the boat out of both side mirrors, and I saw something come loose (a lug nut probably) and started to slow and exited immediately. But considering the possibilities, I was lucky I caused no pain or problems for anybody else. I do love having four tires on the trailer. Actually, there are five since this trailer is set up to beach launch and the spare is equipped with axle and hub can be rotated for use at the front when the extra long extender is used. I was able to use the hub from the spare when all else came loose. But I didn't have the jack so I hobbled home on three wheels. The whole thing to get the trailer back to good road condition was less than $70.

When it happen to me we were heading back to Houston from Lake Ray Hubbered outside Dallas. Headed south on I-45 doing 65mpg when about a 3rd of the way back. Pulling M-26 on Standard 2 wheel Mac factory trailor. Was not my boat or chevy suburban the owner was in the passenger seat, dozing off when out of the corner of his eye he saw flashing lights,and smoke. His sudden reaction shouting fire caused me to glance over to startboard mirror. Just as I did. I saw the wheel go flying off. Trailor hub hit the pavement. We were lucky that I keep cool and did not hit brakes. Just let off the gas and kept her straight. As we slowly slowed down. Once we were at a safer move controllable speed I then slowly brake her to a stop on the shoulder. It so happened we had just passed a Texas Trooper has the bearings failed. He saw the smoke and had just started out behind us when the wheel went flying. He thought for sure we were done for. He stayed with us. Called a local emergecy mobile repair service guy. Who quickly arrived with all the needed parts like new hub bearings axle etc....
And we were shortly back on the road.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Losing a trailer wheel could be pretty bad, for sure. I came close to losing one on one of my cars but did manage to lose the entire assembly(wheel, drum, backing plate up to the axle shaft) at speed when a bearing failed on my van while only starting to slow down for an exit. The wheel assembly had enough momentum and weight to it to keep rolling well into the exit road I was headed for. Pretty exciting half a dozen seconds on three wheels....

 

[Fly_H23]

I lost a wheel on a Mac 22 trailer about 6 years ago. I had snugged the lug nuts a few days earlier but think the breathing grease seal leaking provided enough lube to help them work loose. I was doing 55 mph in a construction zone in WV when I saw the tire fly off in my rear view mirror! Luckily the wheel/tire didn't hit anyone but we never did find it, must have rolled down a hill.

The studs and hub were fine since it was a drop axle trailer. Just the u bolts got bent and ground off a bit.

 

[JohnS]

Flying wheels

Once, I was in rush hour, stop-and-go traffic on I-95 near DC, when a horse trailer up ahead lost a wheel. They weren't going fast at all, maybe only 5mph, but when it came off, the trailer must have dropped down onto it and it popped out from under the trailer about 15 feet straight up in the air. It then started bouncing almost straight up and down, landing almost perfectly on it's tread every time, but slowly making it's way towards me.

It was like when you find yourself in a car crash or other such situation, and everthing seems to slow down, except that the wheel really was moving slowly, and I was stuck with cars in front and behind me. All I could do was sit and wait, hoping the car in front would move another length so I could get away from it.

The wheel/tire was on a gradual trajectory to land on my hood, maybe two or three bounces away, when the car in front of me finally pulled forward enough so that I could pull ahead of it's path. I watched it in my rear view as it bounced 4 or 5 more times before finally hitting the Jersey barrier which knocked it on it's side, bringing it to a stop. If it had landed square on top of the jersey barrier, it could have kept going into oncoming traffic which was still going at speed. That would have seriously ruined someone's day.

 

[Benny17441]

Lessons learned:

1) Bass boats are flat and fast for a reason and sailboats are not.

2) Wallets and phones belong in the cabin.

3) If you do not have a jack you do not have a spare wether you have one or not.

4) Only one person should steer the boat at a time.

5) If trailering, check the wheels.

6) An adventure is knowingly undertaking an activity that entails risk, I'm not sure if stumbling into one can be called an adventure.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Benny;

Many good points. When I sold boats to include the trailerables, I used the following list to teach customers.

1. Check air pressure and grease(If no buddy bearings, put them on)
2. Check lug nuts every third trip
3. Check brakes and fix immediately if not working.
4. Insure lights are working properly and unplug from tow vehicle when launching.
5. In spect trailer once a year for bolt tightness, secure wire harness, keel tray,
metal wear/fatigue, brakes, bearings/racers, tire rot, etc...
6. Insure all gear stored properly so it will not move with most up forward.
7. Tie motor tie up to a rail to keep from bouncing up and down on the motor mount.
8. Insure mast/lines, rigging all lashed down.
9. Use rear tie down yellow with 2 inch width, not the small junk. SUGGEST THAT
YOU TWIST THAT TIE DOWN A COUPLE OF TURNS TO KEEP WIND FROM
WHIPPING IT AGAINST BOAT.
10. Make wide turns and watch for overhangs.
11. GO 10-20 MILES AND PULL OVER AND CHECK TIE DOWNS, LASHINGS, TIRES
AND HITCH CONNECTIONS. If saftey chains too long, simply twist them to
make them shorter.
12. Carry spare tire/rim, jack, 4 way lug wrench, small grease gun, battery cables
and a small tool kit.

I know this is long, but many apprecviated this information.

crazy dave condon

 

[shnool]

Wow, just wow, sounded like about as bad as it could get, and you still had fun. You my friend have the RIGHT attitude!

Yep, rule on my boat, wallet, phone and keys go into a "bucket" upon hopping aboard (the bucket is below).

As others said, it's a good rule to stop every so many miles with the trailer, and hand test the axle for heat (heat means bearings going), look at lug nuts, check tires for wear...

Finally NEVER EVER underestimate the value of good safety chains! My 22's trailer had an extendable tongue, there were 2 self locking pins in it to keep it from moving. I never used the extension (with a big pickup it wasn't necessary). Anyway, first sail of this season (a trailer sail only), I was driving down the road (having just replaced my safety chains), and every time I took off or stopped, I heard a HUGE clunk. As luck would have it, there was an accident closing the road, so I had to pull over for a few minutes anyway. I got out, to find BOTH (count them 2) of the slide locks had fallen out. The trailer was extending, and stopping on the safety chains! YIKES. Talk about luck? I was 100 feet from a hardware store. I walked in, bought 2 bolts, and wing nuts, some washers, I had $6 in my pocket, it cost me $4 including getting the size wrong once (I kept the first bolts, I mean you never know). Anyway, back on the road in minutes!

Trailing is like sailing squared (it seems all problems present themselves sooner, and more expensive).