We have two parties to go to after my wife gets finished with her graduation ceremony. So I get up at 6:30 and load my son to go to the yacht club. I have a new fuel fitting to put on the sailboat. I make the installation and have to adjust the clamp as there is air escaping as I pump the fuel bulb. Engine is not starting. Take a screw driver and make sure the fuel fitting is releasing properly... go down to the water and rinse off the fuel from me and my 5 year old, Mico, that sprayed as the fitting passed the test. Put the fitting back on the outboard and she starts first pull.
I have one of those moments you always regret. I keep the rudder in the boat so it is not slapping around while the boat is on the dock. I think I should put it on the boat but I am just going in a small circle on the lake to test the outboard with the new fitting. Do the stupid thing and do not put the rudder on.
Go out into the lake and there is a stiff breeze that is catching my bow and pushing the boat from side to side. I am able to control it with the outboard but I am having to counter steer the wind on the bow.
Get back to the dock and this wind has now moved to the shore and the dock and coming at an angle to the dock that is catching my boat and pushing it when I slow down. Should have the rudder on! A friend has his pricey Chapparal on the dock and my dock lines are behind his boat. So I point to the dock and throw the outboard in neutral just idling. I move forward and the wind is moving my O'Day 25 toward his Chapparal. So I go over the bow pulpit so I can push off his boat with my foot.
My son will make a serious DOH! sound from the cockpit in about 45 seconds.
My foot slips and I go over the side. My left hand get the skin scrapped off just below my wedding ring and cuts the side of the wrist when my grip lets go. So now I am bleeding as I swing on on hand still on the bow pulpit with so much force that I enter the water up to my waist and start to come out on the end of the swing. But I hold fast. I am able to pull my self up and put my foot on the Chapparal and kick off. I hear my son yell DOH! Then I pull myself onto the dock and race back out on the Chapparal's swim deck to push the stern of my boat back to the dock and away from his boat.
I tie off the boat... look around to assess how many people watched this docking circus. And mumble to myself.... put the damn rudder on....every freaking time!
I have one of those moments you always regret. I keep the rudder in the boat so it is not slapping around while the boat is on the dock. I think I should put it on the boat but I am just going in a small circle on the lake to test the outboard with the new fitting. Do the stupid thing and do not put the rudder on.
Go out into the lake and there is a stiff breeze that is catching my bow and pushing the boat from side to side. I am able to control it with the outboard but I am having to counter steer the wind on the bow.
Get back to the dock and this wind has now moved to the shore and the dock and coming at an angle to the dock that is catching my boat and pushing it when I slow down. Should have the rudder on! A friend has his pricey Chapparal on the dock and my dock lines are behind his boat. So I point to the dock and throw the outboard in neutral just idling. I move forward and the wind is moving my O'Day 25 toward his Chapparal. So I go over the bow pulpit so I can push off his boat with my foot.
My son will make a serious DOH! sound from the cockpit in about 45 seconds.
My foot slips and I go over the side. My left hand get the skin scrapped off just below my wedding ring and cuts the side of the wrist when my grip lets go. So now I am bleeding as I swing on on hand still on the bow pulpit with so much force that I enter the water up to my waist and start to come out on the end of the swing. But I hold fast. I am able to pull my self up and put my foot on the Chapparal and kick off. I hear my son yell DOH! Then I pull myself onto the dock and race back out on the Chapparal's swim deck to push the stern of my boat back to the dock and away from his boat.
I tie off the boat... look around to assess how many people watched this docking circus. And mumble to myself.... put the damn rudder on....every freaking time!
