The dumbest thing I've done

capta · Feb 26, 2018

It wasn't lately, but it was a prime example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!
My tri had a Kubota diesel with no screen on the air intake. One day, feeling very good about myself, I pulled a nylon stocking over the intake. Boy was it tight, so tight I decided to forego a hose clamp or even some duct tape.
Cranked her up and that nylon stocking disappeared so fast I wasn't sure I'd ever put it on there. Right into the intake valves! Engine died immediately because there just wasn't enough compression.
Of course, I had no spare head gasket, but it needed to be cleaned up if it was ever to run again. So I spent hours and hours picking melted nylon off the valves and seats and replacing the head. Strangely, the engine never did run very well after that, so I replaced it with a new one a bit later in Bundaberg. It was years later that I realized that I could probably have replaced the head gasket and the motor would have run just fine!
It wasn't the last time I fixed something that really didn't need fixing and came out worse for the attempt, but it was certainly the most expensive one!

Allowishish · Feb 26, 2018

well, the year was 1990 and her name was Staci...

WayneH · Feb 26, 2018

Allowishish said:
well, the year was 1990 and her name was Staci...

1980 and Pamela.

shemandr · Feb 26, 2018

I might have enjoyed hearing more about Staci and Pamela; but far and away the dumbest thing I've done to a boat, in the last year, is to put water in the fuel tank. A year ago I would have said it's impossible to do something so stupid. And yet I did. I'm blaming it on my moderate dyslexia and on the fact I was alternating docking the boat bow first and stern first based on weather. I just plain mixed up port and starboard. Now the second most stupid thing I did to a boat, in the last year, was to ....

Will Gilmore · Feb 26, 2018

Tried to sail my hobie 18 in 33 knot winds with a bridge to leeward. Never got the mainsail to hoist but a small anchor kept me clear of the bridge.
Thank goodness for roller furling.

Will (Dragonfly)

jeepbluetj · Feb 26, 2018

Forgot to open the fuel valve when leaving the slip. Now that's pretty stupid, right? I've done it FIVE times. Once just a week or so ago. I've got an A4 so it'll run for a few min on the gas that's in the carb. Luckily the typical west winds make it pretty easy for me to just sail out.

capta · Feb 26, 2018

jeepbluetj said:
Forgot to open the fuel valve when leaving the slip. Now that's pretty stupid, right? I've done it FIVE times. Once just a week or so ago. I've got an A4 so it'll run for a few min on the gas that's in the carb. Luckily the typical west winds make it pretty easy for me to just sail out.

5 times? What's that definition of insanity again? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. lol

rpwillia · Feb 26, 2018

LeslieTroyer said:
How about Boating related.

Who knows it did not happen on a boat?

Sailavie1 · Feb 26, 2018

shemandr said:
I'm blaming it on my moderate dyslexia

You are not alone Shemandr, I read that 10 out of every 2 sailors suffer from dyslexia

Kermit · Feb 26, 2018

LeslieTroyer said:
@shemander. I suffer from lexdysia also.

Mahalo

Out Help Dyslexia Stamp

DArcy · Feb 26, 2018

jeepbluetj said:
Forgot to open the fuel valve when leaving the slip. Now that's pretty stupid, right? I've done it FIVE times. Once just a week or so ago. I've got an A4 so it'll run for a few min on the gas that's in the carb. Luckily the typical west winds make it pretty easy for me to just sail out.

While not the stupidest thing I've done, I have left my slip a few times with the fuel valve closed. Always the first time out of the harbour in the spring. I to have an A4 which gives me just enough time to warm up and leave the slip, and get about 50 yards down the harbour. The first time, I didn't know what was wrong with the engine, just coasted to the fuel dock and after a few minutes came up red faced. The 2nd and 3rd times I knew exactly what happened

. I may be slow but I can learn, I haven't repeated that one in several years.
Lately, the stupidest thing was leaving winterizing too late last fall. The engine was ok but the exhaust had a chunk of ice in it. I had to take it out to thaw and dump the water. Hopefully it didn't damage much, I'll find out in a couple months when I start it up in the spring.

Leeward Rail · Feb 26, 2018

Who cares about boats ? I want to hear more about Staci and Pamela.
Here's hoping one was a redhead who owned a motorcycle.

Cowpokee · Feb 26, 2018

One dumb thing I had done was to take my wife out for her first sail on a tender boat with way too much sail up on a gusty day. After scaring her to the point that she just wanted to jump out, I figured out that going fast in a sailboat wasn't going to impress her. But the dumbest thing I have done - after getting a bigger boat to help her feel more comfortable - was to get impatient for a good sailing day and go out again for our first sail together in too strong of conditions. Watching the wind typically back off in the evenings, we started off on a comfortable downwind leg expecting lighter winds for the return leg. Instead, they increased to 25 - 30 knots. Not able to single hand a new to me boat in those conditions, I decided to just motor back, then a cold rain set in. I was happy out on my new boat, she was miserable.

dlochner · Feb 26, 2018

Not necessarily the dumbest thing.....

Last year I was learning the ropes on my new Vesper AIS. It has an anchor alarm that I set while at the dock. A couple of days later I leave the slip, get a couple of hundred feet away and the alarms start going off. Oil pressure? Water temp? Nope, the "anchor" dragged. At least I know it works.

Allowishish · Feb 26, 2018

Fine, boat related...

Being new to sailing (only been out 16 times so far) and new to owning a boat (about 4 months now), I am sure I will improve on this, but for now...

1. Having never sailed and having just bought a cat 27 the previous owner took us out once for about an hour. The next weekend I went solo... had fun and got her in and out of the slip fine.

2. This is the stupid one... I had asked the previous owner how long a tank of gas last, his reply was “all season”. Having only been out 8 times I wasn’t that worried about the gas level till I was taking her out solo again and the engine died leaving my slip. Unable to restart the engine and with the wind blowing me towards rocks, I quickly unfurled the Genoa and taking a hard 90 degree turn to starboard sailed out of the marina.

I made it a safe distance from shore and refurled the sail then tried to figure out the engine situation. Yup, out of gas. Trying to figure out what I was going to do, I though sometimes the wind switches directions in the afternoon and a can sail into the slip... it was not projected to do that this day.
Option 2, there are two marinas on the lake, both with toe services. I could call for gas... from the marina that I am not a member of (so the people who see me weekly do not realize I am an idiot)

Then I found a spare tank with about 1/4 gallon of gas in it that the previous owner had left, just enough to save my but. So I sailed all day then motored in and got gas.

What I had forgot was the weekend before the wind died with the wife and I a few miles out and do to evening plans we motored in eating up quite a bit of gas.

I won’t make that mistake again (hopefully)

Doug4bass · Feb 26, 2018

Drilling an 1/8” hole through the hull of our brand new boat. Below the waterline. Somebody spank me!! ........ Boat Babe?

Kermit · Feb 27, 2018

Leeward Rail said:
Who cares about boats ? I want to hear more about Staci and Pamela.
Here's hoping one was a redhead who owned a motorcycle.

Somebody PLEASE give this man 1000 Likes!