Whew!! That was fun

[skipperdude]

Suprdiver had a great story about his splash.

Here is on for the books.

I finally got her ready to go back into the water. Not.

Larry hauled her down to Smitty's cove and we put her in. First I need to explain about my Hydraulic steering. I have power steering run off a pump mounted to the engine. Two lines running back to dual hydraulic cylinders hooked to the rudder. Now i had a 50/50 chance of hooking them up right well guess what. I got it wrong I turned right and went left.

Ok no problem I grabbed a couple of wrenches and opened the fuel Lazarette. I had removed a bolt on the rudder assembly to drain the bilge. Guess what I forgot to reinstall the bolt. So I had a small geyser coming into the bilge.

Back to the tool box to find the bolt and a hammer and some of the ever present duck tape.**A quick turn around the bolt with the tape and with the hammer drove it into the hole.

In the meantime while undoing the hydraulic lines I am drifting closer to the rocks.

Switched the hoses. Mind you I'm doing this with about 2 feet of water in the bilge the float switch had jammed. I reached down into the water and fumbled around found the switch and unjammed it.**The pump starts working. I climb out of the Lazarette and head for the helm. I was wearing a pair of x-tra tuffs boots that were now full of water. Wheew!! No problem I'm good.**Back around and in to the harbor.

I felt like Homer Simpson But it was all good I fixed it.

A little embarrassed to tell the story but we all goof once in a while.

*Man up fella's lets hear your tale.

SD

*



-- Edited by skipperdude on Thursday 7th of July 2011 12:18:45 PM


-- Edited by skipperdude on Thursday 7th of July 2011 12:19:08 PM

 

[markpierce]

Why? *Why?* Why?

When the odds are supposed to be 50/50, it seems like success is only achieved 25 percent of the time.

When one thing goes wrong, it*seems like*two other things always go wrong while trying to fix the first problem.

 

[Woodsong]

I am beginning to think you boys up in Alaska don't know much about yachting!

 

[Peter B]

Ah..Oh...you betta be prepared to duck man......them's fightin' words...


-- Edited by Peter B on Thursday 7th of July 2011 11:45:28 PM

 

[Moonstruck]

Peter B wrote:
Ah..Oh...you betta be prepared to duck man......them's fightin' words...



-- Edited by Peter B on Thursday 7th of July 2011 11:45:28 PM

*Peter, that's what happens when you give'em a little authority.

 

[Phil Fill]

It seem each time we get splashed I get into a long discussion with the yard dropping the Eagle in the water but not letting go until we have had time to check things and get things running.* Once things appear to be OK and they do let go I like to stay tied to the dock for several hours, if late over night. I can cry and whine with the best of them.* *One time we splashed and the repair leaked. I had the yard completely re due the repair over again and pay for the first splash.

Also I am usually*there when people work on my boat, to make sure they and I*mark and take notes of how things were taken a part so they are*installed back correctly and*double check.*However, stuff happens!**

 

[skipperdude]

Woodsong wrote:
I am beginning to think you boys up in Alaska don't know much about yachting!

*Put em up!!! put em up!!!

Ok. Mr. Moderator. Lets see you come up here with no services and no access to service. where all you have is what you can do yourself. There is no boat yard or access to one.

When I bought my boat she was basically a hull with a motor. She may not be a pretty yacht, but everything on her works and I know her from stem to stern because I built it all myself.

Superdiver had issues with his splash but he was doing all the work himself and was rushed because he had to go now.

I was rushed because there was only two ways to get a boat into or out of the water. A 40 year old travel lift. That when you try to make an appointment to haul you boat the lift is broken from the last boat that was hauled.**This happens almost every time it's used. And a hydraulic trailer that has seen better days.

Come on now Mr. Woodsong tell me you have never pulled a boner.

When my*issues arose. I went into action mode and took care of the problem.

*

By the way Up here we don't call it Yachting we call it Boating.

SD

*



-- Edited by skipperdude on Friday 8th of July 2011 09:31:55 AM


-- Edited by skipperdude on Friday 8th of July 2011 10:23:53 AM

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I like your boat and self reliant way of doing things SD! There are no problems.... just challenges.

 

[skipperdude]

Well thank you*Captain.

Coming from a Working man of the sea with more hours at the helm and water*passed under the keel**than I will ever see.

*That's high praise indeed.

SD

 

[Codger2]

skipperdude wrote:
Ok. Mr. Moderator. Lets see you come up here with no services and no access to service. where all you have is what you can do yourself. There is no boat yard or access to one.

_______________________________________________________________

:clap: :headbang: :handshake:

 

[healhustler]

Well, it's true that I don't have that story (or one as good) yet where boats are concerned, and I hope I never do, but I don't know anything else I ever did for any amount of time that I didn't have such a story to tell. Only God knows how people have survived my timely lack of alertness or ignorance. Sometimes at night, those moments just pass through my mind like an old black and white movie, and I'm just happy that I could usually save myself without someone else witnessing how bad it could have been. For me, moments like that have never been a matter of "if", but "when". *I admire anyone that can still sprint through a boat with 50 lb. boots! *LOL, sorry, but if I don't laugh about these things, I'm liable to cry.


-- Edited by healhustler on Friday 8th of July 2011 02:01:49 PM

 

[RED]

SD

I can't match your story, but here's one along the lines of "keep it simple, stupid". Several years ago, I took our kids and some of their friends out for a day cruise. after serveral hours at a floating dock (with no services), we decided it was time to head back in. Turned on the ignition/start switch and nothing. Crap! Got out the tool box and voltmeter, checked the batteries (how could they go dead so fast, I was asking); batteries ok. Next step, get out the tools and tear apart the instrument panel so I can check out the ingition switch - looks ok there. Back into the engine room to check out the starter - shorted across the solenoid and it works...

Suddenly it dawns on me...the kids were playing up on the flybridge; yep, they managed to leave the shifter just off the neutral detent, so every thing appeared normal, but the ignition interlock was not engaged. What an idiot - an hour plus of tearing the boat apart for nothing!

A fine example of Occam's Razor - look for the simplest thing first!