I Was That Guy With The Engine Hatch Open.....

[Thermobrett]

So I bring the boat home yesterday morning to get ready to go out on Tampa Bay and take a couple friends with us. Fire up the boat in the driveway, no issues. Trailer down to the ramp about 10 miles away, drop the boat in the water, no problems. We pull up to Circles Bar and Grill in Apollo Beach, dock and as I am securing the boat, my wife starts to grab some stuff from the boat, phone, key, flip flops, the normal essentials. What I didn't see her grab what the kill switch lanyard, and pull it from the post. She grabbed it by mistake and then tossed it back in the cup holder, as I usually never remove it from the boat when we go eat, I just take the ignition key. A little while later, we walk back down to the boat, flip on the blower and go to fire up the engine and it just cranks..... WTF! Not even 40 hours on the boat and it wont start. Now I am frustrated as I am the guy in front of the outdoor bar with 7 people on my boat and the engine hatch open.

Now I am internally recapping the actions from the time we docked to the time we walked onto the boat from lunch.

1. Docked and didn't hit anything
2. Boat was in neutral and I shut the engine off
3. Tied the boat off and helped everyone onto the dock
4. Asked my wife to grab a couple things as she was the last one on the boat

4 is where I went wrong, grab a couple things, not EVERYTHING! I popped the kill switch back onto the post and the boat fired back up.

Moral of the story, I will grab my own shit next time, and do a simple systematic check of the couple items that is needed to fire the boat up... Power, kill switch lanyard, and key.

 

[VitaminSea]

Thanks for sharing. Glad it was nothing serious. One thing to add to your list, is verify throttle is in neutral. I have had the kids move the throttle on me while anchored.

do a simple systematic check of the couple items that is needed to fire the boat up... Power, kill switch lanyard, and key.

 

[Thermobrett]

Thanks for sharing. Glad it was nothing serious. One thing to add to your list, is verify throttle is in neutral. I have had the kids move the throttle on me while anchored.

I did notice if I tried pumping the throttle to feed it gas, the engine would stop cranking. Looks to be a safety measure.

 

[zipper]

I did notice if I tried pumping the throttle to feed it gas, the engine would stop cranking. Looks to be a safety measure.

Neutral safety switch. Common on most land and watercraft.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Yes it is called the throttle position sensor so you don't start the boat with it in gear and ram something

 

[BlkGS]

I think we have all been there. I one time tried to swim my boat ashore because it wouldn't crank. I figured the batteries were dead. Turns out, I had the throttles just slightly out of neutral. Boy did I feel like a dummy after using a jump box from a guy on shore and trying to pull the boat by swimming.

 

[84rzv500r]

yeah it happens... how about loosing starter on the port engine and then breaking a steering cable on the starboard engine 2 miles home... boat only turns left... Blond Beach Barbie ran the steering hard right and steered with the throttle and I used a water ski and the gaff pole on the swim platform as an auxiliary rudder... we made it... LOL

 

[dgfreeze]

Another pretty useless tidbit of information, if you do for some reason want to throttle up without disturbing the neutral lockout switch, there is a bypass button on the shifter. By pressing it, you can throttle the engine up without going into "gear".

***at least on my older Yammie. I assume the new ones are the same***

 

[Judge]

I bought these a few months ago to stash around the boat for moments like this one.....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089NSK61B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Quad]

I bought these a few months ago to stash around the boat for moments like this one.....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089NSK61B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I keep one of these in my tool bag in case I come across any type of boat needing help
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EET2H6/

 

[Thermobrett]

I carry one of these in the back of the Yukon and bring it on the boat every time. It can pretty much jump a small semi.
FOXPEED 2500A Car Jump Starter,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D39YZPQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

also carry one of these in the back of the Yukon.
AUTOWN Tire Repair Kit - 68pcs... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F31J7S9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[HawaiiBreeze]

Been there and done this. My lanyard (and the spares too) have all rotted out (the plastic coating) so I moved the main lanyard clip to a paracord bracelet (it came from something else) and its looped over the throttle handle so it cant be easily removed by a newb crewperson who's trying to be extra tidy and take everything apart, clean and stow it.

I also remember one of my first adventures out on the open sea doing a bit of deep water fishing and freaking out cause the boat wouldnt start and the wave action was picking up. Girlfriend is panicking and adding to the pressure. Quickly you reel off the do's and don't from the Owners Video and then I remembered the throttle position. There it was still in forward position when I stopped the boat. Move back to Center, starts right up and we head back in. That GF is long gone but the lesson is still with me 5 years on.

Two other lessons: 1. Put car keys on a floater and let all who come aboard see them 2. Put Boat keys on a floater and lanyard and let everyone see it.

In case you misplace them everyone will know what they look like and their significance to getting the boat started and the boat home.

 

[itsdgm]

Glad you figured it out.

if I’m leaving the boat at the dock, I always remove the keys, remove the lanyard & put the throttles in reverse. All three help prevent theft.

 

[Stan M]

Glad you figured it out.

if I’m leaving the boat at the dock, I always remove the keys, remove the lanyard & put the throttles in reverse. All three help prevent theft.

That's ingenious...and if you remove the plugs, they'd never figure it out!!! Thanks for the tip!

 

[Thermobrett]

That's ingenious...and if you remove the plugs, they'd never figure it out!!! Thanks for the tip!

I leave my wife and kids in the boat, I think the thieves would leave some gas money to get away from them

 

[Crob83]

How about breaking the only key you have for the boat in half at the dock....lmao

 

[212s]

4. Asked my wife to grab a couple things as she was the last one on the boat

4 is where I went wrong, grab a couple things, not EVERYTHING! I popped the kill switch back onto the post and the boat fired back up.

Poop happens. As mentioned, I keep a spare kill switch key in the emergency box in case it gets damaged.

Moral of the story, I will grab my own shit next time, and do a simple systematic check of the couple items that is needed to fire the boat up... Power, kill switch lanyard, and key.

You forgot about setting the alarm...