One of THOSE Weekends.....part deux

[Bruce]

We still need to hear about the scars!

 

[maboat]

I ended up doing gel coat repair in the parking lot that night while holding a flashlight in my teeth.

The fact that you can do this @Glassman makes you a hero in my book!

 

[cwoav8r]

Sorry, but as far as gelcoat damage and a repair goes, it could not have happened to a more competent person... not sure that came out quite right, but @Glassman you know what I mean... we all look to you with much respect for your guidance with our hull repairs. I too look forward to part two. Loved the post, (Glassman's posts always tend to make me smile) and it is yet another reason I am happy to be here... we all learn from each other and become smarter from others experiences.

Not near the worst, but I too had one of THOSE weekends.... not the sinking my boat one. This is easily a three beer story, but I respectfully submit the readers digest version for the sake of my own sanity (and the fact that I have already had three beers and just don't want to write the whole thing).

The Waverunner had been in the driveway for a few weeks waiting to move to a different storage facility. Last Wednesday, Code Enforcement left me a nice hot pink notice on my front door reminding me that recreational vehicles were not permitted to be in my driveway. I called on Thursday as requested and after a very nice conversation I assured the officer that by Friday morning the Waverunner would be moved. That afternoon after work, I hooked it up and headed to the new place (a friends house).

Less than 1/4 mile down the road I look in the rear view mirror and notice that the Waverunner is shaking back and forth quite a bit and I think that I might have a flat tire. As soon as I think the word tire, I look back in the rear view and see smoke trailing from the trailer. I pull over and get out to find that the axle is broken on the right rear side just outside of the spring, the tire rubbing on the frame of the trailer.

I was a little stressed at the moment, late in the afternoon, a planned event I was trying to get to, and the initial thought of "what the heck am I going to do now." Thanks to USAA and my roadside coverage, they dispatched a wrecker. The expertise of the tow truck driver and the fact that it cost me nothing for the tow turned that all around, and with the help of a very good friend my ski is safe. New axle is $50 and it will be back mobile in the next few weeks.

At this point I am starting to think that I have a small issue with properly preventing corrosion... if only I could figure out how to get all that salt out of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[Zeus2013]

Well, I was holding this back..so might as well share…
Went to Lake George on July 11th for some island camping. The trip up was easy, left at 4AM to avoid NY traffic, took about 6 hours which was ok. Got to the marina, the boat was FULL of camping gear. I start the boat down the ramp. Hop out, undo the safety chain and proceed to get the boat in the water. The ramp was TINY so could not see where the boat was in the water. The boat would not come off the trailer. My wife said the boat was weighed down in front and it would not leave the bunks. I thought that was very strange. So I went in further, further, further. Wife did not tell me the back of the truck was under water. Long story short, definitely took off the safety chain, however, never unhooked the starp…pulled out the trailer and boy the water that came out of the back of the truck. A couple of MF’s later, on the boat and headed to island camping.
Get to the island, unload the boat and head back to double check we took everything out. Now the dock is wet and the wood is dark and could not see the algae on the edge. On one side of the dock is a boulder sloping in to the water. The other side has small boulders with jagged corners. As I step on to the dock I slip on the algae on the edge, flip in the air, land shoulders first on to the sloped boulder and slide head first in to the water. Had I fallen on the other side, I would have died from the smaller jagged rocks cracking my skull and spine. Needless to say my wife was standing behind me and I have never seen her so pale or scarred before.
As I sat on the chair nursing a huge bruise from my shin to my ankle, 2” by 8” scar on my back, bruised shoulders, and a damaged ego, I realized that after only 4 hours of sleep and a 6 hour drive, I should have taken a lunch break after we arrived and not rushed to get to the island.

 

[cwoav8r]

 

[4x15mph]

@Zeus2013 , I was going to "LIKE" your story but I didn't want it to sound like any of it was likeable. Glad to hear you were okay

 

[Glassman]

Not near the worst, but I too had one of THOSE weekends.... View attachment 9018

Wow, sorry to hear about that. I'm glad no one was hurt and you were only moving the PWC, not setting out for a long weekend - that would have been an even bigger bummer!

Well, I was holding this back..so might as well share…
...... I should have taken a lunch break after we arrived and not rushed to get to the island.

EGADS MAN! That there takes the cake, hope you mend quickly. And I hope I don't have nightmares about that happening to me.

It's amazing how we all become brilliant when we have a moment to look back and consider the coulda, shoulda, wouldas.....I know that I'd probably be President if I could back in time and take my own advice. Or as Yogi put it, deja vu all over again.

I have started to tell myself, "It's not a race" over and over again when on trips with the fam. It never ends well if I don't listen, from a gas cap forgotten at a station 200 miles back or failing to heed the sign I just passed that warned me there was no gas for the next 300 miles...slow and steady wins the race...wait, it's NOT a race!

 

[sysinu]

I'm doing the same thing "it's not a race"... then I get to the boat ramp and slip and fall for a stupid reason 50% of the time. Or I try to climb off the bow and my short legs can't find where they need to go and I cut myself on the trailer.

 

[Zeus2013]

@Zeus2013 , I was going to "LIKE" your story but I didn't want it to sound like any of it was likeable. Glad to hear you were okay

thanks...it's ok if you did..I think I would understand...

 

[Zeus2013]

Wow, sorry to hear about that. I'm glad no one was hurt and you were only moving the PWC, not setting out for a long weekend - that would have been an even bigger bummer!




EGADS MAN! That there takes the cake, hope you mend quickly. And I hope I don't have nightmares about that happening to me.

Thanks, I now have my wife to remind me to SLOW DOWN...I also have the pain to remond me for a few more weeks...

 

[Glassman]

Soooooo, I suppose I should finish where I left off...if I can remember that far back.

There's a place on the river we've been going to for years...probably 15 or so. Topock, AZ. It used to be an old dump of a place, local charm if you will. Now it's all built up and a new dump of a place...kidding of course, but it's changed and I'm not sure I like the change. I do like that they added better docks, but I wish they would finish them and add some rubber corners. Hard aluminum joined at a corner can wreck a hull!

Nevertheless, we head on down there for breakfast in the morning. It's quiet and calm. I tie up on the end, there is a scarcity of cleats. I'm bending down to tie off the boat at the midships cleat and as I stand up I crack my noggin on the edge of a wakeboard on the tower. This is not your run of the mill bump!

This is a Holy Sh*t Goddamn, muth$#F*k@!r of a smack, so hard the lights went out for a second, blood trickles down, drips on my shirt, don't give a damn that kids hear me kind of smack to the brain bucket that I don't ever wish on anybody type of bump.

But I get over it.

Then we take the dog - we have to or he will sit in the boat and bark his fool head off - the one thing I like is the new rules about dogs. Just keep him on a lease and they are cool, and head up the gang plank. We get ten feet and he starts pissin like a firehose right in the middle of the walk....OK folks, no show here...when you gotta go, you gotta go - we realize he's been stuck on the boat a while - DUH!
I pour what's left in my water bottle on the puddle and we move along. Let's go visit the toothless waitress I think to myself from past experiences....

...and we do, there's a swimming pool now and the kids just love it, so I endure the pain - grin and bear it as they say.

So, we order and wait. Two BLT's, Two Iced Teas. How hard could that be?

Fuckin' rocket science at this place, that's how hard. Tea comes...one at a time. Warm. Next comes a glass of ice.

One BLT...who's is it? I look around, I'm the only one sitting there (wife went over to the pool) uh, dufus, here, bring the BLT here. Thanks, we ordered two, got another in your pocket?
Oh, it'll be right up....15 minutes later. Of course I let my wife have dibs on the BLT, I'll wait - how bout a refill on the tea? Sure.....they bring a pitcher of water.

At least the dog has something to drink now...

If I told you what the friends at the table next to us went through you wouldn't believe me.

I'll omit details about the day's boating activities....or else I'll have nightmares again...too soon for that.


OK, fast forward. Done for the day. heading to the marina. Son in law is on the beach, I see him walk up to his Excursion...I see him walk back from his Excursion.

It won't start.

It does that.

Often.


I offer to unhitch and haul him out, nope, got that covered, thanks. Another friend is there and already hooked up his trailer. They make it back to the hotel ok and we'll have to go through this again the following day. Fun. Right.

Next day, same shit. Same breakfast, BUT - New Waitress! uh, same gene pool. We are Eff o'd.

Pleasant day all in all, like boating should be. Put this one in the books as a good day!

Next morning we "Were" going to go out but since the Excursion wouldn't start we decided to hang with them and get them home safely. We take 3 passengers with us -others go with a sister who showed up at the last minute Friday.... Son in law meets the flatbed at the marina and gives him the drop-off location, he has one 200 mile tow and one 100 mile tow left with AAA. So he shoots for 200 miles for the first one and the driver takes off early since he isn't supposed to go faster than 60.

We go gas up and clean the boat and put 'er to bed.


We are about a half hour out from the drop point when the driver calls - "just for yucks I tried to start it to pull it off the truck and IT STARTED!" I suggested that he leave it idling (diesel) til we get there. But he shut it down and hid the key.
Fortunately it started again when we got there. We all drove home and made it safely....

Unfortunately the following week would hold some seriously scary things in store for us all....

...I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue!


But, that's a whole nuther story!


Now, looking back, I realize just how minor the little annoyances in life are. We are all so fortunate. Don't ever lose sight of that.


and....slow down, it's not a race

 

[sysinu]

Oh man I feel for you (literally, I nocked myself out the other night as well and have a huge goose egg that was bleeding pretty badly). Luckily you nocked yourself on the dock and not over the water I guess.

It's all got to balance out eventually right? So you're kind of "paying it forward" with all the yuck that's happening now, some amazing stuff must be in order for you!

 

[Glassman]

..... some amazing stuff must be in order for you!

From your lips to GOD's ear!

 

[Gym]

@Glassman, you make my most miserable day seem almost pleasant. Keep up the good work.

 

[Jim Robeson]

@Glassman ... I could feel your pain, you are one heck of a story teller. I sure hope you don't have many more of those. The hardest thing I've had to deal with is how I was going to get the Copperhead off the dock before the wife and dogs showed up. Really didn't know I could move that fast!

 

[Bruce]

I am tuned in for part three!