Really Embarassing Rookie moves

[CarolinaJet]

This thread makes me feel a whole lot better about my rookie experience this far. I haven’t done most of these things but I almost have, written checklist has saved me so far. The first item on my checklist is ‘take a deep breath and don’t rush’

 

[Nightmare]

SUPER dumb here... Don't forget your dock/water shoes.
Second trip out I forgot the flip-flops at home. I didn't want to soak my other shoes.
The GIANT triangles on the ramp really hurt... And the dock is REALLY f-ing hot

 

[Acard7]

SUPER dumb here... Don't forget your dock/water shoes.
Second trip out I forgot the flip-flops at home. I didn't want to soak my other shoes.
The GIANT triangles on the ramp really hurt... And the dock is REALLY f-ing hot

This reminds me when we went to Lake of the Ozarks in June, I forgot to pack my swim trunks..... Good thing I have a twin brother who packed his ?

 

[bullheadedgoat]

Left the key fob in my truck while we prepped to launch. I had recently turned off the "left key in truck" warning because it beeps when i get out and my wife stays in the truck (annoying). Anyway my Chevy decides to lock itself, and we're stuck in the prep area 45 mins from home. Luckily my wife had her fob in the wet bag in the jet ski. She let me sweat it out for a while before she told me though.

 

[CarolinaJet]

Backed boat into the driveway to work on it, unhooked from truck immediately because I needed to leave soon to take kid to soccer. Jumped in a few mins later and pulled away, something goes bang. Scared the heck out of me! I hadn’t unhooked the emergency cable. Thankfully, learned how to reset the cable from YouTube.

 

[drewkaree]

We left the sandbar on Sunday dragging a dock line that my wife had tied to the back cleat and her pool floaty while we were at the sandbar. About 10 seconds after hit WOT my 7yo daughter, sitting next to me starts screaming "dad rope dad rope!" That was a big 5/8" dock line too - could've been a bad day to sucks that baby up. At least I taught my daughter well - "mind the ropes even when dad doesn't!"

Hopefully you threw your wife overboard to solve the problem, and then sped away, so she'd learn her lesson

Amazes me how many people get to the dock without lines ready.

I have my wife to help me, and you'd think after 2+ years, she'd realize this, and without fail, EVERY time I have to tell her to get up and grab the rope in the front to dock. SMH.

 

[Sonic Blue]

Spent an entire afternoon tubing with an 8 inch fender on my starboard bow slapping my hull till it fell off. Left some scuffs but nothing major. I was off Long Point in Lake Erie. It’s black. If you find it, DM me. ?

 

[Evil Sports]

Only left the clean out plugs out 1x in 8 seasons, never left the drain plug out. First thing I do before going down the ramp is drain plug and cleanouts. The boat lives in the lot at the ramp all summer so I dont ever put on the rear straps. This year it went to the dealer for impeller and housing swap they put the straps on and I didnt notice when we put in the first time this year, Doh...
My 22 YO son is usually the launch pilot while I put the truck/trailer up in its spot. He and his boys did the No rope thing this year, I was not speaking kindly of them after boating his whole life. We run on pretty shallow river and can go the whole season without using the real anchor, I have 2 spikes and usually only 1 get used. Im sure if I ran on a real lake I would have more fails to share lol

 

[Robconn]

Oh my goodness, we left the keys at home our first time out too. 45 each way. ?‍ classic case of "I thought you had them".

Couldn’t find where I placed the boat keys and kill switch….. luckily I purchased a second kill switch and used the second set of keys. so was as able to go boating. When I got home found the original key and kill switch. Close to where I keep them. I hate looking for stuff i routinely store. Great lesson in repetitive routines And failures. Take away: don’t assume your routine is foolproof. Have a back up plan for your back up plan.

 

[Texatl]

Was teaching my 13 yo the boat today, lay of the land, boating rules, rules on the water, etc… where he had a true legit rookie move:
He thought he grabbed all the fenders after leaving the gas dock. Flap flap flap- Whoops forgot the mid-boat fenders, he goes to untie them… dropped one right in the water. While we are under way.

Stop, back up, circle around, and he got another lesson in using the extendible docking pole!!!

Ha, learn it now son!!! BTW, he’s a really good first mate.

 

[DRAT]

i have left the back trailer straps on more than once, most recently at a family reunion in louisiana. you can imagine what i had to put up with from the other guys for the entire weekend. one time, when launching alone at a ramp i neglected to tie a safety line and had to go running into the water, fully clothed to catch the boat. the only casualties were my pride and the iPhone in my pocket.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Couldn’t find where I placed the boat keys and kill switch….. luckily I purchased a second kill switch and used the second set of keys. so was as able to go boating. When I got home found the original key and kill switch. Close to where I keep them. I hate looking for stuff i routinely store. Great lesson in repetitive routines And failures. Take away: don’t assume your routine is foolproof. Have a back up plan for your back up plan.

I keep a spare set of drain plugs, kill switch and lanyard/strap, set of keys for boat, set of keys for trailer locks and trailer as well as a low limit credit card and $40 in cash, spare truck fob with battery out and spare sunglasses all in a small locking metal gun case hidden in my truck. I could basically forget something or lose something in the water and be able to work through it.

 

[RobbieO]

I keep a spare set of drain plugs, kill switch and lanyard/strap, set of keys for boat, set of keys for trailer locks and trailer as well as a low limit credit card and $40 in cash, spare truck fob with battery out and spare sunglasses all in a small locking metal gun case hidden in my truck. I could basically forget something or lose something in the water and be able to work through it.

Ditto, sans the credit card. May have to change that.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Ditto, sans the credit card. May have to change that.

Yeah, the card has a $1,000 limit that I had them reduce it too. Just enough for an emergency or if I lose my wallet we can finish out the day or the trip. It is a Visa, since amex and discover aren't accepted at all places.

 

[4ukwildcata]

Drain plug is my biggest fear.

This because not only would you have an expensive pump out, etc. But your buddies would hammer you with that for the rest of your life. You would be in the nursing home and that would be the one memory your buddy still had of you.

 

[1WetBoat]

This because not only would you have an expensive pump out, etc. But your buddies would hammer you with that for the rest of your life. You would be in the nursing home and that would be the one memory your buddy still had of you.

Lol, so true...

 

[Sonic Blue]

i have left the back trailer straps on more than once, most recently at a family reunion in louisiana. you can imagine what i had to put up with from the other guys for the entire weekend. one time, when launching alone at a ramp i neglected to tie a safety line and had to go running into the water, fully clothed to catch the boat. the only casualties were my pride and the iPhone in my pocket.

Yup. I floated my trailer today. ?. I was so obsessed with making sure my drain plug was secured …. And I had my daughters on the boat… backed in …couldn’t shake the boat off the trailer …then saw it all drifting sideways. I clued in…pulled ahead … and shook my head. Rookie move. Knock-on-wood my rookie boner-plays haven’t been expensive … so I hope I’m getting them over with sooner than later.

 

[Babin Farms]

I have my wife to help me, and you'd think after 2+ years, she'd realize this, and without fail, EVERY time I have to tell her to get up and grab the rope in the front to dock. SMH.

Yep, know the feeling. She’s in charge of fenders, launched boat and headed down river with Fenders flopping as we went ??‍ Kids finally said something and she had that “oh chit” moment……again. Happens most outings & I know better than to say anything.

 

[VictorySwing]

Took the boat out the second time since it was delivered in June on a Saturday. No issues. Took it out again the following day and as I'm backing away from the trailer after I launched I realized I forgot to put in the drain plug. My dad pulls the truck away and I'm yelling and motioning for him to come back. He doesn't see me and can't hear me and goes to park the rig. I immediately start the bilge and tie up to the dock. I can't reach the drain plug from the back swim deck so I pull out the boarding ladder and go for a swim. Screwed it on and once back aboard popped the engine hatch. Luckily there wasn't any water in it and the day was saved. This past weekend after I launched the boat... same scenario but this time the boat wouldn't move in reverse or forward. I thought something was wrong with the impellers. My wife was in the rig and after she pulled forward she couldn't back the trailer back into the water as she is a novice when it comes to that. So finally made it to the dock after going full throttle and wondering what the issue could be. I tie up to the dock and head back to open the hatch to the clean out ports and immediately realized I forgot to put the clean out plugs in. After doing so I popped the engine hatch and there wasn't in water in it again. I'm glad these things happened because I can guarantee that after experiencing these forgetful issues that it won't happen again. Same forgetful drain plug issue happened to me when I bought my jetskis a few years ago.

 

[David Martin]

Couldn’t find where I placed the boat keys and kill switch….. luckily I purchased a second kill switch and used the second set of keys. so was as able to go boating. When I got home found the original key and kill switch. Close to where I keep them. I hate looking for stuff i routinely store. Great lesson in repetitive routines And failures. Take away: don’t assume your routine is foolproof. Have a back up plan for your back up plan.

I'm with you I have second set of keys and kill switch hidden on board......you know the old saying better to have and not need/ than to need and not have. You do end up with a lot of stuff on board.