So my second time ever boating was ROUGH... but least not as bad as this guy!

[Daren and Heather]

So I'm getting all the lessons learned out of the way right up front it seems... My first time out, I forgot to tighten the clean out plugs.

And yesterday on our 2nd time out, I sucked up not ONE rope, but TWO dock lines in BOTH engines! Anyone done that??

Didn't even realize it, I was pulling out from the dock and both engines stalled. I tried to start them up and they wouldn't start. I killed the power and was close enough to the dock to throw a line and pull myself in. What had happened was I had given my wife the 2 long dock lines to hold onto, as I was going to bring the boat around to the other side of the dock to tie it up. Well I had backed up a bit too far so she had to let go of both ropes, I didn't realize it even though she was gesturing at me, and I drove right over them. So I docked and then looked over and saw both ropes still tied to cleats and running extremely taut along the side/underneath of the boat. Spent half an hour trying to untangle them through both cleanout plugs, it was impossible, they were bound too tightly. Found someone who let me borrow a dull razor blade, and spent the next 2 hours with my arm/hand through each cleanout plug in the most uncomfortable awkward position, trying to blindly perform the surgical maneuver of sawing through multiple bound lines near the front of the impeller shaft that I could barely reach with the tips of my fingers while not cutting my finger or dropping the knife. Literally took me about 2 hours before I finally freed up the last impeller shaft. I was ready to give up multiple times, glad I stuck with it though. Breathed a huge sigh of relief when both engines started up and seemed to work normally the rest of the day. Today I'll be inspecting further to see if there is any damage to either the side of the boat, the seals that the impeller shafts go into, or steering cables. Let me know if there's anything else I should look for damage wise. (No water ever went into the engine bay).

OH, and my wife sent me this video afterwards. At least my 2nd time out wasn't as bad as this guys!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10213852991718666&id=1824170671

 

[Rammrodd]

I saw that too! But by the looks of all the rachet straps it must be planned for some crazy reason!

 

[Dave burke]

Wow! First time I’ve heard of two ropes being sucked up by both engines. Glad you finally got the ropes cleared and the engines started.

I‘d pull the boat out of the water and check carefully where the shafts go into hull. If you didn’t have any leaks, that a great sign but I’d check to be sure.

 

[F.M.]

Does this mean that @Daren and Heather get double points for sucking up a rope?

 

[BigAbe75]

Great job sticking with it!

Here's a great training opportunity.

I didn't realize it even though she was gesturing at me, and I drove right over them.

In the future, wife needs to know that gesturing isn't enough. Jump up and down, yell, hollar and make a scene is what's required.

Just like co-pilot in the car.... don't sit there and say "uh, uh, uh..." and make other weird noises. If something's wrong, spit it out and say "Stop!" or "On your right!"

She may not understand that major damage could be involved... but she will understand 2 hours of being tied to a dock or an anchor while you get crabbier and crabbier instead of doing fun stuff.

I told my family over and over and over again to watch the ropes. Now that we sucked up a tube rope on the wife's watch, and she had to spend the whole time untangling it (because I couldn't get my arm down the tube at the right angle), she is a whole lot more vigilant. We never go anywhere without knowing where the ropes are, now.

Again, congrats on getting all these learning experiences out of the way early on.... now you don't have to worry about them, if it happens again you'll know what to do, and hopefully everyone is learning along with you how to avoid certain issues.

 

[anmut]

Sounds like a hard lesson to learn the first time out. I'm waiting for "my turn." I bought bright orange dock lines for this reason - ugly AF, but I can easily check for any lines out before firing up the engines.

 

[suke]

I saw that too! But by the looks of all the rachet straps it must be planned for some crazy reason!

this has been confirmed a common practice when taking a trailer to a remote location, such as an island, where getting a trailer to is either expensive or hard.

 

[Daren and Heather]

this has been confirmed a common practice when taking a trailer to a remote location, such as an island, where getting a trailer to is either expensive or hard.

Let me just go on thinking that he's a more oblivious boater than me, okay?

 

[Daren and Heather]

Sounds like a hard lesson to learn the first time out. I'm waiting for "my turn." I bought bright orange dock lines for this reason - ugly AF, but I can easily check for any lines out before firing up the engines.

Yeah we BOTH learned a good lesson lol. I had heard about the issues with sucking up ropes, and so I actually bought 2 expensive floating dock lines thinking that might help. Well, not when you drive over them! So both those lines are now shredded lol. Also the lines I bought were blue cause I thought the color looked good. NO, bad idea! LOL. Next ones are going to be orange or pink! As bright neon as I can get.

 

[Weeb]

So I'm getting all the lessons learned out of the way right up front it seems... My first time out, I forgot to tighten the clean out plugs.

And yesterday on our 2nd time out, I sucked up not ONE rope, but TWO dock lines in BOTH engines! Anyone done that??

Didn't even realize it, I was pulling out from the dock and both engines stalled. I tried to start them up and they wouldn't start. I killed the power and was close enough to the dock to throw a line and pull myself in. What had happened was I had given my wife the 2 long dock lines to hold onto, as I was going to bring the boat around to the other side of the dock to tie it up. Well I had backed up a bit too far so she had to let go of both ropes, I didn't realize it even though she was gesturing at me, and I drove right over them. So I docked and then looked over and saw both ropes still tied to cleats and running extremely taut along the side/underneath of the boat. Spent half an hour trying to untangle them through both cleanout plugs, it was impossible, they were bound too tightly. Found someone who let me borrow a dull razor blade, and spent the next 2 hours with my arm/hand through each cleanout plug in the most uncomfortable awkward position, trying to blindly perform the surgical maneuver of sawing through multiple bound lines near the front of the impeller shaft that I could barely reach with the tips of my fingers while not cutting my finger or dropping the knife. Literally took me about 2 hours before I finally freed up the last impeller shaft. I was ready to give up multiple times, glad I stuck with it though. Breathed a huge sigh of relief when both engines started up and seemed to work normally the rest of the day. Today I'll be inspecting further to see if there is any damage to either the side of the boat, the seals that the impeller shafts go into, or steering cables. Let me know if there's anything else I should look for damage wise. (No water ever went into the engine bay).

OH, and my wife sent me this video afterwards. At least my 2nd time out wasn't as bad as this guys!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10213852991718666&id=1824170671

Ya I’d say you did better than him. Now you know what happens with lines when you don’t pay attention to them, it probably won’t happen again. Lines are priority for me I’d rather bounce of a dock a little than suck in a rope. We’ve all been there lol.

 

[buckbuck]

Well, I am not sure we have all been there...sucking up two ropes in both engines is a special accomplishment. Hopefully the two of you will laugh about it with friends after the pain subsides.

 

[Weeb]

Well, I am not sure we have all been there...sucking up two ropes in both engines is a special accomplishment. Hopefully the two of you will laugh about it with friends after the pain subsides.

You have a good point there lol. He gets two trophies.

 

[VitaminSea]

Time to add a knife/multipurpose tool to your onboard tool box.

Glad you were able to still make the most out of your day!

 

[Matt Phillips]

Glad things turned out OK. Those stern lines can easily get in there and can a long bow line.

On my boat, I use two colors of lines: white/gold on the stern and blue on the bow. The stern lines are 15' long, and the bow lines were 25' long. When I got my 23 footer, put the bow lines on the bot cleates, rand then down under the boat and trimmed them at the the beginning of the jet intakes, then used a lighter to burn the edges. Using this trick, I only have to pay attention to the stern lines and worry about those buggers getting sucked in

 

[J-RAD]

I wouldn't dare brag about having gone 4 seasons without having sucked up a rope... that would be tempting fate...

I was just going to mention a tip I've heard about clearing bound ropes. If you remove your spark plugs then you will be able to spin the impeller shafts freely. This might help, but obviously if it's wedged between the blades and the housing it might not make a difference. But I can't speak from experience on this topic.

 

[Daren and Heather]

You have a good point there lol. He gets two trophies.

I'll take my 2 trophies now.

 

[Daren and Heather]

Glad things turned out OK. Those stern lines can easily get in there and can a long bow line.

On my boat, I use two colors of lines: white/gold on the stern and blue on the bow. The stern lines are 15' long, and the bow lines were 25' long. When I got my 23 footer, put the bow lines on the bot cleates, rand then down under the boat and trimmed them at the the beginning of the jet intakes, then used a lighter to burn the edges. Using this trick, I only have to pay attention to the stern lines and worry about those buggers getting sucked in

That's a good idea on the bow line. Thanks!

 

[itsdgm]

I used to have a blue ski rope too. Until I also realized that it’s harder to see in the water.

sucking up ropes does happen. Fortunately not recently for me. However,any kind of boat issue that close to a dock is a gift.Our most famous rope issue happened miles out with a storm chasing us and took several hours to clear while the wind and waves were beating us. This all occurred in a cove that we now call “marital moment cove”. Thankfully we survived.

 

[Daren and Heather]

I used to have a blue ski rope too. Until I also realized that it’s harder to see in the water.

sucking up ropes does happen. Fortunately not recently for me. However,any kind of boat issue that close to a dock is a gift.Our most famous rope issue happened miles out with a storm chasing us and took several hours to clear while the wind and waves were beating us. This all occurred in a cove that we now call “marital moment cove”. Thankfully we survived.

Wow I can picture how stressful that must have been! I actually was thinking about that while I was awkwardly sprawled out on the swim deck for hours, "glad I'm tied back to the dock and not in the ocean with waves hitting us while trying to do this".

 

[Jetstream79]

Well, I am not sure we have all been there...sucking up two ropes in both engines is a special accomplishment. Hopefully the two of you will laugh about it with friends after the pain subsides.

Yep nothing a few beers and some friends joking about it later won't fix =)