Try not to break your routine....

[scokill]

So I have a routine I've had for about 15 years. Today I was in a hurry and on a work call and moving the boat to a slip. I broke my routine and decided to do everything at the ramp. I forgot one thing....the plug. I can get in the water and going quickly by myself. I got everything done, so I thought, and got under way. I felt like I forgot something and remembered I didn't screw in the plug. I had swapped to a plug assembly years ago instead of the separate plug as that was a point of failure. I remembered about half way to the slip. I was in my work clothes. I turned on the bilge pump and stopped. I guess all the water drained out while I was under way as nothing pumped out of the bilge.

I stripped down buck naked and jumped in the water and put the plug in. No harm no foul. I was just thinking about swimming to the freeway naked if the boat got away! But crisis averted. I've had two things bad happen over 15 seasons with the boat. All because I changed my routine. If you change your routine, check and double check.

 

[Babin Farms]

So I have a routine I've had for about 15 years. Today I was in a hurry and on a work call and moving the boat to a slip. I broke my routine and decided to do everything at the ramp. I forgot one thing....the plug. I can get in the water and going quickly by myself. I got everything done, so I thought, and got under way. I felt like I forgot something and remembered I didn't screw in the plug. I had swapped to a plug assembly years ago instead of the separate plug as that was a point of failure. I remembered about half way to the slip. I was in my work clothes. I turned on the bilge pump and stopped. I guess all the water drained out while I was under way as nothing pumped out of the bilge.

I stripped down buck naked and jumped in the water and put the plug in. No harm no foul. I was just thinking about swimming to the freeway naked if the boat got away! But crisis averted. I've had two things bad happen over 15 seasons with the boat. All because I changed my routine. If you change your routine, check and double check.

Glad to see you caught it before it became a larger problem. One thing that you need to make part of your routine is to turn the bilge pump on and leave it on while the boat is in the water. Too many times it’s too late by the time someone notices that something is wrong. When I back the boat in the water my daughters main job is to turn the blowers and bilge pump on. I double check when I board the boat and that’s just our routine.

 

[anmut]

Part of my launching routine is to touch the plug as confirmation. Like handling a firearm, check if unloaded 3x then check again.

 

[Beachbummer]

Bilge Alarm people... and a float! If you don't have it, you need it. Inboards with many holes under the water line. Not if, but when.

 

[Babin Farms]

Bilge Alarm people... and a float! If you don't have it, you need it. Inboards with many holes under the water line. Not if, but when.

Here’s what I did for an alarm.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/the-official-what-did-you-do-to-your-jet-boat-today-thread.2661/post-533529