02-28-2021, 01:49 PM
So far, in the almost 17 years I've owned a boat, I've forgotten my plug once, forgotten to remove the stern straps once, and 2 or 3 times I've unknowingly hit my motor kill switch and spent a few head scratching minutes wondering why won't it start...
But I think my favorite day on the water in the category of watching other "Bonehead boaters" was on a July 4th weekend.
The weather that weekend was perfect, warm, clear, light breeze out of the south east. But it had been a low snow pack winter and by late June many lakes were at very low water levels. Willard Bay, south marina was just about nothing but a mud bed so I figured the low water level would keep most of the bigger power squadron away.
I launched out of the north marina at just after the gate opened about 6:30 a.m. I didn't really have any specific plan for the day, so just past the buoys I just started trolling various lures at varied speeds kind of meandering towards the far west wall.
After a couple hours of no joy on the trolling, I dropped anchor out over the Kitty Condos out off Eagle Beach in about 4 fow, put out 2 lines and kicked back. The Catfish action wasn't non stop, but regular enough to keep me on that same spot.
Any boater that is familiar with Willard Bay should know that when coming out of the north marina, the rock jetty on the north edge of the channel goes out a ways. During high water times, a shallow draft boat like mine can make a right turn out of the channel and clear the jetty rocks easily. But heavier, deeper draft boats should get well out past the buoy line.
So their I sit, catching and releasing Catfish and I hear behind me the sound of a bigger boat somewhere not too far off. Just as I turn to look, I hear the most gosh awful crunching and grinding noise. The young lady operator, instead of chopping the throttle, gives it more gas and forces the 21' Moomba over the rock jetty that is only less than 2 feet under the surface. She got the boat over the rocks, but then the motor quit. I sat about 50 yards away and watched for several minutes as she tried in vain to restart the motor. I could see her bewildered look, so I figured, even when the situation is created totally by inexperience, or even abject stupidity, I needed to render aid. I pulled in my lines, brought in my anchor, tilted my little 15hp Merc up into shallow drive, and slow backed up to within about 10 feet of her. I asked (a stupid question) if she needed some help. Her answer was, "I don't know what happened, it just quit and I can't get it started, and my boyfriend is gonna kill me".
Well I tossed her my tow line, had her tie it off to the bow cleat (that I had to show her what a cleat was, and where the bow was) and I slowly towed her back to the north marina dock. While I helped her tie up to the dock, I asked her if the boat had a sonar so she could see when it was getting shallow. Her reply "Oh, I wasn't fishing, so I didn't turn the fish finder on". I just really didn't expect that, and had no reply that I thought she would understand, so I left.
OK, I figured that was my good Samaritan deed for the day and headed back to the Kitty Condos. Another hour out there with no action and decided to call it a day. So I get back into the north marina, and of course the ramp and docks are jammed with boats coming and going. I pull back away from the ramp toward the south jetty area, and wait my turn out of everyone's way. On the ramp, I see an old Chevy Suburban with an even older tri-hull on a trailer. There are 2 guys in the boat, and 1 guy driving the Chevy. The driver is backing down the ramp at a higher than safe speed, just at the right spot he slams on the breaks and the boat comes off the trailer, and into the water in a perfect "power launch". But that spectacular show on the ramp quickly changed to embarrassment. The 2 guys in the boat couldn't get it started, and obviously were not well acquainted with Willard Bay north marina. Not too far off the north marina ramp there is a "hump". When there is plenty of water in the lake, that hump may be 10 or 12 feet under the surface and isn't noticed or a concern. But at low water levels, that hump can be anywhere from 2 feet under water to even exposed.
Well the combination of low water conditions, boat not starting, and the show off "power launch" allowed the boat to ground right on top of that hump. The 2 guys in the boat actually got out of the boat, into mid calf to waist deep water and tried pushing it off the hump. They couldn't budge it. All other boats coming and going around them just laughed and continued on.
OK, Tin-Can, smallest boat with smallest motor currently in the area, tossed them the tow rope, and with the added motor power pulling, and the 2 guys in the water pushing, we got the boat off the hump. I towed it to the dock, 2nd one in less than 2 hours. And since I was leaving anyway, as I tied up to the dock, I asked the Chevy driver "Don't they have a sonar in that boat" And you will never guess what his reply was.......... That's when my long held suspicion that many big boat owners have more boat than brains.
But I think my favorite day on the water in the category of watching other "Bonehead boaters" was on a July 4th weekend.
The weather that weekend was perfect, warm, clear, light breeze out of the south east. But it had been a low snow pack winter and by late June many lakes were at very low water levels. Willard Bay, south marina was just about nothing but a mud bed so I figured the low water level would keep most of the bigger power squadron away.
I launched out of the north marina at just after the gate opened about 6:30 a.m. I didn't really have any specific plan for the day, so just past the buoys I just started trolling various lures at varied speeds kind of meandering towards the far west wall.
After a couple hours of no joy on the trolling, I dropped anchor out over the Kitty Condos out off Eagle Beach in about 4 fow, put out 2 lines and kicked back. The Catfish action wasn't non stop, but regular enough to keep me on that same spot.
Any boater that is familiar with Willard Bay should know that when coming out of the north marina, the rock jetty on the north edge of the channel goes out a ways. During high water times, a shallow draft boat like mine can make a right turn out of the channel and clear the jetty rocks easily. But heavier, deeper draft boats should get well out past the buoy line.
So their I sit, catching and releasing Catfish and I hear behind me the sound of a bigger boat somewhere not too far off. Just as I turn to look, I hear the most gosh awful crunching and grinding noise. The young lady operator, instead of chopping the throttle, gives it more gas and forces the 21' Moomba over the rock jetty that is only less than 2 feet under the surface. She got the boat over the rocks, but then the motor quit. I sat about 50 yards away and watched for several minutes as she tried in vain to restart the motor. I could see her bewildered look, so I figured, even when the situation is created totally by inexperience, or even abject stupidity, I needed to render aid. I pulled in my lines, brought in my anchor, tilted my little 15hp Merc up into shallow drive, and slow backed up to within about 10 feet of her. I asked (a stupid question) if she needed some help. Her answer was, "I don't know what happened, it just quit and I can't get it started, and my boyfriend is gonna kill me".
Well I tossed her my tow line, had her tie it off to the bow cleat (that I had to show her what a cleat was, and where the bow was) and I slowly towed her back to the north marina dock. While I helped her tie up to the dock, I asked her if the boat had a sonar so she could see when it was getting shallow. Her reply "Oh, I wasn't fishing, so I didn't turn the fish finder on". I just really didn't expect that, and had no reply that I thought she would understand, so I left.
OK, I figured that was my good Samaritan deed for the day and headed back to the Kitty Condos. Another hour out there with no action and decided to call it a day. So I get back into the north marina, and of course the ramp and docks are jammed with boats coming and going. I pull back away from the ramp toward the south jetty area, and wait my turn out of everyone's way. On the ramp, I see an old Chevy Suburban with an even older tri-hull on a trailer. There are 2 guys in the boat, and 1 guy driving the Chevy. The driver is backing down the ramp at a higher than safe speed, just at the right spot he slams on the breaks and the boat comes off the trailer, and into the water in a perfect "power launch". But that spectacular show on the ramp quickly changed to embarrassment. The 2 guys in the boat couldn't get it started, and obviously were not well acquainted with Willard Bay north marina. Not too far off the north marina ramp there is a "hump". When there is plenty of water in the lake, that hump may be 10 or 12 feet under the surface and isn't noticed or a concern. But at low water levels, that hump can be anywhere from 2 feet under water to even exposed.
Well the combination of low water conditions, boat not starting, and the show off "power launch" allowed the boat to ground right on top of that hump. The 2 guys in the boat actually got out of the boat, into mid calf to waist deep water and tried pushing it off the hump. They couldn't budge it. All other boats coming and going around them just laughed and continued on.
OK, Tin-Can, smallest boat with smallest motor currently in the area, tossed them the tow rope, and with the added motor power pulling, and the 2 guys in the water pushing, we got the boat off the hump. I towed it to the dock, 2nd one in less than 2 hours. And since I was leaving anyway, as I tied up to the dock, I asked the Chevy driver "Don't they have a sonar in that boat" And you will never guess what his reply was.......... That's when my long held suspicion that many big boat owners have more boat than brains.
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
Or so it says on my license plate holder