Just my .02 - Always take the key out of the boat ignition after loading. It is a very sick feeling to get to the boat ramp and realize the have blown out somewhere between there and your house!

How about forgetting your keys and thinking you have the brains to hotwire the boat and still fish.....Not saying that happened to me or anything but I now know how much a new starter goes for.....

I keep a spare under the cowl in the engine compartment now.

[This message has been edited by hawghunter08 (edited 04-29-2002).]

OK guys. Now we know where the key to Hawghunters boat is.

This is the first spring to have a boat for my bride and I. Haven't been out enough to make all the mistakes listed above, but then again, if you need help hooking your trolling motor up backwards (causing it to run backwards), let me know!

My bride's job before we launch is to look at me, really get my attention, and ask, "Did you put the plug in?" Yeah, sometimes it is frustrating, but I'll tell you what, I don't forget that one! (I know, give it time...)

Another good thing to do is when you make the effort to stop and get minnows and then leave them in the 4Runner!

Give me time, I'll check off that list I am certain.

God Bless

Let's see.. I did #3, #5 #6, #7 maybe 8.

Another tip....

When you trailer you boat, remove the key from the ignition. Otherwise what happens sometimes is that you have disconnected the fuel line and run the engine dry, so it dies, but you only pull the throttle back and forget to turn off the key. Now your starter battery dies. It's happened to me twice.

IF you have one of those floaties for your key, and you better, then by all means remove it when traveling. I have seen them blow out but also I have seen that 70mph wind cause the key to turn.... and on a long trip you might have a dead battery when you arrive.

I do a final walkdown after trailering the boat and before taking off from home. Have a checklist, like pilots use, and go over it. Check the tiedowns, the hubs for grease (bearing buddy), the air pressure in the tires, the latching mechanism on the ball hitch, the wiring clearance, any loose items in the boat (you would be suprised what a 70mph wind can pick up), and the engine support. Friends can distract you from these tasks, so if you make a mistake, it's generally when you are with someone who distracts you and you forget something, like the plug. It's important to go into ignore mode for the time it takes to go over your checklist.

Thats ok striper,, you would be doing me a favor by stealing it.... Would give me a good excuse to get another...:-)

Sounds like the AMC Gremlin I had. Left it parked in Dallas with the keys in it and the window open. Came back the next day and it was still there whith the keys to a Pacer laying on the seat.

Too funny...

Naw its a good boat now.... after spending $700 on electrical stuff on the engine she runs like a champ.. still a typical OMC cold natured engine but still good once she gets going...

.......first time I took my boat out I hooked it up to my friends 4x4 Toyota.....the boat was lite enough to lift the tounge up to the trailer ball.....we hooked up the lights and were off....I kept hearing a slapping sound going down the road...when we got to the ramp I figured out what it was making that slapping noise........I had left the tounge jack fully extended to the ground and it was the wheel on it hitting the ground everytime we hit a bump

Didn't think I would get this many replies, thanks guys!! Went to Lavon Sunday everything was fine untill we found fish then the trolling motor started smoking out of the socket on the boat(it's hard to keep up with stripers chasing shad when your anchored!!) So then we call it a day because of the trolling motor problem and the fact that I was as red as a coke can since I didn't even think about sun screen(oops!) So I put my find off to back up the trailer and he backs up to much and now I'm waiting on a whole know winchstand/ bow stop to come ups hopefully before the weekend. Oh well sooner or later I will learn or make the boat shop owner a rich man due to my mistakes!!

Brike - we all paid a price for the education ... thank god the payments are usually "financeable" over several years. My first boat launching was a disaster that is still the cause of much laughter 35 years later and far too extensive for me to admit to ... so just thinmk tings trouw and tryyy noit to make the SAME MISTAKE TWICE ....IN A ROW!!! RV

Guess this is a bump, but just wanted to fess up that I have now left the plug out of the boat.. my lovely, sweet, bride was NOT impressed!

God Bless

My wife does that for me as well, and what do you know, I went out with some friends this weekend and forgot to put the plug in because there was no one to remind me.

I can only confess to losing my hat and having to go get it, As for all the other things I have yet to accomplish them

And #8 will not happen cause I am not married



[This message has been edited by oldtimer (edited 07-02-2003).]

I'll add a few things.

It's a sick feeling when your partner launches you and a minute later, you have water coming up through the drain vent near your feet. Always double check your partners actions. Come to find out, he put the plug in one of the live well inlets.

Another one is communication. Make sure your partner listens to you. It may save him from falling out of the boat(couple times while docking) or backing the trailer down crooked and running it off the side of the concrete ledge.

Now if you are by yourself, just say this to yourself several times. My parking brake is my best friend. Trust me on this. Let's just say after one experience, I turn my wheels all the way to one side just in case.

Let's see, lost a life jacket, hat, two ten dollar bills and a cat while driving down the lake. And while fishing(not driving), I've lost everything from cell phones to pliers. Don't worry, I turned around for the money! And yes, I did turn around for the cat.

It doesn't matter if your new to the boating world or have been fishing several years. I see guys that have fished for years that still don't know the basics of boating. I guess the main thing is safety. And I've done all of those things stripermagic mentioned except for the trailer straps.

Oh, I can beat the part about leaving your stuff at home. Try driving down to Sam Rayburn(3 hr. drive from here) and go to put up your tent and find out you left the tent poles at home. And it's almost 11pm at night. Ha!

Jason