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Took my Katama out yesterday with my son for the first time. It launched well, started okay, ran it around the lake warming it up slowly. Brought the boat up to plane, my sun was all smiles and so was I. After running for awhile we pulled into a cove to fish. When I decided to move position the boat would not start, just a click, click, click after repeated attemps.

I paddled to the main channel, flagged down a ride, they helped me troubleshoot, battery is okay, all looks good, maybe ignition wiring. Get towed back to marina. Leave the boat at the repair shop.

Verdict, boat not in neutral.

I will blame it on old linkage,

and maybe a little lack of boating knowlege....

John

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lol dont feel to bad bet you will check that she is in neutral every time you try to start her now.
i had almost the same experiance left harbour for a days fishing got about a mile out and the engine died checked everything fuel,plugs,connections if it was in neutral no use so i got a tow back in.
took it to the shop after 2 hours found the safety pin on the old mercury sidemount remote had pulled out but to the naked eye it was in:(
lol first thing i do every time i start now is the check the safety cord:)
that was 20 years ago ;)

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Went about 4 miles down the lake, fished about 4 hours, got ready to leave, nothing, not damn thing! Man pulled us back to to boat ramp, where the CHIEF ENGINEER, COOK AND BOTTLE WASHER walked up and promptly said, HEY WHY IS THE KILL SWITH DOOMIE GIGGIE THANG OFF !!! Ya ever felt like crawling into a big hoe and covering it up!!!

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I sat at the ramp tied to the dock in everyone's way on my "Maiden" Voyage all heart broken 20 yrs ago (engine would'nt start). I towed the boat back home, then to an unknown (to me) outboard shop for repair. They pointed out to me that I installed the fuel line backwards and the check valves hung up, preventing fuel flow, "Oh and we had to re-build the carbourators" $$$$. I knew little about boats at the time, a mechanic who own's a boat where I worked said to me "They re-built the Carbs on a 3 year old engine" ???? I got NY "Smart" quick !

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I went out one day many yrs ago, those of you that know Huntington harbor on LI know it takes forever to get out of the harbor due to the "no wake" zone that encompasses the entire length of the harbor. I just cleared the harbor and was flagged down by a stranded boater. He claimed his motor would not start and asked for a tow back into Huntington harbor, the same harbor it took me nearly 30 mins to get out of. Got him back to the dock and I looked at the engine for him. It seems he had TWO fuel tanks on the boat and failed to connect the full one. We connected the FULL tank and within a few mins his boat was running fine. Lesson learned, i should have checked his boat BEFORE towing him all the way in.

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I have one.

My son and I had just launched our Striper model at the time. I was trying to teach my boy about launch safety and how to be respectful of others. I was basically saying how you need to be fast and safe and not hog the dock because it slows others. Meanwhile, a guy launched his boat next to us and had forgotten to put the plug in. Water started filling his boat. I jumped in the water and helped the guy get the boat back on the trailer before it sank so he could pull it out. It made for a great lesson for my son and I explained the importance of the drain plug. I turned to started loading my son in the boat and saw that it had floated away. At about that time, some other kid asked his dad, who had his act together, if he knew who that Boston Whaler drifting along belonged to. LESSON: Before running your mouth and trying to help someone else, make sure you have your own act together. Take it from me, tie your boat off before you try to save the day!

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In my opinion, if you don't have an embarrassing story to tell, you just plain haven't been on a boat very much. Probably my worst is being a dumb azz as I just purchased a new Skeeter Bay Pro with a Yahmy 150 on it. Me and a buddy met early in the am to go fishing and the motor wouldn't start. It was real early, so we went to breakfast waiting on the local boat place to open to get someone to trouble shoot the problem, and while eating breakfast I said damn the over board kill switch. Sure enough, went back to the boat, slid the plastic under the switch, and cranked right up.

So bottom line is, if you've been on a boat for a very long time, sooner or later you screwed up. good news is, the longer you've been on a boat, you either learned yourself, or learned through someone else's screw ups! :)

Duf

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Yep I launched without the plug. My brother who did not know any thing about boats asked me about the water on the floor as I casually walked back to the boat from parking the tow truck. I slammed it in gear and run the water out then had to go overboard to install plug.

Worse thing is to be too hard headed to accept suggestions. I knew a guy who worked on a tow boat. One day he responded to a boater in need. When he got there the captain was beside himself with anger. My friend saw the kill switch not on. As he began to suggest to the boat owner to put kill switch on he was interrupted with a very colorful dissertation of how experienced the boat owner was and he just needed the tow to the Hill. Of coarse he got the tow he requested. After settling up at the dock The tow boat captain told the very experienced boat owner If he would put the Kill switch back on he could probably load the boat on the trailer more easily.

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I agree, most of us have a dumb ass I'm an idiot tale that we can laugh about later, although there was nothing funny about it at the time!

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It happens to everybody. About 5 years ago in my montauk the same thing happened. The whole family was out crabing,,,,,,cut the motor,,,,,,,hung out / drifted for awile then went to fire her back up and nothing but a click. After about 5 min the wife was getting a liittle cranky. Just out of habit I reached for the throttle and shazam! She was in gear. That has happened once since then but I now know what to check first.

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I know those netrual lock out switches can be a pain. But they are worth there weight in gold. When I was in my early twentys a freind who was a commerical fisherman asked me to ride his boat down the ramp and when launched to start the engine and dock it. The ramp was a twin lane, the month was August. There was a boat in the other lane launched and for some reason the owners wife was standing knee deep port side midship holding while husband parked the trailer.

I had never seen this boat of my friends before this day. (being a commercial fisherman he tended to go through a lot of old boats). When I fired the engine it started without even hearing the starter. But it was engaged in foward gear. Luckly it was only in idle speed but even at that I could not stop it before raming the woman between the boats. No one was hurt she just fended me off and the keel drug on the ramp I believe I was more disturbed than she was. Lesson learned!

When I was reinstalling gear in my Whaler I found that the previous owner had removed the switch and discarded it from my Morse controller. That was another setback on my splash date because although I could operate with out it since I knew it was missing I knew that someone else in my boat might have the same experience, but might not be as luckly as idle speed.

As for embarrassing first ride my splash was at a busy public ramp that was under an between two Interstate Hwy overpass bridges. My brightwork drew a lot of attention at the ramp. I launched and quickly found out the previos owner had fed the new teleflex steering cable in through through the exit side of steering box. These bridges have a lot of concrete pilings and I looked like a pinball trying to get back to the dock. I noticed when I docked that no one dared look my way.

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When I was a kid, I "Fired up" a 12' MFG with a 10 H.P. on it and no "N" cut out switch. The engine "Lit up" at FULL Throttle, leaping and heading right for the Concrete sides on the "Long Beach" Bridge. I "Vainly" pulled back on the throttle as we shot past the bridge missing it by a "LUCKY" 3". We returned to the dock with all Grey hair which looked funny on two 8th graders. I'm all for "N" cut out switches, they save lives..

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I have one more. I while loading my boat after a 4th of july fireworks display is saw a group of guys in the water chest deep around the motor of a boat that was already on the trailer. I asked from my helm what the problem was to learn the motor would not trim up. I told them there was a screw they could loosen to raise the motor, and I would be walk back down the ramp and point it out once I had my rig out of the way. One of the guys said he knew what I was talking about and they would be OK. Upon reaching the top of the ramp I asked my wife to pull out of the way and I headed back down the ramp. When I got to the boat they told me the took the screw out but the motor still would not lift. They had taken the fill screw off the unit and yes all the waves were splashing into the unit as the oil escaped. I showed them the release screw on the side of the motor And they got up the ramp. I can not think the salty water of Savannah was good thing to top off the trim unit with.

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When I was 12 years old ,I lived on a small narrow river and had a 14 foot MFG with a 40hp Johnson. Someone had cut all my cables trying to steal the motor and dropped it in, at low tide we retrieved it and got it running again. With my new cables on, as my parents watched me leave the dock, I opened it wide open 500lb boat with a 40 did about 40MPH. Got to the first right turn in the river, You had to be pretty quick with the steering wheel in a river that is only about 20 feet wide at high tide. Turned the wheel right and the boat went LEFT up into the marsh out of the river. I wrapped the cable and pulley steering backwards under the dash. No one or nothing got hurt. My dad laughed hysterically at me!

I also learned about the neutral switch on this boat. I pull started the motor without any controls on it. The second it fired up it took off almost dumping me out of the stern. The only thing I could do was choke it to kill the engine. Again dad laughing on the side of the river.

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Anyone who hasn't been towed, hasn't done much boating. Anyone who hasn't overlooked something simple, while looking for a major problem which doesn't exist, hasn't done much boating either. Every time out is a learning experience.

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I've done the ol' backwards fuel line trick. I've had a few panicked not-in-neutral no-starts. I've run aground while hosting a work party. I've driven an hour to the lake to realize I've left sails and or daggerboard/rudder at home. I've stepped off a boat and completely missed the dock - worth noting, because there was absolutely no alcohol involved (that time).

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I left the dock one fine day without the drainplug in the bow locker on my Montauk. I knew my boat was unsinkable, but it is very unnerving to see water pouring in to you hull.

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My first boat I bought for 1600 and it was a galaxy bowrider. I was so excited and headed straight for the lake after purchase. I started it up and got right around the bend when the carburetor quits. I couldn't get it started for anything. I figure no big deal, someone will tow me in. I was wrong. I end up swimming the thing in, and I was worn out by the time I made the ramp. My buddy ended up meeting me at the ramp to look at the carb. We couldn't get it started, so we decided to trailer it and take it back home. Just as I begin to winch it, the main support that holds the winch snaps off in the water while tthe boat proceeded to almost float away. Turns out there wasn't a drain hole underneath, and it rusted all the way through. I was lucky enough to find more help and get it on the trailer. I towed it 2 miles to my buddies house and bought a new trailer immediately. That was when my wife got her first taste of me and a boat. She said she feels better now because atleast my whaler won't sink!! We might just have to float if it ever breaks down! We have all been there.

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Having owned several boats and traveled quite a bit on them, I have made my share of stupid mistakes. However, my favorite story was when I was still in college over 25 years ago.
Me and a buddy rented a 12 foot aluminum boat with a small outboard and a mushroom anchor (which had about 25 ft of line) to fish a lake in Gainesville, FL. The rental dock was on the far west side of the lake. We loaded up our bait, beer and rods and drove the little boat to the opposite side of the lake, about 2 miles away. We tossed in the anchor and fished numerous spots close to the shoreline, in about 5 feet of water. We were catching a lot of fish. When the fishing would slow down, we'd pull anchor up, go to another spot and toss out the little mushroom anchor. After we moved 4 or 5 times, it was getting late and I told my buddy we'd better head back to the dock. We pulled in our lines, stowed our gear, fired up the engine and began heading back. I was driving the little boat with a tiller to steer and my buddy was up near the front. I was running the engine near full throttle but noticed that the boat seemed to be moving slower on the way back that it did on our way out. Anyway, we proceeded back on our 2 mile trek to the dock. We finally arrived at our destination. The lady that ran the boat rental office was waiting on the dock, with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. My buddy, who was near the bow of the boat, noticed her obvious displeasure. He told her that we were very sorry that we were running late, we didn’t realize how long it would take to get back across the lake. The lady shook her head in disgust and hollered: "You guys would have been back a heck of a lot sooner if you would have pulled your anchor up!"

We laughed for weeks about that one.

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My first trip out on my 220 Dauntless, I launched during low tide, on the causeway with a stiff northerly wind. Now for those of you who don't know or are unfamiliar with the Mobile area. The Causeway crosses the bay running pretty much due East and West, and all the launches are on the northern side of the road. So we launch and immediately get pushed into the ramp. So I have to jump out of the boat into the water in middle of February to save the boat from running up on the concrete, but instead of saving it from the concrete I guided it right into the mud so thick I could not even stand (low tide). Finally I get the boat out the mud and we're on our way. We have great time on delta. Coming back...remember the low tide and the north wind? We had to drive the trailer in the water a little deeper to get the bunks wet, and the northerly wind blew me right over the bunks and into the bow roller up front. WHAM!!! I was not only mad at my self, but at my Whaler for some reason. I didnt' take my her out for some time after that. I thought maybe I had bought to much boat. But after talking to some people I learned that with the conditions that day I should now have even thought about going out. I have not had an experience as bad since then.

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I had a friend that had a Berkley jet boat powered by a newly rebuilt 396 from Jack Merkle on LI. He spent $4000 on the rebuild and was told to "take it easy" for the first 10 hrs. Well he lasted about 45 mins and could not contain his excitement any longer. With the throttle nailed he was able to get the boat to about 60 mph. Within 15 mins we noticed the boat getting faster. I was on my brothers Donzi 18' that did 60 mph and my friend with the jet boat passed us like we through the anchor out. Well, this burst of speed did not last. About 1/4 mile ahead we noticed him dead in the water. Seems an engine runs real strong just before it blows, as he wiped out the $4k motor. We pulled the motor apart to find he threw two mains and four rod bearings. Morale: If you're told to break a motor in slowly there is a reason.

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Here is a fine film documenting some boating mishaps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM2sNY...M2sNYY6xSc

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At my dock there was a guy named "Bumper Ben" (also known as "Captain Crash" ), a crowd would always gather to watch him back into his slip when he would return to port, always an adventure, always something crunching, smashing, or breaking.