Weirdest boat related thing you've ever seen.

[coolchange]

So, coming home from the river one Sunday on the 10 between desert center and chirocco.
Guy pulling a Hondo, I think it was, jet hydro. Go to pass him, and the boat is running!
Get up next to him, start making hand gestures pointing at the boat. Guy's looking at us like WTF? Finally told my girlfriend to roll down the window and she screams at him," your boat is running."
His look was priceless.
What was your weirdest boat related situation?

 

[monkeyswrench]

To date...probably a boat I saw around Needles, maybe 15ish years ago. It looked like the SS Minnow, cabin cruiser thing. It was doing about 50-60 up river When it past, you could see two newer looking outdrives...and "Supreme Scream" painted on the back, painted with what looked like a 2" brush.

 

[ssc]

Early 70's. We were coming back from Catalina in our uniflite. I see what looks like 2 or 3 gigantic beach balls moving across the ocean at a steady speed. We got within 100 yards of these huge round things and it just kept going at the same pace and in a straight line. I asked my dad if it was a submarine pulling these things. My dad just shook his head and said he had no clue.

Cheers, Steve

 

[ka0tyk]

So, coming home from the river one Sunday on the 10 between desert center and chirocco.
Guy pulling a Hondo, I think it was, jet hydro. Go to pass him, and the boat is running!
Get up next to him, start making hand gestures pointing at the boat. Guy's looking at us like WTF? Finally told my girlfriend to roll down the window and she screams at him," your boat is running."
His look was priceless.
What was your weirdest boat related situation?

all the more reason to have a perko switch. bouncing trailer probably tapped the starter solenoid. i wonder how long it had been running for?

 

[2Driver]

When I lived in Havasu I had a 19’ Riviera jet with a 454. I sold it to a guy at work in Havasu. He caught up with me at work one day and told me when he went home his neighbor told him the boat had been trying to start periodically all day.

I told him it just wanted to go out on the lake.

 

[Carlson-jet]

I was about seven or eight. We went fishing off the coast of San Diego, launching from Mission Bay. We are about 4-5 miles out when my Dad spots some kids that had flipped their little Sunfish sail boat. They couldn't get it flipped back over due to the mast/sail. They had been out there for 4 or 5 hours they said. Pops jumped in the water tied a rope to the bow handle. We then slowly idled forward until the sail was on top of the water. Pops, the kids and my uncles all jumped back in to right it. We pulled them back to the Jetty where they sailed back into mission bay.

 

[manxman]

years ago was out at Mohave for an early morning ski session . Was about 6-7 am and water was glass. We were heading toward cottonwood to get breakfast and saw a single boat , by itself, off in the distance. When we got closer there were 2 younger kids on the boat waving us down. We got up to them and noticed a guy in the water hanging on to the back of the boat. His knee was dislocated and his foot was facing the opposite direction. I think it got caught in his bindings when he took a fall. His kids were to young to help him in the boat and he was in shock and going in and out of consciousness. We were able to get him in the boat and get him to the shore. Didn't have a phone (before cell phones) at the time and all we could do was go to get help. Went to cottonwood and got a ranger and got help. It took at least an hour to get a boat out there to transport him. I remember the wind picking up and having to hold his boat off the shore till my dad could get back. It was one of those life learning lessens that I still remember to this day. I have a hard time going to the river or desert without somebody else, just in case of emergency's.

 

[old rigger]

I didn't see this but I wish I had.

Customer came by on a Friday to pick up his new Advantage 20 open bow. Guy was a Dentist and drove in with his family in his new conversion van, fender flares, raised roof, spoilers front and rear and an ugly ass paint job. The gel we did on the boat to match the van was equally ugly. This was 1987, the peak of ugly gel coat.

I walk him through the boat, I'm informed he's owned a boat before and doesn't really need to hear what I have to say. The boat and trailer are still hooked to the forklift and it isn't moving until he hears me out.

We're done, trailer's hooked up, lights work, he's gone on vacation.

He's waiting in the parking lot 2 Monday's later. He's not pissed so that's a good thing. He tells me the story of their hopscotching to different lakes on their trip. Mid way through their week they're cruising down the highway and he looks out the drivers window and tells his wife "Hey, there's a boat just like ours!". He forgot to flip down the latch the trailer, it comes loose, passed them in left lane and ended up going down a ravine in the center greenbelt area between both directions of traffic.

Boat's a little beat up, trailer is really fucked up so we take care of all repairs. After that I never saw or heard from him again.

 

[Carlson-jet]

Are we allowed to post more than one? ..
I logged a few lake Powell situations, the time my friend caught a gas can on fire on board, forgetting to tell my pops I unlatched the bow rope on a ramp that make site six the centerfold of easy launch magazine.

 

[old rigger]

Mid 70's, Hawaiian boats. I work in the glass shop, across the street is the rigging/detail shop. The detail guys were the one's that installed the bow rails, windshields, seats and so on.

One of the shop owners has an appointment to meet some customers at marine Stadium, he's pacing back and forth waiting for he detailers to wrap things up.

He's off to the water, meets the nice young couple and after they oh and ah over the metal flaked beauty they climb in and he backs down the ramp. Boat won't float off the trailer, backs down a little farther, boat still won't budge. He climbs over the deck to the rear of the boat and stands on the rear crossmember trying to pull the boat off the trailer.

Nothing.

I don't know what he told the customers but when he pulled back into the shop he was super fucking pissed, rightfully so. Turns out that one of the guys he hired to work in the detail dept. (they were both in work release programs in jail) had grabbed some extra long # 9 lag bolts and installed the seat bases right through the bottom of the boat and into the trailer bunks. Fuck he was pissed but it sure was funny.

 

[185EZ]

Saw 2 people swimming in the middle of the lake.
Bit of a windy day so they were hard to see
Pulled up and asked if they needed help and offered them to come aboard
They said their boat got away from them while swimming
And they asked for a couple towels cuz they were naked lol

 

[monkeyswrench]

Mid 70's, Hawaiian boats. I work in the glass shop, across the street is the rigging/detail shop. The detail guys were the one's that installed the bow rails, windshields, seats and so on.

One of the shop owners has an appointment to meet some customers at marine Stadium, he's pacing back and forth waiting for he detailers to wrap things up.

He's off to the water, meets the nice young couple and after they oh and ah over the metal flaked beauty they climb in and he backs down the ramp. Boat won't float off the trailer, backs down a little farther, boat still won't budge. He climbs over the deck to the rear of the boat and stands on the rear crossmember trying to pull the boat off the trailer.

Nothing.

I don't know what he told the customers but when he pulled back into the shop he was super fucking pissed, rightfully so. Turns out that one of the guys he hired to work in the detail dept. (they were both in work release programs in jail) had grabbed some extra long # 9 lag bolts and installed the seat bases right through the bottom of the boat and into the trailer bunks. Fuck he was pissed but it sure was funny.

Did a stereo "overhaul" on a partycat some time back. Guy just wanted everything reinstalled on removable panels. Sure, no problem.
Guy tried to save and do a self install...drywall screws, just the tips, poking through gelcoat. The panels needed to be removable so it could go to the gelcoater guy Nice boat, maybe a year old at the time.

 

[PlanB]

I didn't see this but I wish I had.

Customer came by on a Friday to pick up his new Advantage 20 open bow. Guy was a Dentist and drove in with his family in his new conversion van, fender flares, raised roof, spoilers front and rear and an ugly ass paint job. The gel we did on the boat to match the van was equally ugly. This was 1987, the peak of ugly gel coat.

I walk him through the boat, I'm informed he's owned a boat before and doesn't really need to hear what I have to say. The boat and trailer are still hooked to the forklift and it isn't moving until he hears me out.

We're done, trailer's hooked up, lights work, he's gone on vacation.

He's waiting in the parking lot 2 Monday's later. He's not pissed so that's a good thing. He tells me the story of their hopscotching to different lakes on their trip. Mid way through their week they're cruising down the highway and he looks out the drivers window and tells his wife "Hey, there's a boat just like ours!". He forgot to flip down the latch the trailer, it comes loose, passed them in left lane and ended up going down a ravine in the center greenbelt area between both directions of traffic.

Boat's a little beat up, trailer is really fucked up so we take care of all repairs. After that I never saw or heard from him again.

Years ago at Windsor a guy was pulling his 40' Skater out of the water. The trailer popped off the hitch and the trailer and boat rolled down the ramp into the water.

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

When you forget about adding the trailer to the build cost!

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[LHC Kirby]

Saw 2 people swimming ...... And they asked for a couple towels cuz they were naked lol

H E L L O
need more info, guy & girl ? Pictures of girl ? Or detailed description if nice

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I am probably 8 or 9 years old, in the back of my Dad's Sanger and we have a couple skiers. A boat passes us on the left and turns around (this is at Kings River so its not that wide) I see the skier behind the other boat loose it and hit a docked boat, fly over the boat and end up on the beach. We drop off the skiers, I am pulling in ropes and I am telling my sister who was drive what just happened, she blows me off, we anchor the boat and I am all amped up telling my Dad about this and my Sisters are laughing at me and they all blow it off. During the day we ride past this boat that the skier flew over, we used to ski like crazy back in the day so we were going back and forth past this boat all afternoon. Its at a residence and has a cover on it and one is home but its on the water and I am telling everyone that its sinking but I am still the crazy kid. Well, a few hours later we see upholstery floating by our camp and I start yelling "I Told you so".... we jump in a bunch of boats and run up there and sure enough its transom is under and going down. A couple guys jump in and start bailing and tossing stuff on the shore and the owner shows up, he thinks we are stealing his boat then the son rolls up they grab a tractor and we save the boat. The Son had just got back from the hospital, the guy who hit the boat tore his leg up really bad so he threw him in a car and drove in to town. The guy punctured the boat just below the water line with his ski and if just filled her up.

 

[The Prisoner]

Does receiving a hummer in the back of the boat on the side of the road near Temple Bar in 1997 count?
Edit. Yes a girl before any of you whackos come back with any crap.

 

[BoatCop]

I don't think Dave has enough bandwidth for all the shit I've seen.

Weirdest was several years ago a guy had a smallish houseboat painted and set up like a train caboose. Probably 35' pontoon boat with twin outboards, each one mounted on the back of each pontoon. Thanksgiving weekend one year, he had it anchored between Havasu Springs and Heron Island. Bow and stern anchored in hellish winds. Wind hit just right and drug one anchor until the hull got hung up on the other anchorline and capsized the whole thing. The engines were running as he was trying to maneuver out of the wind deal, and when it went over, threw him from the helm and into the water.

When I was called on it, I grabbed a boat and launched from the Springs. When I got there one of his engines had seized and quit running, the other was still running but on fire, with the portable gas tank spilling gas on it and fueling the flames while the wind was starting to spread the fire to the rest of the boat. Buckskin Fire arrived on scene, but didn't have a boat, and it was too far out to hit with the pumper. All they could do was stand on shore and watch.

Once I saw that a Samaritan had pulled the owner from the water and he was OK, I focused on the fire to try and save the boat. By now the flames were so intense, an extinguisher would have been worthless, so I backed the boat toward the fire until I was about 5 feet away, tilted up the outboard (225 Opti) and gunned it, fanning water onto the flames. 7 or 8 more tries and I had the fire out and cooled off enough so it wouldn't reflash.

To this day, I believe I am the only Boating Accident Investigator in the country, possibly the world, to investigate and reconstruct a train wreck on the water.

 

[Carlson-jet]

When you forget about adding the trailer to the build cost! View attachment 833032

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That big box under the hull and in the bed is the trailer he bought from IKEA

 

[Shrub Lurker]

Mastercraft used to have boat reunions at Sea World or Marine World in Vallejo back in the late 80’s early 90’s. One proud owner brought his inboard beauty into the shop I was working at at the time (Disco Bay Detailing) for the works. He had had all the under water gear engraved. We lifted the boat and gave a full slick wax bottom. He picked up the boat, went down HWY 4 and made a quick u turn and dropped the boat blocking both lanes of traffic. No one checked the straps. I don’t think he made the Sea World show and shine that year. Oops

 

[GRADS]

So, coming home from the river one Sunday on the 10 between desert center and chirocco.
Guy pulling a Hondo, I think it was, jet hydro. Go to pass him, and the boat is running!
Get up next to him, start making hand gestures pointing at the boat. Guy's looking at us like WTF? Finally told my girlfriend to roll down the window and she screams at him," your boat is running."
His look was priceless.
What was your weirdest boat related situation?

This story is B.S., there's no way a jet boat ran that long without cutting out.

 

[stoker]

Spotted a guy swimming across Newport harbor one morning and it was obvious he wasn’t doing so well. We told him to climb aboard and we would give him a ride across the bay. When he came out of the water he was completely naked and clenching a prescription pill bottle. The guy was clean cut and if fully clothed he would have passed as a typical Newport businessman. However he was completely out of it and paranoid as hell. I flagged down harbor patrol and handed him off to him along with one of my best beach towels.

 

[King295]

Mastercraft used to have boat reunions at Sea World or Marine World in Vallejo back in the late 80’s early 90’s. One proud owner brought his inboard beauty into the shop I was working at at the time (Disco Bay Detailing) for the works. He had had all the under water gear engraved. We lifted the boat and gave a full slick wax bottom. He picked up the boat, went down HWY 4 and made a quick u turn and dropped the boat blocking both lanes of traffic. No one checked the straps. I don’t think he made the Sea World show and shine that year. Oops

Nautique used to do a reunion down a Sea World in the 90's. That is freaking hilarious though!

 

[clarence]

On Davis Islands, looking across Seddon canal, just happened to watch the Harbour Island docked ~40' sportfisher directly across from me sink in only a couple minutes.

Couldn't believe it.

0:17 shows the scene

 

[ssc]

Years ago, we were just a few miles out of Long Beach and saw a small boat explode. We pulled three people out of the water.

Some friends and I were sleeping on a boat in Avalon. Around 2:30 am we heard a speed boat start up and then accelerate hard. 10 or so seconds later we heard a big crash. The next morning we saw the speed boat had hit a large yacht just above the water line and was halfway in. Heard it was a drunk. We use to love to hang out on the front street in Avalon and watch all the drunks leaving the bars at 2am. What a show.

Someone "borrowed" our dingy from the dingy dock in Avalon at the pier. We found it over by the casino with an empty bottle of whisky.

Cheers, Steve

 

[old rigger]

When you forget about adding the trailer to the build cost! View attachment 833032

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Thats the same way we'd deliver to local dealers, all outboards just like this but normally a fully rigid boat. Dealer usually wanted to use their own trailer guy and more often than not they'd hang their own OB on it.

I'd just got my driver license and I hauled a setup like that with a rigged jet on top and drug a trailer hauling 2 more fully rigged boats. This was in '72 and we used Ford F250 pickups, 4 speed granny trans. I was more than a little scared and nervous. Plus I'd never really driven yet and I didn't know how to get to LA.

 

[707dog]

Saw 2 people swimming in the middle of the lake.
Bit of a windy day so they were hard to see
Pulled up and asked if they needed help and offered them to come aboard
They said their boat got away from them while swimming
And they asked for a couple towels cuz they were naked lol

something similar on lake berryessa but it was 2 young girls (11&13) that roped their floaties together tide off to a old jet ski and fell asleep sunbathing guess the wind unanchored the ski and they were halfway across the lake from the day use, we gave them a ride back the girls family was all distraught with rangers onsite said they had been missing for 2 hrs... crazy shit

 

[pixrthis]

I saw a guy sell a boat for more than he paid for it, that was weird.

 

[84miller]

Parents had passed and I was in Cupertino temporary living in their home closing it down to sell. Had great memories of going to Anderson Lake near by and decided to take a break and take a look at the lake. Got there, the lake has a huge public ramp, but off to the side is a gated dock for the ranger patrol boat. I look over and the patrol boat does not look right, it's a 28 foot, aluminum hull, center console, with a 300 outboard. I go walking back to the public ramp, see the ranger in his truck (no boat trailer), talking to 3 other rangers. Walk up and the ranger in the truck says can I help you. I tell him the ranger boat is not looking to healthy. He actually starts his truck and peels rubber outta there. I decide to walk back over to the ranger dock, he is fully clothed in the water. He forgot to put the plug in the boat. I jump the fence to the dock to help, but it is a little late. Water is coming over the back transom. He is still in the water. I told him there may be a way I can help, I jump on the front bow, the water in the boat shifts enough forward, plug is in...but it is still not looking good. Ranger gets the bilge going but now it is just keeping up with the water coming in the boat (outboard, transom has the spill deck water at this point is coming through the circle cutout for the outboard connections). Ranger goes into a state of walking back and forth on the dock, panic. I talk him off the ledge, I said let's figure this out. He proceeds to tell me the ranger boat had been sunk 3 months prior due to not putting the plug in and had cost close to 100k for boat repairs and booming off the water to contain the gas/oil spill created in the water. This ranger was responsible to train every ranger how to launch the boat, his last training class was 3 days prior. Ranger then decides t called the fire department as a last hope. I am still on the bow, big show when the fire department shows up. Fire department wanted me off the bow, but ranger and me said no can do, if I get off the boat will go down...fyi it was like sitting on a bar of soap in water it was so flooded, my weight was shifting the water in the boat forward. Fire department then brought out some gas generated pumps. Started them up dropped the pickup hoses in the boat, was unreal how high the water shot up over the lake. It took about 5 mins, I was still on the bow, and was really strange how fast sitting there that boat raised up outta the water. The original ranger then got in the boat was going to start it to see if it runs, I stopped him. I told him the water looks like it was above the gas tank vents and it would be best to pull the boat and drain the tanks and not introduce the 300 four stroke fi to water. Then I walked away, but was then stopped by a huge thank you, fire department and police. Fun day for me not so much for the ranger.

 

[old rigger]

I saw a guy sell a boat for more than he paid for it, that was weird.

hahahahaha

 

[HNL2LHC]

I saw a guy sell a boat for more than he paid for it, that was weird.

thought that was the norm these days....

 

[coolchange]

all the more reason to have a perko switch. bouncing trailer probably tapped the starter solenoid. i wonder how long it had been running for?

My thought was maybe he tried to clear the double at the gas station on Rice road before the 10. Jarred something loose in the key or harness. For sure his pump was toast. No steam or water. Could have idle for a long time. Heard the headers.

 

[MeCasa16]

I saw a guy sell a boat for more than he paid for it, that was weird.

I call bullshit. [emoji1787]


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[QC22]

I have to admit I was part of this one. Back in the early 80s a friend had an old beat-up flatty. Direct drive, no neutral, and it had starting issues. For skiing, one of us had to stand with a can of gas, engine off, and when the skier yelled "Hit-It" we'd dribble gas into the carb as the driver cranked it over. Worked great!

 

[BoatCop]

1982 Delaware River off Philadelphia. QE2 with the Queen embarked coming into Penn's Landing for the city's 300th Birthday bash. My Cutter, 65' Harbor Tug, was part of the Coast Guard security detail. Our Officer in Charge allowed families to come along for the show. Wife and daughter were on deck (photo below for effect) watching the action when a 35' cabin cruiser exploded, throwing the 3 people sitting over the engine about 30 feet in the air and into the drink. We ushered the visitors into the galley and berthing area and went to work rescuing the people and fighting the resulting fire. All over in about 15 minutes, passed the victims and boat over to local fire boats and harbor patrol and went back to the show.

 

[Jed-O]

I don't think Dave has enough bandwidth for all the shit I've seen.

Weirdest was several years ago a guy had a smallish houseboat painted and set up like a train caboose. Probably 35' pontoon boat with twin outboards, each one mounted on the back of each pontoon. Thanksgiving weekend one year, he had it anchored between Havasu Springs and Heron Island. Bow and stern anchored in hellish winds. Wind hit just right and drug one anchor until the hull got hung up on the other anchorline and capsized the whole thing. The engines were running as he was trying to maneuver out of the wind deal, and when it went over, threw him from the helm and into the water.

When I was called on it, I grabbed a boat and launched from the Springs. When I got there one of his engines had seized and quit running, the other was still running but on fire, with the portable gas tank spilling gas on it and fueling the flames while the wind was starting to spread the fire to the rest of the boat. Buckskin Fire arrived on scene, but didn't have a boat, and it was too far out to hit with the pumper. All they could do was stand on shore and watch.

Once I saw that a Samaritan had pulled the owner from the water and he was OK, I focused on the fire to try and save the boat. By now the flames were so intense, an extinguisher would have been worthless, so I backed the boat toward the fire until I was about 5 feet away, tilted up the outboard (225 Opti) and gunned it, fanning water onto the flames. 7 or 8 more tries and I had the fire out and cooled off enough so it wouldn't reflash.

To this day, I believe I am the only Boating Accident Investigator in the country, possibly the world, to investigate and reconstruct a train wreck on the water.

I remember that boat! Back in the 90's it was moored at the docks just below the poolside motel at the Springs. We used to hit golf balls over it from the lawn.