How to do a full 360!

[musky hunter]

I took a 2 day trip up to Rainy Sunday and Monday. Since my boat was totaled in a car accident earlier this year I haven't replaced it yet, so I rented a resort boat. It was only a 25 hp tiller 16', a far cry from my 120. But it's the unfamiliarity that'll getchya! As I got out of the resort bay and into the big water, I caught a small wave, the boat shifted, the seat rotated, and I nearly got thrown out. I've been running boats for 40 years and nothing ever like that happened before. Scarry.

By the way, the walleyes had lockjaw as well, but it sure was nice to get away anyway, it beat going to work.

[Dan Thiem]

Were you wearing a life jacket?

[arbuck]

It's about enough to scare the **** outa ya isn't it. I had the same thing hapen to me. I used to have a smaller 16' Lund side council wtih a 40 hp on the back. Not quite enough to keep the boat on top of the waves.

A friend of mine (who doesn't swim) and I were out on a fairly windy day and had been out for a while when we decided to head to another part of the lake. We were motoring across and a cought a wave just right and luckily I had my hand on the throtle, because as I was getting thrown to the floor I was able to kick her into neutral. As I looked up from the floor wondering what the **** just happened I saw my buddy clinging to the gunnel for dear life. After everything settled down we got a good laugh but for a while there it wasn't so fun.

Leason learned
arbuck
(and to answer Dan's question: we wern't wearing our life jackets)

[This message has been edited by arbuck (edited 10-11-2004).]

[SuddenlySummer]

I have a 75hp tiller and I always wear the kill switch lanyard around my wrist. If you get "tossed" the boat won't kill you or an innocent person.

[musky hunter]

About the life jacket: no, I was not wearing it, foolishly. And I had forgotten about the kill switch thing, I've always had older boats that did not have them. Old habits die hard I guess. I've always been a good swimmer, but falling into October water temps dodging a runaway boat is beyond my capabilities. Good thing it didn't happen.

[fubar]

I was up in Canada for my first fly-in. After lunch on the second day, I took off by myself full throttle across a very windy lake. The waves were quite high, and I was bouncing around in the boat pretty good. Then it hit me. What the **ll would I do if I got hurt out here? Plane wasn’t due for a check up for three days, and no radio. I slowed way down and started using the islands for wind blocks.

[Northlander]

Ya if you dont drown the boat can kill you or someone else. Some boats have the kill lanyard in crazy places I know but its worth the inconvenience. I like where mine is, up by the wheel on the left. That way I can still steer with my right and put the lanyard on my left wrist.