Remember to Engage Brain

[BobT]

This past weekend my fishing partner and I launched my boat and drove it a ways off shoe to wait for the other boat that was with us. We were sitting out there when I began to notice water collecting on my boat floor. I asked my partner where all the water was coming from when it occurred to me that I neglected to put the plug in.

Sheesh, I haven't done that ever before.

[tacklejunkie]

This past weekend my fishing partner and I launched my boat and drove it a ways off shoe to wait for the other boat that was with us. We were sitting out there when I began to notice water collecting on my boat floor. I asked my partner where all the water was coming from when it occurred to me that I neglected to put the plug in.

Sheesh, I haven't done that ever before.

Easy to do especially when the plug has to be out before and when arriving to the launch. I did it once while fishing Lake Superior

[djlong]

I have done that before. Ok maybe more than once. Last time I did it I was taking a friend out and was going to a spot when he asked if it was normal to have so much water in the boat. I turned around to see about a foot of water in the back. I turned back to the dock and came in too hot and nailed my trolling motor right off the bracket. I am never going to live that down.

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

That has happened to everyone that has ever launched a boat before. It happens, hopefully not very often, but it does happen. I may need to clarify that a little bit. It has never happened to me!!! Yeah, right!!!!

[leech~~]

This past weekend my fishing partner and I launched my boat and drove it a ways off shoe to wait for the other boat that was with us. We were sitting out there when I began to notice water collecting on my boat floor. I asked my partner where all the water was coming from when it occurred to me that I neglected to put the plug in.

Sheesh, I haven't done that ever before.

I emailed the DNR and they sent me two free "Remember to remove Plug" stickers which I put one by the steering wheel and one in the back by the motor well. They work as well to remember to put it back in as well!

[Surface Tension]

I've never intentionally forgot to put the plug in.

"Did you put the plug in". Usually the guy holding onto the bow rope says that to the guy backing the boat in because its his boat. "Yeah of coarse, Dude, cmon". Or "No, that was your job".

If you forgot the plug then if your lucky you forget to remove the tie down strap too.

[CAMAN]

I use a small aluminum caribeaner to connect the key and plug when stored. Backing without the plug is still possible (I like to call it 'flushing the bilge' ) but driving away from the landing without it is very difficult.

[CANOPY SAM]

The toughest thing about this is you first have to engage the brain to actually remember to engage the brain! Toughest part for me anyway!

One can only wonder how many of us would've scuttled our boats if we couldn't simply throttle up and drain it all back out!

[CAMAN]

One can only wonder how many of us would've scuttled our boats if we couldn't simply throttle up and drain it all back out!

Not many. Unless they are way overloaded, the internal floatation foam does a pretty good job at keeping them floating. When I first got my boat I forgot my plug overnight a couple times with the boat tied to the dock only to come out early in the morning with water about an inch above the floor.

[leechlake]

ahh the old I forgot the drain plug. I bet that even Cruise Ship Captains would end up doing this from time to time if it were possible.

It's all part of the allure of boat ownership. As mentioned I also like leaving the tie down straps on and wondering why I can't get boat off of the trailer. A new one for me I added to my stupid moves was I got a pontoon a few years ago. We were fishing and it started to rain so I put the canopy up. When we went in I tried to load it on our boat lift and it wouldn't go on. I tried and tried and figured the lift wasn't down in the water. Finally a buddy pointed up to the canopy of the boat hitting the canopy on the lift. Pure brilliance.

[CaptainMusky]

Glad to see I am not the only one with moments of ineptitude. :-)

On Sunday I was taking my 3 boys fishing. I pull in front of the ramp, get out of the truck as do all my boys. I reach the back of the boat to remove straps, put in drain plug, remove transom saver and I hear a "honk" from the truck. I look in horror and said "who locked the doors"? So there we sat, truck and trailer partially blocking the ramp, keys locked inside.

40 miles from home. Grrr.

Luckily I called my wife and she actually ANSWERED the phone and saved the day by bringing the extra set.

[efgh]

Anyone who has not put their boat in with the plug out or done some other dumb thing really isn;t trying.

[CaptainMusky]

Anyone who has not put their boat in with the plug out or done some other dumb thing really isn;t trying.

Exactly! I have many more stupid moments at the landing, but I will try and reserve some of my pride. :-)

[BobT]

The worst part about the whole thing is my partner was my brother-in-law and rest assured he will not let me forget about it any time soon. I think his comment was something like, "You do realize that this has not gone unnoticed."

I’ll never forget one time when a friend and I were out fishing in my old shallow 12’ Alumacraft fishing boat. I had a homemade trailer with a tilt bed. The landing was very shallow and when we were trying to land the boat I had tilted the bed to hopefully make it easier. It was a windy day with whitecaps blowing in toward the landing. As the bow of the boat started going onto the trailer, the waves began to wash into the back flooding the boat. This made it very heavy.

A couple guys came by in a boat and asked if we’d like some help, which was very much appreciated. The guy in the front of the boat stood up on the bow with the intention of jumping to shore when they beached their boat (there was no dock). Apparently they were not aware of how shallow the area was and they were coming in rather fast. When the front of their boat hit bottom the guy standing on the bow did a perfect swan dive into the lake. We were all laughing so hard it took a while to compose ourselves well enough to finish landing my boat.

I just can’t help but think alcohol may have been somehow involved in that situation.

Funny stuff.

[leech~~]

The worst part about the whole thing is my partner was my brother-in-law and rest assured he will not let me forget about it any time soon. I think his comment was something like, "You do realize that this has not gone unnoticed."

I’ll never forget one time when a friend and I were out fishing in my old shallow 12’ Alumacraft fishing boat. I had a homemade trailer with a tilt bed. The landing was very shallow and when we were trying to land the boat I had tilted the bed to hopefully make it easier. It was a windy day with whitecaps blowing in toward the landing. As the bow of the boat started going onto the trailer, the waves began to wash into the back flooding the boat. This made it very heavy.

A couple guys came by in a boat and asked if we’d like some help, which was very much appreciated. The guy in the front of the boat stood up on the bow with the intention of jumping to shore when they beached their boat (there was no dock). Apparently they were not aware of how shallow the area was and they were coming in rather fast. When the front of their boat hit bottom the guy standing on the bow did a perfect swan dive into the lake. We were all laughing so hard it took a while to compose ourselves well enough to finish landing my boat.

I just can’t help but think alcohol may have been somehow involved in that situation.

Funny stuff.

I would never laugh at someone who stopped to give me a hand with something, until they were gone!

[Chris Haley]

The best part though is that you will only do it once, once!

[bltbowhunter]

A buddy and I went duck hunting one Saturday morning and when we got back home, we unloaded the small duck boat and I pulled the plug out of it to get most of the water out. The next day we went out again at about 4:00 AM. It was dark, we had our waders on, and had the boat completely full with, decoys, and other gear. We were out in the middle of the lake, when all of a sudden I look down toward my feet and I see a juice box floating by my shins. I quickly turned on my head lamp to see that the boat was dam near completely full of water. I don't really know how it was still floating. My buddy quickly reached back and plugged the hole with his finger while I paddled as fast as possible to the nearest land...I still hear about that one every time we duck hunt together.

[BobT]

I would never laugh at someone who stopped to give me a hand with something, until they were gone!

Everyone got in on the laughter, not just us. Even the guy that came up wet. Luckily, it was a sandy beach and he didn't get hurt.

[mrklean]

I did that once last year but noticed before the boat was off the trailer, hopefully the only time that happens

[Ferny]

My favorite was a big cruiser on the St. Croix sitting on the ramp with hundreds of gallons of water streaming out of 2 plug holes. The rich guy was furious the dealer didn't put the plugs in for him! good thing it was a double wide launch so he didn't ruin my day.

[Basschaser]

The very first time I launched a brand new boat I put the drain plug in the hole for the live wells (insert joke here). After launching, I was busy learning how to use the new electronics and didn't look back to see the water in the back of the boat until it was about 6" deep. I never did that again but did manage to completely forget one other time.

[BobT]

I was sharing my plight with a co-worker this afternoon and he told me about a time when he and a buddy were launching his boat. He was sitting in the boat while his buddy backed it into the water. He remembered the plug and yelled for his buddy to pull the boat back out again. Put the plug in and proceeded to back the boat and trailer into the lake. Boat wouldn't come off so he motions to back up some more. Repeats this a couple more times until the boat has floated off the trailer and then realizes he forgot to disconnect the winch line from the boat!

At this time one would wonder if he should just pull it back out and call it a day, eh?

[SkunkedAgain]

I don't know if you just wanted empathy, but I keep my drain plug on one of my transom tie-down straps. When the strap comes off the plug is literally in my hand so I can't forget it...plus it's easy for the Drain Plug Police to see that it's out while trailering.

[Juan Grande]

Yep, I forgot the plug on my maiden voyage. Brand new boat flooded with 45 degree water. This was before I knew I could just drive around and it would all flush out. Got it back on the trailer and watched water pour out of the drain hole for 5 minutes.

Got another one...went to a lake with another FMer who shall remain nameless. I hopped in the boat and he backed it down. As soon as we hit the incline the boat flies off the trailer and lands on the skeg. I got tossed out of my seat, boat batteries flipped upside down, etc. As he went up to get in the truck he unhooked the boat from the winch thinking I had bunks when I have rollers.

[neptune]

Ok so not a plug story but I have two launching stories that both my dad and father in law would not be too happy about me sharing. The first time my father in law took his new boat out with my wife and me he tied a line to the bow hook because he didn't trust anyone else to drive it and I made a comment about the knot but it went unheard. Unfortunately he backed it in and the knot just slid right off and the boat kept going. Worst part was that I was laughing so hard my wife jumped in and swam after it. I still haven't heard the end of that one.

My dad was helping a buddy launch his glass runabout on lake Minnetonka and proceeded to unhook the winch strap before backing the trailer into the water. He had always had bunk trailers and didn't realize or forgot his buddies boat had rollers. The boat slid right off the trailer and down the ramp into the water.