Marinette Boat Forum

Please post in your boat. Please read this when you think you have any reason to think you shouldn't ensure the boat is OK.

I have seen two boats that sank at the dock.
Copyright is CC-SA - can be published as public domain by marinettejoe. Revision is permitted if my name is removed.
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Someone gave me this to post, because boats sink when we don't check them. by marinettejoe
Today, I may have hit something, I may have knocked a shaft or rudder post out. I may have holed the hull or have a swelling battery. I have to stop and check. This is a promise I made to myself to ensure I can keep my boat.

More pleasure boats sink at the dock than sink out on the water. It may be the end of the day. Or just before a huge planned adventure. It may be final minutes to complete a wrap up to a great day. I may have limped in, or have been fine to get back. But now I have to check.

We may get towed in, and the chop may be terrible, you may be seasick or busy, and everything you don't like about me, my hobby, or my choices may come to mind. But I also know you have the capacity for graciousness and forbearance, and I need that now.

I am asking you as family, guests, wife, and kids, to wait and forbear from criticism and looks of impatience, but know I have to thoroughly check my boat is OK. I do not want to spill fuel or oil on the water, or incur fines. I do not want to sink, or incur thousands in repairs. I know kids may be screaming, hungry, and you may be angry, but bear with me as gracefully as you can. This is not the time to tell me unfair or improper comparisons of boats to people.

I know you have plans and needs, but this is my boat. I cannot easily replace her. I love having it. Now is not the time for criticism as I need anything, but support. My boat makes me happy to own it. I may be hours correcting an issue, or pumping, or fixing a rainwater problem or leak. This is the nature of boats.

I may have to ask you to run get duct tape, or epoxy putty, or help. I may need to ask you for help in other ways. Please be patient and understand the problem I face today.

There may not be anything wrong, but I have to go check. My issues are the same as a homeowner who suspects a toilet is leaking on the floor during a wedding party. He will have to fix or stop the leak first before anything else happens (including the wedding). Please bear with me. I have to save the boat. It's not a perfect boat, but it's mine.

I was asked to post this notice by other friends because so many others have lost their boats in the rush to finish a great day. That they wrote this and I posted it, shows how seriously boaters take saving their boats. It may be nothing, or it may be critical. I don't know.

Now also is not the time to give me your opinion of the boat, of me, of owning the boat ... If you respect me, you will not do that now. I accept that you may have that opinion, and will fairly hear it. Please don't rush me. Please respect that the boat for now is a priority.

Please don't ask me to risk my boat.

Thanks
The boater

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Thanks.

Bill

Mattinetteman you are so right if I would have taken the time to check my boat she would still be floating, So on my next boat I will try to live by your words
nice post. George

golfman wrote:Marinetteman you are so right if I would have taken the time to check my boat she would still be floating, So on my next boat I will try to live by your words
nice post. George

Thank you, I am so sorry to be posting that. I do deeply sympathize.

Printing this for my Guest Log Front Page! Many thanks for the words!
Rivetman

Rivetman wrote:Printing this for my Guest Log Front Page! Many thanks for the words!
Rivetman

This Boat US article is good also.

http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release ... --smNF0y00 Why boats sink.

And this cool pdf http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2014/06/27 ... _30_14.pdf

This year I ran my boat to the takeout point in pretty rough water. We got slammed around even using the indoor helm. If we were up on the flybridge we could have been flipped overboard. I was trying to meet the schedule of the yard operator and the shop reconditioning my trailer. Never again - next time I will wait for calm water. I ran in too close to the shore got out of the channel and grounded my props. I'm having them rebalanced. I was so disgusted I just left the boat tied up. Later I drove back to see that It was on top of the water rather than underneath it. After a bad run you just want to get away from the boat but that is the time to be extra careful.