One time, I would like to go boating and have no stories to tell. Is that too much to ask?
I started the day finishing the trench. It required a couple of trips to the lumber store because I didn’t estimate the required supplies very well, but it’s done and it actually looks nice with the pea stone exposed along the edge of our property.
Next up, was to finally attempt to fix the wobble wheels on the boat trailer, and the plan was for my cousin and I to go for a boat ride afterwards. Originally the thought was to head out on the lake and then tackle the trailer, but I was worried we’d run into issues and be in the parking lot in the darkness of night like last time. So, we ventured into the repair first. We put the boat on the water and tied it to the dock, and then got to work.
I hadn’t noticed that the wobble arms were at more of a curve than a bend so we worried that this was going to be an issue. We took the new arms back off again and turned them around, but noticed that the bracket would scratch on the boat so we just reversed them back to the way they were.
I went to the washroom while my cousin headed to the boat. The plan was to test loading the boat onto the trailer, and then go out for a ride if all was good.
While I was in the washroom, I got a text from my cousin asking me to hurry because the boat was sinking. Fvck! Stupid ass. I had forgotten to put the drain plug in. This is the second time I have done this and at the same launch site. Last time it was Tara and I with our first boat, but I was able to climb into the water at the dock that time, put in the plug, and let the bilge pump work its magic while we drove around the bay. No harm done.
I rushed over with the van, but there was a couple – who were new boaters – having an issue getting their boat onto their trailer. My cousin did the best he could to help them along, as I waited impatiently in the van wondering what the heck was going on. I don’t like to rush other’s because I know I have had my moments at the dock as a new boater, but the boat was going down fast.
By the time I was able to back the trailer into the water, the inside of the boat was starting to overflow over the back seats. I am not sure why the bilge pump hadn’t kicked in but considering we were in the parking lot working on the trailer for at least an hour, my craft was likely only moments away from making the final plunge into the bottom of the inlet.
It was all we could do to get the winch attached and the boat just enough out of the water to let it drain. It was sitting cock-eyed on the trailer and I was worried about that much weight on the one clip that the winch attaches to the bow of the boat.
The water gushed for a good twenty minutes at least, before I was able to get the plug in so we could do our best to get the boat a little more centred onto the trailer. There was no taking the boat out today with the engine having been submerged for who knows how long.
We were correct to assume that the wobble arm curve was going to cause an issue. They weren’t sitting on the hull properly and it wasn’t even close to the keel roller.
We got the boat secured with the ratchet straps, and just drove really slowly to where we were parking it which wasn’t far away.
I guess we have some work to do to sort this issue out.