Share your best personal boating story--good or bad

[Bfun220]

BB
Sorry, I just can't get over all that hair you had.

[Big Block Power]

I was driving in that picture. My son just laughed his butt off. He's 28.lol
I sent them to him.
We went back to Table Rock Lake two years ago. Wow did it change. Max then 11 was swimming off the dock and had a little hydrophobia of getting his head wet.lol well he wouldn't run off the dock and jump in. There was this little 5 year old cute as a button little California girl that had no fear. Run and off she would go. Max watched and was like I won't be outdone by her. Every since that day he loves jumping into the water.
Here it is 25 years later.lol

[thunder550]

Loving these stories! More more more...

[BIGGUSBLOCKUS]

I was working for a month out in Western Nebraska and had a well-deserved day off. The weather was perfect and once of the locals who we knew had offered to loan us her boat to go to Lake Mcconaughy for the day. She was going out of town and couldn't go with us, but was very gracious and offered to let us take it anyway. One of my supervisors was this crazy guy from down around Houston. Will-Bob was his name. He was one of those guys that never says "no" to anything. Full of trepidation myself about borrowing a strange boat and putting it on a strange lake with a guy I was pretty sure had no fear of anything, I reluctantly agreed.

After we left the hotel and went to get the boat (a 18' bowrider with a 130 hp Chrysler outboard engine) our friend was giving us a tour of the vessel. She said "Everything works, but the boat has a couple of quirks." "I don't know why - but once you get it running you had better not shut it off." She went on to say "I think it's the ignition switch, or the starter or something - either way it's only good for one start." Now I'm thinking this is NOT a good idea at all to take this boat out. "Maybe we should just go some other time" I said. Will-Bob was having none of that. "Quit being such a P____y" he said. "It's no big deal". I'm no "P____y, and we had nothing better to do on our one day off.. so Will-Bob and I headed towards the lake, boat in tow.

"Let's stop and get some beers and something for lunch I said". "Great idea" replied Will-Bob. "I'll go in and get beer and lunch and you gas up the boat". There were two small fuel tanks and I filled them as full as they would go. Will-Bob came out with our provisions for the day. A cooler full of ice, a case of beer, and one large watermelon. That was it.

The boat started right up and went into the water without a hitch. Being the middle of the week we had the entire lake to ourselves. We drove that thing like we stole it. I was surprised at how fast it ran but Will-Bob had no understanding of partial throttle. It was wide open all the time with him at the helm. We drank the beer like a couple guys that just worked 20 12 hour days in a row.

As the day wore on - Will Bob was picking up steam. He was trying to wring every last mph out of that boat. The lake was butter smooth and with the breeze at our back he announced we were going for our top speed run. We were moving along at top speed and at full throttle - me in the bow, Will-Bob at the controls. I was facing forward when I hear "Yeeee Hawwww" and then nothing. I look back, and Will Bob is GONE. That crazy Texan jumped out of the damn boat! I rush back and grab the wheel. I though about just leaving him there, but eventually came back and picked him up.

The beer was about gone, the watermelon too. We were several miles from where we dropped in, so it was time to head back. I bump the throttle and the engine sputters. "Oh crap!" I yelled - "GAS"! Will Bob checks our fuel tank. "Yup, it's nearly empty. No big deal, just change it out." I reminded him ..."Problem is, once we shut this boat off, we cant re-start it!" "No problem" replies my friend - "just keep her running and I'll swap out the tanks."

I figured if we kept her at idle speed and swapped tanks when the fuel flow was interrupted she'd surely die. We needed to do this at speed.

Like a skilled surgeon or orchestra conductor- Will Bob's timing and accuracy had to be perfect so that the tanks could be changed out without interrupting the fuel flow and stalling the engine or catching us on fire. We were nearly on fumes and miles away. I not sure we even had lights on the boat and it would be dark in a hour. We had to get it perfect and had one shot to do it. Will Bob counted down (Not sure why) and I kept on the throttle to try to keep our engine alive. Will Bob yelled "Done"! and as the fuel flowed out of the new tank towards the engine we held our breath..

The old outboard sputtered..I kept the revs up as best I could...but it sound like she was going to quit. She coughed a few times and then popped back to life! We had done it! We headed back to the boat ramp laughing the whole way. It's like we performed CPR and defused a bomb, all at the same time. It was a great day.

[Big Block Power]

That's awesome. I laughed out loud. I could l picture Will-Bob jumping too

[Bfun220]

I was sitting in slow meeting while reading this. When I read the part about jumping out of the boat i lol. I got some strange looks from other people in the meeting .

[NautiGirl]

Wow that was a good one BIGG!!

[AsLan7]

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Man. That’s like something out of Mcgyver, BGBUS! Great one.

[thunder550]

Will-Bob

[vans]

Will-Bob

There’s always one in every crowd, great stiry

[BIGGUSBLOCKUS]

I was sitting in slow meeting while reading this. When I read the part about jumping out of the boat i lol. I got some strange looks from other people in the meeting .

Glad I could offer up a chuckle.