Good Deeds

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rawidman

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Sunday morning there was a boat on the dock on the outside of our marina (from the local boat ramp a couple hundred feet away). The guy had his family in the boat and had the engine cover off and was bailing with a bucket. He had left the garboard drain plug out.

I let him use my hand pump and helped to keep the boat off the concrete pilings and metal dock brackets.

In the afternoon, we were sitting on the dock when I noticed a family in a CC with the bilge pump shooting a steady stream of water. I yelled at him "Is your drain plug in?" He looked at the side of his boat at the stream of water, then hollered at his wife (still on the dock) to run and get the truck.

Apparently, he had a spare plug on board so he got the boat up on plane to get the water out, then stopped, got in the water and put the plug in.

He ended up not needing the truck and trailer, but he did come back and thank me.
 
Must be the start of another boating season! Things we forget about during the winter..... glad no boats were lost! Let's hope these guys "pay it forward".
 
Everyday I try to do a good deed. If letting someone out in traffic or letting someone know they have a slack tire, I try. I'm w/o a boat right now but taking care of my neighbors house with a boat on a lift with a high tide from Debby (wind and rain, woo hoo, lots of it) and want nothing in return. I may have saved it, maybe not but I keep them informed. I've learned what goes around......
It makes me a better person and I've seen some of the recourse. Heck, we're all in this together. Although I'm financialy unstable at this point, I'll do what I can with no expectations what will come my way. Call me a fool, but too many years and being sc*ewed has made me a better person.

My feeling is do what you can if you see something wrong. You wont be disappointed!
 
I pulled up to a guy way out in the inlet who was bailing and a stream of water going out of both bilge pumps.
I tied onto him and started to tow him the 25 miles back to the beach.

My Son jumped on his boat to spell him off that bailing bucket.

Soon another boat came along. About a 100' or so.
He lowered a Gas powered pump over to the stricken boat.

The guy got it started, and a whoosh of water came outta that pump. A boss outfit for certain.
Sucked that guys boat dry in a hurry.
His Hose had come off something down in the bilges. With just his Woman along, he couldn't do it all by himself and she wasn't much help.
But with the Bilge dry, he got is fixed.
We all continued on our merry way....Mother Nature says: "Never Mind"
 
I have tried to convince the last two marinas to put a sign at the ramp; "DRAIN PLIUG IN?" in reverse lettering so it appeared to read correctly in the rear view mirrors. To date, no luck even though I have friends who are willing to make the signs and place them for free.

I'm shocked at the number of folks who launch without thinking of this. I too am guilty of this dumbass move....ONCE!
 
That's a very good thing you did.

I made the same error once too launching a new-to-me boat. Cost me a new starter later in the season. I had the bright idea of letting all the water drain out of the bilge on the way to the ramp.

Only later did my boat yard owner tell me the line on the side of the ramp is the "plug line". Their procedure is to always stop at this line when splashing a boat, then make one last check that the plug is on.
 
There are two kinds of people in the boating world. Those that have left the plug out, and those that are going to.
 
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