This will make you laugh !
Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 6:37 pm
My worst trip ever !
Last winter I decided to go Jew fishing at night.
Hadn't used the boat for a while, so I made sure she started before I left home.
Got to the boat ramp on the Hunter River before dark and put the boat in, no-one else at the ramp.
Jumped in the boat and pushed out from the ramp, started up and left her idling while I got ready.
Tide was running out, so I drifted about 100 metres while getting organized.
Went to put her in gear, and the shift lever would not move. Oh no ! Threw the anchor out pronto.
Thought maybe the gear cable was seized, so I disconnected the cable at the motor with my tool kit.
The gearbox was seized, wouldn't shift from neutral at all. What to do next? I thought maybe I could throw the anchor towards the ramp and pull the rope in moving the boat towards the ramp, then keep doing that. After about an hour of throwing the anchor out and retrieving it I realized I was getting nowhere. The tide was moving me further from the ramp every time I pulled up and threw it out again. What next?
Took the anchor and chain off and with the anchor rope in hand, dived in and swam for shore.
Made it to the shore ok where the mangroves meet the mud. The mud was so deep I couldn't even walk.
Crawled through the mud for about 100 metres on my belly. Cut my hand badly on a sharp oyster shell.
The blood was actually squirting out, so I tore a strip off my T-shirt and bandaged my hand up.
Eventually made it to the ramp with the boat in tow. Got the ute and loaded the boat back on the trailer.
On the way home I got a flat tyre on the boat trailer, fortunately had a spare, so managed to change it!
Got home 7 hours after leaving, covered in mud and blood, hadn't even wet a line !
Anyone had a worse day than that ?
Last winter I decided to go Jew fishing at night.
Hadn't used the boat for a while, so I made sure she started before I left home.
Got to the boat ramp on the Hunter River before dark and put the boat in, no-one else at the ramp.
Jumped in the boat and pushed out from the ramp, started up and left her idling while I got ready.
Tide was running out, so I drifted about 100 metres while getting organized.
Went to put her in gear, and the shift lever would not move. Oh no ! Threw the anchor out pronto.
Thought maybe the gear cable was seized, so I disconnected the cable at the motor with my tool kit.
The gearbox was seized, wouldn't shift from neutral at all. What to do next? I thought maybe I could throw the anchor towards the ramp and pull the rope in moving the boat towards the ramp, then keep doing that. After about an hour of throwing the anchor out and retrieving it I realized I was getting nowhere. The tide was moving me further from the ramp every time I pulled up and threw it out again. What next?
Took the anchor and chain off and with the anchor rope in hand, dived in and swam for shore.
Made it to the shore ok where the mangroves meet the mud. The mud was so deep I couldn't even walk.
Crawled through the mud for about 100 metres on my belly. Cut my hand badly on a sharp oyster shell.
The blood was actually squirting out, so I tore a strip off my T-shirt and bandaged my hand up.
Eventually made it to the ramp with the boat in tow. Got the ute and loaded the boat back on the trailer.
On the way home I got a flat tyre on the boat trailer, fortunately had a spare, so managed to change it!
Got home 7 hours after leaving, covered in mud and blood, hadn't even wet a line !
Anyone had a worse day than that ?