Whoops - that ws embarassing!

[wattaway2]

As Strick mentioned with a bracket you have a bit more to remember. My mistake getting the fishing gear together and had my buddy who had fished with me numerous time “help” me by putting in the drain plugs something I do before leaving the house. Got about 8 miles out some.thing wasn’t right checked the bilge water almost to the deck? My question —- did you put in BOTH drain plugs — Sheepish /quizzical look comes back at me —both? Turned all the bilge pumps and the one in the bracket put in for just in case.ran in to 10’ dove in and installed the OTHER plug ———back to fishing

[bumpdraft]

So I haven't used the boat in several months for one reason or the other. Went to the mountains for about a month etc. Before I left, I unscrewed the drain plug. The boat trailer sits on concrete, but getting to it with the truck may just get me stuck, we have had a lot of rain. I finally got around to cleaning the boat, getting all the leaves out. I knew that my auto bilge pump was not working and I decided to have a look at it. When I opened the hatch, I was horrified. Water up to the floor. I had forgot that several years ago, I was toying with the idea of putting an inside plug in and forgot all about it.
I took out the plug and began to drain the water and also turned on my big pump. Then I thought about the fuel tank. Yep, top of tank all wet. I'm not sure what I can do, except try to let things dry out. Concerned now that things are wet now that were not wet before and may not dry.

[Fr. Frank]

My last time was in 1984 after calling ahead to have my 20' Seafari launched at the dry-storage marina where I was the general manager. I got there just as they put my boat in the water, loaded my girlfriend and our roommates and our gear and began to meander down the ICW headed for Peanut Island.

After a little while, I noticed water coming up in the cabin step-well. Quickly looked in the engine well where I stored the drain plug and there was no plug there and had no spare on board. I called the marina on the VHF and told them to have the forklift drop the forks into the water.

I was unable to get the boat on plane to drain the hull, and the water was coming in faster than my little 500 gph pump could keep up with.

I got back to the marina and drove the boat right on to the forks and had them pick it up. By that time my entire deck was covered by 3-4 inches of water.

After draining the boat, I found my drain plug sitting on the forklift fender, where the dock girl had left it after the lift operator gave it to her told her to put it in the boat.

Her punishment for almost sinking her boss's boat was a complete wash and wax of my boat, while she was on the clock. But detailing my boat meant no tips from customers going out or coming in.

[SailorChlud]

All good times, to be sure! In the meantime, the editor of Good Old Boat Magazine put out a call for short fiction stories (400 words or less!) and I wrote up this story for their magazine. The editor liked it and may publish it. Who knows - maybe I'll be famous!