Whoops - that ws embarassing!

[SailorChlud]

Well, it has been a long time (I'm 56) but It happened for the first time today - I forgot to put the plug in at the ramp. I have no excuse - my wife even asked me if I did, and I must have said yes. But I was distracted helping put some other poor boater whose tie-down strap was jammed, and the ramp was packed, and the jet skis were roaring up and down the river, yada yada.

So launch went OK with a 13 knot wind at 90 degrees to the ramp PLUS an outgoing tide, PLUS the river current. Kind of gunned it in reverse into the current, turned downriver, and in a moment I was 30 yards form the ramp...with water coming up into the footwell of my Seafari. Yikes!

Had a flash of recognition, holy cow, no plug. Then: why no bilge pump on? OH --- its set to manual.. thankfully I turned right around and tried to get out of the channel, to a quieter spot, with some room to drift, while my son found the plug resting in its usual spot in the toolbox. Tried to put the plug in from the boat - whoops, can't quite reach down that far laying over the splashwell, contorted.... Yikes again!

Hustled back to the ramp, where there were 3 boats, a jet ski and a gaggle of 20 or so onlookers. Hot rodded to the ramp, and tied off at the end of the pier right under the gazebo where the crowd gathers to watch us idiots. Leapt into the 7 foot murky mucky river and screwed in the plug. Tightened with wrench. Emerged from the river water like t was radioactive to the crowd of adoring fans....laughing. their asses. off.

I acted like this was part of my usual launch procedure, then calmly restarted my engine and slowly motored away.....