MEDIC151
06-23-2010, 09:56 AM
The other day the wife and I decide to go to the lake. One of my sons called and said he and his friends were at a swimming area on the other side of the lake and wanted us to pick them up for some surfing, and wakeboarding. In the driveway, after loading up all the toys and stuff, I looked at the transom and thought I saw the plug in. I don't normally take it out if there is very little water in the bilge and we are gonna go to the lake the next day. We go gas up and drive to the ramp. I usually stop just before the waterline and check the plug but since I "looked at the house" I didn't. Backed the boat in, wife gets in and says the bilge is running. I didn't think anything about it since I thought that water had make it's way to the back while we were on the ramp. She starts up, backs out and I go park the trailer. She comes to the courtesy dock and pics me up and the bilge is still pumping.
We get out away from the dock and I lift the engine cover and see alot of water bubbling up right at the rudder. I ran through my head several things like, did we hit the rudder backing off, etc. Thats when it dawned on me, I didn't put the plug in. I checked the cup holder that I normally keep the plug and wrench in and yup, there they are. Panic mode at this point since we are 100 yards from the dock and I notice the transom is sitting low in the water. I tell her to get back to the dock and right before we get there I tell her to kill the motor. I grab the plug, jump in and stick my finger in the drain (or fill hole at this point, LOL) and wait for the pump to catch up. I was worried I would drop the plug and be stuck there with my finger in the drain with no way of fixing it. The wife said the bilge was looking good and so I went under and started trying to the plug in. Not too easy when you can't see too well and out of breath from the excitement. I got it started and got the wrench on it and all was good.
I have had a moomba since 02 and this is the first time I have done that. I thing I will paint the end of the plug some neon color so I can see it better. Even then, I am going to go back to my habit of making sure I get my hands on the plug to make sure it is in there.
We had a good laugh afterwards and continued a good day on the lake teaching 4 kids to wakeboard. Just thought I would share my stupidity. On a better note, upgraded the stereo to the KDC-HD545 and man the stereo sounds good.
We get out away from the dock and I lift the engine cover and see alot of water bubbling up right at the rudder. I ran through my head several things like, did we hit the rudder backing off, etc. Thats when it dawned on me, I didn't put the plug in. I checked the cup holder that I normally keep the plug and wrench in and yup, there they are. Panic mode at this point since we are 100 yards from the dock and I notice the transom is sitting low in the water. I tell her to get back to the dock and right before we get there I tell her to kill the motor. I grab the plug, jump in and stick my finger in the drain (or fill hole at this point, LOL) and wait for the pump to catch up. I was worried I would drop the plug and be stuck there with my finger in the drain with no way of fixing it. The wife said the bilge was looking good and so I went under and started trying to the plug in. Not too easy when you can't see too well and out of breath from the excitement. I got it started and got the wrench on it and all was good.
I have had a moomba since 02 and this is the first time I have done that. I thing I will paint the end of the plug some neon color so I can see it better. Even then, I am going to go back to my habit of making sure I get my hands on the plug to make sure it is in there.
We had a good laugh afterwards and continued a good day on the lake teaching 4 kids to wakeboard. Just thought I would share my stupidity. On a better note, upgraded the stereo to the KDC-HD545 and man the stereo sounds good.