What is the dumbest thing you have ever done on a boat

[RUGGERDUDE]

duck pate BILL, I DAMN NEAR PISSED MYSELF!

[Mental Floss]

This didn't happen to me, but I was on the boat.

I was about 14 at the time and my uncle was giving me a lesson on how to cast net for peanut bunker.

Instead of putting the loop around his wrist, he always put the end in his mouth. on his first cast, he gave it a whirl and the rope snapped straight and ripped his dentures out and into the bay.

It was one of the funniest things I ever saw.

I guess you had to be there.

[matey1]

this happened about 17 years ago when my son was a little guy. we were fishing for flounder in indian river inlet. we had taughthim how to fish w/ open bail so he could feed the fish when they bit. al of a sudden he gets hungin the bottom and sort of panics and say 'what shouldi do' i yell out form the helm to let go. wellhe does let go. except it was of the pole and reel. there we are drifting at about 6 knots and watching a brand new rod and reel drop rightout of sight. all because i yelled let go. my family still brings that on up to me once in awhile. might not e the dumbest i ever done but it certainly has not faded from memory.

[Chilli]

We where on a hydro survey job up in the big apple. It was winter and the job was very intense. We put in a long day in very tough conditions and everyone was bushed. Its common practice for the surveyors on board to process thier data from the days work as I run back to port. That was the case on this particular day. The two surveyors where processing away and they tend to get wrapped up in thier work. As I pulled into the marina, I was getting blown around by a heavy cross wind. I asked them to get the lines ready to tie up. I began backing into the slip. My fatigue and the cross wind combined at exactly the wrong moment. I lost the boat. Her bow blew sideways and I did not have the room to recover. I need to make a big move and had no room to do it... All the while these guys where still processing thier precious data, ignoring my initial request for lines... I watched in horror as the bow continued to go around. We where now 90* to the finger pier and blowing straight back twards the main dock. Some how, the boat slid in between the adjacent dock and the boat next door... We came to rest on the main dock just as pretty as you can please... I anounced in a shakey voice... "We're here"... I had come to rest with 2" between my bow and the adjacent boat and a meager 1" off my stern and the finger pier...turned 90* to the slip... The guys looked up from the processing they where doing and inquired why we docked in such an unconventional mannor... I gave them my best "I ment to do that look". We just tied her up where she landed and went back to the hotel... I walked off the dock with my tail between my legs and my pride smashed to bits...

[BottomLine]

How about lashing 10 to 12 5 gallon jugs of gas to the bow rails of a 31 Bertram for a run to the Hudson does that count as dumb or stupid? How 'bout doing that a dozen or more times, I think the year was '79 or '80. Seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, must have been a sight making way through Manasquan inlet with all those jugs on the bow and the Power Squadron pendant flying over them!

Another dumb incident was trying to make it back in from the Mud Hole after breaking the steering cable on a 24' Formula CC and trying to steer the boat with a boat hook against the stern drive. Didn't take too long to realize that plan was flawed and called the Coast Gurad for a tow. Remember when the Coast Guard would actually tow you in?

[TheChumStain]

One I had was actually stupid but turned out OK. I was with the girlfriend (now the wife) off Del at the lightship when it was a big disk. i trolled by the bouy a few times grabbin a few falsies and havin a good time when a few came back in shredded. I get up on the bouy and see a monster tiger shark with a baby swimmin with her. Me the brain surgeon decide to tie the boat off and take my rod onto the bouy with a falsy. I had a 25 bayliner trophy at the time. This big machine backs in and asks if we are OK I said I'm tryin to catch a shark now they know I'm nuts. They back in figuring I'm after small dolphin so they are all gettin a laugh and toss their penn 940's at the bouy with some chunks. Out comes momma after the falsy and off to the races I R only problem was I couldn't get the boat back close enough to get on while holding the rod so i decide to give it a whirl on the bouy, I lost. It was a blast but let me say one thing, sea gull shit stinks bad

[djwhitman]

NEVER spray "liquid rollers" onto the rails of your trailer and unhook the cable before you start backing it in. Without the 'liquid rollers' we had to back the entire trailer into the water to get her off. We always just unhooked it and backed in until she floated. After spraying the runners, we took a month off and forgot. Went down to Masonboro wildlife ramp and started backing in. As soon as the trailer was at an angle i saw the boat start to slide off. I was at an angle and had to gun the truck in reverse, hopin to miss the dock and the boat/truck/trailer in the ramp beside me and try to get the boat to the water before she come completely off. I tried, i really did, but the transom hit the concrete with a loud "boom" and BOUNCED into the water. I put the truck in drive and parked her and went fishing,, trying to hide my face and get outta there ASAP. When we looked at the hull that night there was barely even a scratch on her.. but man... that's one NOT to repeat!!!!! Oh, we sold that boat... lol
DJ Whitman

[Sea Draggin]

Another dumb incident was trying to make it back in from the Mud Hole after breaking the steering cable on a 24' Formula CC and trying to steer the boat with a boat hook against the stern drive. Didn't take too long to realize that plan was flawed and called the Coast Gurad for a tow. Remember when the Coast Guard would actually tow you in?

I lost steering at the point out of Oregon Inlet one day. We unhook the motors(outboards) locked them straight with dock lines, put her on plane and used the trim tabs to run 38 miles at 25 mph right into the inlet and up to the bridge, where Sea tow was waiting on us. After about 5 miles you get the hang of it.

HEY DJ...Big lots has smoked oysters for .99, saw them tonight and thought of you. Almost called you and asked if you wanted me to pick some up for you.

[djwhitman]

WOW!! My favorite food man!!! How did your place do during the storm? We've been wondering how things are going your way with fishing, the 2nd home, wife and getting another crew. Sorry things went the way they did.. but you catch fish and you'll find someone. We're still open to fish with you if you need a crew and we've not committed. Thanks for the ole times... oh,, I'll still PAY you for 2 dozen of those skirts, or the time to teach me.. They are by FAR the best i've seen yet. Catch'm up dude.. and tell the Misses HI for us all!!
DJ Whitman