Stories about forgetting the plug

[Yelp softly]

Every fisherman I know has a story about launching their boat without the plug put in. Mine goes like this.

A friend and I went night fishing one summer night. He was neither proficient at backing a trailer or docking a boat. My idea was to get trailer straight on the ramp, right at the water. Then I got in the boat to drive and all he had to do was back down the ramp about 10-15 feet and keep the wheels fairly straight. After launching me, he went and parked the truck. Since it was dark, I didn't see the water in the boat until my feet started getting wet. I instantly knew what the problem was. I had to yell at my buddy who was now walking toward the boat. BACK THE TRAILER IN, BACK THE TRAILER IN!. He could tell by my frantic yelling that this was no time to discuss his lack of trailer backing skills. I thought my boat was going to sink while I watched my buddy jacknife my boat trailer at every angle possible. On about the 10th attempt, he managed to get both wheels barely in the water. I yelled, JUST STOP THAT'LL DO. I managed to get the nose of the boat on the trailer and winched it the rest of the way up. After a quick drain and a good laugh, we were fishing.

[CrappiePappy]

and have also tried to back the boat off the trailer, with the winch line still connected :p ... or with the transom straps still on and cinched down :D

but, as for the "plug still out" fiasco :

partner and I were at Watts Bar Lake - we launched on a stretch of bank, where you could drive the vehicle/boat right along the water's edge and back it in, and leave the trailer in the water. Got everything loaded, boat unstrapped, backed in, and got aboard. It was idle speed out to the buoys, about 50yds away from the bank. When we finally idled out to the buoys, I dropped the hammer ... boat started pointing up in the air, but wasn't going anywhere ... when I let off the gas, and the boat sat back down, we noticed water in the floor ... realizing we hadn't put the drain plug in, I turned the boat back towards the trailer and throttled down just enough to keep the bow up, but not enough to cause water to come over the transom .... ran the boat up on the trailer, drained boat, put plug in, and headed back out.

Funny thing about all of these "incidents" is, they all occurred when there was two or three of us :o ... and not when I was by myself. Well, not that I remember, anyway

... cp

[SUNDROP]

I was alone. Just before daylight. Backed the boat in already tied off to the dock so it can jst drift while I go on and park the truck. I parked, got my backpack, jacket, bag of trash to drop in the barrel. In no hurry, still dark, kinda foggy no one else at the ramp. As I come around the sign I see a cooler drifting away and thing "Hey some DA's cooler blew out" think I'll go get it when I fire up, might have a head or something in it.. Yuk!
Then I nitice my boat is sitting on the bottom of the ramp, full of water, stuff floating.... Thanks god it was on the ramp and had not drifted farther out. It is an old trihull with little additional floatation so it surely would have sank completely... I ran to the truck, backed trailer and all down to it and tied my pull strap to the back of the trailer and pulled the boat(dragging bottom) partially up the ramp so it could drain some and float. Amazingly got it to start but it coughed and sputtered the whole time but I knew if I got fuel in the cylinders it would help til I got home. Waded out and plugged it when it drained all it would. BY now theres 5 trucks at the ramp of course and everyone had an opinion I was in no mood for. I got it to float got it trailered and drained. I knew I had water in the fuel from the vent on top so I went home and drained it (12 gal portable) and fresh mixed and fored her up on the flush with some Seafoam in it. Never had any trouble since but I plug it before I even leave home now.. Never did get that cooler back..LOL!!! Managed to save everything else but my lunch....
I now have a bildge pump on a float switch. It would have at least bought me some time...LOL!!
My Dad did something similar when I was a teen and he had me jump in the boat with him quick and sped across the lake letting it pull the water out while I crawled under the gunnel and put the plug in from the inside...

[Ranger R61]

Had the family with me and launched the boat. We were all in the boat when I noticed the boat was sitting a little low in the water and my feet were getting wet. Still at the dock. Figured that by the time that I got the trailer back in the water it would be real bad. Suprising how fast the water can be sucked out of the boat when going forward. Had the wife drive the boat while I leaned over the back to put it in.

Don't think I could do it today with the boat I have. The drain plug is sort of under the boat. Now it is one of those things I try and remember to do while still at the house.

[sticko]

I always leave the plug in my boat

But if i do pull it for some reason i tie the plug to the steering wheel or to my gear shift on the boat so i will see it when i get in to back it off the trailer

~sticko~

[22Footer]

We didn't forget the plug, we knocked a hole in it on the trailer! Fishing Big Sandy on KY Lake. Mid February right at the power lines. Buddy says turn the bilge on its a little wet back here. I say "Bilge is on and has been!" Then notice the drain in the floor looks like a fountain, I ain't kidding, looked like on the cartoons! She was going down! Reeled up and fired the big motor only so it wouldn't plane! We wallered and wallered, trying to get to the bank, big motor died! Everyone went for the life jackets only to leave me with a kids size! I got one click on her right under my chin. Water came over the bow and we thought it was time to swim and she just settled down, right at the windshields! That was all that was sticking out of the water besides us! Luckily we flagged another boat down and he pretty much freaked out! Said he would mark it with his GPS and letter go! We convinced him to try and pull us to the ramp and he said he would, only if we didn't tie the rope to his boat , someone would have to hold it! Good enough, he got us to within a boats length of the ramp when it hit bottom. Got the trailer under it and flattened all the trailer tires it had so much water in it!

[crappie10]

We were at crappie tournament on Shelbyville, waiting for takeoff, when we heard a bunch of yelling and this guy driving like crazy. The truck tears down the ramp and he puts in part ways on the trailer. they jump out and hook on the winch strap. When he pulls forward, the motor goes under. I heard he got it started and fished part of the day.

[hogdawg]

If you have never seen the video of Bill Dance launching his jon boat and the pin comes out of the hitch, it is hilarious. You can find it on YouTube. I tried to insert a link but did not have any success.

[osagemo]

I bought a new Triton aluminum boat about 3 years ago. The second time out we went across the lake and started fishing. The wife asked me if there ought to be water bubbling up through the drain by the console. I jumped up and tried to start the new motor which I flooded. I finally got it started and took off. I knew from running my jon for years it would drain if I could go fast enough. I hit the bilge pump, which,I was told was auto. but wasn't', and headed back to the access. I stopped at the dock and discovered you couldn't reach the plug from the top or bottom without going under water. I managed to get it on the trailer and get the boat loaded. My wife said she almost started laughing in the panic, I'm afraid I might have been divorced if she had. The boat has a back like a bassboat which is impossible to get the plug in from the top. Now I try to leave it in all the time.

[PapermouthLegend]

I am embarrassed to tell this one, but I will. I didn't have a drivers license yet and my buddy wanted me to fish a night BASS tournament with him. I never launched a real boat. All my boats (oar powered) were carried to the water at this time. He asked if "I could back him down and bump him off'? No problem, I thought this can't be too hard, Daddy didn't raise no fool. I backed the boat down and bumped it right off into the water. As I drove up to park I saw my buddy waving his hand for me to come back. I thought he meant hurry the tournament was about to start. So I parked the truck and trailer and ran back to my buddy only to see him sinking. He yelled "get the trailer!" So I ran back to the truck. I then jack-knived the trailer in the middle of some fancy cars and boats and didn't have a drivers license! I was worried I was going to hit one of these other boats so I ran back to aid my buddy and explain. By the time I got there the back-end of the boat was out of sight in the water. By buddy had to run the boat onto the ramp tearing up his undercoat and was pissed. He raised all sorts of hell with me for not coming back sooner, but I explained "he left the plug out". Needless to say, once I owned my own real boat, I never forgot the plug.