Rescue On the Ouachita (Wa-shi-ta) Part 1

[Arkie John]

Rescue On The Ouachita (Wa’-shi-tah)

It all started out innocent enough. It was a typically lazy Friday morning with a pretty nice break in the weather forecast and that means fishing in my book.

Gigi, my beautiful “city girl” wife was off that day (she has three-day week-ends, to my delight) so she was anxious to get on “Gigi’s Fancy” (our [retirement special] 21’ fishin’/party barge) and go for a pleasant fishing trip.

Now, Fancy stays at the “ready” with me in my retirement mode and all, so it didn’t take long for us to be on our way to the bait shop for some minnows and last minute ‘fish food’ for us. I had hurriedly packed a few things to eat. One can never tell how long a boat ride may last when you’re fishin’ with me—especially if the fish are bitin’.

On the way, with Fancy trailing behind, Gigi got out her new TomTom to show me how good it was. Before I know it I have this bossy-soundin’ woman tellin’ me to “Turn RIGHT” or “Turn LEFT” etc. Well, it/she didn’t know beans about how to get to Ouachita through the country. “Oh honey, just give it a try. You might learn a new way to the lake” Gigi said. Against my better judgment, but wanting to please, I finally took the machine’s advice and turned to a road that I was almost sure thought would wind up on Sunshine Road.

So here we go, windin’ through hill and dale “Turn LEFT; Turn RIGHT 300 yards,” she barked. I obeyed and we got to goin’ just fine. It was new country and quite pleasant…until I rounded a corner to see an 80’ pine tree across the entire road!! It had been there for MONTHS, but TomTom didn’t KNOW it. No, No.

Here we are on a two-lane blacktop about 18’ wide and us with a barge behind us and nowhere to turn around. We backed and backed, straight back until we finally came to a residence with a long winding drive. We took off down that private drive just like we knew them! The problem was his circle drive way was way too sharp for Fancy to follow us around. SO we did the next best thing. We backed (again) half way out to the road and then I put the ole’ Jimmie in forward and we made us a wide circle into his side field and we disappeared into the woods as fast as we could. It was an omen.

We finally got the bait and goodies and lauched Fancy all in good time, at Twin Creeks ramp. Gigi parked the truck and trailer and we were on our way down the lake to Denby Point (Ouachita Shores Marina).

I had decided to fish the marina itself to see if we could pick up a few crappie in the shadows of the docks. It was a chillish 52 degrees, but as long as we stayed out of the medium wind and in the sunlight, it was tolerable. We fished all morning without a single fish. I had had enough. We pulled up and headed across the lake to the north bank to escape the increasing SW wind.

We fished a few brush piles I know of there, hoping to catch a few but it was just slow. I began to bass fish and was lucky enough, to Gigi’s angst, to catch three bass in a row, the biggest being 15”. Not bad for a tight-lipped bunch o’ fish. We decided to fish until 5:30 pm and then head back to the house and clean up sos we could take in a movie that evening with daughter Ashlea.

As the sun got lower in the sky it got cooler and cooler. Gigi had a headache watching me catch those fish donchaknow and asked if there was any coffee left in the thermos. I said, “No, but I will make you a fresh pot.” She looked surprised. “In WHat?” “In the coffee pot Tom and Carol gave us for Christmas. That’s WHat.” It was a 12v, 2-cup pot, complete with it’s own filter and coffee. I was cool can you tell.

I proceeded to fill the pot with water and fresh grounds and plugged it into the cirarette lighter-like receptacle. Well, it started bumpin’ and fumin’ but it took forever for it to get the two cups…and it seemed just luke warm at best. Hmmmm, something was not right here. It was 5:45 pm when I noticed the depth finder was dead…and the gauges were all dead. The horn was (you guessed it) d e a d. DEAD. I turned the ignition switch.
D E A D to the max.

Here we were, with fifteen minutes of daylight left. The cranking battery dead and the three 12v batteries, wired in series, for the trolling motor on its last leg; the wind a steady 10 mph coming out of the South and we were in a cove on the NORTH shore with three miles of big water between us and the comfort of the heater of the GMC. Murphy’s Law is alive and well on this 20th day of February 2009.

[MThook]

Sounds like a sale pitch for on board battery chargers.
I've been there done that, had to get towed and didn't like it a bit
I've towed many boats in over the years and had to be towed twice. I've never taken a dime, I just ask that they tow three boats in payment, I always offer money each time I get towed

[Arkie John]

...I have an on-board charger but I don't charge the tm batteries after each trip. If I did, the batteries would imprint the shallow memory and they would fail prematurely.

I have about come to the conclusion the cranking battery is deficient. I'll take it by Auto Zone this week. If it is, then I'll get a replacement, since it's only four months old.

I went out today with full charges on the tm batteries and the cranking battery. After only five hours the Lowrance was dead--just like Friday night!!! Now, I either have something draining my cranking battery or it is bad. All fuses are good so I am now suspecting the cranking battery.

At least today I had three fresh tm batteries. I took one of the tm batteries from the 3-battery bank and hooked it up directly to the motor. I then took the cranking battery and placed it back into the tm bank. Everything worked good the rest of the day except my tm was a little sluggish (of course).

I think it's just a bad battery. I'll be glad when it is fixed. It's too close to Spring for any problems. lol

aj

[MThook]

I really like the idea of disconecting the batteries when not in use, it's a pain, but I think the batteries hold up better. I've been able to get 4-5 yrs out of a set of batteries. The newer the boat the more likely there is a draw with everything off.