check it over

1FASTLASER · 07-28-08, 05:25 AM

I havent done one of my heads up posts in awhile so here it goes.

PLEASE take the time to check your rig over every time you go out. A 5 minute look at your boat be it a canoe or a 21ft Bullet could save your or someone else's life. Look at fasteners wires props steer cables mounting bolts batteries. You get the picture ................look it over and either jot down or make a mental note on something that needs attention.
You would think that since I repair boats that I would have caught it quicker but Friday eveing I had an experience that could have gotten REAL BAD REAL quick. I was pleased to see that I still even though getting pretty old still have quick reflexes. I was scooting towards a favorite place to fish on a lake that I think will hold a state record. Well as usual I was hauling a## and when I made the last turn to the point the steering locked down. If I didnt have the years I have in driving these things orwasn't clear minded this could been a real messy situation.
A simple visual inspection would have caught the culprit and I woulda never had to test my reflexes like I did. The plastic sheathing on my steer cable from age had developed a crack in it. That allowed rain to enter and start the rusting process that causes cables to fail............and as statesd above they will fail INSTANTLY and with NO warning.
So please even though she may be brand new or you might take good care of her take 5 and look her over. If ya dont it may be the last time you look at anything.

WTL · 07-28-08, 06:39 AM

Here here, and this might be obvious - but give it that look over the evening before you go out. If you wait till 3:30 in the morning you are going fishing you are going to be weary eyed and you arent going to have any light.

Bender · 07-28-08, 09:28 AM

Good idea, also take a wrench to your motor and jackplate bolts. I check mine once a week since I have heard horror stories of them coming loose and worse. Also take a look at the motor plate that bolts to your boat, I know 2 people that have had them crack, one catastrophically with the motor falling off and hanging from the cables in the middle of the Detroit River. The other guy caught the cracks and got it replaced before it broke.

Carpetman · 07-28-08, 02:50 PM

We tell our customers, you need to get the Pilot Habit! Walk around that Ranger Plane, Stratos Rocket, Stroker Jet and check, check, check! Shake the trolling motor, look under the hull, spin the prop, look for fishing line, shake the big Merc, open the bilge while standing on the land--you'll see stuff you can't see from the boat side!

Motor Bolts! Wow! The next time you have the motor or jackplate off, buy some new bolts at least 3/4 longer than the ones on your boat! Buy extra nylon locking nuts and put 2 nuts on each bolt. Problem solved! Retightening every once in a while is okay, but be sure that you're not The Hulk and tightening too much so that the glass and gel coat cracks.

And when's the last time you checked to see if your lug nuts would come off? I've seen them so rusted on the hubs that only a torch could move them--try doing that on a lonely, dark highway in the middle of podunkville! Check the spare bracket also! I've had to rescue friends and family cause the spare was so rusted to the trailer that we had to use an air hammer! What good is a spare when it's rusted to the trailer!!

Been up and under the dash lately? Any green growing on all those wires? Check out the wire connections and gauge studs. A little grease, dielectic grease is recommended, will sure save a lot of fishing trips from being cancelled.

WTL · 07-28-08, 05:02 PM

Carpetman, speaking lof lug nuts...

Halfway down when we went to florida, I randomly checked the trailer lugs at a rest area and found them all so loose as to have almost worked off the wheel. Thats right, could have lots that little wheel and seen the entire trip go up in smoke. Check your trailer too.

zooker · 07-28-08, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpetman

And when's the last time you checked to see if your lug nuts would come off? I've seen them so rusted on the hubs that only a torch could move them--try doing that on a lonely, dark highway in the middle of podunkville!

it is almost always on I-85 when mine goes. yep your but is 3" off the white line and 18 wheelers are blowing by at 80+

Check the spare bracket also! I've had to rescue friends and family cause the spare was so rusted to the trailer that we had to use an air hammer! What good is a spare when it's rusted to the trailer!!

here is one check your spare tire cradle pin. mine broke and threw the spare under the boat while going 60 mph..

this is what happened
tire scuff first bounce

second bounce did this and hit the axel

axle -not as hard as a mag rim-nice gouge that penatrated the 4" square tube..

exit bounce tore the bunk carpet put a LOVELY gouge in the rear cross member and just missed the out board..

with all bull aside that was a RIDE...

zooker

Carpetman · 07-28-08, 05:50 PM

That's a first, never seen that before!

And Loose Lug Nuts! Well, we've seen that a lot! You know where it says check them after you've had new tires or rims, well that's usually when they are loose. Although, we've found them loose for no apparent reason! Wonder if it was your tournament rival? Or a neighborhood punk?

zooker · 07-28-08, 07:18 PM

sounds like a sore looser to me..

zooker

BassMaster_17 · 07-31-08, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1FASTLASER

I had an experience that could have gotten REAL BAD REAL quick. I was pleased to see that I still even though getting pretty old still have quick reflexes. I was scooting towards a favorite place to fish on a lake that I think will hold a state record. Well as usual I was hauling a## and when I made the last turn to the point the steering locked down. If I didnt have the years I have in driving these things orwasn't clear minded this could been a real messy situation.

Ok Enlighten us rookies on how you lived to tell about it, to much knowledge is never enough.

1FASTLASER · 08-02-08, 06:01 AM

Throttle work buddy. I was in a pretty hard turn to the right going into the point I had planned on fishing. Of course first instinct is to panic but that is the WRONG thing to do. I cut the throttle 3/4 of the way and as the boat started to really sink in and bite chopped the throttle 3 or 4 more times so as the boat wouldn't violently dig in and swamp. No I cant tell you that this was the correct way to do things but it did end up with me still talking and no boat damage.
The only indication that I had about the cable or anything being amuck was a slight rough spot in the boat when I turned to come away from the ramp. I STUPIDLY dismissed it as something in the wateror just a thing.

07-28-08, 05:25 AM	#1
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	check it over I havent done one of my heads up posts in awhile so here it goes. PLEASE take the time to check your rig over every time you go out. A 5 minute look at your boat be it a canoe or a 21ft Bullet could save your or someone else's life. Look at fasteners wires props steer cables mounting bolts batteries. You get the picture ................look it over and either jot down or make a mental note on something that needs attention. You would think that since I repair boats that I would have caught it quicker but Friday eveing I had an experience that could have gotten REAL BAD REAL quick. I was pleased to see that I still even though getting pretty old still have quick reflexes. I was scooting towards a favorite place to fish on a lake that I think will hold a state record. Well as usual I was hauling a## and when I made the last turn to the point the steering locked down. If I didnt have the years I have in driving these things orwasn't clear minded this could been a real messy situation. A simple visual inspection would have caught the culprit and I woulda never had to test my reflexes like I did. The plastic sheathing on my steer cable from age had developed a crack in it. That allowed rain to enter and start the rusting process that causes cables to fail............and as statesd above they will fail INSTANTLY and with NO warning. So please even though she may be brand new or you might take good care of her take 5 and look her over. If ya dont it may be the last time you look at anything. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

07-28-08, 06:39 AM	#2
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Here here, and this might be obvious - but give it that look over the evening before you go out. If you wait till 3:30 in the morning you are going fishing you are going to be weary eyed and you arent going to have any light. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

07-28-08, 05:02 PM	#5
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Carpetman, speaking lof lug nuts... Halfway down when we went to florida, I randomly checked the trailer lugs at a rest area and found them all so loose as to have almost worked off the wheel. Thats right, could have lots that little wheel and seen the entire trip go up in smoke. Check your trailer too. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

07-28-08, 07:18 PM	#8
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	sounds like a sore looser to me.. zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

08-02-08, 06:01 AM	#10
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Throttle work buddy. I was in a pretty hard turn to the right going into the point I had planned on fishing. Of course first instinct is to panic but that is the WRONG thing to do. I cut the throttle 3/4 of the way and as the boat started to really sink in and bite chopped the throttle 3 or 4 more times so as the boat wouldn't violently dig in and swamp. No I cant tell you that this was the correct way to do things but it did end up with me still talking and no boat damage. The only indication that I had about the cable or anything being amuck was a slight rough spot in the boat when I turned to come away from the ramp. I STUPIDLY dismissed it as something in the wateror just a thing. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

07-28-08, 09:28 AM	#3
Bender BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 2,414	Good idea, also take a wrench to your motor and jackplate bolts. I check mine once a week since I have heard horror stories of them coming loose and worse. Also take a look at the motor plate that bolts to your boat, I know 2 people that have had them crack, one catastrophically with the motor falling off and hanging from the cables in the middle of the Detroit River. The other guy caught the cracks and got it replaced before it broke.

07-28-08, 02:50 PM	#4
Carpetman BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 20	We tell our customers, you need to get the Pilot Habit! Walk around that Ranger Plane, Stratos Rocket, Stroker Jet and check, check, check! Shake the trolling motor, look under the hull, spin the prop, look for fishing line, shake the big Merc, open the bilge while standing on the land--you'll see stuff you can't see from the boat side! Motor Bolts! Wow! The next time you have the motor or jackplate off, buy some new bolts at least 3/4 longer than the ones on your boat! Buy extra nylon locking nuts and put 2 nuts on each bolt. Problem solved! Retightening every once in a while is okay, but be sure that you're not The Hulk and tightening too much so that the glass and gel coat cracks. And when's the last time you checked to see if your lug nuts would come off? I've seen them so rusted on the hubs that only a torch could move them--try doing that on a lonely, dark highway in the middle of podunkville! Check the spare bracket also! I've had to rescue friends and family cause the spare was so rusted to the trailer that we had to use an air hammer! What good is a spare when it's rusted to the trailer!! Been up and under the dash lately? Any green growing on all those wires? Check out the wire connections and gauge studs. A little grease, dielectic grease is recommended, will sure save a lot of fishing trips from being cancelled.

07-28-08, 05:50 PM	#7
Carpetman BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 20	That's a first, never seen that before! And Loose Lug Nuts! Well, we've seen that a lot! You know where it says check them after you've had new tires or rims, well that's usually when they are loose. Although, we've found them loose for no apparent reason! Wonder if it was your tournament rival? Or a neighborhood punk?

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