fragmeister Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) Well, I have finally gotten up the courage to admit something ... Its hard to admit when you have been a complete idiot. Here goes... Last week I hooked up the boat to the back of my Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland... (it's about 3 months old). It was about 3pm in the afternoon and just as I was hitching up the boat the kids came home from school so I had a quick chat with them before I left. I was in a hurry but I thought I did all my trailer checks before I left as I have done a hundred times before but obviously I didn't... As I exited the driveway I heard a loud noise and looked in my rear view mirror to see the boat had leaped off the coupling and the safety chain had just taken up the slack propelling it back towards my car. The bow of the boat hit the rear windscreen shattering it and the boat bounced off the car and of course the trailer draw bar ended up on the ground. Closer inspection saw that the front steps I had installed to gain easy access down from the bow had punched a hole through the bumper bar. Felt like an idiot at the time and still do really. Got some help from the neighbors to put it back on... taped up the window with a clear sheet of plastic and went fishing anyway! The next day I took the boat to the smash repairs to assess the damage. $2800 for the windscreen and $2300 for the bumper bar. OUCH! Did it under insurance of course but even full comprehensive doesn't cover my injured pride. There, I've done it. I know I am an idiot. Go easy on me boys! Cheers Jim Edited March 3, 2016 by fragmeister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefin Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 We all have a set order in which we do things, break that order and things go wrong! just makes you human like most of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marks1984 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 haha unlucky mate we have all done things like that some big so small. big ups to you for admitting it lol there are a lot of shit that I will not admit to doing lol which most have been fishing related lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Ouch!!!! Its not a day boating unless something happens. Kudos for admitting it and owning it. And 100 points for then going fishing still....were you rewarded?? Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy-livin Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Thank god it happened in your drive way and not on the road at speed! Dad towed the camper trailer to Albury without realise the hitch wasn't locked on. Goes to show how balanced those things are.. Hate to see the outcome of it had of unhitched at 110... Haha Solid effor on going fishing get on the water and forget about all issues! Personally I would still be sitting in the driveway having a tantrum like a 5 year old! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katoe Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Mate we all do it I was lucky enough that it didn't bounce off but found that it wasn't locked onto the ball just before I launched. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Jim .......... It's a MAN thing mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy-livin Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Actually another one. I was at fore shore and had backed the boat in and asked my gf to unhook the boat .. I was wondering what was taking so long to look over and find her I hitching the trailer!! Chain was off plug out and about to lift the hitch.. The look on my face must of made her wake up to what she was doing.. Every weekend at the ramp I crack the joke about it and every weekend she doesn't laugh and tells me to eff off haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Well now I feel a whole lot better! I don't know what I was worried about! Thanks for the kind words boys. And Donna.... all I can say is guilty as charged! Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyNurse Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Not so expensive, but I've lost count of the number of times I've locked my keys on the car when I've gone fishing. I almost know the NRMA guys on a first name basis. Before joining said association, I destroyed a couple of door deals retrieving the keys myself. It's all about developing the good routine and sticking to it.....but that's not always easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydney south Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Actually another one. I was at fore shore and had backed the boat in and asked my gf to unhook the boat .. I was wondering what was taking so long to look over and find her I hitching the trailer!! Chain was off plug out and about to lift the hitch.. The look on my face must of made her wake up to what she was doing.. Every weekend at the ramp I crack the joke about it and every weekend she doesn't laugh and tells me to eff off haha Very Funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydney south Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I left the earmuffs on the motor and then wondered why the temperature alarm went off the next day when I took the boat out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefin Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hands up who has launched without the bungs in?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz_brett Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hands up who has launched without the bungs in?? YEP a few times not just once! another one I am guilty of.. New boat maiden voyage SO EXCITED towed boat from Campbeltown to Kyeemagh launched boat parked car only to find I had no boat keys. Boat back on trailer & home we go trip cancelled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsy91 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Isn't it strange how reading anothers misfortune can make you (finally) laugh at your own...one or two of you may have seen a comment I made on a recent post about needing a new bream stick. What I didn't mention was that the reason for this is due to me using the tip of the rod to attempt to remove a snagged jighead on a rope hanging off a boat. It didn't end well and I instantly felt like a donk and have not been able to laugh about it till now.. so cheers for softening the blow frags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 A couple of years back I pulled the boat up just off Mainbar ,decided to get the kids out for a walk along the beach so after setting out front & rear anchor I put my phone in my pocket & watched my kids jump off and swim up onto the beach as the water was only past my waist . I grabbed my youngest daughter onto my shoulders & jump into the water and walked up onto the beach & only after setting my daughter down on the sand I realized my phone was in my BACK POCKET !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock&Beach Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 They say a problem shared is a problem halved. Well thanks mate but I ain't paying $2500. Mate I am a routine freak. My story on this. I did plumbing as work experience, put the ladder on the car was distracted. The boss came back 20 minutes later and nearly killed me I forgot to tie it on. Reached the first intersection put on the brakes and the ladder disappears off the roof. I didn't become a plumber. Electrician instead. Tight lines mate. .. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hands up who has launched without the bungs in??Yerp. I done this on my ski one day. Wasnt a good result. Thankfully no damage but still not good either way haha. Another great one is in my old ski boat that was set up for bridge to bridge racing we were having a ski day mum thiught she would be 'cool' and take all the ladies out for a spin....idles out 1mto take off and forgets to drop the trim. Thing stood on its tale for a good 100m hahaha Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 To err is human, to fess up takes courage. No doubting your qualities Jim. Great to see that you STILL went fishing. Cheers, buddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) They say a problem shared is a problem halved. Well thanks mate but I ain't paying $2500. Mate I am a routine freak. My story on this. I did plumbing as work experience, put the ladder on the car was distracted. The boss came back 20 minutes later and nearly killed me I forgot to tie it on. Reached the first intersection put on the brakes and the ladder disappears off the roof. I didn't become a plumber. Electrician instead. Tight lines mate. .. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk Yes. I have rethought the process a little. I now have a small carabiner that I attached with a chain to the trailer. After hitching the trailer and dropping the latch over I now slip the carabiner through the padlock hole thereby making sure that the latch is down properly. I guess it wasn't when the boat fell off. It did occur to me that since the boat crashed into the rear of my car the boat was clearly in the wrong and I should have claimed under the boat insurance and saved my MV insurance no claim bonus! Hmm... probably wouldn't get away with that one. Edited March 3, 2016 by fragmeister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Yes. I have rethought the process a little. I now have a small carabiner that I attached with a chain to the trailer. After hitching the trailer and dropping the latch over I now slip the carabiner through the padlock hole thereby making sure that the latch is down properly. I guess it wasn't when the boat fell off. It did occur to me that since the boat crashed into the rear of my car the boat was clearly in the wrong and I should have claimed under the boat insurance and saved my MV insurance no claim bonus! Hmm... probably wouldn't get away with that one. Still look into it jim. I work for nrma so i personally know that if you make a claim under both boat anr car insurance for the same listed event and their both insured with nrma they waive the lowest excess (generally being boat) and even if yiu have paid they will reimburse providing proof of payment. Cheers Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquidMarks Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Almost exactly the same problem here (minus all the rear damage) I had my routine for prepping the trailer and it was working perfectly, well, one day my wife wanted to look after our friends dogs and needed the keys to secure the side gate, the same keys that are for the trailer coupling padlock (the keys came from a padlock set meaning you have 1 key opening 3-4 padlocks). So i hitched the boat up early in the morning, drove from Liverpool on the M5 to port hacking, fished, drove back home. just as im reversing the boat up the driveway i heard an almighty crash!, immediately apply the brakes, get out to have a look and realised that i have just driven to port hacking and back without the coupling locked into the hitch! The chain took the slack but there could have been some serious injury if the trailer bounced on the M5 (or anywhere else for that matter!). The coupling smacked the rear bumper and left a nice graze. Everytime i hitch the trailer i look at that bloody graze and remember to check everything twice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Bad luck mate as it can happen to all of us.I'd like to know how many of us check the hitch multiple times during our trip.I put the hitch over the ball and lock her down inserting a R clip through the hole in the latch.I then grab hold of the trailer trying to lift the coupling off the ball as hard as I can before departure,when refuelling and before leaving the ramp for the return trip home to ensure it is holding fast.A good habit to get in the practice of is quickly giving your trailer a visual once over before retrieving your boat to check things such as rollers.winches etc haven't been borrowed by someone that needs them more than you as it really doesn't take much time at all. Next time your at the ramp or see someone stop at the servo take note as very few people do these basic things. By the way,the price quoted for that rear window you'd want it to be made out if gold. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 By the way,the price quoted for that rear window you'd want it to be made out if gold. Cheers. Yes... Apparently Jeep parts are very expensive, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydney south Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hands up who has launched without the bungs in?? Yes to this one as well......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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