Who forgot the plug

A

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
Did you ever have one of those cold mornings. When you really didn't want to get out of bed. And you have to meet your hunting buddy at the boat launch. You role over and say five more minute of sleep will be just right. Then your phone goes off waking up the whole house. Your buddy is on the other end saying where the heck are you. So you jump out of bed, get dress, go outside, hook the boat up. And your on your way to meet your already pissed off friend. After talking a bit ! you back the boat down the ramp. Your finally on your way. After starting down the river you feel something moving at your feet. You look down its rushing water coming in fast into your boat. You can't stop the boat or you might sink. Your buddy has know idea whats going on. You head back fast to the shore. Your first mate turns around and ask what the heck going on. As daylight breaks he looks down and sees the water rushing in. You try to keep him calm. You get back to shore and try to fine the plug. That you forgot to put in. This happen to me once in my life. Never again ! Know matter how early or late I am . I keep a checklist. I don't even move the boat until I go through the list.
We ended up going back out and having a great day. But this could of be very ugly. All because I was trying to rush. No duck or goose is worth your life.
Am I the only dummy that this has happen to. Please tell me Thanks
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Its happened just enough that I always put plug in boat night before! Actually I fully load boat night before just so I don,t forget anything when stumblebummin in the morning!
 
Bought my first boat in 1994. Brand new aluminum bassboat. Backed it down the ramp, launched & parked the truck. Got back to the boat to find water over the floor. Hit the bilge pump, ran & got the trailer, pulled the boat out, let it drain, put in plug, take boat for maiden voyage. Never happened again after that!

Worse was when I forgot to take the plug out. Had a torrential rain storm over night and I did realize just how much water was in the duck boat when I launched. Got out of the no wake zone at the ramp and then couldn't get up on plane, bow kept coming up too high. I quickly figured out that the area under the floor was completely flooded. Had to dig out my portable bilge pump and pump the boat out.
 
Had to learn a whole new launch routine a few years back. Previously I always drained my boat of any bilge water as soon as I put the boat on the trailer. The plug went back in before leaving the ramp and it stayed in all the time.

Then my home state and the neighboring states changed the boating laws. Now the plug has to be removed when traveling down the road. No longer can I pull up to the ramp and just back in.

Now putting the plug in, has to be a part of the launch routine. Much like fastening your seat belt. The younger crowd doesn't know what NOT having a seat belt is like. They also don't know what leaving the plug in, is like.
 
We all probably have our own versions of pre-launch rituals and I am not any different. I also believe if you've launched enough boats then you have probably backed one in without a plug in. I am no exception. Hence my single person routine now. However, I have also had the misfortune to pull a plug by accident when I wrapped a long-line in the prop. The worst part was I didn't know it! We got untangled and the hunt went on with no plug in.... After a bit, and I honestly don't remember how long we sat on anchor, we were chasing a cripple and I noticed the boat acting sluggish and the back corner setting lower in the water than usual, it was then that I looked behind my bench seat to view the plug area. FULL and rising with water midway up the batteries. I looked and saw the plug cord, as I tie one to all my plugs, being trolled in the wash right behind the transom. We had taken on a LOT of water. I always have spare plugs in the boat and as I couldn't get the outside one back in, simply because of location. I moved my bench and put one in from the inside (A spent 12ga will also suffice in an emergency). The bilge was turned on and began pumping hundreds of gallons of water out. I say that because I had a 1500gph bilge and it ran for quite some time. Accidents happen and we learn from them. The water was never in view from where we sat in the boat that is why it was never noticed until underway. I since run two plugs, one inside and one outside, yes, the throat is that long and an automatic float to the bilge. I do like the T-style removable plugs but the "T" is what the long-line wrapped and was able to pull out. Not necessarily what you want to hear from a guide but if you're on the water long enough misfortune will find you, how you handle it is what makes the difference.

Safe boating and come on spring.
 
I have done that once or twice. One time I arrived at ramp and could not find my plug so I whittled one out of a tree branch. I tapered it and tapped it in and it never leaked a drop. Now I keep a couple extra plugs in the boat just in case.

I was bored one day and decided to watch the antics at a local boat ramp on the James River near Richmond. I watched a guy launch a 19 foot bow rider boat He had about 4 people in the boat as he backed up. The trailer had power winch on it and the guy could not figure out how it worked and did not back off on the hand wheel.

Like a typical group of people watchers who were there for the show, nobody went to assist. I was pretty proud of our solidarity in letting this guy make a complete fool of himself.

There was a bunch of boat traffic waiting to launch and recover. Feeling the impatient stares from the other boaters he grabbed a hacksaw from his truck and sawed through the wire winch cable. The boat slid off the trailer and began to float off away from the dock because he had no bow painter and nobody knew enough to secure the boat to the dock.

The guy parked his truck and began shouting instructions to a passenger on how to start the boat. The battery was dead and was out in the current. After a while the boat began to fill up as there was no plug. Our hero jumped into the river and swam to the boat and tried to get it started. That was unsuccessful so he got back in the water with his buddy and they swam the boat to the shore. He eventually pushed the boat to the ramp and then had a time getting the boat on the trailer since he had cut the cable and the boat was filling up.

Another time I watched a guy launch a big Bayliner about 25 feet long at the same ramp. The guy was wearing a turban and had his wife and kids with him. He had just bought the boat and the trailer had cardboard 30 day tags from DMV that were just issued.

He backed up and left the tie down strap on. It ran over the gunnels. His family packed the boat with food and coolers and such. They had to step over the strap as they milled around on the deck. I figured the strap issue was going to be the main entertainment. Boy was I ever wrong!

The guy went to the back of his vehicle and unhitched the trailer and jacked up the tongue and launched the boat and trailer. After parking he jumped into the boat and fired up the engine and took off upriver. That boat/trailer combo was throwing a pretty good spray as it steamed along ! I never saw him get up on plane. That was one the most amazing boat ramp incident I have ever witnessed for sheer ignorance on how to boat.

Another memorable one was watching the Henrico County police marine patrol officers confiscate a jet boat after a guy tried to ram them. They arrested the guy and went to seize his jet boat. They called a wrecker to tow it off.

The wrecker operator climbed into the jet boat and a state game warden was also there. He asked the operator, "Hey, have you ever operated a jet boat?" The wrecker driver assured him he had.

The operator fired it up and it had a foot operated throttle. The wrecker driver gave it some gas and the boat took off like a rocket and headed towards a dock. It looked like a pinball bouncing between two bumpers as it went side to side between the dock pilings. With a mighty roar it muscled it way through the dock and headed towards the bank and launched about thirty feet into the parking lot. It was a pretty impressive display of horsepower!

I would have loved to have seen that memo.

I don't think forgetting a plug is that big of a deal once you have seen some of the other stunts such as these.
 
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Plug is always on lanyard, spare one is mounted in motor mount. Other spare is in tool box. All my tie down straps are rope permanently attached to the trailer, one knot and done. Don't like winch straps. Safety chain to bow eye and the painter half hitched to winch stanchion. All lines are dedicated to their job.
No taking off straps, putting away winches or rope. Tough at 5am launching or getting on the trailer. Try to make everything fool proof for ME.
 
Capt. Rich. I've been wrestling with straps that won't stay tight for a while. Do you have any pictures of the way you use the ropes? I've be afraid in the cold and wet they'd be hard to get undone or tied securely. Thanks.
 
Mc et al~

I suppose this is what you'd call an "origin story".

Many seasons ago, I was taking my Dad for an afternoon shoot at one of my favorite "launch sites". It was not a bona fide ramp - just a patch of gravelly beach close to a parking lot. I did not own a 4WD back then, so I used "Poor Man's 4WD": a pair of wooden beach rollers to get the vessel off the trailer and over the beach and into the salt waters of Great South Bay.

Before I launched, however, I noticed the absence of a transom plug in my 2-man Sneakbox. Mine is installed from the outside - and I had yet to adopt my (near future) practice of attaching one plug to the motorboard with a length of decoy line AND keeping another in my toolbox. As my Dad and I contemplated the huntless drive back home, a very tall young man appeared on the boardwalk immediately East of our rig. "I can lend you a plug - I've got one back at the house." The Samaritan returned forthwith with the invaluable device. After thanking him profusely for his generosity, it was more than a bit obvious that he would like nothing more than to join us on our imminent adventure.

Safety required that we not overload the boat - and good manners demanded that I first check with a "parent or guardian" before I took this high-schooler afield - what with the guns and the State Boat Channel and all....

So, we thanked him again - AND I promised to take him along (with just myself) another time soon. After our hunt, I returned the plug to the beach house and secured the needed names and phone numbers.

Sure enough, we hunted together on another afternoon. My Youthful Companion shot a nice Broadbill that stooled right in. (We also watched a Grey-phase Gyrfalcon fly the rig.) I learned only years later that it was his first-ever duck. I have a picture of it somewhere - most likely on my previous laptop. But, we stayed in touch over the years and I helped him when I could. That same summer (I believe), I made a pair of White Oak thatch rails for his own Sneakbox.

View attachment Paul McDuffie with Sneakbox.jpg

And I have watched him grow to become a professional, a husband, a father, a seasoned gunner - and still a very good friend. All thanks to a missing drain plug.

He has gone by several different "handles" over the decades - but he seems to respond to "Mc" nowadays....

All the best,

SJS





 
Steve that is one of the best stories i have ever read. It’s great to have people willing to help a youngin out like your did. And to have a youngin that grows up into a good man
 
Jim, I tie one end to the frame, permanent. Double the line and make a overhand knot so the end of the loop is just over half way across boat. Take tag end and go around trailer frame back up thru loop and tie a slip knot.
One trailer is like that and the other has a loop on one side and and a separate line on the other to go thru loop and slip knot. If you want a pic will take a few days. doing gun show...
 
Steve great story. Had a similar occurrence. Was setting gill net one night and blew reverse on my motor. Tried backing across the bay to the ramp. Real nice guy stopped and towed me back to the ramp and said good bye. Met him later on and realized he owned the house next to the ramp.
Became very good friends over the years. His family and grand kids used the place during the summers and became friends with them. House was sold and lost touch of the kids. One day at the gun club I ran into one of the sons and got reacquainted with them and told them of the story how I met his father.
Truly there are a lot of really nice people out there.
Hey, had a girl hold a door for me today, I must look old. But they were really nice...
 
Roy

I pull the plug when I get out of the ramp. Drain the water if any, and put it right back in no matter what. Anyone that might hunt with me is told this is the way to go. I have anyone that goes with me to double check the plug. I'm not going down like that.[smile] I agree with you 100% Thanks
 
Carl

Glad nothing bad happen. Once we had a rain storm in the of the winter. I left the plug in all night. Got to the launch and my boat was sitting really low. Couldn't under what was going on. I have a ninety horse on my boat so I thought it wouldn't be any trouble. Not true. Come to fine out like you water got under the second floor and froze. We should all get together and write a book on what can happen to a duck hunter and why it will [;)] thanks as always.
 
anthony m coons sr said:
Paul

Must be a funny story behind paging your friend. Care to share. Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...

I knew that he'd share the story above. Look up a few posts ^^^
 
JC

That is a whole year of America Funniest Video. Great stories thank you. I don't feel so dumb. I once was watching bass boats launching on the Hudson River. These guess were Pros. All the big guys were here. Bass boats like I have never seen before. They were so dam pretty, paint so bright detailed to the max. A double decker trailer came in. First of all I never seen anything like that before around here. It had to be a few hundred thousand dollars worth of boats and trailer. So as the boat trailers waited in line to launch. The first trailer hits the water with out any trouble. Second and about four others have know problems. But here comes double Decker Jones. Mr Cool backs the boat down the ramp. Hits some button inside the truck he was driving. And for some reason the top boat starts moving . He is not even in the water yet. Plus I would think the bottom boat would have to move first. But what does Anthony the person who forgot his plug know, But sure as poop that guy dropped the top boat right onto the ground. Still hook up mind you. He starts backing down the ramp ,runs over the first boat. He finally saw what he did and must of freaked out. Jumped out of the truck. Yep! He forgot to put the truck in park and now you know the rest of the story. Truck trailer and two boat in the river. What a sight. But its not over. So Johnny Cool gets in the truck starts up the ramp pulling boat one . As he is moving up the ramp boat two comes off the trailer onto the ground with the hanging boat hitting it ever step of the way. This guy pulled both of those boats across the parking lot sparks flying all the way .Until he was cleared of all the other boats. Not one of the other fisherman helped his crew. I guess he should of been a duck hunter. He would of got help from one of us.
 
Dave

I not sure how I would take that law. On one hand its really smart to get people to check their plug before they hit the water. But here in the Northeast if you don't put your plug back in. You might find your plug hole iced up in the morning. So I guess it safer to put it in at the launch, But less work to leave it in. Thanks
 
anthony m coons sr said:
Dave

I not sure how I would take that law. On one hand its really smart to get people to check their plug before they hit the water. But here in the Northeast if you don't put your plug back in. You might find your plug hole iced up in the morning. So I guess it safer to put it in at the launch, But less work to leave it in. Thanks
Click to expand...

The purpose of the plug being out actually has nothing to do with safety. The law requires the plug to out so the boat bilge (in theory) is emptied of water. Water which other wise (plug being left in) could be transported from lake to lake, thus possibly spreading aquatic invasive species, (Eurasian mil-foil, zebra mussels etc).

Because folks have been forced to learn a new routine, many boats have in fact, been launched WITHOUT the plug.
 
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