The story of a launch

[David Kane]

Well, they said I'd get in late Saturday, but at the end of the day, there I was high and dry, with 1 boat still ahead of me in the building. So, Sunday was THE day. Dianne & I went down to the storage location right after church and there she was on the slings at the boat well.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... Cradle.jpg

Our daughter Jessie and fiance Nate met us there shortly after we arrived. We were all hungry, and as the storage facility workers were at lunch, we went to a restaurant and ate. Upon our return, the "Di Anne Marie" (D.A.M. or just plain dam) was in the water for the 1st time-hoorah!!!

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The mechanic was aboard tuning the engines. Since the dam boat had sat onshore since '06, the fuel had varnished and we pumped it out over the winter. It was refilled with just enough fuel to get it over to the marina. I assisted and we got both engines purring like little kittens. Dave, the broker who sold me the boat, said he would take us out on our 1st cruise over to the marina and show us how to operate the boat (I had never operated a powerboat before in my life-jumped into the Trojan Tri-Cabin from a canoe and a kyack). So, we proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait...

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(Left to right-Nate, Jessie, and my wife Dianne)

Finally, Nate and Jessie had to leave. Dianne and I continued waiting. At 5pm, another employee came and said they were closing -WHAT? WHERE'S DAVE? Oh, he said, Dave left 2 hours ago! Well, I said, cast me off; good, bad, or ugly, this bad boy's outa here!!! Now, I have Morse controls, fwd & rev controls the rpm's & engages the vee drive, just like an automatic transmission. The mechanic told me how to use the levers to maneuver at slow speed without using the rudders. Armed with this information and having a dogged determination to bring the boat over to the marina, I set out, getting her out of the basin and into Sandusky Bay. I gave her the gas, leveled her reasonably well with the trim tabs, and headed for Battery Park Marina. When we arrived, I again used only the levers to maneuver her around to our slip, where Thad, the employee who bore the bad news and another employee, Dennis were awaiting to protect the marina (er-I mean assist us docking). I did reasonably well getting the bow into the dock where Dianne throw a line to the shore party. At that point, they were relaying instructions to Dianne to pass on to me, and I got a little confused. The stern swung away from the dock due to the wind, and another boat owner, Dave, caught it before it hit another portion of the dock. We got a stern line to the dock and proceeded to secure to our berth, as you see in the picture below.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... Marina.jpg

Thad & Dennis left and we were finally alone, with the realization that we'd made it without sinking the dam boat or facing litigation for damages!!! Another daughter, Heather, and her boyfriend Matt came over, bring dinner for all from Subway.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... Dinner.jpg

We've now stayed aboard 2 nights and are quite happy with our boat. It rained hard Sunday night and last night was cold-the weatheman called for possible snow-and real windy, but we slept soundly (even overslept this morning and were late for work). I'll fill the water system shortly, when the temp. goes up. The gas dock at the marina should open up sometime this week and I fuel the dam boat up & start working my maneuvering skills. [/img]

[Dreamer]

Good to see your injoying your new boat. I keep hoping for warmer weather soon.

[prowlersfish]

Glad it all went well ! good job .you learned to run a boat the same way I did .

[Jezebel II]

I know exactly hoow it feels. Nonetheless, you did the right thing. you will face many more trials... and that is part of the excitement.

John

[randyp]

Good job! I jumped from a sailboat to our 26 F-26 single engine in 1999. First time docking I thought I could just coast in with engine in neutral, like I was used to doing on the sailboat. DUH - no steerage in a powerboat in neutral - no big keel, no big rudder ---AAAAAHHHHHH into the slip, kept going, partway up onto the ramp walkway, and then sliding back down into the water.....this with over a dozen jaw-dropping fellow marina members trying to (1) protect their own boats and (2) help me out as best they could. All in a day's work....

After 9 years on the Blue Heron I can just about handle any docking situation with a single screw. Keep those doubles running well and you can manuever just about anywhere.

Congrats on the new boat. She's a beaut!

[Lookout]

He He He.