Not so great start to vacation

[Bryden24shp]

What a trip down to Lake of the Ozarks! 370 miles of heavy rain and terrible wind! The boat trailer came around on me twice and was the boat was chine walking on the trailer! Finally got to Osage beach at 11 at night, opened up the condo and crammed 4 BudLights down my throat. Next morning was nice out. dropped the boat in the water, drove about half a mile and died. Crap! Start and stall, start and stall. Shit... ROCKs! Tried to wave down about 30 passing boats for a pull back to the ramp. ahh look at that guy... Too bad... So sad! Damn it ROCKS! Try to paddle away... Nope, not in a 3600 pound pontoon. Well, time to jump in and save the boat! Wait, chick in a Crownline is coming! Good Girl! Saved me! Called wife, put trailer back in water! She did, The girls husband was at the same ramp waiting for her. Perfect! Boats on the trailers... Safe! Dropped off the boat at Kellys Port. $560.00 later, fixed. Fuel Float assembly was bad. If back home I coulda fixed it for $175.00. Oh well! Vacation is back on! Back home on the Mississippi River, if we see someone in distress we stop and help. Not at Lake of the Ozarks, in my 20 years of coming down, I have towed in several boats. Too bad.... So sad!!!! Shame on all of you passers by!

[tms0425]

A broken boat during vacation time away from home port is the worst. The Verado float problem is fairly common, but it sounds like they at least got it figured out and turned around in a hurry. I hope the rest goes better for you!

[redbeard]

Just another good reason to stay off LTO. Been broke down twice on Truman once in the middle of the day only had one boat run away form helping out next boat towed me to the ramp and then they took me the hour drive to get my truck, the next time was at midnight called a friend to come get me, towed me back the mile to the marine came back the next day to help me get to the ramp to load up needed a new motor that time.

[evinrude2stroke]

What a trip down to Lake of the Ozarks! 370 miles of heavy rain and terrible wind! The boat trailer came around on me twice and was the boat was chine walking on the trailer!

When you say came around on you...do u mean like jack-knife?
Wow, that sucks...Too bad it took 30 boaters until one stopped to help. At least no one was hurt and your toon didn't get damaged. As far as the money...ah, sh*t happens. Drink more beer

[hootowlhollow]

Sux! I've had to be pulled once on the water. After that I help out anyone the needs it. Loto is fun but I prefer a bit closer to home.

[badmoonrising]

I always render assistance to disabled boats. Even saved a kid from drowning a few years ago. He was kayaking, got flipped over by a large wake and was in 50 degree water.

By the time I got to him, he was white as a sheet and was too week to climb my pontoon boat ladder. After we got him onshore, he said a lot of boats just blew right past him

And then there's the time I was out fishing with my brothers and found 2 gay guys on a SeaDoo that was out of fuel in the shipping channel off of Annapolis.

[smoker62]

Fuel floats that swell with the shit gas is common on Verados as you probably know. Verado club gives the tip of keeping a fuel line primer bulb in the glove box with a couple hose clamps. I took their advice hoping I never needed it but I was 20 miles off shore on lake Michigan and mine did the same thing. 5 minutes to cut the fuel line and add the bulb, then you can fill the float tube manually and get it running. You have to keep giving it pressure to run but it gets you home in a pinch. Best 5 bucks I ever spent.

To add a story, I was trolling on Lake Michigan a different day with 6 rods and planer boards out. Came around the break water into a stiff wind and saw an 18' fiberglass with 4 people waving their arms . Trolled close and they said they couldnt get it started and their anchor was not holding , blowing them into the rocks. My buddy and I hurry to reel in all our gear and creep in, throw them a line, they had none. Pull them out of danger and start the 20 minute no wake zone to the ramp.

About 15 minutes in the girl unties the rope and they turn around to head back out. I was like
WTF . I turned around and chased them down . The dude says he just realized he forgot to hook up his kill switch teather. I was pissed and they knew it . I undersand a mistake , I have done the same thing a few times. At least say Thanks and Sorry. He followed me in later that day when we were loading and came up to apologize.

[curtiscapk]

Holy shit that sucks!!

Yep Truman is much better. I had two turn around on me and the next john boat did his damndest to pull us in, he was going down the lake sideways trying to tow us!!! Then I got it started and back to the ramp.

Sounds like a great tip from Smoker!

[lakerunner]

I have towed many in over the years and most have said lots of boats never slowed to help. I even saw Tenkiller lazy troopers pass a disabled boat by.

[DRock]

Sorry for your bad luck! I've been towed several times on previous boats(not the Odyssey yet, knock on wood). I've also towed several boats in. I towed a Jetski last time we went camping for the weekend. The water was still pretty cool and there were two guys waving, in the water. They were on a small, older, 2 stroke jetski and couldn't hold 2 full grown men so they were swimming. They said they had been out there a while. I'm glad i pulled them back because there was a storm coming when i towed them.

[rbiederwolf]

To be honest it pisses me off when I see someone that needs a tow, All I can think is I have TOW BOATS US why dont they. I think it should be a law that if you own a boat you should have some type of Tow assistance - SEATOW/TOW US etc. Not to be too selfish, but why should my day be ruined because they were either too cheap to maintain their boat or too cheap to buy some insurance.

Having said that I have towed at least 5 boats in the two years I have had my pontoon. I do believe in Karma and would never pass anyopne by, but boy does it piss me off.

Funny story, I was taking the boat out for 2-3 hours max to just have a little fun before I needed to be back at work. Up ahead I see a offshore race type boat broken down with the engine hatch open. I tell the guy I am with too look away, DO NOT make eye contact, well as I pass by I slow to see if they need help (damn Karma guilt trip) and wouldnt you know it but it is a college fraternity brother that I have not seen in years. Bottomline spend the next hour towing him back to the ramp.... I have ragged him ever since about a Pontoon boat towing him in

[Bamaman]

Hopefully the rest of your vacation will be great.

I always carry a 50' section of 1" rope. You never know when you need to tow or be towed. I too have pulled in many more boaters than I've been towed.

I tell everyone the only reason I carry a cell phone is so I call one of my neighbors to come tow me in--if I break down.

We don't have any tow service on our relatively small lake. Heck, we only have two places to get fuel, in spite of being wall to wall houses, boathouses and seawalls.

[OldePharte]

It is a shame that with so many tourons and weekenders, they just don't take the time to look around them to see what's going on.

I've towed in a number of broke-down boats on LOTO over the years, and yes, they had been floating for awhile. Too many of them just stood around or were just sitting in the main channel and not knowing to signal for help.

A number of years ago, we were headed for the party cove area and noticed a guy pushing his boats off the rocks as you make the big turn towards the Grand Glaize Bridge. He had been fighting the wakes from all the boats going the other way for over an hour. We gave him a tow all the way to Public Beach #1.

[landlockedsailor]

Rbiederwolf, we've got Boat US Towing policy. Hope we never need it! Also 75' braided line (and can quick-attach another 75' if needed), and a 3'x3' orange distress flag.

Learned my lesson the hard way. On my very first nighttime cruise, I ran hard aground while motoring my fixed-keel sailboat through the channel to our marina on the Mississippi River. VHF radio call to my buds on another sailboat brought them up behind me for a quick tow back out. In my nervousness, I forgot to turn off my outboard and, missing the line they threw me (I didn't have any extra line myself), it wrapped around my prop. Stern to stern, my buddy reached down between the boats to unfoul the prop. This was about midnite, so he asked me to shine a flashlight down so he could see better. I didn't have a flashlight either. Long story short, he towed me out. After we all returned to our slips, he sauntered over and said quietly, "Don't come back out to the harbor until you have 80' of line and a flashlight." I smiled and replied that my best sailing purchases were the two great looking jackets I'd bought with the boat name embroidered on the pocket. We had a great laugh. I learned much from him and his wife. Turns out he was a former captain of an aircraft carrier. To this day, I try to prepare for what might go wrong, and always hope that it doesn't. There's not a lot of boat traffic on KY Lake (hurray) but then there may not be anybody else out there to help if we get into a jam.

Bryan, you come down here and if you need a tow, call me! You got my number! And I showed off your EZ Fenders to everyone today at a marina nearby. Have a great trip!

[Gonefishing]

That sucks, there are a bunch of sh..heads on the water. Until they need help. I was broke down few years ago about 100 degrees out yelling at boats passing by. Put up flails hey just look and kept going. Then a guy with a sea do stopped and towed me to the ramp. If not for him who knows how long I would of been out there. Maybe you should of offered them a set of ez fenders. Lol