Note to self...(duckboat shakedown ride)

S

Steve Steffy

Well-known member
Took the duck boat out for a little ride today to make sure everything is in good working order. The "note to self" is if you think you may be a tad bit low on gas, well then you probably are. The boat ran great, she was a little grumpy getting started, but once she was running it was pretty smooth. That is until I got to the other end of the bay and she started sputtering and wheezing like a smoker with a bad cough. Then she died. There was no doubt what had happened. I checked the tank before I left and figured I'd have enough fuel to get to the head of the bay and back. Nope. just to the head, not back.

Fortunately, the last thing I grabbed before I took off for the boat launch was my PFD and a paddle. You know, just in case. There was another boat launch directly across from where I drained the tank, but it was a good paddle across.Took me about 40 minutes paddle time and 1.5 miles of walking back to the truck at the other launch. Good practice for when things go south during the season. I'll put some gas back in the tank and try it all again just for fun.

Steve

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Yeah, right...the whole time I was paddling I kept thinking to myself, "I just pulled a Darin"! That and humming row, row, row your boat...
 
Hhhhmmm, seems a veteran waterfowler such as yourself would never run out of gas😅. Good thing that wasn't Chincoteague in January. That would have been a long long trip back to the ramp.
 
Borrowed my dad's boat to go fishing one time when I was in high school.

I ask, "Is that enough gas?"

He says, "Oh yeah, more than I used all last year...."

I ran out of gas between spot 1 and spot 2..... all the way across a very big lake.

When confronted with his poor advice he said...."Guess I didn't use the boat that much last year..." [;)]
 
I proved to my self the hard way that an older OB will use aprox. .1 X hp. per hour at W.O.T. then it sputters to a stop.
 
Glad it worked out, a good reminder and lesson for us all before the "real ducky weather" shows up.
Keep it safe out there guys!
 
I recently learned it's also a good idea to check the trailer. Was trying to take the boat out for a shakedown cruise. Driving away from home I noticed an odd sound behind the car. On 90 degree turn I looked back to see the trailer wheel wobbling. Yikes!

Decided it was best to head home. Thank God I'd only traveled a few 10ths of a mile.
 
Good Morning Steve,

You never know what you can forget when leaving the dock. When I lived in NJ, we were hunting out of Dennis Creek and heading out to the Delaware Bay.

Set out early dark thirty morning with 2 others all in separate boats, I am driving my BBSB and made it to the Bay, unloaded and set the decoys then low and behold, the gun is still in the truck.

Back to the truck I went and 1 1/2 hours later finally made it to rejoin our hunting party. Did have to eat some crow on that one.

Dennis S. (Quack)
Rio Rancho, NM
 
Good morning, Steve~

I am glad everything worked out - certainly shows the value of a shakedown cruise. I do have one question, though: Is there any way you can rig your boat with a set of oars? As you know, with any wind, a paddle does not provide much upwind propulsion. I have been lucky, but always presume the motor will fail - and I want to get home (or at least to safety) under my own power. I have an extra paddle in my canoes - but my duckboats have oars.

All the best,

SJS
 
Tom...Yes, that would have been quite a dilemma if it had occurred down in Chinco.. Glad I did the shakedown early and got that out of the way.

Rob...That's funny. Sounds like your Dad was a wise man. Deflected the blame like a champ.

Tom...The only good thing I can say is when your motor does the sputtering before it shuts down you know exactly what the problem is. Still sucks no matter how ya look at it though.

Carl...Good point, I did this more as a public safety reminder than anything. Shakedown ride? Highly recommended.

Pat...You and I both know there are many good duck days to be had this year. And I intend to use them to my fullest capability.

Steve...I think I'd rather run out of gas than have a wheel fall off. Glad you caught that before you got to far from home. And another good reminder to check everything out prior to the season opener.

Dennis...There's only one thing worse than leaving your gun in the truck, and I have done that as well. Leaving your ammo behind on a solo adventure takes the wind out of your sails too.

Steve...I have thought about putting some oar locks on the boat, I just haven't down so yet. That may be something to get down in the next few weeks though. Paddling the boat is no fun on a calm day. Trying to do that when there's any wind or chop would be absolutely miserable. I'm going to have to look into the oar locks again for sure. I always have two paddles in my canoe as well.

Have a great season everybody! And make sure to get out and run your boats a time or two before your opener.

Steve
 
Most guys down here don't have oars, but almost all carry paddles.
I've quickly learned that paddles work fine with low profile jon boats but not so much with high sided semi-v's. Back when I hunted out of my old 1440 mod-v jon, I could sit on the bow & paddle al lover the place. Tried with my Smokercraft and it's real work, the sides are too high.
I think I will break down and get a pair of oars for my Smokercraft this year, it will give me a little more piece of mind.
 
Darin Clark said:
I'm glad I've never done anything like that
Click to expand...

Or me......

Luckily I had a large plastic soda glass with me. The pick up tube on the gas can couldn't get to the little bit of gas left in the tank. Poured it into the glass, put the pick up tube in it. Pumped it up, started the motor, and idled back to shore. If was fun to watch the gas level go down in the glass as I travelled back to the boat launch.

Mark
 
I've run out of fuel twice, both times were embarassing but made for good stories later. Just be prepared for anyone that was with you when you ran out to ask you "you sure you've got enough gas?" for the rest of your life!
 
Years ago was on breakin trip for a 2 stroke merc 40 I,d put on my 14' steury duckboat. Left dock running throttle up and down with what I thought was plenty of gas in tank. It would have been for the 25 merc that was previously on boat. Ran out to poc. sound from Cedar hall bt. ramp. Was a beautiful early fall day, bright and sunny for late sept. On way out passed a fellas bt. pulled up on beach and he was nude sunbathing on beach all by his lonesome. Fella not bashful at all. Wife & I got a kick out of it. His was only other bt. we saw whole time underway.On return trip he was still there stark naked.We ran out of gas returning about a couple miles from bt. ramp. Did have a paddle and push pole in bt. but had an ouitgoing tide working against us and just weren,t making headway so I went to bank and started walking bt. along down edges shallow enough to allow it. Figured the one bt. that would be returning my way would be the nude sunbather but thankfully we made it back to ramp prior to his return.Learned the hard way that 40 would burn a lot more gas than my 25!
 
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