I just got back from testing my boat out (not even a week old yet ) and it appeared that it wasn't shooting water out the cooloing outlet at speed, only low speeds- so I pulled it parrallel to shore to do a pass and try to get a better look. Well... The lake I run at has a big square concrete drain with a metal "cage" around the top of it and a swim platform on top. Top of my pass, I look up "OH SH$#"- try to cut a hard right- "smack, crack, scrape" over the top of the concrete wall (about flush with the water)- BETWEEN two bars on the cage and "CRASH" down to the bottom (I think there were a couple of bounces in between too )..

Needless to say, I did what any die hard boater would do- I flew home, grabed a bunch of pry bars and a tow strap I have for pulling cars- head back out there, pry the platform up high enough to squeeze myself between the top of the cage and the bottom of the platform- all while leaving a prybar in between the two to hold the platform up while I was under it [X(].... Now that I am under the platform, it is about a 4x5 concrete square hole about 8-10' down, I straddle the top of it while being hunched over under the platform which is only ~ 3' tall from the top of the walls to get my tow strap wrapped around one of the bars of the cages- the whole time having flashbacks to various CSI episodes where they find floaters and people in storm drains- climb down using the strap, grab the boat in one arm and wrap the other wrist in the strap to get a good pull up to get the boat out (of course, you have to save the boat first ). I guess it goes without saying that I am still alive- KIDS- DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME haha...

Anyway, here are the pics of the boat- it's not "that bad" but my $150 hardware kit is shot to hell and the boat will need to be painted- so much for the pretty yellow gel coat . I don't know how to post pics, so they are here- www.joepmbc.com/boatwreck.html


What an adventure....