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DaneCross
09-05-2004, 02:32 PM
I'll keep it simple:
Sweet - the buzz of waking up early to go fishing
Sour - Raining

Sweet - reasonably smooth seas on the seaway - palmy run
Sour - Raining, harder

Sweet - Arrive at Palmy, Spotties are biting their heads off every bait getting smashed within 2min of hitting the water, double and triple hook-ups... Mackerel Mayhem ;D
Sour - Raining, decky spewing everywhere

Sweet - Call it quits at 14 nice mackerel between the 4 of us, reasonably nice run home, out of the water at 11am.
Sour - Driving home spew-boy driving, gets off highway at Redland Bay exit comes in too hot to make the corner of the underpass, LOOSES BACKEND OF HILUX, JACK-KNIFES TRAILER, TIPS MY BOAT AND TRAILER ONTO THIER SIDE IN MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION :o >:( [smiley=angryfire.gif] 14 mackerel spewed out across intersection, peterol leaking from aerator adding flavour to macks, man SMOKING CIGARETTE comes over to help...

Semi-sweet - No explosion, boat damage very minimal only scratched gunwall at front left-hand side, mackerel saved by a good wash-down upon returning home.
Sour - Rooted tow-bar, tail light and panel damage to Hilux.

The sour outways the sweet, at least we had fun catching fish :-/
We'll be back, minus spew-boy-crasher-decky >:(,
DC

DaneCross
09-05-2004, 02:33 PM
No fish pics, just damage... hilux

DaneCross
09-05-2004, 02:34 PM
Unusual place to park a boat...

mackmauler
09-05-2004, 02:34 PM
:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

DaneCross
09-05-2004, 02:35 PM
Rescue mobile, intersection cleared...

Maria
09-05-2004, 02:38 PM
Dane,

Don't know what to say mate....beyond words. Sorry to hear about that eh.

Talk about a knob with the ciga...some mother's do 'ave em.

Hope you're back up fishin again soon mate.

Ben

Franco
09-05-2004, 02:43 PM
CRACKER OF A STORY!!! Only Chevy Chase or Bill Murray could've been as piss-funny & dry in their delivery of the line "man smoking cigarette comes over to help...."
Well at least you had a ball with the fish, and the macks were already marinated when you got home. Better than me at work all day mate!! ...... and it's only a hilux after all!!

Hope damage not too many $$ mate.

Fisherman02
09-05-2004, 03:20 PM
bloody hell Dane
must be a bit shaken up! Sorry to hear about the damage at least no one was hurt thats the main thing
cheers jack

bazzaman
09-05-2004, 03:32 PM
geez i thought i had bad days out!!! That one takes the cake sorry dane! Bad luck mate but as the sayn goes "can only get better" The fish makes up for it though!

Cheers

shane :o :o

jeffo
09-05-2004, 03:59 PM
gotta have bad days to make you apreciate the good days i spose :-/ ???

trevcob
09-05-2004, 04:00 PM
wanted new decky that can drive.sorry mate

MY-TopEnder
09-05-2004, 04:02 PM
That panel damage isn't that bad, and towbars are common as for those things in the trady...

Sounds like a reasonable day out there though.

Hagar
09-05-2004, 04:52 PM
[smiley=hammer.gif] Holy crap Batman . You guys sure know how to make an entrance . Once launched my boat into the middle of an intersection in Port Moresby when the skid on the trailer broke . Try lifting a solid old Pride hull weighing half a ton back on . Strong little buggas those PNG nationals. Glad the damage was not too bad DC - but whatta story . By the way did you get to use any of those traces or did I waste my valuable drinking time last night ?

Chris

Brissyguy
09-05-2004, 06:03 PM
Unlucky Dane :'(

Sweet has outweighed the sour though mate, no-one was hurt except deckie's pride and wallet.

The fact that you can write about it so soon afterwards speaks volumes for your character mate, I would still be sulking.

Cheers,
Rich.

SteveCan
09-05-2004, 09:04 PM
Ahhrrrghhh! - the pain of a damaged boat!

Reminds me of the time my mate moved my car for me before the early and reversed over my brand new custom Surf Board :-[

Kinda stretches the friendship if you know what I mean.... >:(

Well done on the macs though mate - it's been a phenomenal run hasn't it.

Cheers
Steve.

Lucky_Phill
10-05-2004, 11:48 AM
Jeez Dane, what a ripper story. !

I noticed the traffic lights in the pic are on a lean, was that you ? lol.

Unbreakable...those Hi Lux's, had she been a Rover or something, it'd be a right off. ;D ;D

Hope ya get it sorted soon, and the new deckie !

Cheers Phill

Cheech
10-05-2004, 01:06 PM
Dane,,, was shocked when reading your report. Man, you must be feeling pretty lucky right now with having an accident like that with a jacknifing trailer in the wet, having your boat and trailer roll, and at the end you really have very little damage. Could have been a lot worse.

Have always liked your boat. Is what I would like. So the thought of it being wrecked,,,, :'(

By the way, some have a flair for writing. I think your one of them. That was a classic report. ;D

Cheech

searaider
10-05-2004, 02:05 PM
Dane ,
Sorry to hear about the accident .
The only good thing is that no one got hurt .Its always a worry towing a boat in the rain . At least the wasn't much damage to you tinny , if it had been a fiberglass boat it would have been a lot worse .

Peter
Searaider 2

brad_watts
10-05-2004, 02:58 PM
dano!!!!!!!!!! :-X :-[ :-/
Sorry to hear about your boat mate not a very good ending to a good days fishing! Benny must have been pretty shaken up !! how did they get the boat back up on the trailer? I bet there were worse names then spew boy being said at the time? BUT... You killed it in the fish department, Its a good post and you and the boys wernt hurt so take it on the chin and get back out there as soon as possible. hopefully this is the esky pre stackin it!!! ;)

Remo
10-05-2004, 03:53 PM
Dane
If I was you, I would go and buy a casket ticket. I think you had a lucky day. it could have been a whole lot worse.

northsboy
10-05-2004, 04:21 PM
Dane sorry to hear that mate....thats shocking! Top work with the fish though! Have ya eaten them?? Any insurance for it???
Cheers mate
Liam

JB
11-05-2004, 05:01 AM
I couldnt believe it ay, i just got home and filleted my few and i get the call "boat has rolled"... i thought they were pulling my chain!! At least o'l wheelin em in is still chargin on!

Thanks for day out DC.

;D

DaneCross
11-05-2004, 02:13 PM
Thanks for the replies and commiserations fellas, on follow up, the boat is now I think about 5mm narrower :-/ The walk-through wind screen is having some trouble opening as the screen seems to be squeezed together. The side is slightly dented where it hit the road, the trailer is slightly damaged on the wheel guard - lucky escape really.
As for the Hilux, its rough as guts, it'll live ;)
DC

P.S. Cheers Cheech and Franco - anyone looking for a freelance writer I'm open to offers ;) ;D

DaneCross
11-05-2004, 02:17 PM
Another angle - slightly raised above scratches...

DaneCross
11-05-2004, 02:43 PM
Sorry missed a couple of replies,

Chris - there was no spare time out there at all, it was hectic! So I think I'm gonna need a pictorial demonstration on how to tie that trace again. Thanks heaps ;D

Steve - it has been a great run with the macks, they're great fish, I can't get enough of them!

Phill - no mate, the traffic lights were already on a lean, seems that intersection has claimed a few victims :-/

Cheers,
DC

Fitzy
11-05-2004, 05:01 PM
Hope that crooked light pole in the background wasn't from you guys. Mate, take it from me, towing accidents aren't fun. I had a trailer break loose on the bruce Hwy with the boat doing 1.5 somersaults & landing upside down. Nearly lost the Partol trying to control it before she broke free & went bush.
Bloody lucky it wasnt worse, but a shame it happened at all I spose.

Cheers,

Fitz..

Franco
11-05-2004, 06:04 PM
Fitzy,

Re Bruce highway incident:

Man, that's a scary story!! The type we all dread if it happens to us. DC was lucky as it sounds relatively slow speed. Yours on the Highway sounds bloody terrifying!!

Experience in driving / boating is essentially the result of an accumulation of lucky near-misses which you hopefully survive to learn from. However the key is to try (at least) to learn from other people's experiences as well. Hence the benefit of communication via the web, which almost gives us too much to learn!!

I was wondering if you and anyone else could share what you may have done to prevent that towing near-tragedy. Even if it's as simple as not rushing and leaving your jockey wheel down (as I have done!) as you race off to the boatramp (which you don't make it to!)

Useful info like this may prevent a tragedy with the kids & new boaters on this site. Apologies for being a bit of a disaster-master, but I'm an Emergency Doctor on the Gold Coast and too-often see the horrible results of road & boating tragedies. Sometimes I think we all need to be reminded of just how much we've got to lose.

So guys; Share your stuff-ups!!
Mine: Have a system you go through & a routine check and before towing (don't trust anyone else with you !) and Lift your jockey Wheel !!

Franco.

Hagar
11-05-2004, 07:02 PM
Hey DC
have some info to send about the traces but need an email address . Next season may not be so easy as drop a bait over and hang on. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] Send me a PM. By the way an acrow prop or similar carefully widened across the gunnels should fix the slight narrowing of the tinny from the rollover but the windscreen could be an issue with cracking - seek expert advice first .
Chris

Fitzy
12-05-2004, 05:34 PM
Franco,
The reason for my accident was either the nut from the towball coming loose after being on there for 18 months without ever coming loose, OR the towball shaft sheared off. The nut was never found & the towball shaft was ground back a heck of alot after its ground into the road before going bush. No way to know for sure. The single safety chain held for a while & it was throwing my 4x4 around like a tonka toy until it broke the D shackle & went its own way.
I can tell you that if frightened the heck out of me. When I turned around & finally found the upside down boat (it was at night) & simply just sat down & looked at it. 2 off duty ambos were driving on the other side of the Hwy when it happened & turned around. They found me sitting there on the ground. They checked me out & told me I was in shock & possible concussion from hitting the head on the pillar of the car when it was going from 2 wheels one side to the other. I told them "if you had a brand new boat sitting upside down in a tree you be in bloody shock too".
A squad of mates soon arrived to help me out; Nugget, Harro, Bomber, Steve Ausfish Brown, Barry Tribe + 2 helpfull cops. We got it back over then used two 4x4s to skull drag it back onto what was left of the trailer.
An overzealous towie was hasslin me to tow it, both me & the cops told him to p1$$ off! I got it home on a magled trailer at 40kph with Steve Ausfish following. Thanks mate.

Anyway, what I learnt was:
-Check everything in regard to drawbar, towball, safety chain.
-Use 2 safety chains (am told its better to cross them).
-Have the trailer weight set-up not close, but exactly right.
-Never get complacent.
-Slow the hell down!
-If in doubt, stop.

I'm still gun shy to this day when towing any trailers. I now regularly stop to investigate every little sound that comes from the trailer.

Fitzy..

PS- Thanks to the guys who came & helped out. Saved me & Club Marine a bundle in towing etc.

PPS- I'd also like to thank the helpful couple of guys who stopped thier gemini on the opposite side if the highway, grabbed an armload each of fishing/safety gear & took off with wheels a spinnin! I'll thank you in person one day! >:(

skippa
13-05-2004, 04:35 PM
G'Day Fitz,

Mate that is one scary story. Ur right, two chains, and keep them crossed. I learnt that from my dad many years ago.

When I was a kid we were on a family holiday (back in the sixties, showing my age I know), anyway we were towing our caravan, 16 fter, when dad says, I think I've got a flat and pulls over. Sure enough rear tyre nearly stripped off the rim. I was sitting in the back and never felt a thing, nor mum sitting in the front.

We were travelling at 70mph (remember back in the sixties u could do that) sounds bs I know but thats what happened. The old man designed a 'anti sway bar' and made at his factory. Sold a bucket load to his mates and friends he would meet in caravan parks.

Unfortunatly the casts and dyes are all gone now. He would never take the chance to risk the house to go into full production (on just one product), I reckon it was a great product and he could of made a fortune.......bugger


Cheers,
Tony 8)

philip_thomson
13-05-2004, 06:40 PM
hey
fitzy that is one terrifying story i am still shocked reading about it. those guys who grabbed the fishing gear and went away are so rude. hope you can find them one day and thank them. me and my dad are new to boating and so far haven;t had any accidents appart from the trying to reverse back and the car rolling back a bit and wacking the tow bar. it makes a nice graze on the back. experience is very important with towing. .i guess just think about the great times you have when boating
cheers
philip