no longer a virgin at the ramp!

[Bryan Tuvell]

OK, I am about to bear my soul, especially since the incident happened at my friends ramp at his house... please be gentle oh Donzi audience....

No one is around, very low tide, I know there will be no boating, I am floating her to repair the trailer bunks.... The MINUTE the boat hits the water I realize the plug is out, I get one from a friends son in seconds and dive in the COLD water... Saved.... I always have power to both bilge pumps....
The day went down hill from there. Time to leave, got her on the trailer anything but straight, cut my foot on glass, and all while my two best friends beat me down verbally....
Thank God I love and respect them both, STUNGAGAIN has been my boating mentor, so I lived.... DONZIMAN, well he is a rookie too.

Now she is home, all the blood stains are gone and the trailer is fixed....
Bryan

[DonziDave]

Bryan - Your honesty is refreshing!
Any long time boater who tells you he has never forgot the plug or never fallen in the water is a liar!! http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by DonziDave (edited 04-24-2001).]

[Bryan Tuvell]

DONZIDAVE... thanks,,,, my one buddy knows soooo much I learn something everytime we are together, todays lesson was if no plug, dive in and stick tour finger in and wait for help! I never even thought of that!
STUNGAGAIN, I hate to be so nice with compliments, but I do appreciate the knowledge, oh stingray god....
and thanks to you and DONZIMAN for helping me fix the trailer bunks.
Bryan

[boldts]

While were all sitting here and reading this, I know most of us are saying and chuckling a little. Yea, I've done that... I even parked the truck and left the boat sitting at the dock. Needless to say, the bilge pump was running wide open by the time I got back to the dock and realized what I had forgotten. Why does it always seem to be the coldest day of the summer when this happens. My drain plug now sits inside my coiled transom line on the floor of the boat. I may be jinxing myself, but knock on wood, I haven't forgotten it since.

Scott Boldt

[DonziDave]

For those of you that have the spoke type steering wheel with the holes, the plug usually fits perfectly in one of the holes. No way to lose it or forget it.

[Formula Jr]

Bryan, there's another way a plug can get you in trouble, someone I know, once left his plug IN for the better part of a Oregon winter. Amazing how that whole water tight hull concept thing can bite you back. http://www.donzi.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Murphy]

I'm coming into the ramp one day and this guy is backing a new 24 footer on a roller trailer toward the water. About 20 feet from waters edge he taps the brakes. The boat launches right there onto the textured concrete ramp. It slides a good 15 feet on the keel before thumping onto it's side. There was just this 2" wide blue gelcoat stripe all the way down the ramp. Grandma, Grandpa, and all the kids bail out of the car and just stand there in shock. After I helped a crew of 10 guys in getting the thing back on the roller trailer, the driver confesses to me "Man, you don't know how much I appreciate your help... this boat belongs to a buddy of mine whose letting me borrow it for the weekend". Ouch!

[DONZIMAN2]

Bryan, Lay off the sweet stuff. Stingray knows hes the man. Don't want his head to get to big. He has to be able to get it in his Ford truck for the KY run. He is going to get wind burnt enough on the water don't need to start early with his head out the driver side window for 10-12 hours.

[DONZIMAN2]

Bryan, BREATH! Breath! BREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTHHHH!

[STUNG_AGAIN]

Now for the straight skinny:

At my house and boat ramp approx. 2pm and based on eyewitness accounts:

Donzi22ZX owner, puts his boat in the water in order to work on trailer bunks. Boat is free'd from the trailer and tied up. Bilge pump kicks in, and sudden realization that plug was left out! http://www.donzi.net/ubb/eek.gif and runs to the Jeep to get plug. OH NO!! http://www.donzi.net/ubb/eek.gif Left the friggin' plug home!! Frantic pacing back and forth on the dock as the pump continues it's valiant attempt to keep the baby DonziZX afloat. My son happened to be home and the Donzi owner screamed for help. The son retrieved a SPARE plug from within dad's well prepared boat and tossed it to the pitiful babbling man on the dock who by this time was completely beside himself with something streaming down his legs.

Finally!!, he snaps out of his slobbering stupor and dives into the 46 degree water to install the SPARE plug belonging to the boy's WELL PREPARED dad and therefore staving off potential AOTH disaster... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/cool.gif

Everyone, yesterday Bryan T. lost his ramp cherry...Let's give him hand... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/eek.gif http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

Bryan my man I luv ya but like Donziman2 sez, breath baby breath. Homes, keep a spare plug in the truck and in the boat tool box always. Nail that routine down at the ramp and let nothing interfere with it. Top of the ramp, stop the trailer and work from the aft forward "beginning" with the plug as we've discussed. But I'm confident we won't see you do that again, because you are turning out be a fast learner....Welcome to the club... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/cool.gif

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"...we sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would harm us..."

[BigGrizzly]

We all know how Sting got that info.--Its experience. Just learning by his own mistakes.

Randy

[DONZIMAN2]

Only thing missing from Stingrays list is a Video Camera. Funniest videos would have been cool. With the winnings you could have paid off the boat.

[Bryan Tuvell]

STUNG... even I laughed out loud at your version... I too will be better prepared for emergencies, I hadn't put the tool kit in the boat yet, I can tell you it is there now and my plug and spare are in their normal location.
Would have worked out nicely maybe with State Farm... momma really wants a 28ZXO, if so I want twins 350 mags or 377's. The HotBoat test says it was an awesome boat...

BANDIT I emailed the dealer in KY that is bringing a boat or maybe 2, to bring the one 28ZXO that they have in stock and recieved no response.
Those that know me know what it means for momma to want something, so if you know anyone at that marina have them bring it on down to the AOTH... he may not have bit because my email said twins, his is a single. I suppose I should bring my papers just in case I tow a new boat home......

Bryan

[This message has been edited by Bryan Tuvell (edited 04-25-2001).]

[Dr. Dan]

Bryan, those are really nice rides, the "co-pilot" and I took in a spring open house up at Jackson Marine, Northeast,Md, they had a couple of Scorpion packaged units too. They have quite a selection(www.jacksonmarinesales.com),too spendy for this puppy right now though, but the co-pilot liked the idea of being able to sleep on your boat! Some day...Doc

[Donzi Customer Service]

Bryan,

I have never forgotten my drain plug, run aground, bumped the dock, or ran out of gas. Well... at least not all in the same weekend.
Don't worry it happens to all of us. I'll see if I can dig up a spare plug for you.

Donnie

[STUNG_AGAIN]

Bryan, heard you're thinking and asking about a 28ZXO? D-man2 told me the numbers you stated and that you had momma showing support. What time in the morning are we leaving to go pick up the boat?.....You know this sorta sucks, you guys talkin' and gettin' the new big boats before me!! Even "Tweety-Boy" has been thnkin' about a bigger rig lately..... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/cool.gif

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"...we sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would harm us..."

[Bryan Tuvell]

STUNG I spoke with a couple dealer this morning, it was momma's idea, she would have to sacrifice a new luxury car to have a bigger boat, not sure she will, but she is curious... I would say there is 10 to 20 thousand mark up on the window stickers that were faxed to me, numbers on my ZX was mid 30's with trailer on trade, so I would have 10K profit there. Bottom line was my boat and 70K to get to the point. It was loaded, twin 350 Mags. The Scorp version was close to a sticker of 140K. Guy tried to tell me it was an 80 MPH boat! I laughed, told them of the HOTBOAT report, mid 70's tops...

Interesting there is 20K difference in twin 350 mags over 377's... plus lab finish props and a scorpion sticker... not justifiable.. Hey RickR does your Dad have 28ZXO's on hand???

The one in KY is single BBC for 74, still never heard back from them on my request.

I wouldn't sweat it, well see how this weekends trip out to sea going to the islands go, if we drive the boat it is out and around the shore,we are meeting a bunch of folks... want to go? High tide for Machipongo inlet is 1PM.

I guess the 26ZX is done and ready to ship (is that true Donnie?). We need it here so Bob will have something to do besides talk about it?
Bryan

[This message has been edited by Bryan Tuvell (edited 04-26-2001).]

[STUNG_AGAIN]

Where is Machipongo Inlet and how far up from the Bridge Tunnel? Are you going around from Kiptopeke ramp? I was going to a pig roast and beer fest but decided not to and spend my money on the boat. We'll see how scrappy the bay is and whether or not I can find this place on the chart. Who are the bunch of people you're meeting? Do they have boats too or are you providing the seats? I guess it all depends, last weekend on the Narrows beach and sand bar was ROCKIN'! We had a good time with the bubba's and beach floss. I finally found my Cumberland map, thought it had channel markers but it don't just mileage estimates from one end to the next. Found the Conley Bottom roadtrip2 was talkin' about meeting at. Appears to be 8-10 miles beyond Pittman Creek and Bandit's digs.
Anyway, we're at the mercy of the mighty Chesapeake and it's moodiness for the island thing.
Here's a thought, my 4-blade was pitched down to 24P, blueprinted (thinned) and given extra cup. Looking at yours the other day there's a huge difference. I think you ought to try mine out and see how it runs RPM and MPH wise compared your plain 24P. Give me call and we'll discuss it...
Well, I'm outta here!! Stopping at "Tweety-Boy's" for a beer and home to PM the trailer and maybe a an evening ride around the island... http://www.donzi.net/ubb/cool.gif

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"...we sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would harm us..."

[Forrest]

Stung, Bryan, you know, I think that the last time I left the plug out of my Donzi (http://www.donzi.net/hull.cfm?id=65) was back when I lived on 88th Street in Virginia Beach. It was at 64th Street (Seashore State Park). It had to be back in the mid 1970s and I remember that it was a little early in the season and a few of my freaky friends and I were "partying" on the way to the ramp. I backed the 16 in the water, parked the car. Strolled on down to the dock, fired off the Donzi, told my friends to hop in, and as we started to pull away from the dock, I said, "Damn this boat is sittin' low in the water. . ." With that, I decided to take a look under the engine hatch and holey smokes, the water was just staring to go over the top of the stringers!!! Everyone had on regular clothes, you know, shoes, jeans, long sleeve shirt. I soon as it dawned on me that my beloved and fairly new at the time 1972 16 Donzi was about to sink some 50-feet from the ramp, I told everyone to abandon ship - like right now! We needed to loose some weight fast. So at that moment, three "partied-out" freaks jumped overboard - shoes, wallets, and all - and before the engine died, I headed the Donzi back towards shore to try to beach it, but I ran aground before getting anywhere near the shore. At least that kept it from sinking. I got the plug in and it all the salt water pumped out, but we decided to bag the Donzi ride for that day, and loaded it back on to the trailer. It only took a starter motor, gimble bearing, and a power-trim pump later, I was back buzzing around Linkhorn and Broad Bay!

Guys, you know I don't remember seeing any butt floss back then at the Narrows . . . but that reminds me of another Donzi story . . . about the time we took the 16 from the Narrows out through Lynhaven Inlet over to Cape Charles while trying to "wish away" a front moving in. We got over there OK, getting back was another story. I'll tell that one some other time. It's amazing what a guy will do for extra-good "scenery". It took me a few close calls with nature in both the Chesapeake and the Atlantic but, I finally realized that it was a 16' Donzi not a 36' Cigarette!

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Forrest

[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 04-26-2001).]

[Blewbyu]

When I was young(before dirt),I did launch w/o a plug on far too many occasions,and launched in the garage off a roller trailer,but fortunately never severly damaged anything.Finally,BOUGHT 3 PLUGS!1 in steering wheel,one in toolbox,one in bilge.Never since have I launched w/o plug.The kinds of sinkings that really hack you off are those that you can't do a thing about or prevent-like the beaver chewing thru your transom rubber....(how bout 3 times?).I seldom moor in more than 4' of water as a result.And,more fortunately,none of these screwups ever occurred on the Donzi-but on much earlier boats.