What was your worst river trip?

[niceguyeddie]

I can think of more fun weekends than not, but sometimes that pain in the ass trip will come. Does anyone have one to tell us about?


My story started with the time I got a flat trailer tire with no spare in NewBurry Springs at 11pm on a Friday of a Holiday Weekend. Now since I had a single axle trailer, it's needless to say that I was fucked. It took about 4.5 hours for a service truck to come and mount a new tire. I had to unhook the boat and drive back to Barstow in Walmart (the closest place that sold tires). They were actually closing and the automotive dept was long ago closed, but the manager said he'd be at the front waiting for me (after telling him my story of course). I really didn't believe him, but I unhooked my boat and drove over there anyways. When I pulled up he was standing outside with the tire I needed! Wow! It was a trip walking into a dark Walmart after hours. They took me to an register and wrung me up. I tried tipping the guy and he wouldn't take it. So I thanked him and left.

So I return to my boat and wait. Around 3:30am a tow truck pulls up and tells me here's here to save the day. I found it awkward that he showed up on a flat bed tow truck with zero tools or an air compressor. So as I'm questioning his lack of equipment my real driver shows up. Well I guess there's a little war with local tow truck guys outta Victorville and Barstow trying to steal each other's business. So these guys were ready duke it out on the side of the highway until I broke them up. Looking back I should have just let them fight. It would've been entertaining. Besides I think my guy could' have taken that 1st guy. But on second thought I was tired and there wasn't much time for fucking around so I paid the 1st guy $20 and thanked him for stopping so he'd leave. Well he did. Which them made it possible for the dude I called to mount my new tire, run my credit card for $360 and send me on my way.

Just to clarify something... This was before internet on cell phones.

I thought of this story after reading Grad's "Found On Road Dead" thread. I swore to never cross that desert without a fair amount of tools that I might need should I run into trouble. I always pack a cooler too.


Well we arrive to the to the house at about 7-8am. I get about 3 hours of sleep and go to launch the boat. We head out of the marina, float down river for about 5 mins and bang! Blown starter. Sea tow to the rescue! I can't remember what that cost. Of course I'm in a bad mood and say screw it, lets get off the boat on the trailer, and take the skis out. I hop on my 550, ride it for ten minutes and bang! Exhaust pipe cracks.

My group isn't happy and wants to go home. We'll I pretty much turn into Clark Grizwald and tell them I think they're all fucked in the head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ8X6qTA5cE

Well on the way home. Someone backs into my truck at In N Out in Barstow. And you wouldn't believe it. They forgot to leave a note.



What's your worst weekend at the river?

[Boatbum2]

Worst was my birthday a couple of years ago. 7:30 AM, left Fox's headed for breakfast down river, sister in law decides to ski, that's fine. She falls, I turn around, not paying attention to where I was and took the whole drive out on the rocks on the Arizona side of the river just below Fox's. $13,529.30 later, we're back on the water................Thanks to Rich Hudson at Lakeland Marine in Havasu.

Next worse was last summer, 3 blowouts between Parker and Phoenix in one trip! Went to war with Discount and Greenball tire co on damage. Greenball decided their tires were defective and paid for all my damages to the trailer and discount took real good care of me on replacing the tires with hopefully, something better, Carlisles. I guess we'll see if they're any better!

[ChumpChange]

Didn't you have a bad trip with the chick with white glasses?

[Stainless]

$13,529.30 later, we're back on the water................Thanks to Rich Hudson at Lakeland Marine in Havasu.


What kind of drive was it? Seems high for even a Sportmaster if it's an outboard. :(


CH3NO2

[RitcheyRch]

Ended up in the Blythe Hospital with back pain and found out it was kidney stones.

[LB247XS]

For me about 6yrs ago heading home from HAVI and just about to start the descent down INDIO hill BOOM blowout on trailer.has a spare changed it in about 15 min back rolling.then right before MORONGO casino another bad sound under the hood of our suburban,lost the clutch assembly in the A/C compressor mind you its over 100• with all the family and the dog inside rolled window down got back on the road miserably hot and pissed off.its gets better so we are about 10 miles from home on the 605 Fwy in the Whittier area and the the suburban starts jumping violently sideways and into other lanes thinking I just got sideswiped.what had happen was the passenger side leaf springs on our (at the time ULTIMATE TRAILER) had snapped.smoke everywhere got it off the Fwy and had to have it flatbeded home.trailer was destroyed not a scratch on the boat.
How's that for a shitty trip

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[78Southwind]

Ended up in the Blythe Hospital with back pain and found out it was kidney stones.

Kidney Stones Sux...

[Jet-Daytona]

The trip when all three of my Daytonas sank. :D

[78Southwind]

One of my worse trips was back in 89 or 90...

I went to bullhead with four of my friends on 4th of July week. We decide to make a run in the Southwind to Havasu from Topock. We make it down to Havasu and everything is fine for the first couple of hours. We decide to go and check out Copper Canyon and it's a cluster. We are all trying to protect the boat but it's getting banged up and one of my buddys slip and gets burnt by the headers. He's ok nothing a couple beers won't fix.

Next we decide to go to Crazy Horse and on our way we race another jet boat (yeah right with 5 people in the boat). Well while we're racing a gas cap goes flying off one of the saddle tanks. Another buddy of mine puts his shirt into the tank so the water won't get into the tank. We finally get to Crazy Horse have a couple beers and decide to head back up to Topock. Well shit the boat won't start (stretched timing chain or something like that). After messing with the boat for a while I decide that I will take a taxi back to Topock get the truck/trailer and pick up my boat and the rest of the party at the LH Marina Launch ramp. While I am getting the truck my friends will have someone tow them to the Marina.

I get to Topock and I have barely enough money to pay the taxi. I pull the trailer back to Havasu and wait in this crazy line (3 hour wait) at LH Marina to pick up my friends and the boat. I get to the launch ramp and no ones there. I have no clue what to do, we didn't have cell phones back then. So I just drive around the Island and about an hour later I see two of my friends out in front of Crazy Horse. I am like, I told you guys to get a tow to LH Marina but they didn't know any better i guess and they got a tow to the Crazy Horse Marina. Here's the funny thing Crazy Horse wouldn't let them or myself into Crazy Horse without paying. None of us have any money so we are screwed. About an hour later, I flag down a cop and ask if he could work something out with Crazy Horse for us. The cop tells them to let us in to pick up the rest of our friends and boat. They finally agree.

By the time I get to the boat it's early morning (around 3AM) and the both of the friends that stayed with the boat are drunk and pissed at everyone. The worse thing though is that all the beers are gone, so I can't even have a beer after all the bullshit I have been through or buy one. Well I get back home and nobody helps with any of the gas for the trip. WTF...

[Stainless]

The trip when all three of my Daytonas sank. :D

Details please? :p


CH3NO2

[Stainless]

78, you should have just stayed at Crazy Horse with the crazies. :D


CH3NO2

[Bobby V]

Didn't you have a bad trip with the chick with white glasses?

Wasn't that Riverbound?

[HB Vic]

Wasn't that Riverbound?

I thought he had the white Rolex??


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[ChumpChange]

Wasn't that Riverbound?

Nope. It was NGE. Actually I think it was Y&D. :D

[SBS933]

I just got with my girlfriend and went to Parker in April, then sat at the casino for 3 days till the wind died. We got one day on the water. I'll never river it in April or Memorial Day, I've been getting screwed with bad weather on Memorial since the late 70s. Three bad trips and never again.

[78Southwind]

78, you should have just stayed at Crazy Horse with the crazies. :D


CH3NO2

Yep...Been there done that...:speechless-smiley-0

[westair]

My 1st flatbottom in the late 70's I was so proud of sank out in front of Fox's .... and it went straight to the bottom. Labor day weekend and couldn't even get any divers to get it until after the weekend, and then only gave me a 50% chance of finding it because of the current, but they did and I eventually got it running again. I think I was about 18 ....live and learn.

[pvhca1]

I thought he had the white Rolex??


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Pink Rolex, or Flesh colored, you choose, LOL!!

[Boatbum2]

What kind of drive was it? Seems high for even a Sportmaster if it's an outboard. :(


CH3NO2

Volvo Penta 350 GL with counter rotating stainless props. God bless State Farm, paid the whole deal, minus my $500.00 deductable.

[Stainless]

Volvo Penta 350 GL with counter rotating stainless props. God bless State Farm, paid the whole deal, minus my $500.00 deductable.

Gotcha, when you threw Richie's name up I thought you were talking outboard.


CH3NO2

[Stainless]

I just got with my girlfriend and went to Parker in April, then sat at the casino for 3 days till the wind died. We got one day on the water. I'll never river it in April or Memorial Day, I've been getting screwed with bad weather on Memorial since the late 70s. Three bad trips and never again.

Wind is worse thing that happened to me also, one trip I got on water one day out of four.


CH3NO2

[Bohica]

A buddy and I, plus our wives decide to go to Laughlin and boat on Mohave for the weekend. He's towing a 34' Magic with a Suburban and I'm following in a car. He misses the turn to Bullhead and is headed towards Oatman. I catch up and let him know he should have turned earlier. He pulls over on the soft shoulder and gets stuck. He decides to drive off the road 300 yards and tries to turn around and buries it. I head back to Goldenshores to find some help. Guy in a huge lifted truck insists he can get him out, and buries his truck trying. I head back to Goldenshores and find a huge row truck. Tow truck ends up winching everything out to the rune of $1,400. Get back on road, stop to get gas in Bullhead and the Suburban vapor locks. Hour later it starts, launch at Katherine's, and I park. End of the day truck wouldn't start again. we had to leave the boat in the water, luckily they let us leave it on the courtesy dock since no slips available. Had to wait until Monday for someone to fix the truck. What was supposed to be a nice kid free weekend turned into a trip from hell.

[shippingguy]

Mine was last season. Friday morning of Memorial weekend. Blew the outdrive with my wife and two year old in the boat! Thanks to Demoman and Vessel Assist I got towed to the ramp. BIG THANKS to AJ at BCM for bolting on a spare drive he had in the shop so we could boat Saturday and Sunday and enjoy the weekend. Allstate covered the repair and now I have the complete billet MMW outdrive.

[Bohica]

Desert Storm 2006, another weekend I'd like to forget. Blew up my drive, got towed in. My crew hopped on a buddies boat and told them I'd drop off the boat at home and meet them in the channel. I have a drive thru garage, but only 8' doors, won't fit with the Bimini up. I hit the opener and forgot the Bimini was still up. Hear a blam. Oh shit, took out the stucco and eff'ed up the Bimini. 10k weekend.