Neutral safety lesson

[CJD]

Well, had a scare today that taught me a lesson.

I've been working with our 14 year old twins getting them up to speed on boat rules and handling. We had the boat full of friends, and after running the tubes out...the boat would not start. The gages came to life, but no starter spin at all. The voltage showed about 10v on the goofy factory gage, so I naturally think the battery is low and causing the problem.

I hit the booster switch to couple the batteries...nothing.

I reverse the primary and secondary battery leads...nothing.

I clean all the battery cables...nothing.

And I clean the cable at the starter...and...yep...nothing.

Wife, meanwhile is trying to call the marina for a tow, but it, naturally, closed 15 minutes ago. Bummer.

While I was laying on my back working on the starter cable, I figured, let me try to jump the solenoid at the starter. Bam...the starter spun. Told the wife to hit the switch, I jumped the solenoid and Vroom! She finally started and purred like it should.

Now the sad part. I closed up the engine and went back to the driver seat, only to notice that the shift lever was in drive...and had been the whole time. The batteries were absolutely fine. My son had stopped the boat in gear after driving out from the dock, and I now know the factory voltmeter reads 2 volts low.

An hour of wasted work and a scare of being adrift all night is the best way to learn a lesson. I'm still not sure my son was the one that learned it though!!

[Blackntan90]

Don't feel too bad, this has happened to me before also.

[chris young]

I don't know how many times I've gone out to a flight crew who couldn't get the headset mic working only to find a very simple switch (the one that switches from the boom to oxygen mask) in the "oxy" position. They always feel like total dummies, because they were the ones who put it there when the checked the oxygen mask during their preflight. That's why checklists are important in emergencies. Dozens of times I've started the boat, cast off and put it in reverse only to find no go until I put the button back in. I'm sure everyone has done that.

[cjtpilot]

I don't know how many times I've gone out to a flight crew who couldn't get the headset mic working only to find a very simple switch (the one that switches from the boom to oxygen mask) in the "oxy" position. They always feel like total dummies, because they were the ones who put it there when the checked the oxygen mask during their preflight. That's why checklists are important in emergencies. Dozens of times I've started the boat, cast off and put it in reverse only to find no go until I put the button back in. I'm sure everyone has done that.
My favorite was going out to a flight that said the APU wouldn't start, looked up and battery switch was not on. lol

[Jetlink]

You mechanics think you're so smart all the time! lol

[Zim]

Sadly, this happened to me about a month ago. Had 2 fully charged batteries, AND a jump box that wouldn't get me going. Waved down a fisher for a jump, still nothing. Then I put my boat back in neutral and she fired right up :(

First 3 things to check with no-starts:
1) Lanyard
2) In Neutral
3) Batteries turned on

In no particular order.

[chris young]

Where do/did you guys work? I was avionics for Wardair/Canadian Airlines/Air Canada for 20 years. Gave it all up to work as an AV tech at the University. I killed 2 airlines and the third was on the ropes, so I did the honorable thing before I killed them too LOL.

[cjtpilot]

Where do/did you guys work? I was avionics for Wardair/Canadian Airlines/Air Canada for 20 years. Gave it all up to work as an AV tech at the University. I killed 2 airlines and the third was on the ropes, so I did the honorable thing before I killed them too LOL.
A couple different US airlines, now with Eclipse Aerospace.

[Jetlink]

Expressjet Airlines for myself, not sure how much longer I'm sticking around there though.

[SquamInboards]

First 3 things to check with no-starts:
1) Lanyard
2) In Neutral
3) Batteries turned on

In no particular order.

I have gone over these very items many, many times on the phone with 'no-start' calls. I'll add three more to the list: ignition switch spinning in the dash (or control box in outboards), ignition breaker as found in many older ski boats, right next to the 'radio' breaker. Easy for someone unfamiliar with the boat to press the wrong one. And main engine breaker (again, only really in older ski boats).

When I read the title I was afraid you were going to say, someone bumped the throttle lever with the engine running but no one really driving... that worries me as my kid(s) get older and more interested in that lever.

[CJD]

When I read the title I was afraid you were going to say, someone bumped the throttle lever with the engine running but no one really driving... that worries me as my kid(s) get older and more interested in that lever.

I know what you mean. All my previous boats had no neutral lock. This 2005 has the "T" lock in neutral, that really drove me nuts for the first couple months. I couldn't stand it. But, now that summer is here and we are using the boat almost daily, I don't even think about it. It makes a great adult-proofing addition to a boat, as I have yet to have anyone figure it out until I tell them to lift the "T"!?!

And as for you guys bagging on us pilots. I know we have our no-brainers...but you don't want to get me started on mechanic no-brainers! Like the time our crew chief accidentally stuck his but in our running T-37 engine intake while pulling the chocks. A 20 foot fireball blew him at least 40 feet accross the ramp. When we finally caught up to him (never saw anyone run that fast holding his A$$ with both hands) he had the biggest, reddest raspberry on his A$$ the perfect shape of a Tweet intake. I'm sorry...my student and I couldn't stop laughing for a week!

[SquamInboards]

We all have our moments - I once picked up my car from the shop and heard a terrible rattling from the engine... opened the hood and found an 18" prybar sitting on top of the intake manifold, haha.

[Moor]

i think just about everyone who ones a boat long enough makes this mistake at least once lol.

[SquamInboards]

Yep, I've done it with an outboard.

But my biggest bonehead move was when I was about 17 and had a new-to-me 16' Starcraft fiberglass outboard boat. My friends were dying to go out on the lake and I hadn't finished rigging the engine, so I said "fine I'll bring my tools and mount the control box out there on the lake." So I did that, and when we went to take off I realized I didn't give it *quite* enough room for WOT - the throttle handle hit the dash - so we cruised back at 3/4 throttle, which wasn't enough to plane off, me kicking myself the whole way. I promptly removed it and drilled new holes to remount it.

[ts6mnewbie]

I have gone over these very items many, many times on the phone with 'no-start' calls. I'll add three more to the list: ignition switch spinning in the dash (or control box in outboards), ignition breaker as found in many older ski boats, right next to the 'radio' breaker. Easy for someone unfamiliar with the boat to press the wrong one. And main engine breaker (again, only really in older ski boats).

When I read the title I was afraid you were going to say, someone bumped the throttle lever with the engine running but no one really driving... that worries me as my kid(s) get older and more interested in that lever.

That ignition breaker had me baffled for about 45 minutes last year. I'm glad I'm not the only one that has happened to.