Originally Posted by yodaddy
Sorry to hear about your disappointing first outing in your V.
I'll tell you my adventure and maybe you'll feel better. I picked up an '83 V20 last year, and after dropping a nearly new 3.7 (<200 hours) in it, we trailered it 80 miles to the coast for the maiden voyage. Got her off the trailer into the water, motor started right up, checked all systems and figured we're good to go. We headed out of the marina, and I brought it up to speed slowly. We're about a mile out and running in the low 30s, and I'm dicking with the new bennet trim tabs I'd installed, when suddenly the boat goes in a rather steep left turn. I'm thinking it was the port tab grabbing too much water, and quickly backed down the throttle before I rolled the boat. Come to find out, the steering cable sheath had come apart at the big nut at the transom assembly. No biggie, we drop the 15hp Yammi kicker and motor back to the marina.
The marina had a cable they thought would work, so my buddy and I start working on it in the parking lot just around dark. The mosquitoes tore our asses up, and when we finally get the cable out we find it's not the right type, and won't work, and the marina is closed. So, we jump in his truck and drive 2 hours back to my house where we removed the (proper) cable from my '74 V20, grab a bite and head back to the seacoast. We got the cable installed and fired her back up and completed the maiden voyage.
I hauled back out later that afternoon to go pick up the wife and kids who were staying at her Mom's nearby. I dutifully strapped the boat down and removed the drain plug at the ramp, got the wife and kids, came back and launched. We're sitting at the dock arranging gear, and after about 10-15 minutes we head out. We made it as far as the entrance to the marina when the motor quit. I cranked it but no go, so I popped the engine cover off, and look down and see my brand new alternator under water! Yup...forgot to put the drain plug back in, and we're sinking. I fired up the Yammi and rode it back into the ramp, spun the *** end around, jumped into chest deep water and put the plug in. Then, I wonder why the bilge pump wasn't pumping......hmm..it helps when the wires are connected to a battery! We'd forgotten to reconnect the house battery after removing it to work on the steering cable. So, I get the bilge pump working and pumped her dry, fired the motor back up, and of course the alternator is toasted.
A trip to NAPA the next morning for an alternator, and we were back in business.
I'm not a nOOb boater, but going 2+ days without sleep, plus the excitement of getting her overboard all added up to a less than alert captain. Lessons learned. Oh, forgot to mention - I LOVE MY V20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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