RE:steering failure

[Stinky_Hooker]

Did not want to jack his thread so I thought I would start another one. His thread reminded me, it could have been worse..much worse.

About 6 years ago I was running at a good clip with a buddy in his 16' CC. I was standing next to him with his teenage son on the front seat. When it broke the motor went full lock to the left, I held on to the flip flop seat as the boat went up on its side (gunhale about 6" under) and he went overboard. As the boat layed back down I seen him pass under the hull towards the still running motor (kill switch didnt work). I instinctively hit the key switch and then looked for him to come up on the starboard side. As he came back up I grabbed for him but he couldnt reach my hand and went under again. He didnt surface and I dove in and found him...drug him back to the boat and got him aboard.

Neither he nor his son had been on the water much at that point as they just purchased the boat. His son stayed onboard as he slid off the cooler seat in front of the console and hit the gunhale wall. He just FROZE and watched in horror..did not know what to do. I thank God for me having had alot of time on the water and being onboard that day. I wasnt supposed to go with them but agreed to at the last moment.

Needless to say they wear PFD's now when the motor is cranked and ALWAYS check the kill switch.


Sorry for the long post but it reminded me of a rough day and thought it may help some of my brothers on this board think about safety checks we all too often take forgranted.