Spdloader
Registered Member
- City
- Little River
Maybe this has happened to one or more of you. If it hasn't, then maybe it will save you.
Sorry this is long, but:
It was a beautiful day here at North Myrtle Beach on this past Monday to go boating, fishing, crabbing, or whatever you do from your boat, so I took my daughter, and my dog Deken, and went down to get the boat. We pulled the cover off and found a dead bird inside, a female Cardinal, and that should have an omen. (My dad was terribly superstitious, he even passed away on Friday the 13th) He would have freaked. I often think of him when life presents me with these little incidences. Anyway, we made our way the 1-1/2 mile jog over to the Cherry Grove ramp by Captain Poos, and put the boat in the water amid the peace and quiet of the offseason.
Suddenly, and as often happens, there were people everywhere, and boats. Ten or more. Everyone wanted to use the ramp all at the same time, where it had been peaceful moments before. Obviously, I'd have to forgo the normal safety and operational checks on the trailer before launching, to hurry out of the way. So, being by myself experience wise, I slid the boat off the trailer with a dock line, fastened it to the dock, and went to park the truck and trailer. Upon returning, my daughter and Deken were in the boat and sitting patiently.
I started up the Yamaha 90 2stroke, turned the steering hard to port to back away from the pier and another boat, and gave it part throttle. Away from the pier we went, going with the current of the rising tide, and the wind, now about 15kts, that had caught the underside of my t-top. All I needed was a quick turn of the steering back to starboard and off we'd go. That's when I noticed something wasn't right.
Coming straight for me was a 30+ft Fountain with 3-275HP Mercurys on it, and behind him was a "cigar" boat of some sort. They were moving fast. I really needed the steering wheel to turn to starboard, but it just stayed hard to port. I shifted the engine into forward, and started back against the current, the wind, and the barnacle covered wooden "fence" that protects the bridge pilings from idiots with steering problems who didn't perform a pre-launch inspection.
With the steering stuck hard to port, I realized I needed help if I couldn't free it up. Now I'm a big guy, 340, been pretty strong all my life, and I'm used to moving whatever needs to be moved, or turning whatever needs to be turned, but I can also break whatever should have been finessed, so, I grabbed hold of the steering wheel, gave it a good clockwise turn, and heard a "snap", and then the wheel turned freely, spun freely is a better description, but made some pretty nasty grinding noises, AND the boat still wouldn't turn. Now I can either (A) panic, or (B) ask for help. Nobody wants to see a 340lb man panic. I was able to keep the boat off the "fence" with my hands, now bandaged from the barnacle cuts and splinters, and the gentleman/hero in the Fountain was able to catch a tow line from my daughter and pull us back to the launch. We had quickly drifted 150ft and was out in the middle of the ICW before he was able to get alongside of me. Maybe sailboat manufacturers should rethink and design sails like t-tops, I was impressed by how the wind took us away.
Thanks to some folks at the dock who noticed our predicament, we were able to get tied up, and wait out the rush until the ramp was clear to pull the boat out of the water. We even met another Triumph owner while we waited, with the same 190Bay as mine. Nice guy, called himself Babaloo, so I told him about this web site and all the nice folks here.
Back to the story.
It bears saying with some humiliation, that I grew up around the water, I've been on boats since I was 6 or seven years old. My dad hammered safety into me. Later, I was an officer at Carolina Beach Police Dept, and ran the harbor patrol some until I left law enforcement in 1992. I know better than to skip a pre-launch inspection, it only takes 5-10 minutes, but I did. I skipped it.
Anyone can be an idiot.
I bought the boat at Grubbs Marine in Winston Salem, but live at the beach now. There isn't a Triumph dealer real close anymore, the closest one inexplicably closed the doors in the middle of this past summer, so I took it to Marine Service Center in Little River, who have a very good reputation I'm told, and they said it was common for a cable to freeze up from rust and to "pop" the steering wheel trying to free the cable. Not sure what "popped" the steering means, but I'll bet it means another couple of decimal places on the bill. Anyway, it is apparently common, and they have the whole assembly in stock. Hmmmm.
Moral:
Keep your steering cable and shaft(s) properly maintained and lubed. Store the boat with your motor turned so as to protect the steering shaft, and, retract the engine trim shafts to avoid corrosion. It will save you money, embarrassment, and barnacle cuts and splinters.
Lastly, never skip over your pre-launch inspection, no matter how busy the ramp is, or what the reason.
I'll post a follow up as to the repair and the cost.
Hope this helps someone!
Spdloader
Update: A new steering kit has been installed, and they've also serviced the engine lower unit, and checked out and synched my carbs. I'm really pleased with their service and attitude, they seem to be looking out for me. I feel like I made a good choice in where to take my Triumph to have my mistake repaired since there is no Triumph dealer nearby! Marine Service Center in Little River, SC. Spdloader
Sorry this is long, but:
It was a beautiful day here at North Myrtle Beach on this past Monday to go boating, fishing, crabbing, or whatever you do from your boat, so I took my daughter, and my dog Deken, and went down to get the boat. We pulled the cover off and found a dead bird inside, a female Cardinal, and that should have an omen. (My dad was terribly superstitious, he even passed away on Friday the 13th) He would have freaked. I often think of him when life presents me with these little incidences. Anyway, we made our way the 1-1/2 mile jog over to the Cherry Grove ramp by Captain Poos, and put the boat in the water amid the peace and quiet of the offseason.
Suddenly, and as often happens, there were people everywhere, and boats. Ten or more. Everyone wanted to use the ramp all at the same time, where it had been peaceful moments before. Obviously, I'd have to forgo the normal safety and operational checks on the trailer before launching, to hurry out of the way. So, being by myself experience wise, I slid the boat off the trailer with a dock line, fastened it to the dock, and went to park the truck and trailer. Upon returning, my daughter and Deken were in the boat and sitting patiently.
I started up the Yamaha 90 2stroke, turned the steering hard to port to back away from the pier and another boat, and gave it part throttle. Away from the pier we went, going with the current of the rising tide, and the wind, now about 15kts, that had caught the underside of my t-top. All I needed was a quick turn of the steering back to starboard and off we'd go. That's when I noticed something wasn't right.
Coming straight for me was a 30+ft Fountain with 3-275HP Mercurys on it, and behind him was a "cigar" boat of some sort. They were moving fast. I really needed the steering wheel to turn to starboard, but it just stayed hard to port. I shifted the engine into forward, and started back against the current, the wind, and the barnacle covered wooden "fence" that protects the bridge pilings from idiots with steering problems who didn't perform a pre-launch inspection.
With the steering stuck hard to port, I realized I needed help if I couldn't free it up. Now I'm a big guy, 340, been pretty strong all my life, and I'm used to moving whatever needs to be moved, or turning whatever needs to be turned, but I can also break whatever should have been finessed, so, I grabbed hold of the steering wheel, gave it a good clockwise turn, and heard a "snap", and then the wheel turned freely, spun freely is a better description, but made some pretty nasty grinding noises, AND the boat still wouldn't turn. Now I can either (A) panic, or (B) ask for help. Nobody wants to see a 340lb man panic. I was able to keep the boat off the "fence" with my hands, now bandaged from the barnacle cuts and splinters, and the gentleman/hero in the Fountain was able to catch a tow line from my daughter and pull us back to the launch. We had quickly drifted 150ft and was out in the middle of the ICW before he was able to get alongside of me. Maybe sailboat manufacturers should rethink and design sails like t-tops, I was impressed by how the wind took us away.
Thanks to some folks at the dock who noticed our predicament, we were able to get tied up, and wait out the rush until the ramp was clear to pull the boat out of the water. We even met another Triumph owner while we waited, with the same 190Bay as mine. Nice guy, called himself Babaloo, so I told him about this web site and all the nice folks here.
Back to the story.
It bears saying with some humiliation, that I grew up around the water, I've been on boats since I was 6 or seven years old. My dad hammered safety into me. Later, I was an officer at Carolina Beach Police Dept, and ran the harbor patrol some until I left law enforcement in 1992. I know better than to skip a pre-launch inspection, it only takes 5-10 minutes, but I did. I skipped it.
Anyone can be an idiot.
I bought the boat at Grubbs Marine in Winston Salem, but live at the beach now. There isn't a Triumph dealer real close anymore, the closest one inexplicably closed the doors in the middle of this past summer, so I took it to Marine Service Center in Little River, who have a very good reputation I'm told, and they said it was common for a cable to freeze up from rust and to "pop" the steering wheel trying to free the cable. Not sure what "popped" the steering means, but I'll bet it means another couple of decimal places on the bill. Anyway, it is apparently common, and they have the whole assembly in stock. Hmmmm.
Moral:
Keep your steering cable and shaft(s) properly maintained and lubed. Store the boat with your motor turned so as to protect the steering shaft, and, retract the engine trim shafts to avoid corrosion. It will save you money, embarrassment, and barnacle cuts and splinters.
Lastly, never skip over your pre-launch inspection, no matter how busy the ramp is, or what the reason.
I'll post a follow up as to the repair and the cost.
Hope this helps someone!
Spdloader
Update: A new steering kit has been installed, and they've also serviced the engine lower unit, and checked out and synched my carbs. I'm really pleased with their service and attitude, they seem to be looking out for me. I feel like I made a good choice in where to take my Triumph to have my mistake repaired since there is no Triumph dealer nearby! Marine Service Center in Little River, SC. Spdloader
Last edited:
for I have seen much worse... Couple of things I wanted to bring up after reading this.
