Cell phones save the day...Twice

[Rowdie]

A 'thanks for sharing story'.

My big sister bought a older pontoon in May, and they have it out for maybe the third time, and it runs out of gas. They call my brother and he runs a 5 g jug out to the boat ramp as they are not too far from the dock. They had to flag down a pwc to go get the gas. So they go to the marina, and get 5 more g just to make sure they can cruise around a little more. I'm in the campground across the river from them waiting for them to get off the water for a birthday cookout in the campground east of Mobridge. They call again and they are out of gas again, but now they are on the west side of the river, not right by the dock. They must have a gas leak. So I call my buddy's mom in Mobridge who has a big pontoon in the marina. I need to get his brothers number so I can hopefully get the key. As luck would have it, the brother is out on the lake, and happens to be in the same area. He asks if its a blue pontoon, I say yea, and he said he can see it. Wow what are the chances of that.

 

[DirtyMike]

I think the only thing watched more intently than my graphs is the gas gauge.

 

[LBrandt]

Learning the hard way, but learning.

 

[Traxion]

Fuse blew and made my gauge go to 3/4 one time and I didn't catch it. Ran out at the Spur Line bridge. Luckily had a separate kicker tank that got me back......learning is right!

 

[Ericb]

I've never had a working gas gauge on my boat. Forces me to fill up before each outing. I also have the 5g tank for the kicker just in case. I learned a long time ago never trust a older boat and especially never trust a grown kid when he's having fun with his toys!

 

[Rowdie]

Their gauge doesn't work, but they must be losing gas.

 

[ShootnBlanks]

Pulling kids on tube a few years back. Water pump failed. No problem, figured I'd use trolling motor to get back or at least to shore. Never had it happen but dang thing happened to blow fuse and melt wires. Not a damn tool on board was able to call relative on lake and pull us back. Love cell phones.

 

[Allen]

It's good to know others in the area, that is for sure.

I remember the late 70s and early 80s on Sak where if you went out and had boat trouble, there were a lot of days you would simply end up on whatever shore the wind blew you to. You could go hours without seeing another boat on week days north of 4 Bears.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

The reason I got a brand new boat was because I got stranded 3x in a buddies boat and I said never again will I play that game, each time it was "fixed"

 

[Mort]

So that brings me to this question for you veteran boat owners, who knows their boat the best when it comes to shooting off the hip knowing you are low on gas and need to come in without looking at the gas gauge????

 

[tikkalover]

I never put myself in that situation. Its more relaxing to run off the top half of the tank then the bottom half, that and it might be really hard to find a tow out on the water when you run out. My wife on the other hand is a bottom 1/8 of the tank kind of person in her Yukon. 95% of the time I put gas in her car there is only 2 gallons or less in the tank. ;:;banghead

 

[Jigaman]

my gas gauge on my tyee hasnt worked for a few years. It has a 45 gallon tank so it takes a while with a 135 opti to run it empty. fill up every few outings depending on how long of runs I am making or if I'm pulling the tube alot. Hasnt been lower than a 1/3 of a tank yet but one of these times it might bite me.

 

[Allen]

My gauges work reasonably well. Both floaters hold 35 gallons and since I don't like being restricted as to where my whims may take me, if she's anywhere near 1/2 of a tank...I fill up when getting bait, etc. I haven't yet had to use the Reserve feature on any of my floaters and I aim to keep it that way.

 

[Rowdie]

It's good to know others in the area, that is for sure.

I remember the late 70s and early 80s on Sak where if you went out and had boat trouble, there were a lot of days you would simply end up on whatever shore the wind blew you to. You could go hours without seeing another boat on week days north of 4 Bears.

Yep...My parents went to eat at Bob's Steakhouse in Gettysburg SD one time in the early 80's. It was cool to go by boat down there and back during the summer. They went with his bosses and their wives. So 6 people in well one of those popular inboard skiboats of the 70's. On the way back they mistakenly went up the Moreau river. Eventually they figured out the mistake, but this caused them to run out of gas around the Thomas bay area. Well they stayed a little longer drinking down there so it was very dark when all this happened. It They had to walk up in the hills in the dark to find a rancher to use his phone. It was a long night, and the wives were not impressed with the knowhow of the men. I'm sure they were a little ripped. Knowing my mom, she would be the last person I'd want in that situation on board.

 

[Kurtr]

Yep...My parents went to eat at Bob's Steakhouse in Gettysburg SD one time in the early 80's. It was cool to go by boat down there and back during the summer. They went with his bosses and their wives. So 6 people in well one of those popular inboard skiboats of the 70's. On the way back they mistakenly went up the Moreau river. Eventually they figured out the mistake, but this caused them to run out of gas around the Thomas bay area. Well they stayed a little longer drinking down there so it was very dark when all this happened. It They had to walk up in the hills in the dark to find a rancher to use his phone. It was a long night, and the wives were not impressed with the knowhow of the men. I'm sure they were a little ripped. Knowing my mom, she would be the last person I'd want in that situation on board.

that Moreau is tricky i have done the same thing before.