This can happen to you!!

[TD]

I was on the lake yesterday doing some top secret testing and had just made a wot run. When I set it back down I turned to go to the ramp BUT NO, it wouldn't turn. The ONE little bolt that holds my hyd steering on unscrewed itself.
What the hell am I missing here?? Gotta love it. NOT!

TD

[TTriton]

At least this didn't happen at WOT and your engine kick sideways. This happend to my father at 90+ MPH and when that boat flipped several times and landed distroying the boat and sending my father and the driver to the ER for a long stay there.

[Talondude]

Really it would be bad at 90+

[BK]

A week after racing in the 5 hour Parker Mini Enduro in my 12', 70mph Modified Yamaha 30, my racing friends and I checked all our bolts and found many loose ones. We had no shelter in the parking lot and the wind was whipping 35 mph and it was cold. All i wanted to do was get done and get inside.

The next day was the Havasu Classic. Half way thru, I felt a weird 'wobble', the kind you feel when you go over a bunch of small, choppy ripples. My helmet kind of teetered back and forth. It happened a few more times, then went away, but the boat was handling like CRAP! I thought it was just due to the wind and nasty rollers. Not a fun day.

After the race, I heard one of my helpers yell "WHO TIGHTENED YOUR BOLTS??" Apparently, I had failed to tighten the motor bolts! The top two were gone, the middle two were hanging half way out -- and my little motor was held by just the two bottom bolts. But it held on ---WHAT LUCK!!!!!

After finding new bolts and using nine gallons of lock tite that night, I was ready to race again the next day. NOW the boat felt stable and good. Well....for a while.

Sure enough -- right in front of Spectator Point...my head "wobbled" again. I said "NO WAY???? Those bolts are tight! I know they are!"

I went around the right hand turn, and it went away --- everything was ok.

Then WHAM!---- I suddenly felt like I was on a bucking horse! MY boat shot SRTAIGHT up, my throttle slammed all the way WOT to the floor by itself -- and there was NO steering at all! YIKESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

I was looking up at the sky thinking "WHAT THE HELL???" When.. WHAM! At full throttle, my boat made an instant left turn, sending me into a double barrel roll.

I know what it means when they say "Ring your bell". I could hear them. I still didn't know what happened. The boat was 50 feet away, other race boats were whizzing by, (including my future husband) The boat had landed right side up but the motor was barely visible above the water line. Gasoline was quirting straight into the air cuz my fuel pump was still running. I didn't want to swim over there. I was hurting anyway. My body was numb as it was Thanksgiving, 40 degrees and I was getting hypothermia.

Suddenly, my leg started hurting a little though it was mostly frozen. I checked to see if it was still there (I was told stories like that -- that you could lose a leg in cold water and never even know it).

I learned later that my leg had gotten caught under the steering wheel -- and bent my 1/4 inch stainless steering wheel brace by ripping it out of 1 and 1/2 inches of fiberglass dashboard! My wheel was cocked sideways. OUCH! I also had a dime sized peice missing out of the top of my helmet -- DARN sure glad that was not my skull!

When they finally got my boat towed to shore, I could see from the ambulance that the motor was dangling from the back and my modified gear case was stuck in my right lower sponson! NOW we know why the sudden left turn!

First thing is to inspect the bolts -- they are ok. But the YOKE (clamp bracket) that clamps the motor on, is completely sheared in half! The metal is completely cracked all the way across!

The Yamaha rep was there that day and said that my 30hp fishing motor really was not meant to be run under these conditions. Nevertheless, they said they would beef up the design and ingredients in the future, and send me a new clamp bracket -- which they did at no cost. Great guys!

I've been real jumpy about motors falling off for no reason ever since! I'll say LOL but honestly, it's a really scary feeling.

[BK]

I guess I should have ended that with:

"Along with tightening bolts, Check for metal stresses too"

[FCnLa]

Wow! That was some crash BK. Glad you came out of it OK.I used to fly small aircraft, something I need to get back to. Everytime I went flying I would go through a riggerous check list including a walk around. Examining the prop, control surfaces, ect, ect. Some friends of mine and my self were checking out his Christin Eagle (aerobatic bi-plane)and found a lose bolt attaching a control rod to the aleron. I would hate to think what might happen in a 5G loop! I do this now with my boat. Although not flawless, it's better than nothing. Maybe a preflight check list would make a good post.

The bermuda triangle isn't anything in comparison.

[TD]

it's close enough to call, dont you?
:o-
TD

Yes, it is close enough to call.
I hope the triangle goes somewhere else next October!!
Wicky

[Barney]

Hold hands and make a circle!

But it's still your call Dr.Wicky, I can see the light!

[BK]

Havasu is my favorite place. It's where I first saw my first boat race ever -- and also where my husband proposed to me.
But it's also where some of my most tragic events occurred as well. Enought bad that I feel I have a "Havasu Curse".

Exactly a year after that first bad race crash I mentioned before (see above). I came back to Havasu to try again. This time with a new boat. I spent a weekend trying to discover the cause of why I was down on HP. I even switched powerheads and still it didn't help. My powerhead ran fine on another boat but not on mine :( . My ex-boyfriend tried to say it was my new boat (My Mirage Tom Cat -- heh heh -- he was just irked about my new boyfriend!) We didn't realize until after the race, was that my homemade tuner had actually fallen apart inside the tower.

-- I raced anyway -- even though my speeds were that of the stock class. I got lapped and was miserable and was only happy when I looked at my watch and saw there was only 20 minutes left of this torture.

As I was passing one of the slower boats to his outside, that boat suddenly made a right hand turn- right at me! His breakaway steering column broke and he went out of control. There was nothing I could do to avoid him and he struck my left rear sponson -- about a foot from the back -- and actually drove UNDERNEATH me!!!

This, of course, caused me to stuff nose first at 60mph, catapulting me out of the seat and cartwheeling me end over end. UGH!!! Again, I was hurt. My arm had hit the cockpit on the way out and severed my tricep. OUCH! My first words when I bobbed to the surface were "I HATE HAVASU!!!"

The bad part was there were 6 guys in sst45 coming behind me at that time, and were in a heated battle for the finish. I wasn't sure if they'd see me or not. When looking at tapes later, I must thank that rescue team in the inflatable raft that dashed ONTO the course immediately, right in front of those haulin' 45's and kept them from hitting me. My saviors.

The driver who lost control, was still sitting in his mangled boat -- lucky to be alive as the deck of his paper thin boat had propeller chop marks down the entire side -- about 8 inches from where he sat.

I retired from racing that day. But still continued to attend the Havasu Classic.

A year later, same spot exactly on the course, my other AZ racing buddy was in the lead in ModC -- he was in a deck to deck battle with a 45 driver --- they were on the last lap when my buddy hooked in the corner and spun out --- directly in front of the 45! The 45 speared his boat clear thru and snapped his leg in two at the femur. Nasty! It took him a very long time to recover. Capsules became mandatory in that class shortly thereafter.

Two years later, the worst thing imaginable happened. I never dreamed I'd be saying my final Good Bye's to our best friend who raced and died at that very same place - Red Hindman: He died just beyond Spectator Point. I've never gotten over that.

Just a few years ago, Billy Seebold gave me a ride in his two-seater press boat -- guess where? Yep -- just my luck --- at Havasu.

He wondered how come I, a person who'd been in fast boats so many times, was SO very nervous....lol!!!
I'm happy to report my trip around the course with Billy went without a hitch and I had a BLAST. A memory I'll have for a lifetime.

Maybe I don't have a "Havasu Curse" after all....

.

[Streamer]

You guys are scaring me, I can't remember the last time I gave my boat a good once over. Now I have somthing to do.

[Barney]

It is true, there is a Havasu Curse, 2 actually.

The first is the Party Curse, many years ago the indians sat with the great spirit of fun, (a distant relative of mine)they decided that there should be areas where only fun can be found. The Party Curse was layed on the entire Havasu valley. Those attempting to do anything other than play, have fun will recieve a sign. We must heade this warning!

The second curse, The Union Curse, was placed on the valley several years later. The Union curse was designed to preserve nature and ensure the survival of our species. The Union Curse will break up any couple that attempts to remain in the valley, but within 24 hours you will again be united with at least 1 new partner. Union Curse does not allow for any humans to remain alone for more than 24 hours.
As soon as you enter the valley, hormones produced by a unique atmospheric and geographic anomily, mixed with tequilla, sweet and sour, blended with ice, set the the stage for human desire at it's very core.

The important thing to remember is to have fun, hook up with someone new and blame the water and sky for it all, you are not responsible for your actions at Lake Havasu.


BK, I am sorry for your past trouble with Havasu.
I do not mean to make light of those terrible things.
Hopefully you have all that behind you with Havasu.

They even have an In-n-Out there now!

I do however, believe that if I accept the 2 curses, I will have a joyous and funfilled summer! I just rented a house there for the next 3 months! If for some reason you don't hear from me for awhile, it means I'm cursed!

For better or curse, I gotta go.

I'll take my chances with "The Curse"

[Barney]

I've always heard that you can take doses of Allison as needed for pain, but have you invented some sort of vacine?

I know your wife is strong, very strong, so there is not doubt that you can avoid the worst, which would be a nurse with a curse.

There of course is the ancient knowledge of the 2 cycle that will keep you safe, you must use it wisely.

"When you hear Scream and Fly, punk big blocks better run,
best be prepared for the outboards,...
here we come!"

has me concerned. I hear the phone ringing all the time now.
Wicky

[Barney]

Must have been a wrong number!

I sure hope they call back!

[BK]

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/wettomcat/BoatRacing3/minimadness.gif


This is really a photo of the 1986 Havasu Classic.
Over 50 boats.

"Hellkitten" (me) is number #431 (white boat, closest). Howard Pipcorn is next to me in "ConTech". And believe it or not, John Castelli is in boat #9 (yellow vee). He could have also been driving the blue boat 45, as they both belonged to Ron Hill. John crashed in the 1987 Havasu classic in ModC (same day I did) and his boat and motor sunk to the bottom. They spent days trying to find it. To my knowledge, this boat and motor was never found, and is still sitting at the bottom of Lake Havasu, somewhere near the back stretch turn buoy.

That's Rick Hoffman way out front, his dad Kenny in the white boat to his far left but coming up fast ... and Johnny Travis in the grey boat just behind Rick. Todd Bowden is the solid red boat in the middle, and Jason Campbell is the yellow boat, still on the beach. Those were really fun days -- but TOUGH.
Within 12 minutes from the start, 12 boats had flipped or barrel rolled, and the race was cancelled by the officials.

Sitting at the bottom of Oldsmobile Hill in Glamis, CA.
From 1985-1993 I spent every single thanksgiving in Glamis. October(jet ski finals)was usually the last of the river trips for the season. Until spring break, of course, and then right back to Havasu!! You should really try to make it this Oct for the big block spanking party #3. I'm determined to break 100. We will see. 96-97 this last time according to the calculator.
Barney sends his best hehe,
Wicky

[BK]

I was just thinking -- I have a HUGE bunch of friends who have an "I was beat up by Havasu" story...heck, even Warby does!

It would be even better if we all got together and had a bermuda breakdown reunion. Big Block Spanking Party#3. First weekend in Oct. 2001. Make your reservations now.
We will be staying at the Ramada.
Wicky