Brazos River Rat Damages

73 Sanger Flat

73 Sanger Flat

Active member
That is the scary part . I check my boat over very good and make sure no one is there when I work on it .. I do not like distraction when I am working on the boat .. I am sure I will be fine once I get back in it .. I may be breaking out my new  lifeline jacket and helmet on the next full blown pass though .. Like I stated , I have never been scared of these things , but something as simple as a freaking clip on a u-joint coming off can cause this much damage is scary .. I know that clip was in there when I installed the engine because I greased all the u- joints while I had it apart .This was the first trip out since I installed the new engine.. Glad it happen now and not at a big event or a race ..  If they had the Waco race , this would have happen there on a run there and it would been wide open .
It will be back together maybe this weekend if I get the parts back .. We are going to the river the next Saturday .. I guess that will be when I see if I got the nerves to stand on it again .. I know I will be a little worried one the first pass ..
 
Devilman

Devilman

Well-known member
Damn Billy, what a messed up deal. Glad it was not any worse. Can see why it would rattle ya some, but Chevy2184 pretty much nailed it above. Things happen, & can happen fast, be it a boat, car, plane, etc. Lost a buddy due to hot dogging his 'Vette on a country road just the other day, I never would have seen that coming in a hundred years. So believe me, even as someone that was not even there, I see how thinking "what if" too much can get to ya.

But I would tend to agree, once you get it put back together & have it fired up again, you'll be back after it in no time. You've never struck me as one being happy sitting & watching from the shore. :cool:

Look forward to the reports when she's back on the water. :smile17:
 
D

Disturbed

Active member
Don't over think it Billy.  There's no doubt that flats are dangerous.  Even with the best maintenance, things just happen.  Like Kenny and Chevy said, it can go to hell doing anything, anywhere, at anytime.  Saddle that bad boy back up and jump on.  If it still bothers you after getting back in the saddle, go ahead and re-consider things.  Just don't give it up because it rattled you one time.  Mine rattled me a few years back at Plowman's.  It was the same year that boat crashed.  I sat on the bank most of the afternoon after my boat felt like it just decided to jump out of the water.  You'll be ok. 
:smile30:
 
Patchman

Patchman

Administrator
Staff member
DISTURBED said:
Don't over think it Billy.  There's no doubt that flats are dangerous.  Even with the best maintenance, things just happen.  Like Kenny and Chevy said, it can go to hell doing anything, anywhere, at anytime.  Saddle that bad boy back up and jump on.  If it still bothers you after getting back in the saddle, go ahead and re-consider things.  Just don't give it up because it rattled you one time.  Mine rattled me a few years back at Plowman's.  It was the same year that boat crashed.  I sat on the bank most of the afternoon after my boat felt like it just decided to jump out of the water.  You'll be ok. 
:smile30:
Click to expand...
Disturbed's boat rattles me too! :smile28:
 
73 Sanger Flat

73 Sanger Flat

Active member
Tim - are you running a solid driveline? 
I am sure I will be fine once I get out there and start having fun again .. I love playing at the river in these boats ..
You are right Kenny , I do not like watching from the shore .. Sorry to hear about your friend
 
D

Disturbed

Active member
Brazos River Rat ( Billy ) said:
Tim - are you running a solid driveline? 
I am sure I will be fine once I get out there and start having fun again .. I love playing at the river in these boats ..
You are right Kenny , I do not like watching from the shore .. Sorry to hear about your friend
Click to expand...

Not yet.  It will be once the alky engine goes in.  :smile30:
 
J

jimsplace

Active member
I agree with what others have said, don't over think what happened.
As you know, I broke an ear off of a prop a number of years ago, and even now each run I remember what happened.
It does take some of the confidence and fun away from the playing.

As time goes on, we gain knowledge about what to needs to be checked on, but I suppose we never know it all.
In my case with the prop, it was my own ignorance that allowed the prop to break.
I knew props were supposed to be checked, but it had been run for a long time and it was a good prop, so it should be OK.  That was my mistake.
After looking at the remaining part of the prop, I can see 3 distinct shades of brown on the cross sectional part of the prop.  The prop didn't just break, it was a process of breaking.
If I had dye checked the prop as I should have, I would have seen something happening.
I dye check my prop now.
I also check the prop shaft and rudder too, just not as often.

I don't know about driveshafts, but if it were me, I would talk to some people who do and explain what happened to see if anyone has an explanation about why the clip may have broken and how to prevent it in the future.
Maybe it's something you did or didn't do, or maybe things just break when we throw large amounts of horsepower at them.

I had a U-joint break in my first flat many years ago.  It broke the flange where the bolt goes.
I felt then, that it was due to a bolt coming loose.  I had been feeling a clunk every now and then when I was driving the boat, but couldn't find anything at the time.  It was early on and I didn't really know any better too.

By the way, if what happened to you doesn't bother you some, I'd say you didn't have good sense.
    :smile17:
 
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