Boat Accident during Vanity Cup

[JamesH]

I just found out tonight that Bob Myskey lost a lower unit on Sunday while traveling around 67mph. From what I understand the lower unit grenaded and caused the boat to make a violent turn throwing both anglers through the console windshields. I'm not quite sure if they were ejected from the boat or not.
I don't think there were major injuries but heard they are both cut up and bruised. If anyone has more info, I'm sure we would all like to know for sure that they are ok.

James Huffmon

[L.Hackney]

No kidding, that sucks!!!
Hope they are ok, Iv'e never been thrown but it's one of my worst nightmare's...

[snapitoff2002]

Why you gotta make me scared to get into my boat!???

[Dewayne]

I hope they are both alright. I had it happen once at Shasta and it is a pretty scary experience. When you loose the lower unit the boat goes into a flat spin like a rock skipping across the surface. When the boat finally catches you stop real fast. Sounds like they caught the nose.

[StockOption]

What can cause a lower unit to do that? Did they possibly hit something or was this material stress or ?

Here's hoping they are both OK and will be back on the water soon.

[JamesH]

I believe it was a mechanical failure of some kind but this is all second hand information.

James

[Matt Moreau]

Man thats scary! I think ill be going out in a rowboat this weekend at my tourney!

Hope we hear an update soon!

[Kickboater]

Both Bob and Russ were both thrown from the boat and like you said just cuts and bruises. I was told that Russ's automatic life vest didnt inflate either and he's diffenitly going back to the old style life vests. I'm glad to hear they were both OK.

[John Ewing]

at. I am not a mechinic so forgive me if I am not saying this right. My lower end grenated 2 weeks ago in the delta causing the boat to go to the right. Had I been in a small slough it could have been ugly. The merc mechcanic said that this has been happening alot lately on bass boats. He says it is caused by the drive shaft coming up ever so slightly causing a gap in between the gears. The impellor wears a groove in the center and allows the shaft to move upwards. He said that us bass guys like to trim our motors high which can causes low flow of water to cool the lower unit oil. The oil gets hot and the excess pressure can not vent increasing the pressure in the lower end. That excess pressure starts pushing the bushing that guides the shaft up into the impellor causing the groove to get bigger and bigger till it either goes by itself, we hit a small log or debris or we change the impellor and nothing happens. There is a fix for this and he told me to tell all the bass guys that I know. Mercury makes a plate kit that needs to be bolted to the lower end which prevents the bushing to move causing the groove in the impellor. If you have any questions call your local Merc mechcanic or if they have not heard of this, have them call Mercury. My mechcanic is Duane at D&R Marine in Rodeo. Just an FYI to save you 3000+ dollars or your life.

[lucas boden]

Maybe they hit a really big grebe?

[Fishin' Dave]

WOW! The auto life vest didn't work!! That is shocking and I hope that it is a fluke.

[basstamer]

Glad they are both ok! Man I agree Dave-I just bought one of them automatic things to keep the wife off my back-now if'n they aint gonna xplode then what!

[FRANK D. LOZANO]

The most common failure of lower units next to impact damage is water in the gear oil or no gear oil at all, just water.

Check your propshafts regularly for fishing line and gear oil for water. Gears and bearings that run with water in the gear oil fail quickly. That’s why it is so important to get your boat serviced at least once a year.

Lower unit failure at high speed can be catastrophic. Be safe.

[nipples]

We are going to see a lot more guys go back to old reliable vests versus inflatables... The inflatables require regular costly maintance (re-arming) to be effective. They self trigger when the trigger absorbs too much moisture, and they sometimes don't work when you need them most. I'll take an old style vest any day.

[Phil]

ANOTHER REASON IT'S TIME FOR A SPEED LIMIT ON NOT JUST BASS BOATS, BUT ALL FAST BOATS , IT IS BECOMING OUT OF CONTROL !
I HAVE BEEN HIT , FISHING AROUND A TIGHT BEND IN THE DELTA BY AND UN-NAMED FAST BOAT. MAN THAT IS & WAS VERY SCARY, BACK IN THE 90'S.

JUST MY .02