Why I will never let my wife watch my tow rope again

[wakeformer]

So last summer I had my wife watch the rope while my friend drove my boat and I was in the water teaching my kid how to wakeboard. Needless to say she didn't and I had to replace the intake grate this winter. Needless to say she doesn't want to be on rope duty anymore



edited to make image full

 

[Zeus2013]

ouch!!!

 

[Julian]

Happens with all boats.....just more of a pain getting out with jetboats....not often it ever damages anything - but one member did have it crack the intake fiberglass.

 

[Britboater]

I thought ski ropes float?

 

[Julian]

Most ski ropes do float.....but if your boat drifts over them, they go under the boat.......

 

[Rigger]

Did she help change it out or at least bring you a beer while doing it?

 

[cyberlock]

That is my fear every time I let the wife drive while I tube or wakeboard. I just keep telling the kids to watch the rope. The sharp knife on board helps too.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Sucked one up with the xr now the person on the tube is responsible for feeding out the line. I threaten with death if it gets sucked up. ( not really)

 

[Ronnie]

I lose a rope to the pump and Inattentive wife about once every two years. Lucky costco doesn't ask for the rope back when I exchange tubes there.

I've since changed the rule and state that everyone on board is responsible for minding the tow rope, I even tell them what s to say and/or do when it looks like we will go over it. Still, to this day, if the rope gets tangled in a pump it's usually attributable to the same suspect. Technically she is a co owner of the boat not just the rope so remediation options are limited.

Having two pumps helps and luckily intake grates don't cost a fortune but I wish someone offered a performance grate like a top loader instead.

 

[rickd01]

I Just made the same repair not 2 weeks ago

 

[jdiaz78]

We sucked up two ropes last season...Both times, my wife was driving. I was mad, but if you get too mad, she won't pull me on the wakeboard anymore.

 

[Ronnie]

Well said jdiaz.

 

[tdonoughue]

Heck, I can't even get mine to drive it... I think y'all are lucky.

 

[txav8r]

Just keep in mind...if you have anyone in the water, and they get between the boat and the rope, and you suck up the end or close to the end, it can trap a person between the boat and rope!!! And let me tell you, it gets tighter than a banjo string! I am fearful that it could cut someones leg or arm off, or worse! We didn't ski, tube, or board much, but it sure was something I was aware of after sucking up a dockline and almost getting an arm in it! My wife wouldn't drive either Tim.

 

[itsdgm]

Yeah, a few years ago my wife was pulling me on the wakeboard. When I let go of the rope she did a 180 degree about face and sucked up every inch of my favorite rope. We now have nicknamed that cove as "marital moment cove". Unfortunately it took me closer to two hours to cut the rope out.

PS: Something to teach any operator of our boats. The pumps are still sucking if it's in "neutral". You've got to shut the engines off if you're going to pass over the line.

 

[Magic]

There are only 2 kinds of jet-boaters that ski.......Those who have sucked up a rope, and, well, just wait!!.....

 

[soggyshoes]

Wow. I had no idea this was such a problem. This will be my first jet. I was obviously aware of what happens when the rope gets to know a prop. I unfortunately have first hand experience with this, but it only ruined the rope and never damaged the boat or prop.
I kind of thought the rope just slid under a jet boat. I had no idea the damage it can cause.
I learn something on this site every day.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Not all the time does it break something but there are times it does.

 

[tdonoughue]

When I sucked mine up, my son was on the tube a little ways out. Suddenly the tube started to come in on the boat. I didn't realize what that meant and it took me about .5 seconds to kill the engines. But it still rammed his head hanging over the front of the tube into the boat. Ouch.

So probably good to educate tubers as well: if you start coming for the boat while we are standing still, slide off the back.

 

[wakeformer]

wow the stories of our Hoover vacuum like boats are plenty. I posted this pic on my face book page and I have friend who said he would repair it for me at his shop. So looks like I will have a spare for the next time this happens as I already replaced it with a new one. Btw they are very easy to replace just make sure you use lock tight on the 3 bolts.