Many moons ago when I was in school we decided we were going to do it. We loaded up my old jon boat and put in at the Marine Corps ramp and headed to the game.
A yuppie type with a 40' Sea Ray cabin flagged me down as we got near the dairy. He asked if I had any tools. Well, I had a 30 year old outboard, a hull that leaked like a sieve, and yes, I did have a tool box on board. I "Volunteered" to help him out. Me and my 2 buddies pulled up alongside the yacht in the old jon and took a look at his problem. It seems he'd broke his drive shaft slap in half. :crazy: I told him I had a tool box not a machine shop. I did offer to tow him to the game.
We tied the big yacht to the stern of the wore out jon and the smoking little 60's model JohnnyRude struggled for all it was worth but we did make it to the game in plenty of time to drain a few beverage containers from the cooler.
As we pulled into the docks I asked the TWRA officer where he wanted me to park and he kinda laughed and said my jon would be squished between the yachts. I said, no, not mine, I gotta pull it up on the bank, it leaks too much to sit out here for 3 hours, it'd sink. I told him I meant the 40 footer I was towing. I ended up handing off the big boat to him to handle and pulled the jon up on the bank.
After the game it was beginning to get dark, well it was pretty dark. I started out of the dock and my bow light was working but not the stern light. The TWRA guy eased up and said, "I can't let you leave with that light not burning but I can tow you down to the ramp after everyone else leaves." Well we loafed around a little and someone loaned us a flashlight. I did have duct tape in the tool box so I taped the flashlight to the stern light pole and off we started. About the time I got to the TWRA boat for the 2nd time the stupid light quit and here he came again.
We loafed around another 30 minutes and having to bail out the boat constantly was getting old. One of my buddies bailed on me and walked back to campus. I finally decided I could sneak out of the dock area, so we turned off all lights and eased out on the trolling motor till I got past the concrete plant.
We fired up the old outboard and headed to the ramp. We kinda skinned the bank on the Neyland Drive side headed down river and were going to cross over at the Alcoa Hwy Bridge. About halfway across just at the bridge the dang outboard decided to quit.
There we were in the middle of the dang river with a dead outboard and only a bow light. I pulled and pulled and pulled some more on the rope. Adjusted, sprayed a little either on it, no luck so far. I looked up and here come 40 or so boats from the game barring down on us. My buddy is running the trolling motor and holding the clamp on bow light up in the air waiving it. I'm trying to start the engine. Finally it fired up and I ran it straight to the bank on the dairy side of the river. We eased along that bank till we got to the ramp. Loaded up and left.
I've been twice since in a bass rig, but not near the adventure.
