Don't know if this is an urban legend or not. Some people are so stupid, if they were a little smarter, they'd know how dumb they are.

D. Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield, CA, some folks, new to boating, were having a problem. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get their brand new 22 foot boat, going. It was very sluggish in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power they applied. After about an hour of trying to make it go, they putted into a nearby marina, thinking someone there may be able to tell them what was wrong. A thorough topside check revealed everything in perfect working condition. The engine ran fine, the out-drive went up and down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch. So, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard.
NOW REMEMBER...THIS IS TRUE.
Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was the trailer!

Yeah I've heard of that happening. Ask how many folks on here have gone sailing with beach wheels still strapped to their hulls!

Try Mythbusters @ Discovery

go darwinism

Jonathan Grant
Mesa, AZ
Nacra 20

i read that before too, if they would have died, it would have been a perfect candidate for the annual Darwin Awards.

Ok, come on, this story has been around in a hundred forms for YEARS.

As a boat dealer, we heard them all.

http://www.snopes.com/humor/jokes/isabella.asp

In 1969 we took a 20' Bertram power boat to an Island 8 miles off our coast - Kangaroo Island - to use it for commercial Abalone diving, and as we needed to tow the boat around the Island (it is a large island with a good network of roads) we launched the boat with the trailer strapped tightly up under the hull and puttered across "Backstairs passage" (the straights separating the island from the mainland) to the island. We did this on purpose to save quite a large freight cost for the boat and trailer and not as some forgetful accident. The Bertram obviously wouldn’t get up on plane but we did travel at about 10 knots although the whole thing would “wallow” quite alarmingly when we throttled back and/or made any manoeuvres other than straight ahead under power. If some one left their trailer attached to their boat by accident, they would know it immediately the pair were afloat if not for the atrocious boat handling then for the banging of the trailer on the hull (unless it was strapped purposely up tight to the hull)
Mind you it was very "uncomfortable" and if given the choice, I would never do it again. We drove the boat back by sea a few months later but took the trailer behind the car on the ferry/frieghter and paid the frieght costs.

I believe it. One recent New Years day I got up walked out onto the deck and looked down toward the boat ramp and focused more and more carefully on an odd white blob under the water twenty metres off shore. Two arials were sticking up clear of the water.. within minutes people started rushing around on the beach and shouting and a trailer turned up and people swam out and all manner of commotion ensued as one poor soul came to terms with the fact he had anchored his brand new, unused, 22 foot runnabout, outboard, electrix and sundry gear with out screwing in the bungs.
Bungs often happen and I have seen a mate lose his job for failing to return them into there propper place after water blasting the bosses 32 foot Rayglass inboard......
But a brand new 45K Christmas toy......."oh dear, never mind, how sad."