boat fails

We imagine the reason boating fails in particular have become so viral is because it's such a startling misuse of something so valuable, and because it's often a fair repercussion for careles misuse. Now you can't move online for videos and animated GIFs of clumsy incidents of man overboard, or accidents that are on the one hand remarkable in that no one was bad hurt and yet stunning in how much stupidity was needed for them to happen. After searching the four corners of the web, we present 10 of the biggest boating fails, with plenty of examples for each.

#1 - Not Knowing Your Weight

We begin this mini-genre of the net by learning a few lessons in how to manage your boat's speeds and her cargo. Motorboat operators in particular seem particularly poor at realizing that overdoing the overdrive is never a good idea when you have a set of poorly secured passengers or a beach rapidly approaching. Whilst it can be humorous when it's just a minor incident, not adhering to proper boat safety (especially not wearing a life jacket) can have serious consequences.

#2 - Being Careless with Grenade Fishing


Call us unconventional, but we feel very few people should have access to live grenades. That goes double for fishermen, as one particular viral video made clear. And we thought one of the selling points of this sport was its tranquillity...

#3 - Car Trailers and Poor Judgement

Though essential for getting your boat to and from the water, your car should always be kept at a safe distance from vehicles actually designed for use on the water. Such advice has not been heeded by so many boat owners, that the disastrous results make up most of the fails on Boating Mag's website, as well as plenty of others.

#4 - Unattended Items Will Be Laughed At


We have very little sympathy for anyone who forgets to tie up their boat, regardless of what happens to it moments later. Apparently the rest of the internet doesn't either, as every recorded instance of yacht or sailboat neglect has been rounded up and roundly laughed at.

#5 - Overdramatic Shipwrecks

Running a ship aground can do a heavy amount of damage and can even put you and your passengers at risk. Sometimes, it also just looks remarkably silly. Sadly, instances where people missed obvious giant rocks or clearly just misjudged the tides are just too numerous to list.

#6 - Failure to Launch

A spin-off of the previous number, some captains haven't even left the dock before they get stuck on dry land. From a poor assessment of how best to use your boat trailer to boats that feel like taking the car in with them for a swim (see below...), there's mounting evidence that just getting your vessel on the water is a sign of your skill as a skipper.

#7 - Container Catastrophes

It's one thing for an inexperienced boatowner who has more money than sense to reek havoc on the waters, but for a professional shipping operation to go so disastrously wrong is another thing entirely. Examples of commercial boating go awry includes poor directional skills, and a fair bit of over-confidence when it comes to stacking containers.

#8 - That's Enough Water, Thanks

In most contexts, a sinking boat is nothing less than tragic. When it's right off the dock and before passengers even have a chance to board, it's nothing less than hilarious. Have a guilty smirk over these videos of a $2.5million yacht partially sinking on its maiden voyage, or the odd instance below of a boat getting stuck in a carwash...

#9 - Wipeout...


Boats aren't surfboards. Enough said.

#10 - The Accidental Slip Overboard

Last but not least, you can barely move online for videos of the truly careless colliding with the water after a foot is merely misplaced, or a jump is so poorly timed it defies belief. These incidents are just as funny when they happen in a news story or on a fishing trip, but hopefully they'll teach you some stupidly vital lessons in how to remain dry.

We saw hundreds of boating fails in making this list, but if you've got one bookmarked that you think will still surprise us, you can share it on the Seachest Facebook page, Twitter and Google+.


Post By Graham