The $15,000 Nut
A 40,000-pound boat has a lot of momentum. Like most large powerboats, however, it has two powerful engines to make maneuvering in tight spaces relatively easy, unless, of course, something fails. This boat's owner was in the process of docking and pulled back on the throttle to reverse the starboard engine. To his surprise, it didn't respond and continued moving slowly forward. Unable to control his boat in the confines of the narrow dock, all it took was a scant few seconds to do $15,000 damage to two nearby boats. Later, it was found that a small nut that secures the starboard engine's shift cable had loosened, allowing the cable to slide out of its bracket. An unsupported cable, as the owner found out, is useless. If you haven't done so already, make sure these brackets are part of your routine maintenance inspections.