My story is not so bad:
I staunchly avoided additional maintenance after last summer's major transom surgery. So, I had some time to take it out (also sans badly needed varnish, paint, caulk, etc.) The mechanicals were good, except the fuel pump was balky and ready to quit. Hence, spent most all of the first jaunt sniffing gasoline, but managed to turn a 20-minute job into only an hour or so to put on the spare. (Always carry a spare of everything that'll fit in the boat.)
So, as the sun set we headed back in. A pretty nice day really.
That was, practically speaking, a planned breakdown. Nicer to do that kind of work on the lake than out in the hot broiling sun... but avoid rivers.
Fast-forward 3 months. Very fast forward. This time for a trip across the lake and back. Not bad, but it turns out to be the second, and last, time out. Everything worked just like it was supposed to.
Wait'll next year!
(Varnish, paint, caulk, repeat.)
