Every time it's something

LVChris · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 3:57 pm

Always a story, every time we take this boat out.
First blown circuit with baby back home vomiting...all worked out ok.
Then she almost rolled down the hill at the storage lot because I made a mistake, managed to somehow stop that.
Next bad fuel pump...towed back to the dock $350 repair and $85 tow.
This time....

Trailer tire went, messed up the fender pretty bad, some wonderful people stopped in 100 degree heat and helped me change it, back on my way in 30 minutes. Guessing about $400 in damage, but we made it out on the lake, of course the circuit breaker went again, but I knew just what to do, so no harm.

Yes I know what B.O.A.T stands for, but how often do I need to bring out another thousand?

Just kidding but really happy that all of these things have ended with minimum damage and no one has gotten hurt. Do kind of feel like there is a curse on this boat, anyway to remove it?

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:03 pm

Chris, by any chance did you re-name the boat?

I don't believe in hocus pocus but have heard some dandy stories with the bad luck re-naming a boat can bring.

John :mrgreen:

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:09 pm

Without a doubt, boats are a PITA and expensive. However, I would never trade this hobby for anything. Just how much fun would you and the kids have sitting at home playing in the sand box?

LVChris · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:20 pm

Certainly not complaining, just ranting.
The boat didn't have a name that I knew of, but we have named her just haven't actually put it on the hull yet? Maybe that's it!

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:35 pm

That could be it Chris. Like I said, I don't go for hocus pocus but my wife writes for Circumnavigator magazine. Some good crap ass stories about boat naming gone bad when they don't do the naming ceremonies in her research.

I even witnessed first hand a naming ceremony that they purposly made a joke out of go bad. The alcohol stove blew up and sent a 12 year old boy overboard.

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

Needs some margarita salt in it is all....look at it as good luck....the boat didnt flip and roll with the despite the blown tire....the fuel pump didnt cause an explosion.....and the trailer jack didnt roll over you neck during the failed parking incident.....I think you got a lucky girl there and you should name her "Luck of the Irish" The red color would keep em guessing too.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2012 6:38 pm

It's just your boat's way of making sure you fix whatever's wrong with it. Realistically you have a nice boat with a few years on it, there are always going to be things, it will teach you along the way. It's good to have towing insurance for trailer break downs (I have this even though I don't tow much at all) and I replace trailer parts on a regular basis, tires, 5+ years, springs, here in salt about 5 years, brake cylinders same thing. Once you get it sorted out then there won't be as many issues for a while, till major things start wearing out (outdrive bearings, gears, etc). That you can greatly minimize by good preventative maintenance.

Because I am in salt water I have to do more than fresh water boaters, or else. In addition to the trailer work, for the drive, you have to keep on top of corrosion (anodes+paint) and check the bellows for water each season (salt water in the bellows=failed gimble and u-joints, if you keep running it you can have a catastrophic failure). Exhaust system also needs regular maintenance, 5 years on manifolds. See so you don't have it so bad. At least for me there is no labor because I can do all this myself.

EvilZ · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2012 11:43 am

Most importantly, you made it out on the water!

Where did you go and how was it?

ric · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2012 12:43 pm

Get proactive. It's 16 years old. If anything on that boat is vintage 1996 and critical to the boats operation - replace it. That means all belts, hoses, pumps, sensors, gimble bearing, bellow. Address and resolve every single issue, big or small. On the trailer, replace bearings and if the other tires are the same age as the one that blew, replace em all.

Keep a log of when everything has been purchased and replaced. Follow recommended guidelines for when they should be replaced again from the manufacturer. If you don't boat much, follow the age guidelines not the hourly one. Once you get on a proactive schedule and fix/replace anything that looks wrong correctly as they arise without ignoring them (coughbreakercough) you'll 99.99999% never have a day of downtime.

Owning a boat is expensive, that's why not everyone owns one. Owning an old boat is even more expensive.

LVChris · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:37 pm

EvilZ - we had a good time, had to reset circuit breaker, (which all were replaced when I bought her) but my guess is a loose battery connector that I will check the next time I am on her.
Had some trouble getting her to plane, but had 5 adults and gear and the 238 has ALL the seating in the back. It seems to me that Using trim? tabs I was able to get her to plane eventually. Never noticed it as a problem before.

Ric, I pourposely bought the boat from a dealership that assured me all of the necessary components had been replaced, should have asked for a record, probably still will.

As for the tire, well my mechanic and I did a pretty good once over of the whole boat when he replaced the fuel pump. We noticed the dry rot on that one tire, and that the spare was fine. I said the next time I put the boat in I will swap the tire with the spare...I was about 3 miles from the ramp when it blew.

The whole story would be that during my 32 mile drive to the launch ramp I came across at least 7 different bicyclists enjoying the scenic ride through the national park. They do have a marked bike lane, however they all seemed to believe that they should ride on the road instead. This forced me to cross the center line each time, which is lined with turtles and when I finally got to the turn-off for the ramp I made my right turn and put pressure on that set of tires that had just minutes ago run over thousands of turtles at 50 miles an hour that right turn put enough pressure on the wheel to rip the tread off the tire. So now I am only driving maybe 10-20 miles an hour and there is a very large pull-off 100 yards ahead of me. Again, very odd luck. I wanted to blame the bicyclists but really I am just happy it didn't happen anywhere near one of them as I would have been driving much faster and who knows what might have happened.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:44 pm

LVChris wrote:

Ric, I pourposely bought the boat from a dealership that assured me all of the necessary components had been replaced, should have asked for a record, probably still will.

Sales guys jobs are to sell. Unless it's in writing with a warranty or replacement guarantee, it never happened.

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:15 pm

Take heart Chris, so far your not doing bad. I had the same little things go wrong with mine the first month or so I owned it. First timer mistakes are just that, first time. As you become a more seasoned owner/operator, you'll be able to fix these problems yourself AND be able to see a potential problem before it becomes $$$$$.

Ric did have some good advice, replace things that you know are 16 years old, that typically need replacing sooner. My boat had the original fanbelts! $24.00 later and 30 min work bought me some serious peace of mind on that. Boat ownership is a labor of love, and I know already that when me and the Admiral upgrade to our "retirement Vista" its dang near gonna be a full time job in upkeep. But I can think of worse things to do in old age.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2012 10:21 pm

I arrived at the boat this past weekend to find my spare tire had exploded. :shock:

Even left tire marks on the side of the boat.

I look at the bright side, at least is wasn't one of the tires on the axles and it didn't happened on the road.
Also answered my question of whether or not to replace all of the 8 year old tires on the trailer even though they look great.

Pedropup · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:51 am **Posts:** 104

nah..let's be real...you are clearly just jinxed! :lol:

Paul I. · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:30 am

NOW you have a story to tell!!!!!!

www.iFourWinns.com

Every time it's something

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