The Repo Man

HVACRat

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
31
I pulled in to my local ramp and stopped at the make ready area to get ready to launch. Already there was a really nice bass boat, like a 25 foot Astro nice. This thing had every electronic doodad available and was a beautiful boat; and I don't really like bass boats, as a rule. Anyway, Bass Boat Guy heads off to the ramp as I am making ready. By the time I get launched and tied up he is already back from parking his truck and getting ready to cast off, I told him nice boat, he said thanks.

I headed up to park my rig and saw a nefarious looking character heading toward the trailer parking area, it looked like he had parked on the other side, by the restrooms. Bass Boat Guy had backed in to the parking spot, which is a little weird, and the nefarious guy was heading toward Bass Boat Guy's rig. So I pulled in and waited a second, that's when I noticed the nefarious looking guy was carrying a set of bolt cutters. I had parked two slots over from Bass Boat Guy's rig and there was no one in the spot between us. I rolled down my window and, with my hand on my handgun in the open safe in my console, I hollered at the nefarious looking guy:
Hey man, what's up?
Nefarious guy was about 6'4", 300 lbs, his head is shaved bald and he has a fu man chu; wearing sunglasses.
He whips out his wallet and says, "I'm so-and-so, with so-and-so Asset Recovery, I'm here to repo this boat and trailer."
Repo Man, cool.

Repo Man was driving a Ford Dually with hideaway tow rig in the bed, and it had a winch. I watched Repo Man for a little while. What he did was he spooled out enough winch cable to reach the trailer back end, then he cut the lock on the trailer hitch, unhitched the trailer and, a lady (I'm assuming his wife) standing at the truck started spooling in the winch as he guided the trailer, via the tongue, around small trees and parking blocks. This got the trailer to his truck, at which time he hooked the trailer up to his truck.

So, instead of my usual trip up the river to catch crappie I decided to stay close and fish for cats, I really wanted to see this play out. So I settled into a cove adjacent to the boat ramp and dock, I couldn't see Repo Man, but I knew he was up top of the ramp waiting for Bass Boat Guy to come in. I was anchored about 40 yards from the bank, with a few catfish poles out, drinking beer, listening to music and waiting for the shenanigans to start.

About 3 hours and I see Bass Boat Guy cutting a pretty good wake across the lake headed toward the dock. At the same time I see Repo Man start to pull around and back down the ramp with Bass Boat Guy's trailer. he backs the trailer in and then walks over to the dock to greet Bass Boat Guy. I can barely hear the exchange, but from what I gathered it looked like Bass Boat Guy agreed to load the boat on the trailer. He unloaded all his personal gear, fishing rods and tackle boxes, onto the dock. Repo Man walked back over to the truck on the ramp.

From the dock to the ramp is about 60 yards by water, and I watched Bass Boat Guy shove off from the dock and idle toward the ramp, then he stopped, lowered the shallow water anchor pole and killed the engine. What he did next was kind of epic. He put on a PFD, pulled the keys from the ignition, held them high so Repo Man could see them; and then dropped them into the water. He then jumped in the lake and swam to the dock, gathered his poles and tackle box, and headed for his truck.

No words were exchanged between the two during this time, and Repo Man patiently watched Bass Boat Guy walk to his truck, get in and leave. Repo Man then turned to me and hollered:
Hey, buddy, I'll give you $100 to take me to that boat!
I gladly accepted that deal, I mean, I would have done it for free.
Repo Man had a set of keys for the boat. During this he told me he had been after this rig for a few months and the guy was constantly moving the boat around and stashing it at friends houses and such so he couldn't find it. Snatching at the lake was his best bet, and that's what I was witnessing.

He started the boat and retrieved it like a pro.

All in all it was quite entertaining, I made an easy $100, and eventually made my way to a crappie hole and did what I had originally intended; which was to sit on a brush pile, drink beer and catch crappie.
 

Blackcrowe14

Cadet
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Messages
17
Great story, thanks for sharing!
I guess the lesson is... pay your bills Bass Boat Guy!
I'm sure they will send him a bill for the $100 recovery and the lost keys. I often wonder how many of the $80k bass boats I see are paid off... that's one!
HAHA!
 

ajgraz

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
HVACRat, you and your stories are invited to every party and campfire I'll ever have. Bring beer.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Great story. We drive past our local Credit Union some times and the number of repo'ed vehicles in the lot is simply amazing. I guess some people want nice things they simply can't afford, but that doesn't stop them from buying them anyways.

At least he had the vehicle to get home. It too could have been repo'ed as well. The issue the really makes me wonder is, he can't afford the payments of the Bass Boat, but he was off work fishing? OKAY!
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
gm280 thats why he couldnt afford the payment exactly,he was always off work fishing,lol.Reminds me of a friend of mine many years ago who was pulled into the superintendents office and asked why he was only averaging 3 days a week worked.His answer was thats the least i can book off and still have money to party! The company gave him the rest of his life off .
 
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