labguy
Petty Officer 3rd Class
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2008
- Messages
- 87
Hey guys, wanted to start a thread for everyone to share their horror stories involving their boats (everyone has one 
) Here is mine:
My wife and I had saved up $2,500 to buy a boat. It was our first boat. Well, we scanned the boat trader and found a 1988 Baja Islander 18 bowrider for $2,000. We went by the bank, withdrew the money, and put it in the glove box and drove 40 miles to take a look at it (it was at the owners brothers house on Lake Logan Martin). The boat was in really good shape to be that age and exactly what we were looking for, so we took it out for a lake test. Ran great other than a miss or two and figured it was a carb issue (at this point, I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about engines). Well, we agreed to buy it, so we hooked it back up to our minivan and proceeded to drive it to the owners home to finalize the deal. My brother being a mechanic failed to mention to me to take the van out of overdrive before towing anything. Well, we got about 3 miles from this guys house and noticed the **** pit of the van filling with smoke. By the time I pulled off the road, the overdrive light was flashing and the engine was just revving, no longer moving. So I figured I fried the transmission. Well, called a tow truck to come get us and told them we had a boat. Tow truck got there 2 hours later and he loaded the van on the flatbed and hooked the boat to the back of the tow truck. We get to this guys house because we are going to buy the boat. After we pull up, I jump on the back of the flatbed to get the money out of the glove compartment and no money. We searched the van up and down and could not find it anywhere. Its dark by now so my wife and I are convinced that we dropped the money where we broke down. So, we drop the boat off at the owners house because now we are not sure we are going to be able to buy it. The tow truck driver drives us back to the spot where we broke down to look for the money. We all got out and looked for the money with flaslights (yes, the tow truck driver even helped). It is now starting to rain very hard and we look for about an hour to no avail. We all get back in the cab and my wife starts crying her eyes out. We were so excited to get this boat. We drive back to the guys house and tell him we are not going to be able to buy the boat because we lost the money. Before we drive off, I wanted to look in the van one more time. I opened the glove box and pulled everything out and nothing. I reached behind the glove box into the dash and felt around and felt paper. I reached further and felt a what ended up being the money. I ripped the glove box and out falls the bundled up cash. Go back and pay the guy and take the boat home.......
Unfortunately, it does not end there....
Took the van to get fixed and after waiting 2 weeks, got it back. We were so fired up to take the boat out we hooked it to the van and towed it up to the lake (out of overdrive and with a transmission cooler installed, lol). We invited all of our nephews and neices (6 kids total) to go with us (it was about 55 degrees that day in February). Put it in the water, loaded it up with the kids, and fired her up. Idled out past the no wake and put the hammer down. Jumped up on plane and then died. Would not start again after trying for about an hour (battery finally died). So, some good samaritan towed me back to the dock, pulled it out of the water swearing, cursing, and not being a good example for all these kids. Took it home and started fiddling with it. Nothing. Spent 2 months working on this thing (replaced the plugs, wires, distributor cap, coil, rebuilt carb, replaced fuel pump) and could not get it to start. I was so upset, started to read through a forum and came across where they mention to replace the points. Replaced the points and still nothing. To make a longer story a little shorter, all I did was point the points on, I did not set them to spec. After I FINALLY figured out to set them, she fired up and ran like a dream. We had to sell it though at the end of the season because we needed the money to replace the money that it cost to fix the transmission on the minivan, lololololol. Got in a better place financially the next season, bought a 1986 Bayliner, had problems out of that one, gave it to my sister, bought a Sea Ray and that thing runs like a dream (my last boat for a while).
) Here is mine:My wife and I had saved up $2,500 to buy a boat. It was our first boat. Well, we scanned the boat trader and found a 1988 Baja Islander 18 bowrider for $2,000. We went by the bank, withdrew the money, and put it in the glove box and drove 40 miles to take a look at it (it was at the owners brothers house on Lake Logan Martin). The boat was in really good shape to be that age and exactly what we were looking for, so we took it out for a lake test. Ran great other than a miss or two and figured it was a carb issue (at this point, I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about engines). Well, we agreed to buy it, so we hooked it back up to our minivan and proceeded to drive it to the owners home to finalize the deal. My brother being a mechanic failed to mention to me to take the van out of overdrive before towing anything. Well, we got about 3 miles from this guys house and noticed the **** pit of the van filling with smoke. By the time I pulled off the road, the overdrive light was flashing and the engine was just revving, no longer moving. So I figured I fried the transmission. Well, called a tow truck to come get us and told them we had a boat. Tow truck got there 2 hours later and he loaded the van on the flatbed and hooked the boat to the back of the tow truck. We get to this guys house because we are going to buy the boat. After we pull up, I jump on the back of the flatbed to get the money out of the glove compartment and no money. We searched the van up and down and could not find it anywhere. Its dark by now so my wife and I are convinced that we dropped the money where we broke down. So, we drop the boat off at the owners house because now we are not sure we are going to be able to buy it. The tow truck driver drives us back to the spot where we broke down to look for the money. We all got out and looked for the money with flaslights (yes, the tow truck driver even helped). It is now starting to rain very hard and we look for about an hour to no avail. We all get back in the cab and my wife starts crying her eyes out. We were so excited to get this boat. We drive back to the guys house and tell him we are not going to be able to buy the boat because we lost the money. Before we drive off, I wanted to look in the van one more time. I opened the glove box and pulled everything out and nothing. I reached behind the glove box into the dash and felt around and felt paper. I reached further and felt a what ended up being the money. I ripped the glove box and out falls the bundled up cash. Go back and pay the guy and take the boat home.......
Unfortunately, it does not end there....
Took the van to get fixed and after waiting 2 weeks, got it back. We were so fired up to take the boat out we hooked it to the van and towed it up to the lake (out of overdrive and with a transmission cooler installed, lol). We invited all of our nephews and neices (6 kids total) to go with us (it was about 55 degrees that day in February). Put it in the water, loaded it up with the kids, and fired her up. Idled out past the no wake and put the hammer down. Jumped up on plane and then died. Would not start again after trying for about an hour (battery finally died). So, some good samaritan towed me back to the dock, pulled it out of the water swearing, cursing, and not being a good example for all these kids. Took it home and started fiddling with it. Nothing. Spent 2 months working on this thing (replaced the plugs, wires, distributor cap, coil, rebuilt carb, replaced fuel pump) and could not get it to start. I was so upset, started to read through a forum and came across where they mention to replace the points. Replaced the points and still nothing. To make a longer story a little shorter, all I did was point the points on, I did not set them to spec. After I FINALLY figured out to set them, she fired up and ran like a dream. We had to sell it though at the end of the season because we needed the money to replace the money that it cost to fix the transmission on the minivan, lololololol. Got in a better place financially the next season, bought a 1986 Bayliner, had problems out of that one, gave it to my sister, bought a Sea Ray and that thing runs like a dream (my last boat for a while).
