No faith in my boat!

[tripc]

Long story short.
2008 Was letting a friend drive my boat and at about 50 mph he was trying to slow down and put the boat in reverse.
Sent a rod straight thru the oil pan. Oops. Lesson learned on not letting other people drive my boat. Had the extended warranty through merc and got a new motor free. Thank god.
Get the boat back in the 2009 season. Put about 10 hours on the new motor and it started acting up. Took it into the shop and find out that I spun a main bearing.How in the heck does that happen? I know how it happens but I have been a boat owner years and know what to check and how to check it for normal maint.
I bring the boat back to the people that installe the new motor. They call Merc and it turns out. My warranty on the brand new motor is 23 days out. I have to foot the bill to have the motor rebuilt.
I had a kid that summer so the boat was the last thing on my mind. Waited till next year 2010 to have it rebuilt. Paid the shop to rebuild the motor. I also told them to service the drive since it had not been down in a couple of years. They call me and tell me that my gimbal and u-joints are rusted due to sitting and that there was a little hole in the bellow. So im like crap.
SO this year im back on track with my finances and pay the money to get the outdrive fixed and ready to go.
I am so ready to get back out on the lake. It has been 2 years that the boat has been at the shop. I hope nothing happens this year. I do all the normal maintience and stuff like any other boat owner would do.
How can I gain confidence back in my boat?
Its a 2002 Chaparral 265 SSI.

 

[SeanMcl]

Re: No faith in my boat!

How can I gain confidence back in my boat?

Time - problems = confidence. That's the only thing that removes that pang of doubt at the dock.

Run it this season with no issues and next season you will feel good again.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: No faith in my boat!

Look at the brightside, youre all "tuned" up and ready to go. Go boating and have fun, especially with the new born!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: No faith in my boat!

Was letting a friend drive my boat and at about 50 mph he was trying to slow down and put the boat in reverse.
Sent a rod straight thru the oil pan. Oops. Lesson learned on not letting other people drive my boat.

I am not sure that you learned the correct lesson.......The right lesson is NEVER go from 50 MPH directly to reverse....regardless of who is driving..............I'm surprised that Mercury replaced the engine....(they must've not known that little tidbit)

They call Merc and it turns out. My warranty on the brand new motor is 23 days out. I have to foot the bill to have the motor rebuilt.

I might have "lawyered up" in that case.....

I also told them to service the drive since it had not been down in a couple of years. They call me and tell me that my gimbal and u-joints are rusted due to sitting and that there was a little hole in the bellow.

Your fault. Sorry....

How can I gain confidence back in my boat?

The best way might be to just do the maintenance as indicated in your owners manual when it says to do it.....



Regards,


Rick

 

[Skagit]

Re: No faith in my boat!

Time - problems = confidence. That's the only thing that removes that pang of doubt at the dock.

^^^^
+1 to that.

I fried a wheel bearing last fall...very narrowly avoided about $1000 in damage and spent most of the winter making sure it was fixed properly. I still feel like I'm going to puke when I tow my boat. I still expect to see smoke billowing from my wheel every time I look in the mirror.

Time heals all wounds...

--Skagit out

 

[Don S]

Re: No faith in my boat!

Was letting a friend drive my boat and at about 50 mph he was trying to slow down and put the boat in reverse.

That should have been an "Insurance" issue, not a "warranty" issue. Wasn't a manufacturers defect that caused the failure. It was the improper use of the equipment.
Don't be surprised if you have drive problems within the next 40 or 50 hours. That sudden stop of the gears can cause gear failure. Have seen it many times on hard impacts of drives/props with logs.

Not trying to make you more afraid of your boat, but you need to know this incase it does happen. Might want to even warn your insurance company if you decide to contact them about your engine.