My almost new boat sank.....well sort of LOL

[Tailgating is my game]

I have been looking for a boat since about 2007 but as you all know as of fathers day it has been full speed ahead......Well after looking at 100's ......many 100's of boats I found a good one.

I went down this week looked at the boat....made a good offer based on my wife giving it her blessing along with the kids the next day.......offer was accepted........

So after work I was to meet my wife & head down to give a deposit.......I am in my car when i get a short but sweet e-mail.

The poor guy lost his job that day & was not selling his boat   You see he was selling his so he could trade up. I feel bad for him because he was so excited about buying his larger boat....

Well the search is back on drove six hours today to see another one.  If this continues I may just join the navy

[RG]

Sorry to hear that but color me skeptical. I have found that people are insane and do very odd things. The first boat I made an offer on didn't make it's way into my driveway because the guy flaked out. I had already done some negotiation before even setting up a time to come see it and the night before I was to make the 2+ hour drive out, he messages me at 9:00 telling me that he won't be around for me to come and see it. His Grandma had a stroke and he was leaving out to go to FL to see her.

I asked the guy if his Wife would be able to show it and he said "No, she works. She cuts hair". So, right off the bat I figured he was full of ****, lol. You mean to tell me that your Grandma had a stroke and your Wife is staying behind to cut hair? Nope, I don't think so. I then asked if he had friend that he could trust to handle the deal. He said he had 2 guys he could try and would let me know by 10:30. At 11:00 I still hadn't heard from him so I called him and got no answer. He messaged me on FB messenger (the boat was on FB market place) and told me that he couldn't find anyone to show it to me.

I knew something was up earlier that day though, the ad disappeared on market place so i sent a little reminder to him, assuring him that I was leaving out in the morning, borrowed the mother-in-law's truck and had her gassed up (the truck, not the MIL, lol) and would be down by lunch time. No reply.

Back to the excuse, he said he was sorry many times and that he would make it up to me, lower the price for my troubles, etc...  He said he would keep me updated as to when he'd be back. I never heard another peep out of him and went and bought another boat that Saturday as I had planned. He sent him a message telling him I had bought another boat and for him to feel free to relist his, he never answered back and still has not relisted it for sale!

The sad thing is, I had already ordered a NICE bimini top for HIS boat, I was THAT sure I was going to buy it. I wanted to have it before the following weekend (last weekend) so that I could install it before heading out to the lake. Well....that was a HUGE mistake! The place I bought it from has a 10% restocking fee and it cost me $60.00 to return ship it! Had I used UPS instead of USPS, it would've been over $80.00! So, $100.00 in the red for a bimini top and I didn't even open the box

I have lost faith in humanity when it comes to buying and selling online, nutjobs all around! I hope the guy didn't lose his job and IS lying but I doubt it. Actually, if you think about it, it makes more sense to SELL the boat if you lost your job!

I'm sure you'll find something even better, happy hunting!

[Tailgating is my game]

Thanks RG!!!!! I guess he is telling the truth (I have not lost all faith lol) because he lives just an hour from me & I know where to look.  I also told him  look don't wait on me if a better offer comes along...sell your boat if someone comes along. I like to be fair to people. So it is what it is. As my wife says a better one will come along .

Tell us about your boat how was the trip to the lake?

[RG]

Thanks RG!!!!! I guess he is telling the truth (I have not lost all faith lol) because he lives just an hour from me & I know where to look.  I also told him  look don't wait on me if a better offer comes along...sell your boat if someone comes along. I like to be fair to people. So it is what it is. As my wife says a better one will come along .

Tell us about your boat how was the trip to the lake?

Well........it went something like this

I got'er down to the marina, unloaded her into the lake. Tied it up to the dock and noticed it was shifting clunky. Turns out there's a mobile boat repair guy there and he looks at it before we set off and tells me that the interrupter switch is bad and I may even need new controls. He adjusts the carb to allow it to shift well enough to go out and fish or whatnot. We barely get out of the cove and I run up on a sand bar and get stuck. Motor goes dead. We use oars to get off of the sand bar, fire it back up and head towards a bridge, not going too terribly fast, about 30mph. I slow down in the "no wake" zone and get ready to go under what looks like a REAL low bridge when it dawns on me that the bimini top is NOT going to clear, lol.

My wife starts yelling "JASON!!! It's NOT GOING TO FIT! STOP!!!!" I hear her and wholeheartedly agree, lol. I slap that puppy in reverse and as Scotty from Star Trek would say, I gave her all she's got It stopped just shy of a few inches (at MOST) of me shearing that sucker clean off, lol. I backed up, turned around and went another direction. Got stuck on ANOTHER sand bar. I saw NO indication of a white stake warning me of such, but I found it nonetheless. Pushed off, started it up and went to another bridge, actually under a road so it had plenty of clearance. I was so frustrated at this point I just stopped under there and tied to a beam/support/post/whatever you call it and my wife and son started to fish. I just sat there, listened to the radio and ate a sandwich that we packed and thought to myself "What have I gotten into?"

I had taken my drone with the hopes of having it chase the boat to get some cool footage but was afraid to push my luck. With the way things had been going, I was sure to have it nosedive into the water.

After my wife caught 3 little catfish and released them, I decided to go explore the lake a little. I fired it up and began heading toward another overpass when I heard what sounded like a backfire. I also noticed that the boat had a top speed of only 30mph! It was supposed to top out around 55mph. That lead me to believe the carb wasn't working right so I turned it around and took it back to the dock. Tied it up and had the Marina owner call the Boat Doctor (the mechanic who was there earlier) to get on his schedule.

Now is NOT the time of the year to need a boat mechanic but I have ordered some parts and have them on their way to him. I'm in his queue but it'll be about week more before he gets to my boat.

So that's how it went. Not good. I already regret buying it but it is what it is. I'm in it now so we'll see how it shakes out. I still think it'll be a good boat, I just have to work some kinks out.


Here's what my wife was catching, little bitty suckers!

[bamabob]

Jason, looks like you still had a good time despite all the issues.  I guess that's the thing about buying a boat, not so easy to take it for a test drive before buying.  All will work out in the end you will have a grill on that boat.

[Tailgating is my game]

Rg I am sorry I asked.......But look in no time you will be a captain...you will know where all the sandbars are.

I love boating so much...I can't wait but I also know the bills will be coming. With saltwater it just eats the boat away.


I just need the boat.


I bet you end up loving it RG. It gets in your blood & wallet

[Big Dawg]

Sorry to hear about both of your troubles.  I've never owned a boat, but I've that there are two "best days" for every boat owner . . .





BD