My bad luck continues -

[bassboogieman]

With the boat this time. Last May, before the get together at Dale Hollow, I spent 4 days on the Potomac with another group of guys before leaving there and heading to Tennessee. On that Thursday (5/5) while fishing an outgoing tide in Chixamixon Cr. I got hung up when exiting an area where we fished a couple docks. The water was a bit muddy and there was a good bit of grass so I didn't see it, I just heard it and stopped moving forward - on the trolling motor.

So, we tried getting off with the troller, but we just spun in a circle. Next tried the push pole, rocking the boat, changing the weight distribution by us moving forward and to the side to shift the boat with our body weight. No success and with the tide falling I had to get off whatever it was that had me well hung (shameless pun) so I fire up the Yammie. Bottom line, yep the Yammie did the job. We heard a bit of scraping noise from under the boat and after a little hesitation we were free.

At days end while wiping down the boat I looked under, didn't notice anything and pretty much stopped worring that I hurt the boat. Friday we fished our Potomac event, Saturday we stuck around and fished all day then Sunday on to Dale Hollow. That week the boat was in the water for seven days.

Ok, I gotta end this novella - fast forward to this past Saturday, we fished Fri & Sat on the Potomac and got off the water due to impending storm. Severe thunderstorms, with a tornado warning were up so I got under the boat to pull the drain plug so the hull wouldn't be full of water Sunday morning. This is what I saw............

Under the transom - right under the drain plug, two chips in the gel coat

But it gets worse - it wouldn't be me if it didn't, right? Rear of the pad, these are through to the glass mat.

Further forward, along one of the strakes of the pad, also through to the glass mat.

Ok, I won't draw this out because I think you're getting the idea. This is just about four feet of the right edge of the center pad.


Ok, enough ugly pictures. So I believe I am surely screwed with this one. It's been 4 months since this occured and I have no idea what my insurance company will say, if in fact it would have been covered if I had reported it right away. But I called them, and I have to say I am greatly impressed with the fact it will be covered, they set me up with a local shop (waiting to hear when I am to take it in) and were very pleasant and extremely helpful in answering my questions and getting the claim processed. Who are these wonderful people? PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE. I only have coverage on my boat with them, and I got excellent treatment. My other insurance is through a local broker that I've dealt with for thirty years and I won't break that relationship - but if this all finishes up as well as it has started, Progressive is a pretty good company to deal with. Oh, just like car insurance I have a $500 deductible to pay, but I'm getting accustomed to writing $500 checks over the last couple of months - AND NO I DON'T NEED ANY VOLUNTEERS FOR ME TO PRACTICE WRITING MORE $500 CHECKS!!!