One thing after another

[Abbeysdad]

4th trip on the water with the 'new' boat - caught one small perch, then on the way back, MOTOR TROUBLE! Was running good, then suddenly sputter and speed surges. Could hold a slow speed, but increasing the throttle caused the motor to ramp up and down. I'm thinking clogged fuel filter but going to have it looked at. I HATE going out on a big lake not trusting the motor!

[bamabassman]

understand you brother. had the same problems when i got mine. one thing when oyu buy used, you have to straighten out the problems the other fella left behind. but you'll get it man. keep on plugging.

[1FASTLASER]

Good thought bud. Does sound like a partially plugged filter. Did you notice when it started this did the bulb stay firm or was it sucked closed????

[Abbeysdad]

Actually the primer bulb seems a bit on the wimpy side and not firm like I think it should be after 'pumping it up' - but this could just be do to it's age (also I learned from the mechanic at the dealer that sometimes you need to hold older primer bulbs vertical (instead of horizontal) in order for the check valve to work properly - who knew?

I dropped the boat off back at the dealer today to have it looked at. Also spoke to them about the MPG gauge reading way low (when it was running okay)...

I'm not even mentioning that when we got (limped) back to the launch it had turned into a real zoo (Saturday, early afternoon). Guys waiting to launch blocking me from backing my empty trailer out. Got one to move only a little, but had to angle back into another space across the way - then way to crowded at the pull around - had to back in at a weird angle - difficult for a rookie and not fun! Some guy made a crack to the launch guy collecting money about Americas funniest videos ("you aught ta take movies for Americas Funniest Videos"..."not sure I'd have enough tape for that.")- I just looked at them and said 'Yeah, it's hell to be new at something'.
Then had backed the (bunk) trailer in a bit too far so the boat didn't center properly - had to disconnect and pull back out a little, then crank her on. All in all it was the longest 5-10 minutes of my life and I felt pressured. The guy that made the crack came over and shook my hand (think he felt bad) and helped me strap up the boat....

When we had the engine trouble on the lake Abbey got all scared and we had to keep reassuring her it would be okay.

All and all between the towing, ramp issues, docking, motor problems, this whole boating thing has been kinda stressful. My wife didn't say a word on the 20 minute drive home - I could tell she was upset. Later when we talked, she said (almost crying) "I'm sorry we got it, this just isn't any fun."

I dunno how many launches it takes before it gets to be old hat and/or how many times out on the lake before you get comfortable with the reliability of the vessel...but it better start happening soon.

Footnote: My young mentor Al says, well maybe the fuel filter or it could be the carburetor or even a cracked head sucking air - in which case, you could be looking at $500-$1000. Oh wonderful.

[nofearengineer]

Let your wife know...it does indeed get fun. Like any worthwhile endeavor, however, it is not happiness in a box. Sometimes you have to work at it. If that is what she truly believed it would be, then I guess yeah, she will not like it. Boating to me seem to be about 95% fun, and when the 5% hits you, it's a big smack in the face. Acept it and have fun when it's good.

[carolina-rig-01]

hang in there buddy. i promise you that it doesn't take long for the process becomes a lot easier and you will be laughing at new guys yourself (but with understanding because you remember what it was like when you were learning lol). try being a baby faced teen and showing up at a crowded ramp. i could feel people looking at me from everywhere as we launched the boat at crowded ramps. it didn't take long to get the hang of it and now several years later i back the trailer down and britney sticks the boat on it and we are at the top of the hill before we know it.....laughing at all the other newbies, and offering to help the ones that don't act like know it all jerks lol.

[JB]

You'll get the ramp down in a few more trips, also you'll learn to avoid peak busy times on weekends and hopefully can avoid getting pressured into performing under others scrutinies, if not flip em off, LOL they went through it too, trust me.

[1FASTLASER]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Actually the primer bulb seems a bit on the wimpy side and not firm like I think it should be after 'pumping it up' - but this could just be do to it's age (also I learned from the mechanic at the dealer that sometimes you need to hold older primer bulbs vertical (instead of horizontal) in order for the check valve to work properly - who knew?

BULL HOCKEY on the vertical or horizontal ..They should be working in any position. They work from a smallamount of pressure not whether or not what psoition they are in. Tell ya what bud........change out the fuel line and make sure your tank vent is clear.

On a lighter note maybe take the boat out a time or 2 and make sure the bugs are worked out before ya take the wife out again. Hate to see her get a bad taste before she ever starts to have real fun.

[MrPhotographer06]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

. Boating to me seem to be about 95% fun, and when the 5% hits you, it's a big smack in the face. .

so that means with all the crap i've had with my boat, that should fill my 5% right?

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

so that means with all the crap i've had with my boat, that should fill my 5% right?

Well, you're still a teenageer, which means to me you don't have a big fat wallet full of cash to help with the 5%. Most of us probably won't have money to burn when we grow up either, but enough to get the job done (especially if you're single...hint, hint )

Always remember the analogy of the crap sandwich...

The more bread you have, the less crap you have to eat.

[Abbeysdad]

Thanks for the encouragement guys... I know we need to push through these early challenges and slight disappointments... the trouble is that the "dream" of having a boat didn't include all this negative baggage - it was about touring fun and hooking the bigguns in the big water!
In my wife's defense, her grandfather had a cottage on a lake and her childhood memories of summer boating on the lake were all full of fun - at 10 years old she was bombing around that lake, driving grampas motor boat and it was all fun... but of course there wasn't any trailering, launch BS or mechanical problems.
...But most of all, I just need to laugh off all these issues because in some ways, the girls take their cues from me and if I'm upset, they'll be upset - if I treat a challenge/problem more like a light hearted laughable adventure, we'll all be better off. (Hope I'm up for the challenge).

[MrPhotographer06]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Well, you're still a teenageer, which means to me you don't have a big fat wallet full of cash to help with the 5%. Most of us probably won't have money to burn when we grow up either, but enough to get the job done (especially if you're single...hint, hint )

Always remember the analogy of the crap sandwich...

The more bread you have, the less crap you have to eat.

well i started thinking about that yesterday, i probally have about 1200 in my boat as of now. if you consider all the wood, and work that i've done, all the fiberglass, all the gas burnt going to get parts, the motor work, and then then the round 2 fiberglass and work, that we havent finsihed yet, we do have a good bit of $$ in it. and it was supposed to be a cheep, fun ride, but so much for that.

[Abbeysdad]

uhm...can I get condiments with my crap sandwich?

[MrPhotographer06]

reminds me of the fast and the furious.

"Lemme guess, Tuna on white, no crust right?"
"i dunno. how is it?"
"Well lets see, it was crappy yesterday, it was crappy the day before, and guess what it hasnt changed"
"I'll have the tuna"
"No crust?"
"No crust"
haha
dont laugh at me. i was a kid, and addicted to the movie.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

reminds me of the fast and the furious.

Boy...that was one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen. I especially love the part when Vin Diesel explains how he's never driven his father's '70 Charger because it "scares him to death". This after we've seen him basically yawn after punching a big shot of nitrous into a tuner car at 150 mph...oh yeah...

I would only credit great character development like that to a master filmmaker like Michael Bay, but it appears he met his lost twin brother in Rob Cohen.

[1FASTLASER]

Wait till ya see the latest Fast and Furious.........shoot I am a half century in the making and still love dat movie.

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

understand you brother. had the same problems when i got mine. one thing when oyu buy used, you have to straighten out the problems the other fella left behind. but you'll get it man. keep on plugging.

this is good advice. you've got to get the bugs out, even on a new boat. the thing you've got to accept with a boat is that they ain't like a new car or even a clean used car. they have way more problems. just the nature of the beast.

i'm no mechanic by any stretch, but i'd start with the simple cheap solutions first:
1.put on a new fuel bulb
2.change the fuel filter
3.change the spark plugs after making sure the owner before you had the right ones installed.

[Jigger]

just hang in there man. maybe you should try to get to the lake at daylight on a weekday if you can when you'll have the ramp to yourself. take a patient and understanding buddy with you and leave the wife at home. do a little practicing on the ramp with you doing the backing and the loading and unloading. do everything yourself several times until you feel comfortable. you'll get it. just keep trying. i've loaded and unloaded my boat by myself so many times, i could do it in my sleep and you'll be able to say the same in a short while.

once you get it all put together, you're going to love fishing from a boat. i'd have to be pretty sick or pretty broke not to have a fishing boat. i simply cannot imagine my life without a fishing boat. fishing boats have made my life wonderful and that's no exagerration. hang in there.

[Abbeysdad]

Thanks Jigger for the advice and encouragement. Because we just bought the boat (mid June) from a dealer, it went back there - my 30 days is just up, but hoping he'll be reasonable regardless of the nature of the problem...we'll see if he 'passes the test' when it comes to customer satisfaction. I got good vibes from the mechanic I spoke with that filled out the work order - just gotta play it out and see what happens. Right now I'm looking to get an answer on when it can be looked at.

As far as the launch and load, I think I have the process down pretty well, just need more practice backing up (but find it has gotten easier) - Made some good gains with hand at the bottom of the steering wheel method.

[Abbeysdad]

- Cracked insulator on 1 spark plug caused the speed ramping up 'n down issue/replaced.
- crimped & hole in speedo tube/fixed.
- fixed rotating ignition switch.

Charged me the $16 and change for the spark plug. NO CHARGE for labor!!
Happy, Happy, Happy is ME! Dealer treated me right.

Took her out on a [too] small lake nearby - all is well.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

- Cracked insulator on 1 spark plug caused the speed ramping up 'n down issue/replaced.
- crimped & hole in speedo tube/fixed.
- fixed rotating ignition switch.

Charged me the $16 and change for the spark plug. NO CHARGE for labor!!
Happy, Happy, Happy is ME! Dealer treated me right.

Took her out on a [too] small lake nearby - all is well.

Hehe...now that's good news. I can feel the good vibes in your post!

Happy boating.

[bamabassman]

glad to hear ya got out in your rig and it didn't cost you an arm and a leg pal. remember this about a used rig. you are gona have little bugs and sometimes big ones too that you will have to work out. just keep your chin up and your wallet handy lmao.

[nofearengineer]

Hey Abbey...at least you didn't take your $600 trolling motor apart, barely get it back together, buy a new $200 battery, and still have it run out of juice, only to find out a $1 fuse in your charger line wasn't sitting in the fuse holder properly. At least I stopped short of taking my charger apart.

That just happened to me. The weird thing is...if my trolling motor is fine, my charger is fine, and my original battery as well as the new one are fine, why does it make me so mad?

Welcome to boating, man heheh.

Heck, the worst part is, now I have to wait til Sunday to go to Patoka because one of my trolling motor batteries is still low. Someone shoot me.

[Abbeysdad]

Bama/Nofear - here ya. Asside from rigging (ropes, anchor, fenders..) and safety stuff (fire extinquisher, flares, PFD's, flag, paddle...), new tires/wheels for the trailer to replace the dry rot tires, charger, new battery for the trolling motor to replace the starting battery that was there...pedestal mounts I had to ream out so the pedestals would fit, ignition switch trouble, motor trouble, backing up learning curve, boater safety course...it's been an interesting month and a half!
Last night after loading saw I have a trailer light out - gotta take that apart today and get a new bulb I figure - what was this thread...oh yea, one thing after another!
But hey, I'm getting there.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Last night after loading saw I have a trailer light out - gotta take that apart today and get a new bulb I figure

Get an LED one if you can. It will cost a bit more, but you'll never have to change it again.