Thread: Week from "If it could go wrong - it did"

Week of April 18th- 22nd


Started out 4/18 - put boat in Walk-n-Water to prefish with partner (Ken)
Boat would not start - Ken turned it over till 2 marine batteries run her down.
Loaded back up - took to house to check it out - Thought it might have flooded
due to non use for 18 days. Pulled plugs (wet with fuel) spun engine - new plugs installed - no response from motor - even with charger on - checked
for fire - 3 cylinder good spark - 3 cyl - zip-natal Called various marine
shops in 60 mi radius for power pak - no one had, earliest could get was
Saturday. Old stand by in Gibsondon,Fl had one. 90 mi away- off we went.
Returned -naturally power packs are stacked and bad one was on bottom -
34 various color coded wires later we got it off and proceeded to rewire -
I called colors - Ken put them on............4 hrs later - spun mtr to start,
still nothing - nata-zip. Called Hoppy's Marine - Haines City, Fl. Told them
are tail of woe -was told they were backed up 3 wks - other places as high
as 5 -7 wks -BUT, BUT - bring it down and they would try to work us in (The people there are also Crappie (Spec) fishermen and they new we had
tournament Saturday. Around 10:30 am - they were able to put us in and
start - first thing - put big time charger on for testing - later found that Ken
and I had crossed a wire from 1 power pack to other. They fired motor and
it ran. - Zipped it up, paid very 1 hr cost bill and we were gone for the day.
Put motor on charge all night - down to lake Thurs morning - nothing,
couldn't get motor to turn over at any speed to fire... Out of water, called
Hoppy's explained WOE again - told to bring it back up and they would work
us in - on way up stopped at Batteries ae Us - had them check both starting
batteries UNDER load - found 1 battery with weak cell - replaced and then
up to Hoppy's - Once again they informed us they were swamped but be
patient -hang in there - 2 hrs later they put us into stall - checked all
electric - found we had bad starter - 20 min later engine fired on its own,
back down road - Friday morning - down to lake - into water - fired up,
eased away from dock - into lake when we reached 5 ft- increased speed,
MOTOR WOULD PICK UP - GOT IT UP TO ABOUT 25 MPH -sounded like hitting on 3 cylinders -intermitted power spurts - back to dock, loaded up called
Hoppy's again explained woes - Told them not to work me in -when i got it
there - just FIX IT & CALL ME - We fished tournament Saturday out of Ken's
aluminum boat. Hoppy's had boat for a week - called me Friday - They were
ready - The owners and staff not had it ready to go, but upon arrival -Sat.
Owner had boat put in water at test Lake - and they hammered it all around
the lake for about hr. while i watched. They run her through the mill.
The electrical man was not there on Saturday and they were unable to get him at home for his thoughts on what they found - but i know she is ok now.
My point is bottom line: These people are GREAT - THEY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY
TO MAKE A FISHERMAN HAPPY. MY CONGRATS TO

HOPPY'S MARINE
HWAY 27
HAINES CITY, FL

863 439-7616
463 439-7617
800 785 4515

When you find an outfit that's willing to go that extra mile, STAY WITH 'EM!!!
Those folks are the kind you want. There are too many of the other kind!!
Glad you got it back, now put it thru its' paces. Load up them boxes.