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
