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Huge Thank You to Excel Boats and BRM
When I started my search for a new boat for my guide service in 2016, I kept going back to the Excel Bay Pro 203. I compared features with other makes and models and read every review I could find. I decided on the Bay Pro 203.
When I started my search for dealers and prices, I kept going back to Bill Burnett at Big River Marine in West Memphis,AR. The price difference was large but Bill is a sponsor here and a crappie fisherman and he sold me on the boat and his determination to see me in his boat. The 3 hour drive was a non-factor considering the price Bill gave me.
The Excel has been everything I had hoped for. KY Lake is known for rough water with waves rivaling any lake around. My clients love the room, lay-out, ride and performance. Those factors have led to others to buy the 203, a couple of them after folks fished out of and even ran my boat.
Earlier this year I noticed my auto bilge pump would kick on periodically when we were fishing. It wasn’t a concern. As the summer went on, the pump kicked on more often. I started to get concerned and contacted Bill. We both decided it was probably a livewell drain line or even a bad hull plug.
I checked everything I thought might be the cause and found nothing. I then decided to unhook my batteries and put water into the boat with it sitting on the trailer. It took a while but I found my worse fear, a crack in a rib about 1/3 of the way back from the bow. I instantly started sending Bill photos of what I had found and he forwarded them to Excel.
I’ll spare all the boring details but I took the boat to the Excel factory in Mountain View, Attachment 280938Attachment 280939Attachment 280940AR. Once they inspected it, they told me I would be getting a new boat but in the meantime, they would repair mine so I could continue to use it for client trips. To say the repair was impressive was a huge understatement. It was a work of art!
A week ago Monday Excel came and got my 2016 203 after Rickie and I had pretty well stripped it. That was an easy job because we rigged it new. I’m so grateful to have such a talented cousin who loves to tinker with my boat. Thanks Rickie.
Tuesday my new 203 rolled into town. I got a different color, jack plate, and added hydraulic steering but otherwise,it’s the same as before. With my work load as a taxidermist and the holiday, we haven’t gotten it completely rigged. That will happen over the next few days as we work around Rickie’s and my schedules.
I want to say how grateful I am to Excel Boats and Bill Burnett for the way this has all been handled. All involved have handled a stressful situation with professionalism and courtesy. I’m proud to say I plan on running Excel Bay Pro models for the rest of my days.
