FIRST TIME BUYERS BEWARE
let me share my story with those who have not bought a boat but wants to one day my wife comes to me and says her best friend husband wants to sell their boat so we go to Hesperia and look at it the guy wants 4000.00 not a bad boat but it needs some work turns out to be a 19ft Beach Craft 4.3 motor with a OMC Cobra outdrive so I offer the guy 2500.00 plus he needs to deliver it to my home I told him this because I noticed that the tires were low and worn so I am thinking he would buy some new tire before transport ting it *WRONG* I low ball the guy cause 1st I didn’t take it to the lake for a test drive 2nd I didn’t take it to a shop to be check out *BOY WOULD I BE SORRY* so 3 days later I get A CALL FROM THE GUY I am coming down with the boat man I am jazzed about getting my very own boat I’ve been wanting a boat every since I was a little boy going fishing with my grandparents in Tulsa OK once upon a time I was going to buy a boat and then my wife gets pregnant pissssst there goes my boat so 8 years later this falls in my lap I am just so lucky I got 3500.00 sitting in my closet I was saving for a used boat in the recycler now I am using it for this *plus got money left over for repairs just in case I am thinking* so when the guy gets down here the boat looks great trailer looks like crap plus the guy says he had a blowout on the freeway which busted the rear tail light I look at the tires and he is riding on maypops so we get the boat in the driveway and it sits there for a week I can’t believe it I am out there every day looking at it so winter coming soon boat has no boat cover so down to West Marine I go 80.00 for a good cover while I am there I get a trailer light kit plus some extra clearance lights cost 100.00 labor 0 shame 2% I can’t wait long enough to get out on the lake so now I need a spare for the trailer this trailer already had passenger tires on it *so stupid me* I go to Good Year and get a spare tire that’s a passenger tire *Bad Mistake * trailer tires are special tires there is not alot of flex in the side walls compared to passenger tires found this little bit of info out the hard way so first chance I get I am heading to the lake Elsinore its the closest plus they have Max speed limit 40mph the ride out there was beautiful after 4 hours on the lake I looked at the gas gauge it’s on empty I am thinking maybe I could do one more run with it being WOT *Na I think I better head toward the ramp once at the docks I notice a lot of oil in bilge area plus water ok I am thinking got to go to the repair shop easy repairs not to costly well backing the trailer down the ramp once there Iam backing my trailer down to the water I notice one of my bunker boards comes off the frame got the boat on trailer it was pretty hard but it’s done get back on freeway heading back home all of sudden I hear some grinding noise and I see sparks coming from the back of the boat first thing I thinking it’s the outdrive must have fallen down somehow so I head toward the edge of freeway I look threw the corner of my eye to my left I see my tire, rim and hub bouncing ahead of me luck must have been on my side because it did not hit any cars so I call AAA had to order a flatbed cost me 450.00 shame 99.9% to have it towed from Corona first step to getting back on the water was to see what damage was there after a inspection I noticed the hub had been schreed completely off no lugs nuts on axle at all plus the U Bolts that held the leaf springs were gone from the trailer frane must be from dragging it on the ground and the trailer was bent in the back from the tow truck company he had to drag it on the flatbed which bent the very back of the trailer well off to West Marine 2 new hubs and barring buddies and U Bolt clamps for leaf springs labor done by me cost for parts 200.00 shame 10% well after I fix that had to take to trailer shop for bunker boards and bent frame cost 350.00 shame 20% the very next day I take it to the marine shop to fix the bigger stuff I can’t fix one day later I get a call from the shop oil pan rusted so bad there’s a pin hole leak in oil pan dip stick is leaking also transom seal leaks since the guy was already up in me for a grip I figure let’s do the works the motor and the outdrive I don’t want to come back for nothing outdrive overhauled and oils changed motor tuned up oil filter changed gas filter changed compression test done my highest compression 205 the lowest was180 hell I even got the gear cable changed slip out while I was out on the lake stuck in drive no reverse forgot about that cost 3200.00 shame down 30% I am lake ready well took it out to Castaic for 4 hours off the 150 cause cachuma was closed due to ramp resurfing o boy she ran like a champ shame 0% well a few weeks later I thinking got to go fishing again so I am going to try Irvine this Tuesday so I go out to run motor on Monday as a test run and for some reason the fuel pump goes out and the gear box stops trimming up and down well I call the shop again dropped it off on Tuesday 3 or 4 hours later the guy calls I need a new fuel pump and gear box cost 980.00 shame 60% the guy restates to me you really should not buy a boat unless you get it checked out like I need this guy telling me this crap so I get the boat back on Wednesday I am going fishing to Irvine on Friday so I figure if I go fishing every other week maybe it’s worth it well at least the kids will enjoy it they have been bugging me to take them out well I am thinking Lake Ellsinore on Saturday just riding so the kids could get a big kick out of it well here is some pictures of my BOAT which stands for Bring On Another Thousand let this be a lesson to those who can’t wait
devin828
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