uripper
30-01-2006, 08:01 PM
Imagine this …
Hauled the boat 300kms to Hervey Bay (supposed fishing paradise) – boat/motor have been purring like a kitten all year, but get the yearly service done before you leave to be sure & all good news from the mechanic – staying at the outlaws for 10days so the boat & fishing is the escape route … well that’s the plan.
Christmas eve (Saturday) decide to take the father-in-law & brother-in-law +one of the kids out for an early fish (get family brownie points up early) – motor keeps spluttering, 1/2starting, but won’t go properly – after another hour of pure frustration, take everyone home – go looking for local help but all marine shops closed the day before for hols –– back to ramp & try again, same result – ring the mechanic back in Brissie (fortunately I have his mobile no & he answers) – we go thru the routine – plugs, spark, filters, fuel, etc etc – no joy – its now about 11am – been at this for 3/4hours & the outlook is grim – bloody grim – 10days of outlaws & no boat in fishing paradise - AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
There’s a big 4WD cruiser with a to-die-for plate alloy centre console beside me at the rigging area – all new, black & shining – right beside my ole’ girl (Southwind UB580) that I love dearly but at this low point I feel anger, envy, & lots of bad thoughts - enter the Good Samaritan – the “tosser” (my presumption) strolls over & offers to help while waiting for others to arrive admitting he’s not a mechanic but been around boats for a while – go through the routines again & back down the ramp (boat stays on trailer) for one last try – then he finds a kink in the fuel line up under the transom (after the filter & pressure bulb, just before the line exits the outside to the motor) – YES – thank you Huey/ God /Budda /Jehovah etc etc – most of all thanks to the Good Samaritan
As if all the above wasn’t enough, now discover that the winch crank was missing (maybe due to bro-in-law earlier) – not an insurmountable problem but a real pain in the @#$% - so Good Samaritan produces a spare from the big 4WD cruiser (with the correct hexhead socket of course) – struth, who is this guy??
answer -DARRYL GARDNER, Gardner Marine Sales, Burpengary – turns out he’s from my own neck of the woods & owns Bluewater Boats, builders of high quality alloy plate rigs – www.gardnermarine.com.au - have now caught up with Darryl at his factory (very impressive) & delivered the appropriate thanks - this post is just another little bit of the appreciation #:)
Thanks again Darryl - your a champ.
MalM
PS- the boat didn’t miss a beat over the next 10days but the northerlies were bad & the fishing even worse - despite having a box full of “Lucky-Phill” slugs – “roz” reckons his slug(s) will catch about anything – didn’t do a thing for me ::)
Hauled the boat 300kms to Hervey Bay (supposed fishing paradise) – boat/motor have been purring like a kitten all year, but get the yearly service done before you leave to be sure & all good news from the mechanic – staying at the outlaws for 10days so the boat & fishing is the escape route … well that’s the plan.
Christmas eve (Saturday) decide to take the father-in-law & brother-in-law +one of the kids out for an early fish (get family brownie points up early) – motor keeps spluttering, 1/2starting, but won’t go properly – after another hour of pure frustration, take everyone home – go looking for local help but all marine shops closed the day before for hols –– back to ramp & try again, same result – ring the mechanic back in Brissie (fortunately I have his mobile no & he answers) – we go thru the routine – plugs, spark, filters, fuel, etc etc – no joy – its now about 11am – been at this for 3/4hours & the outlook is grim – bloody grim – 10days of outlaws & no boat in fishing paradise - AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
There’s a big 4WD cruiser with a to-die-for plate alloy centre console beside me at the rigging area – all new, black & shining – right beside my ole’ girl (Southwind UB580) that I love dearly but at this low point I feel anger, envy, & lots of bad thoughts - enter the Good Samaritan – the “tosser” (my presumption) strolls over & offers to help while waiting for others to arrive admitting he’s not a mechanic but been around boats for a while – go through the routines again & back down the ramp (boat stays on trailer) for one last try – then he finds a kink in the fuel line up under the transom (after the filter & pressure bulb, just before the line exits the outside to the motor) – YES – thank you Huey/ God /Budda /Jehovah etc etc – most of all thanks to the Good Samaritan
As if all the above wasn’t enough, now discover that the winch crank was missing (maybe due to bro-in-law earlier) – not an insurmountable problem but a real pain in the @#$% - so Good Samaritan produces a spare from the big 4WD cruiser (with the correct hexhead socket of course) – struth, who is this guy??
answer -DARRYL GARDNER, Gardner Marine Sales, Burpengary – turns out he’s from my own neck of the woods & owns Bluewater Boats, builders of high quality alloy plate rigs – www.gardnermarine.com.au - have now caught up with Darryl at his factory (very impressive) & delivered the appropriate thanks - this post is just another little bit of the appreciation #:)
Thanks again Darryl - your a champ.
MalM
PS- the boat didn’t miss a beat over the next 10days but the northerlies were bad & the fishing even worse - despite having a box full of “Lucky-Phill” slugs – “roz” reckons his slug(s) will catch about anything – didn’t do a thing for me ::)