Re: 1703 owner
Just an update. Used the boat last summer a couple of times and put it up in storage at an apartment complex I used to work at. For the past 8 years I have been storing it in the same spot with all the other boats. It's always been kept under cover and has always been in as close to showroom look as possible. This past March I decided to go by and see the boat and check the tires and start thinking about getting it ready for the summer. I knew something was up when I was driving to the boat area and didn't see my blue cover. Not only was the blue cover missing but the whole boat. Looked for hrs around other apartment complexes in the area but no boat.
Called the police and filed a report. Called insurance company and they started the claim. Had to go down to DNR and file a stolen boat report. Everyone said it was gone and most likely sunk somewhere or the boat was in one place and the motor was in another. Though unless they cut it up in little pieces it wasn't sunk. Claim was finalized about a month later and I started looking for another boat. I had told the insurance company if they did find it I want a chance to buy it back.
A few weeks after the claim was finalized I got a call from the police. They found my boat. It was only about 5 miles from where I live. This is what I saw when I drove over to see it.
The story I got from the cop was this. The guys who's house it was sitting at owned a bar. Guy comes in to bar and tells bar owner he is in need of some money and looking to sell his this boat. Bar owner tells guy to bring it by. Next day guy brings
my boat over to him. Bar owner pays 500 cash deposit and says he will pay 3k more when the guy bring the title. Guy states title has some liens on it he needs to clear up. Guy hands him at this time a bill of sale with all the info on it. Guy also leaves boat with bar owner. Bar owner keeps boat at his bar for a week then takes it home to clean it up. Bar owner states he started to get suspicious when the guy never showed back up and called number on bill of sale that turns out to not be guys number. Guy calls police and wants to know if it is stolen. I'm called about 30 min later.
Couple of things that don't add up. Bar owner says guy gave him a bill of sale but he doesn't know if he can find it. lol The only thing missing off the boat that I could tell was my graph, and radios. Most likely stolen by the original thief. Thief never gave him any keys. Which I have. The center console locker was unlocked though and that is where the graph and radios were. Also Bar owner states he never looked in any of the compartment. I don't know about any of you but if I had bought a boat I'd be looking in all the compartment. The center console compartment had several of my old shrimp baiting permits in it all in plain view with my name and address on them. An old boat registration was even in the tool box that was full of tools. It all seemed fishy to me.
Anyway the boat was towed off. The tow truck driver told me to say goodbye because I wouldn't see it again. He said it will be picked up in the morning and sent to an auction and sold by the end of the week. Was sad to see her go. I had a lot of good memories in that boat. It never let me down.
Next morning I called the insurance company and they stated the tow truck guy was full of it and that someone would be contacting me after they made an appraisal of the boat and make me an offer. A week past before I got a call. I started low and they started high. We met in the middle. But I got it for pennies on the dollar. I'm so happy to get my boat back. At some point in the past year it had been in the water but I couldn't tell if it had actually been used. I could see a water line around the boat and considering I wash my boat before I put it up it was from someone else. Last week I drained the gas charged the batteries and got it back running. Cleaned the boat out and buffed the gel coat back to it's former glory. Some of the plastic bits are faded from when thief had it sitting uncovered somewhere in bfe. Took it out this past weekend with the family and it did great. Even found a used graph just like my old one so all the connections are the same.
Looking forward to another 10 years of great service.
May the good luck stay with you. 
