And then disaster... as I cast off the lines and prepare to leave the dock, the wind starts pushing the bow away from the dock. No problem says I, just put the boat In reverse and move parallel to the dock to open water. Well that would be fine of the boat would have actually went into gear... so here I am drifting towards shore with no reverse. OK I put it into forward to see if I have Anything. success! I have movement! Back into reverse to try and get to open water. As I get close to the dock I put it into neutral. I am still going to quick so I put it into forward and give her a little gas. Well it is stuck in reverse and I nail the dock with my brand new motor...
When I got home I decided to look into the problem myself since the dealer is closed. It turns out that the dealer didn't close the clip that holds the shift cable in place. I am not sure if it will do any good but I am going to go up there tomorrow and see what they will do about the damage since it was their mistake. The good news is that the motor now shifts like it should. and it was only cosmetic damage.
All I really did today was check for leaks... I will get some measurements next time she is in the water. I will say that I was very happy with where the waterline was on the hull. I was actually surprised by how little stern squat there was.
Good news. The dealer is going to take care of all the damage to the motor and to the bracket. They are also going to give me the smart craft gauge that I had on order. so, all in all I am extremely happy with my dealer right now.
