Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

[WAVENBYE2]

I am about ready to just give up and winterize my boat!! every week for the past 4 weeks its been one thing after another with no sign of letting up!!
Every thing just keeps messing up one after another after another and I am about to just say F it! First I mess up my lower unit,loose wire on fuel pump, then the following week pump needs to be replaced,bilge pump, solenoid quits, starter quits, flat on highway(trailer) and boat fills up with water as if plug was never put in(shift cable bellow). Every week for the past 4 weeks its been one thing after another, its seems like I just can't get a break and have one good day of boating with out something going wrong, I am about ready to just pack it in!! Any one going through this or is it just me???

 

[gcboat]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Hey Chief,

Don't feel bad - you're not the only one. Without going into details all I can say is that without my string of bad luck I wouldn't have any at all !!!!!!!!!!
Hang in there - there really is some good stuff bound to be heading your way pretty soon.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

It seems a lot of people go through what you are experiencing. I am not one of them (I don't own a boat anymore), nor was I ever one. Closest I ever came to being unlucky was when my raw water impeller came apart, about 70 miles and one lock away from my home port. But thankfully, I owned a Bravo, which can be changed with the boat in the water, I carry an extra impeller, and I have the mechanical knowledge to do all my maintenance. 1 Hour later, was back up and running.

Hang in there, you'll get better at this stuff. Besides, eventually you will have replaced every component that can fail!

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

The more you do the more will happen or get done to you
If you stop doing anything nothing will happen- Want that

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Hey man, trust me, I know how it is. I bought a boat in February, made the mistake of buying a "cheap" boat ($3800) and have had anything and everything happen. A short list: impeller (maintenance, changed it to be safe), starter, solenoid, gimbal bearing, u-joints, bellows, and finally got it up and running a few hundred dollars and two months later. I don't have much time to work on it, especially now that I'm working in Ohio for two to three weeks at a time and the boat is in Florida. My fourth "odyssey" after the repairs, the lower unit oil leaked out, and I fried all my gears in the outdrive. So here I am, broke, in need of a new outdrive, depressed, and 1200 miles away from my boat. Man, that lottery sure looks nice right about now. . . I already got my new water toys picked out. . . Well, with this luck I might as well just scrap that idea for now.

Since I bought the boat, I have only been able to use it say, 30 times? The worst part is in Florida it's boating season about 360 days a year, so I'm way behind schedule.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Keep plugin away at it. Eventually you'll run out of things to fix While you got the tools out a little preventative work and next year you'll be good to go

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Oh I am not ready to give up just frustrated, I know that I am going to have things to fix, just wasn't expecting it to be all at once!!! once in a while OK, But one after another?? AHHH, Just frustrating!!

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

i knew boats were a pain from friends throwing $1000.00 at their boats all the time so when i started looking i bought a cheap $1700 starcraft aluminum
merc 120 beacause of its simple design and cheap new and used parts everywhere. i couldn't spend 5000.00 and then have to put more into it.
you need to do all maintenece possible when you can instead of piecing it here and there. hang in there if you can and dont rush it you will be on the water. But boats do suck reliabilty wise for the amount of use they get. but mine is 36 years old and good maintence and repairs by p.o. has helped alot
not saying that it wont break down next week while i am on the river. i see lots of others here with your same story alot start out first boat first day boat wont run.

 

[werthert]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Well, not a boat problem but I did have a great deal slip away from me at the last second today on the e-bay... 1996 Regal 29 footer... Easily a $35K+ boat, someone snabbed it from me last second for... get this... $22.6K.

I don't know if I'm more upset because I lost it, or that I let someone get a boat for half it's real value. Grrrrr!

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

It's maddening to lose at the last minute. My trick is to never bid till the last minute and then it's usually quite a bit higher than the next bid so they don't have time to outbid you. If they want 20 go 25 and they don't have time to adjust.

 

[Numlaar]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

I have had bad luck for over 20 years straight, so don't feel bad!

I have had the engine on every single boat I have owned, blow up, except one (a 2000' 15hp Honda 4-stroke, still running strong).

One year, on my 215 Wellcraft eclipse, I went through 3 engines (5.7L mercruiser), in one summer (for one reason or another, looong story). Finally get the third engine in, and the outdrive blows.... so yes I can relate!

I was so frustrated over that boat, I sold the whole thing for the trailer (850bucks, aluminum ez-loader) and gave them the boat/engine/outdrive for free.

My latest boat, punched the transom when backing up cause the lift lock failed, and motor fell into the dirt while backing up... still haven't gotten it done and on the water yet... then goofed up the gelcoat and had to sand it off, do it all over...

The list goes on and on and on... Yet I keep buying boats, and keep having them, but it seems I spend more time fixing, than using!!

But I wouldn't give it up for the world, I love being on the water waaay to much!

You'll get through it eventually

I too need to hit that lotto! LOL

 

[madurodave]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Keep your head up. The beautiful boat of yours will provide many hours of enjoyment for you and your family (and already has)! Worth it, right!? I think so! This 2000 I have was not taken care of and I can sympathize with you....plus, I kinda like tinkering with it.

Good luck!

 

[Thad]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Frustrating, yes. Worth it, YES!

I thought when I bought my new off the show room floor boat, that all of my problems would be over...not true. But at least I know that what ever I have to fix is my doing, not someone elses. But the scenario is the same. If you don't use it, you can't break it.
So, use it, break it, fix it, and use it some more

My steering cable broke early in the day on time. Went home replaced it and got back out only to have my shift cable break. Try getting to the ramp in reverse. Replaced the cable and back out the next morning. I'll never learn. Just keep going out.

Hold your head up and keep goin.

 

[witenite0560]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Wellll, my summer has kind of gone that way, so far. But, I'm an optimist and I feel a sea change coming! (I hope, I hope, I hope! LOL)

Here's the scoop. Decided to quit drinking as my New Year's resolution. Just need to stay in better shape and noticed some habits were forming that I didn't like. 23 Dec, not bad luck, just bad judgement, I got a DUI. Should have quit a week earlier, eh! The way it works here, they take your license and give you a temp license for the next 30 days, after that 30 days your license is suspended for 90 days, the first 30 which you can't drive at all, then you can apply for a restricted permit for the remaining 60 days (to and from work and appointments only, no pleasure driving). That's just the requirements from the Dept. of Transportation. Then the court can impose further driving restrictions. In my case, another 90 day suspension, for which I was able to get another restricted permit. So, even though I was not restricted from boating, I could not drive my boat to the lake, until 20 July.
I made good use of my time though. Got lots of work done on my boat, cleaned, some upgrades, tuned, added Smart Tabs, etc, etc. Ran it several times on muffs and several times in a barrel, just checking things and tweeking. By the time the 20th rolled around I was ready and so was the boat. The boat ramp is only 3 miles from home, too. So, launched her in, tied her up to the dock, parked the truck and trailer, hopped aboard, squeezed the primer a few times... beautiful summer day!! Turned the key, hit the choke and she popped couple of times like she usually does before starting then....... nothing!! Turned over fine, but no spark. Appears the ignition box went. So, now I'm awaiting parts. With luck, I'll still get on the water this summer.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

Thanks for all the replies!! I was frustrated yesterday, but guess what I am doing today, Yesterday I could have kicked her, but today I am out there right now patting her and saying, "Don't worry baby I'll get ya fixed up" and thats what I am doing today, I tried calling NAPA to see if they have a Shift cable Bellows but there closed, But the good news is that I won't have to remove the upper unit to fix the bellows, cable slides out and hopefully back in as easily, we'll see. Thanks for all the encouragement, Like it was said by some one before , by the time I get done I'll have all new stuff, at least every thing that has been going wrong is common things that usually go wrong, and will all be replaced at the same time(Month), I do log everything I do and when, tune-up, oil changes, filters Etc.. Thanks again........Pat

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

for the first 2 weeks i put the boat in the water at least every day sometimes 3 times a day just to find something else i needed to fix. I have had to redo the steering, broken shift cables, ignition problems, head gasket, shift linkage problems, lower end problems (had to drive to the dock in reverse), and there are 2 props laying on the bottom of the lake.

 

[Striper Rig]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

I have been to the lake three times in the last three weeks, one hour to, one hour fro, trying to get my carbs straighten out, every time a little better, but sooner or later I'll hope to get it fixed...

mariner 60 hp 1986 I think...

I should have never let it sit for 10 years...

I have always heard the saying you play you pay, I can only afford a older model boat...They say a new boat gets cheaper everyday...

Hang in there u will soon see light at the end of the tunnel....

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

i feel the pain, just as i get a set of issues worked out, i turn around and find something else. boat has still been operable the whole time though so thats good. just constant issues. spent the past 3 weekends fixing and tinkering with things on it that i find i dont like when we are out on it. not to mention the ups and downs with work getting in the way.....

 

[pmat1]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

ive had bad luck from the begining of the season. bought a new impeller, had a hell of a time getting it on. then cleaning the carbs and doing electrical work, snapped a fuel connector, the new pump worked so well it blew out the exhaust manifold gasket, and went to replace it and snapped 9 out of like 15 bolts ( fixed with massive globs of jb weld on the outside of the gasket.) had a gas line break on the water spraying gas all throughout the inside of the motor. then found a leak in my hull and found the hull was FILLED with water under the deck( 200 gallons). and last weekend the power pack quit. F boats.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: Any one else have a streak of bad luck??

yeah i feel ya, i had to pull my motor last week due to broke teeth on he flywheel, and turn around i have to do it all over again.