Re: No way you're going to believe this... the year I'm having...

Quote
JamesJM
If you want to go back and look it up more power to you. I posted the early part of this year the things I own that have broken. It's my all time record. Skipping the early stuff, too many to list, lets just start with last week, and a quick refresher.

Last week my TV died. Just a few months past warranty. I bought a new one. Ok.. this one is new: Yesterday, my refrigerator died. Bought a new one yesterday, hasn't been delivered yet.

Now the refresher.. but not all of it, only the part that leads to today. And before continuing, I can PROVE all of this.. I'll send you the witnesses Facebook posts. The Refresher.. lost the front end in my pickup this year. Fixed it. $4,500. Drove it a week and lost the front end again. Yes, they covered it. Fixed it.

Took my boat off the lake in March... due to my pickup, and my son coming in from England this month, I only got around to getting my boat back on the lake today. And thus... the saga begins.

Had my boat in my front yard, extension cord to keep my batteries good. Hooked up this morning. Ice Chests packed with goodies, tube onboard, fully stocked. We left home... all smiles, rainbows, and cotton candy clouds. (I'm lying about the clouds).

Got to the lake.. backed the trailer in... went to trim the motor down... nothing. Jiggled, wiggled, reset, nothing. Pulled my boat out of the lake and made a plan. I'd take it to the Marine shop and "hopefully" they'd put new batteries, it would work, and everything would be good to go. My daughter called ahead... to the marine shop, and YES, they said they'd replace the batteries TODAY and I could be on my merry family on the lake day. Oh but how blessed and lucky I am.

On the way to the Marine shop it was the smell that was the first indicator.. then the vibration, then that grating sound. It was the same... I was losing the front end again in my pickup. I limped into the Marine shop. They replaced the batteries in the boat. Now what to do?

No doubt my pickup was going to die on the road... been there, I knew the symptoms. Towed my Jag early this year when it died. Towed my pickup twice, (I love Triple AAA), and had to tow my son's Land Cruiser when it died on me while taking it in to him in Fresno. That's all this year.

I made a decision... I'd try to make it to the lake, (I have a slip at the marina).... no difference in breaking down going to the lake as trying to get home.

Miracle of all miracles I made it to the lake. Backed in, launched the boat. Fired it up. Life is good. At Millerton Lake you can't launch at the marina... separate places. My daughter pulled the pickup, and empty trailer, out of the lake and got in her car to drive around to the marina and I.... sailer cap in place, fired up and headed around the peninsula toward the marina to get my daughter.

300 yds off shore.... pfffft. Motor died. My daughter hadn't even parked my pickup and trailer yet to switch to her car. Too far to row. I tried everything. I called her, on my iPhone... "Call Millerton Lake and tell them I need a tow".

So I'm waiting for my tow... I figured a big ship.... no, it was a jet ski. But before the jet ski got there I have to give you this info. The wind hasn't blown since last April... today, a hurricane. It's like being in a typhoon. I'm waiting for the tow ship.... I mean jet ski. The wind is blowing me like a kite... and I'm headed toward the shore, and some big rocks. So I grab the anchor... head to the front of the boat and drop anchor. That's not all I dropped.... when I bent over my iPhone launched out of my pocket like the Ringling Bros. Rocket guy. Gone. Gone to live with Davy Jones. I'm not worried about the data on it.. they have to find it first, (100' down, I checked when it fell in), then drain it to get my info.

Now I'm on the lake, waiting, and no way to contact anyone. Jet ski shows up... asks where I want to be towed. I thought, "Well, my pickup is dying, no use in trying to load it on the trailer again, I can't make it home"... so I told him to take it to the Marina. Pacific Marine, the marine shop, had told me earlier this year, (when my ignition on my boat died), that they charge but would come out to the lake for repairs. Fine with me. We go to the marina.

It's a typhoon, remember? No WAY we can get my 26' pontoon boat into the slip. So I side dock it, thanks to Robert, (marina manager), who recognized an emergency situation. I call Pacific Marine... they stopped out of shop repairs a month ago.

Called around Fresno.. no one does it.

I put every bumper I had, (8 of them), out... it won't work. Tomorrow I can guarantee you that when I return my pontoon boat will look like it went through the landing at Normandy.

now the drive home.. towing an empty trailer, and knowing my pickup wouldn't make it. I took an alternate route because I knew for sure my pickup would choose to die on the freeway... with no place to pull off.

Amazingly... I made it home. I opened a bottle of wine. No glass. I only have this one bottle of wine... but there is some tequila here... I hate tequila.. first glass maybe 20 minutes from this typing.

Tomorrow... get my son-in-law's boat and tow my boat to the dock and load it... using another pickup, lots of rope, and a LOT of man power to wrestle it onto the trailer without power. BUT... will have to be either 4am or 8pm because in-between those times the typhoon will be present.

I'll have to wait until the day AFTER tomorrow to take my boat in for repairs... I'll also drop by AT&T for a replacement phone. Not sure why, however, it will break, or I'll lose it, before I get out of the store. - JamesJM