Bought a new white 17' Trophy, a 90HP Merc engine and a new trailer last
June. Since it's for ocean fishing I had them paint the bottom. In July
the paint was coming off at the water line and the switch that controls the
ups of the engine died. I could bring it down but I couldn't bring it up.
Called the dealer, which is located some 45 minutes away, and told him about
my problems. I got a song and dance about the bottom paint. Remarks such
as "bottom isn't suppose to last forever, it does come off". If you know
others that can do it a better job have them do it. etc. He finally agreed
to repaint, and they did.

I called the dealer, spoke to the maintenance people regarding a bad switch
in the single handle trim control and was told to bring it over and they
would fix it.

When I got there, while the maintenance people were attempting to replace
the switch, the sales representative showed up and told me that I shouldn't
bring the boat without first making an appointment and that he would have to
check with the owner if this could be done and he left. Keep in mind they
are already working on removing the switch. He then came back with the
owner's permission. After some thirty minutes or so the maintenance people
were unable to remove the cap that covers the switch and notified the owner.
The owner tackled the job. He removed it, inserted a new switch, and had to
glue the cap back on because he broke whatever was supposed to hold it
place. When I got the boat in the water, I discovered that the switch was
inserted in reverse. Whenever I up the switch the motor went down and vise
versa. It's no big deal though this shouldn't be - especially on a new
boat.

I notified the owner and was told that if I can live with it, I could wait
and bring it in at the end of the season. I wasn't about to loose another
day of fishing and chose to wait. In the meantime I uncovered another
problem. The water wouldn't drain out of the anchor well. I tried a snake,
and it appeared to go some 15' or so and still the water wouldn't drain. I
then removed popup cover in the console's storage compartment to find it
full of water and that's where the snake curled itself. I tried inserting
the snake in storage compartment's drainage channel and it wouldn't go but a
few inches. It was blocked and so was its bilge exit. I couldn't drive a
snake from either end.

I also uncovered another problem. Whenever it rained or when I washed down
the boat all my supplied stored in my console compartment were getting wet
and it appeared to be dripping around the throttle's remote control
mounting. The dealer was also notified of this problem.



At the end of the season I brought the boat back to the dealer hoping he
would fix all my problems. He then delivered the boat to my home as
promised and told me that it took them seven hours to unplug the draining
channel and also drew insulation while fishing through the channel. This is
something I am definitely concerned about and don't quite know what to do
about. How does one check this out? After he left, I noticed that the
prop and the stern popup covers were damaged. It looks like they dropped
something on the prop and tried to pry the popups with a screwdriver or
something else and gouged the covers. Prior to bringing the boat to the
dealer, for fear of damaging the popup covers I made myself a tool to remove
the console's popup cover, and all this took me ten minutes. The only cover
that isn't damaged is the one in the console which I had removed and left it
open because I knew they would be working there. I wished I had removed all
the others. Evidently, whoever worked on the boat was never properly
instructed, never furnished the proper tool or didn't give a hoot.

The dealer delivered the boat to my home and guess what? He switched the
wires rather than repairing the switch and water is still dripping in the
console. It was too late in the season to go on with this, and truthfully I
don't ever want to return to this dealer. I will be checking with others
come May of next year.

Please give me some feedback.

For your information, this was the Panther Run Mariner located in Raymond,
Maine.












--
Ernie

Everyone dies, but not everyone lives.
A. Sachs

Alas, another story of a ripoff marina. I would put in a call to the
boat's manufacturer and see if they can shake the dealer up. My
sympathies are with you.

Capt. Frank

Ernie wrote:

Bought a new white 17' Trophy, a 90HP Merc engine and a new trailer last
June. Since it's for ocean fishing I had them paint the bottom. In July
the paint was coming off at the water line and the switch that controls the
ups of the engine died. I could bring it down but I couldn't bring it up.
Called the dealer, which is located some 45 minutes away, and told him about
my problems. I got a song and dance about the bottom paint. Remarks such
as "bottom isn't suppose to last forever, it does come off". If you know
others that can do it a better job have them do it. etc. He finally agreed
to repaint, and they did.

I called the dealer, spoke to the maintenance people regarding a bad switch
in the single handle trim control and was told to bring it over and they
would fix it.

When I got there, while the maintenance people were attempting to replace
the switch, the sales representative showed up and told me that I shouldn't
bring the boat without first making an appointment and that he would have to
check with the owner if this could be done and he left. Keep in mind they
are already working on removing the switch. He then came back with the
owner's permission. After some thirty minutes or so the maintenance people
were unable to remove the cap that covers the switch and notified the owner.
The owner tackled the job. He removed it, inserted a new switch, and had to
glue the cap back on because he broke whatever was supposed to hold it
place. When I got the boat in the water, I discovered that the switch was
inserted in reverse. Whenever I up the switch the motor went down and vise
versa. It's no big deal though this shouldn't be - especially on a new
boat.

I notified the owner and was told that if I can live with it, I could wait
and bring it in at the end of the season. I wasn't about to loose another
day of fishing and chose to wait. In the meantime I uncovered another
problem. The water wouldn't drain out of the anchor well. I tried a snake,
and it appeared to go some 15' or so and still the water wouldn't drain. I
then removed popup cover in the console's storage compartment to find it
full of water and that's where the snake curled itself. I tried inserting
the snake in storage compartment's drainage channel and it wouldn't go but a
few inches. It was blocked and so was its bilge exit. I couldn't drive a
snake from either end.

I also uncovered another problem. Whenever it rained or when I washed down
the boat all my supplied stored in my console compartment were getting wet
and it appeared to be dripping around the throttle's remote control
mounting. The dealer was also notified of this problem.



At the end of the season I brought the boat back to the dealer hoping he
would fix all my problems. He then delivered the boat to my home as
promised and told me that it took them seven hours to unplug the draining
channel and also drew insulation while fishing through the channel. This is
something I am definitely concerned about and don't quite know what to do
about. How does one check this out? After he left, I noticed that the
prop and the stern popup covers were damaged. It looks like they dropped
something on the prop and tried to pry the popups with a screwdriver or
something else and gouged the covers. Prior to bringing the boat to the
dealer, for fear of damaging the popup covers I made myself a tool to remove
the console's popup cover, and all this took me ten minutes. The only cover
that isn't damaged is the one in the console which I had removed and left it
open because I knew they would be working there. I wished I had removed all
the others. Evidently, whoever worked on the boat was never properly
instructed, never furnished the proper tool or didn't give a hoot.

The dealer delivered the boat to my home and guess what? He switched the
wires rather than repairing the switch and water is still dripping in the
console. It was too late in the season to go on with this, and truthfully I
don't ever want to return to this dealer. I will be checking with others
come May of next year.

Please give me some feedback.

For your information, this was the Panther Run Mariner located in Raymond,
Maine.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 20:17:05 +0000, Ernie wrote:



Bought a new white 17' Trophy, a 90HP Merc engine and a new trailer last June.
Since it's for ocean fishing I had them paint the bottom. In July the paint was
coming off at the water line and the switch that controls the ups of the engine
died. I could bring it down but I couldn't bring it up. Called the dealer,
which is located some 45 minutes away, and told him about my problems.
SNIP

yup. This is why I do pretty much all my maintenance myself.

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

Hi Ernie,

I think there are too many boat dealers today that have very poor service
and parts departments. Their energy is spent more on promotion and sales of
large boats.

Everyone needs to find a dealership that has a strong service and parts
department if they buy a new boat and need any warranty work.

If the boat manufacturers let some weak dealers make many sales by giving
bigger discounts then the good boat dealers will suffer.

Also, that is why some boats are more expensive than others. They have fewer
problems.

These are hard times in many small businesses, especially the boat business.

--
Bill Kiene


"Ernie" wrote in message
.. .


Bought a new white 17' Trophy, a 90HP Merc engine and a new trailer last
June. Since it's for ocean fishing I had them paint the bottom. In July
the paint was coming off at the water line and the switch that controls
the
ups of the engine died. I could bring it down but I couldn't bring it up.
Called the dealer, which is located some 45 minutes away, and told him
about
my problems. I got a song and dance about the bottom paint. Remarks such
as "bottom isn't suppose to last forever, it does come off". If you know
others that can do it a better job have them do it. etc. He finally
agreed
to repaint, and they did.

I called the dealer, spoke to the maintenance people regarding a bad
switch
in the single handle trim control and was told to bring it over and they
would fix it.

When I got there, while the maintenance people were attempting to replace
the switch, the sales representative showed up and told me that I
shouldn't
bring the boat without first making an appointment and that he would have
to
check with the owner if this could be done and he left. Keep in mind they
are already working on removing the switch. He then came back with the
owner's permission. After some thirty minutes or so the maintenance
people
were unable to remove the cap that covers the switch and notified the
owner.
The owner tackled the job. He removed it, inserted a new switch, and had
to
glue the cap back on because he broke whatever was supposed to hold it
place. When I got the boat in the water, I discovered that the switch was
inserted in reverse. Whenever I up the switch the motor went down and
vise
versa. It's no big deal though this shouldn't be - especially on a new
boat.

I notified the owner and was told that if I can live with it, I could wait
and bring it in at the end of the season. I wasn't about to loose another
day of fishing and chose to wait. In the meantime I uncovered another
problem. The water wouldn't drain out of the anchor well. I tried a
snake,
and it appeared to go some 15' or so and still the water wouldn't drain.
I
then removed popup cover in the console's storage compartment to find it
full of water and that's where the snake curled itself. I tried inserting
the snake in storage compartment's drainage channel and it wouldn't go but
a
few inches. It was blocked and so was its bilge exit. I couldn't drive a
snake from either end.

I also uncovered another problem. Whenever it rained or when I washed
down
the boat all my supplied stored in my console compartment were getting wet
and it appeared to be dripping around the throttle's remote control
mounting. The dealer was also notified of this problem.



At the end of the season I brought the boat back to the dealer hoping he
would fix all my problems. He then delivered the boat to my home as
promised and told me that it took them seven hours to unplug the draining
channel and also drew insulation while fishing through the channel. This
is
something I am definitely concerned about and don't quite know what to do
about. How does one check this out? After he left, I noticed that the
prop and the stern popup covers were damaged. It looks like they dropped
something on the prop and tried to pry the popups with a screwdriver or
something else and gouged the covers. Prior to bringing the boat to the
dealer, for fear of damaging the popup covers I made myself a tool to
remove
the console's popup cover, and all this took me ten minutes. The only
cover
that isn't damaged is the one in the console which I had removed and left
it
open because I knew they would be working there. I wished I had removed
all
the others. Evidently, whoever worked on the boat was never properly
instructed, never furnished the proper tool or didn't give a hoot.

The dealer delivered the boat to my home and guess what? He switched the
wires rather than repairing the switch and water is still dripping in the
console. It was too late in the season to go on with this, and truthfully
I
don't ever want to return to this dealer. I will be checking with others
come May of next year.

Please give me some feedback.

For your information, this was the Panther Run Mariner located in Raymond,
Maine.












--
Ernie

Everyone dies, but not everyone lives.
A. Sachs

Well, switches fail as do connections and the odd fuse now and again. Sure
could account for the tilt/trim problem. Could even be the hydraulic
adjustment.

Factory manual is a good investment whenever purchasing a powerplant.

Just because a boat is used for ocean fishing is no reason to use bottom paint,
IMO. In fact, if a boat is normally trailered between fishing trips it's
counterproductive to use bottom paint and an added uneeded maintenance problem
as well.

If a boat is moored for days at a time that could be a whole other story. On a
small boat that's a job the owner could probably do best if lifting devices
were available. Last time I used bottom paint it was important to scuff up the
bottom before application of paint. It was also a good idea to ensure all the
mold release wax(?) was removed before sanding to scuff up the gelcoat. Like
most paint work it's critical to follow instructions. Quality paint is also a
good investment. After all, who wants to do it too often or redo it if it
fails to stick?? Ask around the area to see who is happy with the paint used
on the type of boat in to be painted. BOAT/US is often a good source of advice
on paint selection.

Butch

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 20:17:05 +0000, Ernie wrote:



Bought a new white 17' Trophy, a 90HP Merc engine and a new trailer last
June.
Since it's for ocean fishing I had them paint the bottom. In July the
paint was
coming off at the water line and the switch that controls the ups of the
engine
died. I could bring it down but I couldn't bring it up. Called the dealer,
which is located some 45 minutes away, and told him about my problems.
SNIP

BOAT/US is often a good source of advice
on paint selection.


I don't think anyone who bought Dolphinite or GoFast from them would agree.

Joe,

Since you can write I know you can read. Did you see the word "often" in my
comment?

Butch

Joe said: I don't think anyone who bought Dolphinite or GoFast from them
would agree.

In response to my: snip BOAT/US is often a good source of advice
on paint selection.

JDavis1277 wrote:

Joe,

Since you can write I know you can read. Did you see the word "often" in my
comment?

Butch

Joe said: I don't think anyone who bought Dolphinite or GoFast from them
would agree.

In response to my: snip BOAT/US is often a good source of advice
on paint selection.



BOAT/US is and always has been a private business run as a money-making
venture by Richard Schwartz, a very smart and sometimes difficult
Washington businessman. I did some consulting work for Schwartz eons
ago. BOAT/US was the offshoot of Schwartz and some of his buddies at AAA.

I don't begrudge Dick Schwartz anything; he's a hard-working fellow.

But don't ever think BOAT/US is a benevolent organization run to make
the life of boaters better.



--
Email sent to is never read.

Harry,

That's a given. Met him at the Pickett Street (851?) location in Alexandria in
77 or 78. My member number was 77341 or thereabouts. It was fun shopping
there whenever I was stationed in DC or had to travel there for consulting.
I've noted no big changes in the local Mobile and P'cola stores since the West
Marine purchase.

FYI, Killinger Marine in P'cola is now another Marine Max store. Found out
when I went there for service last Thursday. So far, the same guys are there
and the attitude in service remains positive. Hope MM is smart and lets the
store continue to attract new customers and take care of old ones. Time will
tell and I'm hopeful.

Butch

Harry wrote: BOAT/US is and always has been a private business run as a
money-making
venture by Richard Schwartz, a very smart and sometimes difficult
Washington businessman. I did some consulting work for Schwartz eons
ago. BOAT/US was the offshoot of Schwartz and some of his buddies at AAA.

JDavis1277 wrote:

Harry,

That's a given. Met him at the Pickett Street (851?) location in Alexandria in
77 or 78. My member number was 77341 or thereabouts. It was fun shopping
there whenever I was stationed in DC or had to travel there for consulting.
I've noted no big changes in the local Mobile and P'cola stores since the West
Marine purchase.

FYI, Killinger Marine in P'cola is now another Marine Max store. Found out
when I went there for service last Thursday. So far, the same guys are there
and the attitude in service remains positive. Hope MM is smart and lets the
store continue to attract new customers and take care of old ones. Time will
tell and I'm hopeful.

Butch

Harry wrote: BOAT/US is and always has been a private business run as a
money-making
venture by Richard Schwartz, a very smart and sometimes difficult
Washington businessman. I did some consulting work for Schwartz eons
ago. BOAT/US was the offshoot of Schwartz and some of his buddies at AAA.



Yeah, I know where that is. I met Richard about a year before that move.
The place was in smaller facilities right off the Beltway in Fairfax. I
wrote a couple of direct mail pieces for him. He was kinda tight with
the buck and he'd only meet late in the afternoon or early evening,
habits that didn't endear him to me. Also, he liked to get involved in
lots of rewrite.

--
Email sent to is never read.