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Life in general has been real busy this year and I haven't spent any time on the boat in the past month. I had been fooling myself that I would have found some time to go out “just one more time”. My club is pulling the last of the floats this Thursday, so I really needed to pull the boat before it got to be even more of a pain.
In talking with my brother last week, we decided to pull her out on Veterans Day; what better way to enjoy the day but on the boat for the last ride of the season.
Yesterday was a beautiful New England fall day, clear cool weather, mid 40's, but a bit windy. I thought to myself “That’s a long row; at least the wind is blowing across the bay towards the boat”. I jumped in the club rowboat & rowed out. Get on the boat & discover that my batteries are low and the engine won't start. The kicker motor is at the end of its life; it has been acting up & I don’t trust it to get me in.
No problem; I have insurance. I'll call Boat US & get a jump.
I call in, and the girl who is processing my info states that I should go & get a new battery myself because it will probably be cheaper. Excuse me????? Shouldn't this be covered as I am on my boat & it won't start? "No, sir, you are not covered because you are at your home port on the mooring."
Really??? Ok then, I tell them that I need a tow, because I am only assuming that I need a jump start. "Hold on sir, I need to discuss this with my supervisor." She gets back on the line & states that her supervisor denied my request; they only tow if it is going to a repair facility; not for towing for a "haul-out". I loose it! Let me talk to your supervisor NOW!!!! Of course, she is busy and will have to return my call.
I couldn't believe it. WTF!!!! I was two thousand degrees! This isn’t covered??? This is Boston Harbor on November 11th; it’s cold & windy. It’s not quite like a fall day in Florida, California or Texas. I really could use a little help here!
1 jump back into the rowboat, row back in (against the wind), borrow (steal) a pair of batteries from shore (in case one was not fully charged), row back out to boat, transfer batteries into my boat (almost loosing one in the process) finally getting the boat started. Get back in to the club, return the borrowed batteries, pull out my batteries & put them on chargers. Go back into club to have lunch & warm up.
I am still mad as hell, but only a thousand degrees now because I’m wet.
After I get squared away, I realize that the Boat US supervisor had actually called me back as I was rowing in from the boat. I called them back, and she wasn’t available once again. Another supervisor gets on the phone, and I let her have it (remember now that I no longer need any help; I have taken care of my problem myself). I ranted at her about having to row across Dorchester Bay, on a cold, windy Fall day, several times so that I can resolve the problem myself. I thought that’s why I paid for “insurance” from you folks. I thanked all of them for essentially giving me a kick in the teeth; and that I really appreciated this type of treatment, especially on Veterans Day.
All this piece of work from Boat US had to say was that I “should refer to my policy agreement when I get a chance”. I thank her for doing absolutely nothing, and to have a wonderful day (no I really did thank her for such wonderful treatment; as pissed as I was, I clearly voiced my displeasure, but I didn’t verbally abuse these clowns).
I have been a Boat US member for many years. That ended yesterday!
Lessons learned this year;
1. Install a solar trickle charger on boat.
2. Request boat club to get a jump pack (damn batteries are too heavy to lug around)
3. If/when you need to call someone to get help, simply state “I am having mechanical difficulties & need assistance” not that I need a jump start, because that may screw you for some twisted reason.
4. Fire Boat US
5. Call Sea Tow next year.
Where I f---ed up was saying that the boat needed a jump start & was on the mooring. Had I been at drift, they come. Mechanical difficulties, they come.
I guess that it made no difference that I could have been stuck on my boat. That really pissed me off. I explained to this dummy the weather conditions and that I had rowed out to the boat. That is not their problem, the boat was on the mooring at it's home port.
It is less than a half mile row (0.46 according to Google Earth) but against the wind. It was good excercise doing it three times.
If I thought that I would have trouble rowing back to the club, realistically I could have called the Harbormaster or Coast Guard for a lift.
Sea Tow will never let you down. I have the Gold package and thankfully only used the a couple of times. They even pulled me from my slip to the ramp when my motor was shot.
I have Sea Tow and have used it once. I was stuck with a blown engine. They came came quick and towed me about 15 miles or more.
I've got a brand new engine, but I renewed my Sea Tow.
Here in North Texas lakes, all we do is call the Dallas PD and they'll launch a boat and come get us....free. At least the one and only time I was seriously broke down they did.
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker
Flip, Drop them and Join Sea Tow, heard great things about them. I plan on joining next season, partly because of all the "extras" I didn't know were offered, thanks to this thread by Scrimshaw while visiting up here:
