Minn Kota auto pilot question

[riskyhooker]

I installed a new 65pd this year and although it seems to work ok I have noticed that when pushing into rough water on higher speed settings like 8 or 9 the motor seems to oversteer. It seems gets stuck in a zig zag pattern. Sometimes to the point that my lines going to my in line boards go slack and touch the water. Twice it has actually continued steering in one direction until the motor faced backwards. Luckily I caught it before before disaster struck. I have tried using it with and without my kicker for assist and it dosen't seem to make a difference. The motor is on a 17FT Sea Nymph. I also notice a lot prop vibration at higher speeds in rough water. Was just wondering if anyone else had similar problems and or any solutions.Thank you in advance for any help you may offer.
Mark Leber

[Kdog]

Mark,
i use my auto-pilot alot to steer hands free while trolling with the kicker motor.When i have to go into some bigger waves and up the speed to 9 or above it also does get stuck in one direction every so often.Luckily i seldom have to put it that high,but if i did,it could become a problem.All in all i love the versatility of the motor for the type of fishing i do and feels its benefits greatly outweigh that little problem.TightLines,Kdog

[lone wof]

mark,
the problem you are having wiyh oversteer or searching for itself is caused by having it on a high setting, 8-9-10 when the batteries are low or not fully charged.
im not sure why you need a setting that high. i troll 90 percent of the time on 6 or 7 for alot of hours with no problems.
easiest solution is to run a second set of batteries and switch when you stat to lose power.
if you need more speed while trolling,(1.8-or more)use your kicker and leave auto pilot in to steer at a lower setting,(4-5-6)
as far as vibration, did you use the rubber washers when mounting unit?
ive fished the auto pilot for years now,(18-19 ft boats) and wouldnt own a boat without it
hope this helps......

[rock2me]

I have no vibration on my unit. I did not use the rubber washers and it is very quiet. Maybe the vibration is what is causing the compass to go crazy. Take close inspection of your prop. Take the prop off and make sure nothing has gotten caught up on the shaft.

I have had the unit go crazy but only in really rough conditions on the highest settings.



Good Luck

[Sundance]

I have this happen as well. Back it down to 5-6-7 and it will make a difference. If you're not heading into the wind/waves or in 3'+ waves, you can run at 8-9 setting.
This is also one of the reasons I don't troll into the wind.

[riskyhooker]

Thanks to all that responded!! I guess I will just have to run the motor at lower settings and use my kicker to assist. Just seems like if the power is there I should be able to use it. The vibration is only there in rough water and the prop appears perfect. It has vibrated since the day it was new. I did use the rubber washers for mounting because I am also using the retractable mount and it requires clearance under it for proper operation. Also I have two brand new Interstate extreme cycle life 31 series batteries with an onboard Charge Pro charger. The Interstate rep. tells me these are the best deep cycle lead acid filled batt. he sells. I have an onboard battery gauge along with the one on the motor and both have always read "full charge" at the beginning of the trip and "good" at the end of the trip. I dont think low voltage is the problem. thanks again!!!
Mark Leber

[Bigeye]

I've used one for years also. I rarely use the higher setting unless I'm blown totally off course. I also don't use the autopilot much cause when I'm pulling plugs or bait I like to zig zag in shallow then out deep then in shallow until I find fish. I also haven't found a ledge that runs in a straight line for any distance. Hope this helps.

Bigeye

[reddog]

I did not know that there was already a post on this. Looks like we were about 5 hours apart on our posting. Im not buying into the low batteries as the problem, because mine are new, and fully charged. Im also not going to respond to the why do you need it. If it doesnt work past 5, then they should stop the speed dial at 5. If you are in any type of situation where you need the additional power, such as retreiving a crank that is snagged near the shoreline in the wind, the last thing I want the power head to do is spin me back into the shoreline. Mine also has alot of vibration on the higher settings. It is also brand new. I love the unit when the wind isnt blowing, but to shorecasting while in a 20 mph wind is work when things are going right, and impossible when the head keeps spinning around.

[Xtra12]

I have had a cordless remote with out autopilot for about 5 years. More than half the time I am using it the head will spin around two or three times when trying to steer while moving. The only way to stop it is shut the off motor. I took it to a service center when it was 1 month old and twice after they cant fix it and Minnkota doesnt have a fix either.

[riskyhooker]

Just got off the horn with a Minn Kota technical rep. and she acted very suprised when I explained my problems of vibration and spinning out at speeds above 6 while on auto pilot. She acted even more suprised when I explained to her that many other AP owners were having similar problems. She informed me that the prop. could be "out of balance" and the vibration could cause the internal electronic compass to act up. She also said that the auto pilot should work properly at all speeds and that vibration at any speed is not normal and is likely the result of a defective or damaged prop. They are sending me a new prop out right away and she feels that should take care of my trouble. I sure hope so!!! Seems like everyone else that is having this trouble should also contact them and get their new prop on the way!! Judging by the responses I recieved on this thread there are more motors with this problem than without it!!! If nothing else maybe if we light up their phone lines they will become aware this is a common problem and will begin to correct it before they ship out more defective units and end up with a bunch more unhappy customers. The toll free # for Minn Kota technical assistance is 1-800-227-6433. Please give them a call. Thank you.
Mark Leber

[Reels]

Thats kinda odd... The prop is not balanced, the balancing is done with weighted clay on the rotor at the factory. Now if the prop is damaged or missing a chunk, you betcha she'll vibrate, but that would be obvious.

Most common reason for vibration is the shaft is bent. Take a close look at the prop were it is in relation to the housing and check it at 180%. The spacing or gap should be equal. I have no idea how the get bent, but seen a few this year come that way out of the box.

As for the guy with the new batteries, try replacing your plug with a good quality one. The cheap ones can drop as much as 40% of the voltage once they get loose.

Good luck.

<{{}}><

[Eyewitness]

A vibration in the prop area is probably due to a crooked cotter pin that holds the prop on. This has happened to me twice now. If you hit an obstruction with the prop while its running, or powere on in shallow water and run the prop into the bottom, it may not realy damage the prop but it can slightly bend the pin causing the prop to not seat correctly. This will cause it to be slightly out of balance. It won't be noticable at low speeds but wil be at high speeds. Simply remove the cotter pin and straighten with a hammer on a concrete floor. They are soft metal and a few taps will do the trick.

[riskyhooker]

Reels,
Thanks for your reply. I found your suggestion of a bent shaft interesting, so I inspected mine and found that my prop had a noticable difference in gap around the housing after rotating it 180 degrees. I took it one step further and removed the prop and installed a dial indicator on the prop shaft and found the shaft to have only .001" of total run-out, which shouldn't be enough to make a difference. After re-installing the prop I checked the run-out on the outer prop hub and found it to have .040" run-out. Seems like .040" would make a difference! Maybe I do just need a new Prop. I sure hope so because I was informed that they do not ship these motors back to the factory for repair, the owner is responsible for drop off and pick up at the nearest sattelite repair shop, which the best I can tell is in Canton, Ohio about 2 hr from my home! Really hate to make that trip twice for something that is still under warranty!!! Thats a total of 8 hours of driving!!! I also checked the drive pin for straightness and it seemed fine. I really appreciate all the help from everyone and keep the suggestions coming. Thanks alot again!!!
Mark Leber

[reddog]

I checked my shaft in the garage, and couldnt detect any excessive shaft runout. The washer that is under the twist nut is off center, but I cannot imagine that that is enough to cause the vibration I have been getting. On high speed in the garage, there was no evidence of vibration, but Im going out to check the prop alignment with the housing now. There seems to be some differences there, but not alot. I will call tomorrow. Thanks guys!

[riskyhooker]

REDDOG,
My prop nut washer is also off center and I don't think that could be enough to do it either. Seems like they could find a better fitting washer than that though. Be careful to only tighten the prop nut to 25-35 inch lb. or 1/4 turn past snug or it will bend your drive pin. My motor has no vibration while running out of the water either. I also set up my prop on a mower blade balancing tool and it seemed to be perfectly balanced. I think it is more of an out of round problem than a balance thing. Cant wait to get my new prop and see if it fixes the problem. I guess we will need some good weather to try it out though. Unfortunatley that has been hard to come by lately.
Mark Leber

[Reels]

Good Luck Mark,

Dial indicator? Wow, getting fancy! :-) machinist?

Hope the prop takes care if it. Let us know.



<{{}}><

[reddog]

I called the Minnkota number you gave me, and the lady wanted me to bring mine to Mankato(115 miles away), and leave it, then come back and pick it up in a day or two. That did not appeal to me very much. I had heard that there was a service center in Sioux Falls, so I called them, Empire Marine, and am going to take mine over to them tomorrow, they said they would get right at it, no appointmnet needed. I will let you know what happens. I hope it does in the water tank, what it does on the lake.

[riskyhooker]

I wonder why they want to look at your motor but only wanted to send me a prop even though we both had the same problems? That isn't very consistent! Did you complain of vibration and spinning out only, or are you having other problems? Just trying to make sense of their mixed solutions. Please keep us posted.
Mark Leber

[reddog]

Mark, I wondered the same thing also. Worst case scenario occured tonite. Went out fishing, almost dead flat calm, and no signs of either the vibration, nor the head spinning, all the way to ten. I cannot figure it out, and dont necessarily want to take a day off work to go over there, and have them tell me it is fine. Actually, that was not the worst case scenario. It only added insult to injury since I never scratched an eye tonite. Now I dont know what to do....

[riskyhooker]

I also used mine yesterday. I was working slowly around the boathouses catching crappie and it seemed ok but when I kicked up the speed to go from slip to slip I did notice that it wandered quite a bit on Auto Pilot and the vibration was only there when I made sharp turns. I think rougher water definitley makes the problem worse. But that shouldn't be a problem since they advertise right in Cabelas that the Auto Pilot will "compensate for even the strongest wind, waves, and current". Thats a pretty stiff claim! I sure hope they can make our units back it up. Also, I am curious how they will be able to test the auto pilot function in a tank let alone simulate rough conditions. Good luck.
Mark Leber

[reddog]

I guess I am still wondering, as I went over there, explained what happened, and what had not happened, Left my unit, stopped back at the end of the day, and it hadnt been touched, The tech was out on an emergency medical issue. They said they would get at it tomorrow, but with last weekend as rotten as it was, and this weekend shaping up like maybe it will be fishable, I picked mine up, and told them I would bring it back sometime later in the summer when I am less likely to need it. As time goes by, I am more likely to be trolling with the main motor, but the early season finds me almost exclusively casting, and I cannot be without the electric up front.

Maybe I can do some more diagnosing of conditions when the intensity level has subsided later on in the season.

I am interested in finding out what happens to yours when you change the prop.. Keep in touch. Thanks.

[riskyhooker]

Just recieved my new prop from Minn Kota. That was pretty quick!!! After installing it I found the hub to run out worse than my original. Hope this is no indication of how well it will work. The way the weather looks here I will not get to try it out any time soon. I will be sure to let you guys know when I do.

[jack d]

I just got my AP 65 .I hope i dont have problem at $750 I would expect more.I wont be happy rinning 2 hrs away back and forth.Thats why i bought it for walleye fishing,Hopefully making it easy.Did anybody ever have any problems with the remote herd a couple people saying did,and its expensive probable close to $100.I bought a motorguide 5 yrs ago had a problem with remote first day.Got a hand one for front.Motorguide dont make anymore i think.Wonder if had alot of problems.Hope i have better luck with the minkota now

[riskyhooker]

Just got back from the boathouses doing a little crappie fishing with my new prop. The crappie fishing was slow and my new prop vibrates worse than my old one!! Auto pilot also messes up at lower speeds!! Started spinning out at any speeds above 4 or 5. I had to change back to my old prop. I am now pretty sure that the spinning and erratic steering problems are a direct result of the vibration affecting the internal compass. I am going to call Minn Kota in the morning to inform them what I have found.I dont think there is a problem with the motor,just the prop. I wonder how many props you have to go through to get a good one?? Dont they check these things? Does anyone know if someone makes an aftermarket prop for a Minn Kota? I will continue to keep you guys informed.

[reddog]

Risky, maybe you should give them this address and let them see for themselves that there are some issues out there. I have not been out in rough water with mine since the date of this posts origin, but What is really funny to me, is that the vibration is not evident when the water is calmer. In my mind, the vibration is causing the head to spin also, but I asked that to the Minnkota rep when I called, and they said it wouldnt be the cause. I usually like fishy things, but this one is starting to smell. Keep me informed of what you find out. Do you think we should take this to email, and not clutter the board, or do you think there are others who are following what happens also?

[GregM]

Keep it going, or at least keep me in the e-mail loop please. I have been following closely, I have the same problem. I have owned 2 of these motors, a cabela's version 65#X 60" (went with the old boat)and now currently have a 65# X 54" on my new boat. Both motors have done the same thing when in heavy duty winds. I'm a musky fisherman who lives north of hwy 10 in Wisconsin, so since my last venture to N. Central Iowa in late April, I haven't had it out significant enough times yet due to work being extremely busy right now and the ski season here doesn't open till next weekend. thx much.

"I fish cuz the voices in my head tell me to"

[Huck]

Keep this board going,I've got a new 65AP with the same problem and sure is a pain when trolleing at the upper limits in rough water. I called Minnkota and just recieved a new prop. I haven't tried it yet,and I believe that this is the problem. I talked to a prop repair shop about it and they said that they can balance it. I'm going to take it in and see what happens,will also try new one and see if any better.Hopefully I can get this done this wk. Will post as soon as I get some answers. Huck

[Silentsixty]

I'd like to continue to see this discussion here. I had a 12 volt AP that only had problems when the battery was low and I was very satisfied.

I am seeing the random spinning deal with my new reconditioned 24 volt at mid speeds. Three times in the last 3 hrs yesterday. Batteries not even close to low. Starting to wish I had kept the 12 volt unit.

[Chris]

Yikes! I was just going to buy an MK auto pilot in a few weeks,....I think I'll wait to see what happens......

[riskyhooker]

I just got off the phone with Minn Kota repair dept. again. This time I spoke with man who also acted very suprised that I was having trouble. After explaining my(increasingly lenghty)story he suggested that I try yet another prop. When I asked him what could be wrong with the other 2 props that I have, and what my chances were that this one would be any better, he told me had no answer to that.He explained that all the weedless props of that size come out of the same mold and there shouldn't be any difference.However he did agree with me that the vibration from the prop was likely the trouble. He suggested that I try one of their non weedless props and that I may have better luck with it. I dont really play in the weeds too much so I told him to send it. I just want the auto pilot to stop spinning out even if it is not totally weedless. I will keep you guys posted.
Mark Leber

[AquaMan]

I have had my AP65 for 6 years now and it has always wondered when at high (Over 8) speed in the AP mode. Vibration was ruled out when I had the plastic prop shaved and balanced at a marine performance shop.

After several diagnosis, I determined that unless the battery is near new and strong, the low voltage will prevent the compass in the head from opperating properly.

I have sent information to MinnKota and received generic letters stating that this is uncommon and I should send the unit back for repair. I have yet to find a unit that does NOT do this when the battery is lower then 80% (The most basic and typical strength for a battery)

So, I live with it and never really use AP when running above 6. Would love to have MinnKota admit the problem and correct it. Other then that, I love the unit. Everything else works like a champ.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just add water

[Terry]

Just saw this thread but don't have time to read it through. My MinnKota AP 65 will lose its bearing when the prop comes out of the water in large swells. It also gives a slight vibration on the higher speeds until the boat gains momentum, then the vib goes away.

[riskyhooker]

AQUAMAN,
I have experienced this problem even at full battery charge and it does not seem to get worse as the voltage drops. However the longest I have ran my motor is about 4 hrs at 1/2 power. That only dropped the voltage from 12.6 to 12.2 on each of my two batteries.At what voltage did you notice the problems starting occur? I have eliminated all possible points of resistance in my wiring also. I first removed my brand new trolling motor plug and connected it directly to my 6ga. wiring extension which was a total of 5 feet long. That made no difference. I then moved my batteries up onto the deck,and soldered eyelets onto the factory wiring and hooked them directly to my batteries with even the 50 amp breaker removed. Still the same deal. I am using two Interstate 31 series Extreme Cycle Life batteries with a soldered 2-0 jumper connecting them in series. That should be more than enough. If I push the battery level indicator on my unit while it is acting up all four lights are lit.
I too would like to see Minn Kota admit there is a problem and address it like they mean it. Seems like there are a lot of people with this problem and some of these units been around for a while with owners just learning to "deal with it",so I am sure the calls didn"t just now start pouring in. Maybe someone could start a poll."does your Auto Pilot work at all speeds?" Would be interesting!!!
Mark Leber

[riskyhooker]

Terry,
I can understand why it would act up if it was popping in and out. My motor will "lose its bearing" and spin out even when I am on dead calm water with the shaft all the way down. My prop is at least 30" under the surface when all the way down. Does your unit always work well at high speeds in calm water?? Also is your unit 12 or 24 volt?
Mark Leber

[perchjerker]

Hey guys.
Just figured I would chime in on this one.

I have had a recond. AP 65 for about 2 months now. It has worked absoulutely flawlessly so far.

Just wanted you to know they are not all problematic.

[riskyhooker]

Perchjerker,
Is it for sale or maybe even trade? Just kidding! Nice to know that it is possible. I am sure if I keep on them I will get it right. Did you use the rubber mounting washers or did you mount it directly to the deck?

[perchjerker]

Mark-
I mounted mine with the rubber bushings and used a slide mount.

[riskyhooker]

Perchjerker,
Thanks, that is exactly how mine is mounted. Just trying to eliminate all possibilites.

[Huck]

Keep up the good work Risky, I'm going through the same problems, see post. Was going to have prop balanced but guess that doesn't work either. Haven't tried my new prop yet but sounds like that isn't the answer. Shaft has no runout.Will keep trying. Thanks Huck

[riskyhooker]

Huck,
Thanks for the encouragement. I think there will be a lot of happy campers if we can get to the bottom of this one.I had no idea this thread would get this long or how many other people had this problem.I hope this dosen't turn into "mission impossible"!!
Mark Leber

[jack d]

I just got my autoguide 65ap and when first took out the autoguide seemed to work perfict then a little taker it was roaming alot. But had no other problems so war.I bought mainly for the autoguide ,They need to make a better autoguide.That probable why motorguide quit making theres too manny problems. i bought a new ont 4 yrs ago a problem with remote first day.Now i thought i would try again with this one.Cant believe they actually sell something like this not cheep eathier.Nowing all the problems.Greedy people guess

[BILL]

I BOUGHT A 60-65 AUTO PILOT A YEAR AGO. AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS I FOUND THAT WHEN I TRIED TO GO SOUTH IT WOULD RUN FINE A COUPLE MINUTES THEN TURN NORTH BY IT SELF. I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THAT THE BOARD WAS BAD IN THE HEAD. THEY REPLACED THE BOARD AND CHECKED THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS ON THE BOARD. IT RUNS FINE NOW. I ALSO HAD VIBRATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I REPLACED THE WASHER WITH ONE THAT FIT BETTER AND IT SEEMS OK NOW. SURE HOPE THESE BOARDS LAST LONGER THEN 6 MONTHS OR IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXPENSIVE MOTOR TO KEEP RUNNING.

[Hookmaster]

Which washer did you replace?

I've owned one since 1995 and it's still running fine. It's never been in the shop.

[AquaMan]

RH, you have clearly eliminated the voltage issue on your end and I have eliminated the vibration issue on my end, so it is a mystery why these units will not run true at the higher speeds. Since my unit will not wonder when my battery is fully charged, I cannot rule out the volatage on my end. As soon as the battery drops to about 80%, my boat looks like it is being piloted by a druken sailor and I turn off the AP or drop the speed.

However, since I very rarely require the use of the AP at those top speeds for Walleye, I have overlooked this issue and continued to use my unit without incedent. I use the tiller as a "rudder" and keep the motor on the speeds I need when doing high speed trolls for Lakers.

Non-the-less, it is a problem that needs the MFR's attention. As clearly defined in this thread, this is a very >common< problem and I would like MinnKota to respond to this issue directly. I have cut and forwarded this to them with an invitation to respond here. We'll see.

In the mean time, I "get by."

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just add water

[RickK]

Maybe some of the guys that own these should print out the entire thread and send it to Minn Kota. I think they might be concerned if not with the guys currently having troubles, but for the people like myself who are deciding not to buy one, because of this,.. at least for now.

[Mike(Co)]

I called Minn Kota a couple of days a go about the same problem before I read this and they are sending out a new prop. I had an older motor with a prop that was clear it seemed to run smoother. Also I saw an aluminum prop at Cabela's, I thaught that it said that it would fit on these motors, this may be a possible solution. Also I think the runout problem is on the tips of the prop rather than on the hub probably from when the prop is removed from the mold and is still plyable. I might try to measure it and let you know what I find. Also my motor seemed to work better if I unplugged it and tried it again, maybe just me I don't know. One more solution might be a cavitation problem, I know that air can be carried around the prop causing cavitation and vibration, at any rate, I'm in the same boat as you guys "no pun intended" But I still think the motor is worth having on the boat and I will solve the problem in time.

Good fishing!
Mike

[Paul H]

I had two of these - starting with first year they made them.



A couple things.
I remember a thread a year ago-make sure the head is level - the compass works better.

Make sure your wire doesn't have any un-necsarry runs near, under, close to the head - possibly setting up a magnetic force at high speed=high draw that confuses the magnet.

Mine never did this - but went through 4 foot pedals - 3-4 control boards and 2 compass controls.

[reddog]

The Minn-Kota tech from Empire Marine in Sioux Falls called me tonite to see how I was fairing with the troling motor, which impressed me to start with, since I picked my unit up, and did not get any work done on it. We talked at some length about the issues at hand, both mine, and the other issues outlined on this board, He seemed genuinely interested in the postings, and said that he would check in when he got time. I told him that I wanted some more time to properly diagnose the problems, since my warranty doesn't expire till March. Lets hope we can get to the bottom of this, and all go back to an enjoyable day of fishing. Thank You, Bob for following up.

[GregM]

has anybody here with this problem ever charged their batteries with the trolling motor plugged in? I forgot about it once with my previous motor, now with the new one I am religious about it, except for one time the charger was one for maybe 30 seconds before I caught it. This motor doesn't act up nearly as often as the previous motor did, but only does it under heavy winds on high speed, like the compass is overcorrecting from the back of the boat swinging. Just another thought. Is something maybe fried?

"I fish cuz the voices in my head tell me to"

[riskyhooker]

GregM,
Thanks for your input! I have always unplugged my unit before charging my batteries. I read in the owners manual where it tells you to do so, and always worry that I am going to forget, but the way they word it in the manual dosent suggest any kind of damage will occur if you don't. I am not going to try to find out the hard way though as I already have enough problems. Usally if some form of negligence will cause damage to a warranted product the manufacturer is quick to note that it will void the warranty.There is no mention of this or any kind of warning at all. Has anyone done this and caused any damage? Just wondering.Should be getting my second new prop any day now. I sure hope(again) that this takes care of it. Still hopeful!!!
Mark Leber

[Cangl]

Might try setting the shaft depth adjustment with a couple of inches of shaft above the nut. Looks as though the higher thrusts coupled with heavier boats has not been to easy on the original weedless wedge, stronger (less flex) prop design and still weedless should be on the drawing board. The removable bracket also leads to some vibration also, which is more evident when wave action is rolling the boat from one side to the other.

[riskyhooker]

Cangl,
I was wondering if maybe the retractable mt. could be adding to the problem. Since it is more flexible than direct mounting I thought maybe it could allow the unit to shake more(from the vibration)and in turn is confuse the compass. I had considered removing it and the rubber washers and giving it a try bolted directly to the deck. The only thing that is holding me up is drilling more holes in the deck as the bolt pattern differs from the retractable mt. to the motor base. I have vibration that is bad enough to visually see the head shaking at higher speeds. I just recieved my second new prop from Minn Kota today and it is the non weedless power prop. It seems to be thinner and slightly smaller than the weedless wedge I had been using. The tech. guy said that there is no difference in thrust between the two props. I don't understand why they even make the power prop then. Why not just the wedge if the only difference in performance is its weedless ability? Interesting huh? Cant wait to try it out and see if it helps. Also I have used my unit at different depth settings with the problems not changing. If the new prop doesn't help I am gonna have break down,drill some new holes and try it mounted rigid. If that dosen't work I am gonna ask Minn Kota for a new motor. I have done about all that I know to do.I cant chase this problem forever and I don't really want to play the repair shop games.

[riskyhooker]

Well I guess it will be a while before I can continue chasing this problem as my boat was rear-ended by a car while I was stopped at a light yesterday. Caused major damage to boat,trailer,and truck. That sucks!!! All 3 were towed. I sure hope she had good insurance!! As for now I will be fishing with freinds. Hope to be back in business soon with new equiptment. I will let you guys know when I get a chance to try out that other prop.

[RickK]

Wow! thats tough,...if her insurance co gives you a run around threaten to call in a public claims adjuster. I had a fire in my large apt house and had to pay my public claims adjuster 23,000 for their service (took it out of my claim) but they got me a lot more than that. The insurance co was trying to pay me a tiny amt.and I think my insurance agent felt that his relationship to the ins. co was more important thans relationship to me,..By the time these guys (Public Claims adjusters) were done with the insurance co I got enough money to fix the building completely. I figured they got me 125 K more than I ever would have on my own. I was told by someone that owns a lot more property than I have tell me not to be afraid of these guys when they contact you after a diaster,..most people are distraught and confused and think they are a scam and that their Agent will "take care of them" and they send them packing. (BTW agents often don't like like THEY can do this) don't believe it! The PCAs have people that are experts that call in to testify on what it takes to fix it right,..I know this is different, you are dealing with her insurance co,..but if you are jerked around,..just their mention will often get you a better settlement. Not that its greedy,..(what are the chances that things are going to be as good as before?)

[reddog]

Sorry to hear that Mark. I was looking forward to seeing how you faired with the prop issue. I still feel the props are more like a band aid for something more involved, but if they think thats what it is, so be it. As poor as the fishing has been in sw minnesota, I shouldve left my trolling motor at the shop.

[riskyhooker]

RickK,
Thanks for the heads up! I think I am definitley gonna have problems getting what my boat WAS worth. It is an '82 sea nymph but I completly rebuilt it this winter to better than new condition. I tore it completly down to the bare shell, double plated the entire hull bottom and bow area, replaced the stock 12 ribs with 23 stronger ones, installed over 3000 aircraft grade rivets, foam filled the entire area under the deck, and installed all new stringers, flooring, carpet, electrical, paint, decals, electronics, gauges, seats, vinyl and hardware. I should have known better I guess. I Only got 6 trips out of her before the big bang!! I have all my reciepts but that dosen't amount to much compared to my 1000+ hrs! I did all the work myself so I have no proof of labor. I was offered 10,000 dollars the day before it happened and I laughed at the guy!! If I had only known what the next day had in store for me. Okay I am done sobbing now. I will definatly use your advice and I am gonna do a lot of research and have several estimates done before I sign anything! I have a feeling that this will end up in court.Anyone know a good attorney for this kind of situation? Thanks.
Mark Leber

[riskyhooker]

reddog,
I agree with you about the prop being some sort of band aid or possibly a lame attempt to put off the real problem in hopes that people will get tired of complaining and learn to deal with it. It dosen't seem like there ought to be that much variance between the props that all supposedly come out of the same mold, and furthermore why is the unit that touchy anyhow? I havent heard anyone complaining about the Genisis having this problem with the AP yet. Possibly that is the way to go, but it sure is a lot more pricey and has a lot of features that I really dont need. Maybe by the time I get my fishing program back together you guys will have the auto pilot problem all figured out for me.Good luck! By the way dont feel bad the fishing isn't the greatest here on Erie either.

[Paul H]

I had one rear ended on the way to Canada several years ago. Overall I made out. It was probably book at 3-4 grand - I got 5000 - plus a little. Plus NO hassle on the truck repair I needed. Plus U-haul rental and temp. truck repair - it destroyed my bumper - hitch and triler lights. I was able to keep all the electronics -a MK autopilot - both the 35 and 9.9 outboards (both were damaged and I sold for 400) and anything else I could take off. I only had about 2 hours to get all I could and load in a U-haul (the wrecker impound yard had to close).

State Farm had no one with any idea what the value was - I think (after the fact) I could have got another thou or so. The adjuster really felt bad - I think he offered me the cash as that was near the limit he could approve easily, it may have helped that the boat was 300-400 miles away and there was a daily storage fee adding up. I made sure I had pictures before I left it - I had pics of the scene. It was 1:00 am on the New York Thruway in the rain.

I ended up finding my present Lund for just a little more (Owner HAD to get out from under it quickly).

I had just spent two days in near 100 degree weather replacing the carpet - I know the pain.

Keep atfter the insurance co. show the receipts - hopefully you have pictures - before your repairs and after.



Let us know how you make out - worst thinh is the fishing time you loose.

[riskyhooker]

PaulH,
Sounds like State farm Made the best out of a bad situation for you. I hope I have the same luck.I am going to make some calls tommorow and find out who her ins. co. is and what they plan to do. Luckily mine happened only 8 mi. from my home. I cant imagine the same situation hundreds of miles away!! How long did it take to get your money? Thanks for the encouraging story!
Mark Leber