Good people in the sport!

[eleeski]

Kirk calls me and says the new boat is dead. UCLA team training there - he just ran out of gas (before beer?!). So I get there, throw in a fiver and turn the key. Nothing but empty cranking. Lots of gas on the guage. Fuel in the injectors and ether didn't start it. No spark to shock me. Hmmm, this is serious. Actually a disaster because I have Alaskan friends who booked a trip to ski with me.

 

Despite my mechanical prowess, I am stumped. So I call the person with the best Rolodex (or cell phone directory), Dee Johnson. He gives me the phone number of a friend who had a similar problem, Thad. Thad calls me back promptly and walks me through his fix - but with no success.

 

Next number Dee gives me is Doug Moss. Now Doug has been the topic of many threads praising his work, a quality lead. Doug spends a long time leading me through troubleshooting proceedures. "I've got to research this, I'll get back to you" Doug says. Oh-Oh.

 

I go into "find a ski ride" mode. Dee can't take us at Canyon Lake - but offers to bring his boat to my lake for tomorrow! OK - but the Alaskans need water. So I call Joan Polycutt at Imperial and she graciously invites us for an evening set! What a fantastic time with wonderful hosts on a great lake. The fall tournament at Imperial probably got a couple more entries.

 

Meanwhile, Doug calls back. His research has yielded a likely suspect. And a source for the part. Spoon fed! This guy is good!

 

I call Indmar in Corona. Jack there concurs with Doug's diagnosis and sets me up with everything I might need on will call - and directions from the Corona airport.

 

Things look promising enough that I call off the delivery of Dee's boat.

 

Next morning, take off in the Cessna for Corona (my lake is quite remote). After a short bike ride, the parts are waiting for me, and paid for! Alaskan Brent has taken care of the bill! Fly back to the desert (right over the Quarry where Chuck Dickey skis - hmmm, I should have called him). The replacement part is straightforward (once I hook up the coil wire) and Doug's diagnosis is spot on! The boat is back to turning gas into noise and fun!

 

The Alaskan Eaton family comes down for an evening set and dinner. They did laugh at my campfire wood - "that's kindling!" but the steaks and smores were great. Good starviewing even if we couldn't see the comet. The days and water (and skiing) heated up. The Eatons skied with me until their arms were so sore they had to go back to Alaska to ice them - hey I need some ice too! A fun time for all.

 

This story has a good ending because of the wonderful people in the sport who stepped up to help in a crisis. Thanks again to Doug Moss for his excellent mechanical advice. And to Chuck and Joan Polycutt for warm hospitality. Thad and Jack for quick and helpful responses. Brent Eaton for being so understanding, generous and such a good skiing buddy. And special thanks to Dee Johnson for assistance, generosity and such an infectious good outlook on life.

 

Eric

[luckyone]

hope u guys are around when the sh t hits the fan on me someday.Very cool ,nice to hear about.

[Brady]

Eric, what a fantastic post! I absolutely loved reading that one! I am also amazed at how great the people are in this sport. Even you @Horton......barely! Eric, you should fly your plane up to Utah and we will take good care of you!

[eleeski]

It takes less time to fly to Utah than to drive to Barstow or Bako from my lake! I used to ski there a lot! More great people there. Thanks @Brady for the invite. I will certainly try to get up to visit - but it might have to wait until my lake is too hot for skiing in July.

 

Eric

[Dutch]

I know the Polycutt's, Doug Moss, and Dee Johnson and I agree that you had some of the nicest, most helpful and knowledgeable people on your "team" when you needed it most. The thing is they would likely be just as helpful to someone in the "waterskiing fraternity" that they hardly new, as they were to the one and only E. Lee.

[BraceMaker]

OKOK - What was wrong with the danged boat already!

[eleeski]

The boat is a 2011 MC with the Indmar 5.7 engine. Symptoms; no spark, plenty of fuel and gas wet spark plugs. The boat abruptly quit. No visible damage (rats, unhooked wires, flooding, etc.).

 

Turns out the coil assembly had failed. Perhaps it was the slave computer on the coil but they sell the whole assembly so I replaced everything. Started right up once I hooked up the coil wire to the new assembly.

 

Normal internet failure diagnosis would be a failed fuel pump. That is a weak link on the boats. Or just out of gas. That would be likely when dealing with college kids. This was a difficult diagnosis - it neededs the skill and knowledge of someone like Doug Moss.

 

What a sweet boat when it runs!

 

Eric

[BraceMaker]

My old prostar did that, wouldn't run, but was getting a faint spark, I checked points and gaps, then dug out the old multimeter. I'm thinking most boats should have one in the tool kit.