Winter has stolen our will to stay warm, so we have retreated into our
homes and garages where we dream of sunset cruises and wet bike rides
that are more like all day excursions to places we have yet to explore.
Winter by any other name might be "dreary" or" long", but this season it must
called COLD . The kind of cold that hurts your toes and makes a trip to the
mailbox a real ordeal or may be a trip to be put off till a warmer day.
That's how I have treated my winter so far, and I'm sad to tell on myself and say
I have not visited the Fuelishness since I winterized her this fall. How shameful
of me !! I guess I just couldn't bear to see her frozen lifelessly in her slip.
Maybe it's just the damn cold and the realization that my fingers and toes
will hurt by the time I get back to the car. What knowledge would a visit bring
anyhow, slipping and freezing all the way there and Yes she is still floating
will be the ultimate answer. On the flip side I'm sure that the Marina would call
if something bad were to happen anyway.
So now as the true grips of winter are upon us I have taken the time to reflect
on how I got here anyway. Rebuilding the Fuelishness, Ah that's how we got
here. In my last post I touched upon a job well done and our own personal
due diligence and from some of the feedback I have received it sounds like
we are all on the same page.
So reflecting on all the past posts and what the future will bring I have decided
to close this blog, But not without saying that this whole project has been the most
fun that I have had in many years and It reminds me of times that I spent with my
good friend Dennis Berry as we learned all kinds of new stuff about our boats during
the hours and hours we spent in either his garage or mine. I truly feel that the learning
and knowing are what we really desire, WE the masters and commanders of all things
mechanical. ( I'm certainly dancing way too close to that Captain Ron thing aren't I ?)
So I can not go with out saying the truth. ------- !!
The real truth is the vendors make the project. The real facts are what is to follow.
Lehman Conley ( Fiberglass by Lehman) did a very good job, delivered exactly
as promised. Gave a clear, concise, estimate of repairs, no fooling
around as worker, no bullshit excuses for things not done, and never
missed a days work. I would "and have" recommended him to my friends.
1.636.949.0318
Little John's Marine Service, Cant say enough good about this man and his work.
Not only did John come highly recommended but he raised the bar with the
work he preformed on my project. At times it felt as though it was John's
and my project. John never offered any bullshit excuses for things not done,
The best part was the fact that John never promised me things he couldn't do.
I would "and have" recommended John to my friends.
1.636.250.4187
VIP Upholstery , This was best find of the project, getting Scott and Cheryl involved
changed everything in this part of the project. They never lied about anything
and they were absolutely focused on OUR overall goal. No Bullshit excuses
for anything, With these folks , it always goes like this, "asked, answered and
completed " Everything was clear and concise, very professional.
I give these people the highest recommendation possible.
PS These are two of the nicest people your ever going to meet.
1.636.970.0480
Great Lakes Teak, Here are two guys that are in love with what they do.
There ability to overcome problems and work with imperfect surroundings
is amazing. They drove here twice,once to pattern and once to install.
No whining, no lying , no bullshitting around, these guys deliver the goods.
I constantly recommend these guys to anyone who asks.
1.630.272.6730
Custom Sounds of Alton , This is a rainy day with sunshine and a rainbow at the end.
My experience with them started a little bumpy , because of me, my not knowing
exactly what I wanted caused some problems at first. But my guy AJ stuck it out
and never gave up, he helped me through the hard places and really earned my
business and my respect. So I have to say these guys are worth the money and
time. I'll go back and spend money with them again.
1.618.462.5555
Berry Performance Marine, If I say this guy is good I'm selling him short .
If I say too much good about him, you might think I'm over selling him.
But the real facts about Dennis is his work is the kind of work that most
of us wish we could do ourselves. Not just changing parts, but inspecting
everything and looking ahead for future failures and working in a preventative way.
Dennis works at a level that I hold all others accountable to.
So if your looking for no nonsense, straight forward, honest work you need Dennis.
I will recommend him to anyone.
1.618.377.4610
Victory Marine, These guys do a great job on drives, and the prices are right,
the down side is they are in Texas and drives come truck freight , other than that
great customer service before and after the sale. I tell people about them all the time.
1.713.910.2000
Michael Turk Graphics , I've known Mike a long time and what sets Mike apart from
others is he doesn't try to talk you into something he likes. He is always
truly interested in what you want, no BS , and always shows up on time
and has never left me hanging. I recommend Mike highly.
Mike does not use cheap shitty vinyl, nuf said !!!
1.618.530.4529
Beyond the people mentioned above there was a whole slough of people that I came into
contact with during this project. Not mentioning them wouldn't be right ,so here goes.
CP Performance Products -- Gauges
Livorsi Marine -- more Gauges
Gateway Plating Co.-- Polishing
West Marine -- General Items
Defender Marine -- more general items
Ram Electronic Mounts -- Ipad Mount
McMaster and Carr -- SS Steering Joints
Michigan Motorz -- Merc Parts
Simrek Corp. -- drive showers
Cooper Color Inc. -- Platform Paint
111 Prop Shop -- worked my props
Boatersland Marine -- new Bumpers
Bonebrake Auto Electric -- wiring
Wholesale Marine -- hardware
CarQuest of WoodRiver-- electrical supplies
Diamond Tropical Wood -- cockpit table
SuperBrite LEDs -- under platform lighting
Thomas G. Faria Corp. -- original gauges
Marcal Rope and Rigging -- anchor chain conversion
I did business with all these people listed and the fact that I listed them means that
I had a great retail experience with them and I hope that in the future if you use them
that your experiences are like mine.
But the real take away is this "all these people especially the ones listed with
phone # s deserve a shot." I keep a little book of friendly vendors in my desk
at work, I've been doing that ever since I saw my dad do that when I was younger.
Dad was great finish carpenter and he kept a book of friendly vendors because
as he said " son we don't have time or money to waste with people who don't care".
I promised my self when I started writing this blog that wouldn't say anything bad
about anyone and I'm not starting now.
I will say that the worst experiences I have had could have been avoided
if I would have followed my own advise. I quite literally would have saved over
$10000.00 and that's the truth, and no matter how you slice it that's chunk of change.
So with all that said , I suppose that I'm done.
Here is the best news of the day --- 30 days till spring !!!
I'm done writing "Lets Just Go Boating" !!!
KE
