Radnine

You are both right, kind of. I made the original post to assist like owners that are not as fortunate as I am, to have an excellent dealer. I think that it is important to keep in mind that the boat is not without foam or flotation. It's got loads of both. It is a situation (after some chatting with people in the know) where, under an extreme set of circumstances like at full weight (max motor, max fuel, covered in snow, live-well full of muskies, etc.) it fails the level flotation test which says that a boat that is swamped should float level with about six inches of side board showing (or something like that). It doesn't sink or flip or anything extreme, and the value attempting to be reached is theoretical to start with. In other words I think one could be forgiven for taking a pass. That being said, I too have thought about resale values etc (like anyone has ever asked "Has this boat met all factory recalls?" when looking at a used boat), which is why I am exploring all options and keeping an open dialogue with my dealer and the factory. I agree with others that this is a showing by a fantastic boat company and an outstanding boat dealer to rectify an unusual situation. I am confident that we will be able to come up with something that suit everyone when it is all said and done. I will keep you posted. Jim

Are Native theft rings any different than any other type of theft ring? (read: do we need to indict one particular group of people?) Jim

Bullying and racism is the reasoning and your right, it is hard to understand. Jim

Isn't Bernie (on this board) into old Johnsons? Wait a minute, that didn't sound right.... Jim

I think that sums it up nicely. Jim

Congratulations Lew. It really does look fantastic. Jim

I love it! It really is very cool. How did you come up with the design (what is it's significance)? Jim

My boat's better than yours. Jim

Gerritt, based on your last two posts (both of which have been reactions to news stories) it would be my advice to turn off the TV and quit buying the paper. Life is too short to let yourself be wound up by people who's job it is to wind you up. Have you seen the Old Mill this season, it's absolutely stunning. After you check it out go to Wiggies for a pint and some local flavour. All the best!! Jim

Some great advice here, especially the boat show note. There certainly are a lot of Legends on the water when I am out so someone is buying them. They have a fantastic website that is easy to fall in love with. Other boat manufacturers could learn from Legend in that regard. Lowe also has a great website for boat research. I think that it is important that you be true to the kind of fishing you are going to be doing now and in the future (meaning don't buy a good two person boat if you are going to have two kids, dig?). Don't buy an all weather, fish or die, 200 HP twenty footer, if you never leave the cottage on Pigeon lake. And keep in mind that the guy that is offering you the advice may have entirely different boat needs than do you. Buy your boat show tickets now as they are $5.00 cheaper on-line now than they will be at the show. Good Luck! Jim

You're a good man. Jim

Mortgage paid off, then two modest vacation properties (one north and one south). Then I would try to enjoy the weight that had just been lifted off of my shoulders. It's fun to think about eh? Thanks! Jim

Thinking about it some more, I think that they might be guilty of taking the easy way out. Is there any chance that there are other options available the wouldn't be as easy (or cheap) for them so they didn't get offered? Like taking up the floor and putting more foam there, or the mod to the gas tank, etc. It is these types of questions that I asked in my email to Crestliner. I would like to reiterate to all that my dealer has been fantastic throughout. Jim

This is what I am thinking, and I hate thinking like that. I love that boat and have since the minute I saw it then bought it, ya know? I never once had anything other than a positive thought, now it feels like I have half a boat. I'm making the call. Jim

To add a thought to my own thought, I would rather they took away a third of the fuel capacity to what they are proposing, given the kind of fishing/boating that I do. The thing sips fuel and I can fish all weekend without the needle moving, the storage I need. Jim

If I was Santa I'd bring you a new cookie sheet. Jim

I am separately posting this question because I don't want it to negatively affect the wonderful example of dealer service that was exhibited in my last post on the topic (http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38499) but I am wondering if there is any examples of this kind of thing in the past? My point is that Crestliner has offered to make my boat meet US Coastguard level flotation when swamped standards by filling 10 to 20% of my current storage space with foam. The amount of storage that I am loosing could very well represent the difference maker between me buying the boat that I did and a competitor boat. Know what I mean? And you can call me whatever kind of pant load you want, it makes me change my outlook on my boat slightly. The storage lost under the console means that I can't shove my tackle box under there anymore. I loose half of the aft/starboard compartment which is currently where I store two anchors and my bailing bucket. I mean in a 16 foot boat every inch counts. And I am talking about loosing storage that I use every day to plan for a situation that will quite likely (hopefully) never happen. A respondent to my other post likened it to an automotive recall. Well, if you bought a four door and they told you that they had to weld one of the doors shut, would it be a deal breaker? Jim

Hi all, We went to the Sabres game last night, vs. Washington. Seeing Ovechkin prowl around the ice is unbelievable, he never stops. They get him the puck from anywhere and he shoots from everywhere. Even cooler though was watching Ryan Miller make all those stops (3-0 shut out). Just incredible from 14 rows up. What I was really impressed with was how nice everyone was at and in the arena. From the ticket takers to the ushers to parking guys, everybody was super nice. My god the players all look huge and there is not an inch to move out there. I noticed that live (probably because you see the whole ice) it looks like the officials spend half of their time getting out of the bloody way. And who can blame them. It is a wonder that someone doesn't get killed the way the puck flies around. And God bless the person that invented the nets around the end of the ice. We got the tickets for free ($78.00 each) but paid for everything else including getting passports to go over. I know we will use the passports again, but I don't know how anyone could afford a steady diet of going to pro sporting events. The cost is above and beyond reason. It makes me wonder why I agree to something like taking the tickets and going to the game, yet will hum and haw over spending $80.00 on a rod that will last me a lifetime (kind of like paying $80.00 for a four hour round of golf, or the rod). Just kvetching. Jim

To those affected by the Crestliner recall, here is a note that my dealer sent me the other day. I am undecided still as to have it done or not. Jim Hi Jim; The winterizing season is behind us and we have now completed about a dozen of these Crestliner recalls that we discussed back in the summer. We have learned that there is very little storage space lost on your 1600 Fish Hawk when the additional floatation is added. I have attached photos of the three areas where foam is added that impacts storage space: 1 - under the console by the driver's feet about 5" of depth is lost 2 - the depth inside the port rod box is reduced by 3" 3 - the port & stbd battery storage areas have foam added at the forward side. Hopefully my attached photos will help to clarify this. If you want to proceed with this, it takes us about 3 to 4 weeks to get the floatation kit. You can make arrangements with my brother John in our service department to decide when to get this dealt with.

The other day at my son's Novice game (7 & 8 yaer olds) the other goalie did it. It was cute as all get out. Our goalie didn't know which end of the stick to hang on to. Jim

I always thought that they did that to smooth out any bumps that the puck could bounce over? Jim

The year started off great with a fantastic couple days of Walleye on Rice with the boys. Big Doe was a little disappointing this year and Erie was an absolute bust with the bloody wind. Looking forward to next year already (already lining up cottages). Jim

I would like to upgrade to a colour fishfinder this year. Nothing too fancy, the Lowrance C-67 ought to suffice. Jim

As far as I'm concerned you have just taken something as beautiful as a day on the water and turned it into something else that I am not as good as someone else as. What ever happened to discovering something on your own and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with that? Also, what ever happened to chatting on a forum with a bunch of people that were just like you, in this case fishermen. I am not willing to say that Garry, or Mike, or anybody is worth more than anyone else that contributes here. In fact it is death to a thread when opinion is stated as fact, as though someone can read what goes through a fish's mind better than the rest. As usual JohnF, I love the way you construct a sentence and am thrilled to be taken along for the ride, but don't really know where you are taking me. But I know that I am not at all for anything that puts anyone on some sort of level above all others. Anyone that feels short changed for their sage wisdom can stop giving it at any time, and leave the rest of us amateurs to happily fend for ourselves. Jim

I think that the worst thing that he could have done is not play golf. No one in the golf circle would say boo to him about it because they know that Tiger would shut them out (media access wise) when all of this blows over. Call me odd but I watched every time he played because I felt like I was watching history, ya know? I hope that I still feel that way when he resumes playing (golf that is....). Prince Charles, President Clinton, Kobe Bryant, if you think about it, why not Tiger? A shame though really, and I actually feel a bit sad for his wife and kids. Jim