Till the tail lights go down the hiway

There is an old saying in the boat-world that fits my mood today. "It Aint Sold Till The Tail Lights Go Down The HiWay."

Every boat owner, broker, and salesman has experienced the boat sale from hell. The boat can be new, used, or even in perfect shape...but something will go wrong with it when you try to sell it.

The water-test is the key to selling a boat. If it will run when the potential new owner takes it for a spin...it will normally sell. But Murphy's law applies to all boats. A boat will fail you when you count on it. It will always fail you.

Gosh, that sounds like a ton of relationships I know. Same rules apply. When you count on the person of your dreams...they will let you down.

I love boats. But they are an imperfect creature and they will fail. If you order or buy a new boat; the manufacturer or dealer will fix most (if not all) the gliches prior to you taking delivery behind closed doors where your image makes you think that you are buying a perfect boat. Be happy in your denial...boats will fail...all boats.

Some boat issues don't appear until the new owner gets into the driver's seat to take the infamous "Water Test." This is embarrassing, but inevitable. Don't get mad. Explain over and over prior to the "water-test" that boats will fail, that problems will exist, that the new owner will be pulling it back to the dealer to help illiminate electrical problems, hardware failure, bank (battery) issues, pumps, engine failure, and blown engines...yes blown engines. Relax, all boats fail, not just yours.

If you own an old boat, you pay for all the repairs. If you buy a new boat, the dealer and manufacturer pay for the repairs during the warranty period. It is up to the new boat owner to pick who pays. Their level of pain is the ultimate test to whether they will buy new and have the dealer fix it, or stay with the old boat and fix it themselves.

But you can count on one thing when you own a boat, sell a boat, or take a boat out...IT WILL FAIL. GOD WILLING, IT IS NOT ON THE WATER-TEST. "It aint sold till the tail lights go down the hiway...then, look for headlights coming back."

Hope that clears things up for you...

Todd Weatherill
The Floating Guru
Learn to love life for every drop and Push away from the dock...