I was supposed to leave for Chamberlain, SD tommorrow morning. Been planning and looking forward to this trip for months. Thankfully the weather turned to crap and the SO’s brother canceled out so the entire trip was off.
This is my first boat, I own a 18′ G3. This season will be my fourth summer with it. I noticed, after two summers, really excessive tire wear on the boat trailer and asked to get it looked at that fall when I winterized the boat. Nothing was said about anything being found wrong. I got the boat back in the spring and decided there was no way I was gonna drive anywhere with the tires on the trailer. The tires looked like they were leaning in at the top, the tread on the 3-4 innermost bars of tread were badly worn, not to cord but getting close, outer half of tire looked brand new still. I called mgfr of trailer asking for tire pressures as I got no owners manual with the trailer when I bought the boat. I explained what was happening and without me asking, trailer mfgr CSR sends me out 2 brand new rims and tires along with the owners manuals I was looking for! 
So, that was last year about this time when I was getting ready for open water season. I hung the new tires on the trailer and checked the tire pressure religiously before leaving anywhere with the boat. I had a kicker installed last spring and asked again about the tires at another shop, they found nothing. My first trip last year was to Chamberlain, about 1000 miles round trip. I had a couple trips to the pond and a couple trips to my buddy’s cabin outside of Crosby and a trip up to lake Vermillion, let’s say somewhere between two and three thousand miles total last year on new tires?
Last fall, as I’m cleaing up the boat for winter, I notice the innermost tread bar, the one right on the shoulder of the tire severely worn. I ask again when I bring it in for winter prep/storage, in Mankato this time. Guys in Shakapee kept jacking up storage rates. Well, I got a call from Mankato and was told they found that the spring perches were not welded on square to each other at the factory. It seems my trailer was dog tracking and that was causing the tire wear. Pretty excited to at least know what the problem was I call my contact at the trailer mfgr and explain what was found. He tells me to get it to the shop of my choice when I want to and get the reapairs done and he will even ship up a new axle assy just to make sure there is nothing wrong with that.
My first mistake, stopping right there to wait for spring.
Fast forward to March, I call in the middle of the month and request the boat be pulled outa the pole barn and get started on the trailer repairs. Trying to not be a pest, I wait 3 weeks before calling to see how things are going. I am told the boat is still in the barn as it’s too muddy to get back there! The ground shoulda been frozen still when I called 3 weeks earlier! 
I ask them to please hurry if possible as my Chamberlain trip was fast approaching. I must add, this shop is were the GF’s brother bought his boat, he knows the owner of the place, both GF and her brother call the shop without me knowing and apparently urine off the guy in the shop. So at a birthday bash two weeks ago, gf approaches me with a grin on her face and leads me out to the street and low and behold there’s my boat! Heart beats faster and I wonder if the boat was not in fact fixed and the shop played with me to keep this a surprise.
No, 
Boat not fixed, shop called the GF’s brother (he lives near Mankato) and told him it was out of the barn and to come get it.
Scramble over the next Monday/Tuesday to find someone to do the repairs and bring it to the dealer that did the kicker install last spring. I get the boat up there last Wed. and find out that they were not able to get the trailer out to the repair shop till this past Monday. The axle still has not shipped from Missouri either. I am beginning to think I will not be ready for my trip in time. Meanwhile since the boat gets back I go on a spending spree and buy some new electronics and map chips. I buy the 2008 Lakemaster chip, costs me $3 to ship and comes in the regular mail. The new navionics chip that I order online is the least expensive but they want $15 to ship~! It cost as much to ship a Humminbird 1197SI as it did that chip! Even with the insane shipping chip was still a tad cheaper then elsewhere. I wont be shopping there any longer though!
Before anyone yells, nothing I ordered was listed as availible at Jolly-ann, was the first place I looked. I also thought I was in a hurry and if it was not listed on the website I moved on. Sorry Wade!
Last friday I called a internet retailer that I had something ordered at and find out it will not ship until Monday, thinking I still had a chance to get to SD I cancel the order after I find it in state. I called to ask if it was in stock was told it was and place my order thinking it would not take long to ship to the cities from duluth. Tuesday, I still had not recieved anything so I email asking for a tracking number. Today I call after not getting any response to my email and discover that it is just shipping out today! I asked specifically if it was in stock, was assured it was and could in fact still make the truck last Friday! The point is moot now that I am not gonna make it to Chamberlain, guess I am glad the weather went to crap this weekend. I got a call from the trailer mfgr this morning and the axle assy is just now shipping from Missouri. Guess next week sometime I might see the boat again.
It seems anything I do boat related takes 3 times longer then I plan on and is twice and expensive as I think it will be. The guy at the dealer here in the cities has been great, also a huge help has been the trailer mfgr CSR. I am not holding a flame to either one of them, I really guess I should have had the repairs done last fall instead of waiting until spring. I figured the boat was already buried in a pole barn and would be a pita to get dug out.
I am hoping I’ll be ready for opener in a couple weeks!
In the mean time I will be 