Chris Gatley
04-15-2009, 10:34 AM
This is a true event from Monday. http://www.catchthebite.com/plugins/editors/jce/tiny_mce/plugins/readmore/img/trans.gif
April 14, 2009
Hi Pam and Wally
I would like to share a recent experience with you regarding Optima Batteries and Mercury Motors.
On my guide trip this past Monday, I navigated a line in the river like I have a thousand times before. On this day, I backed off the throttle only to greet a rock. Upon impact, my jetboat immediately began filling with 45* water. Within seconds, the boat was half full of water and my only action was to pin the throttle and make a direct route to land, 150 yards away. My customers remained calm and collective even-though we were grey-hounding over giant boulders. Needless to say, we made it to dry land and all three of us were safe and sound. I must tell you that my Optima Battery was fully submerged as was most of my Mercury 90/65 Jet through this ordeal.
Through the most extreme conditions that these two products could probably face in my region, they both performed like nothing we have ever witnessed not to mention that they remained working! Most products would have quit on me. The Sealed Optima Battery gave me the constant power source to move my hard at work motor. My two customers and I feel that the only reason we hit solid ground (rather than sink) was due to your fine products. My Mercury Jet and Optima Battery got us home safely through a true hair-raising experience. I will update my website on this experience because people that boat really need to know this information. Life threatening things happen in a matter of seconds. The choices we make in products and the instinctive decisions made when needed really boils down to life and death. Your products performed above and beyond their expected duties in an extreme situation. Thank you for that!
On a side note, my welder fixed the boat and I ran her today. The boat is operating like nothing ever happened. Just Incredible!
Thank You!
Capt. Chris Gatley
CatcTheBite.com
Ardent Angler Guide Service
First, bad things can happen to anyone, at any time. Have some sort of plan in place. While moving around, keep your PFD’s accessible, better yet – ON! My boat became ¾ filled in less than One minute. If I had to reach under my platform to dig out a PFD, let alone three, we would have surely gone down.
Second, carry the proper tools to fix anything. Once on shore and drained, we used a hammer, chisel and aluminum epoxy puddy to help patch the massive hole. The chisel allowed me to access a welded platform on the boat to better expose the hole. The hammer was needed to bang the peeled back metal back into place. The epoxy kind of patched it all together. On my boat now is a box with a hammer, chisel, epoxy tubes, battery jump box, cumalong winch, chain and rope.
I made it barely made it back to the ramp because of some very fine people. The guys at Van Horn Machinery Moving, fishing guides Steve Kollar, Bill Heller and On A Mission fishing assisted as well - otherwise, we would have been stuck. The water was coming in the boat so fast that bilge pumps and buckets just didn’t work. It was a struggle to reach land but I am convinced that quality products and quick reactions got us to shore rather than sink in the middle of the river. After thinking about all of this for two days now, this is what I would like to pass along to any boater, especially the ones that fish Trenton Falls. Prepare for the worst, expect the worst and always have a ditch plan. With an exit strategy in place, the right tools and some help from fine folks; you’ll live to fight another day.
Stock your boat with thes e items and I hope you never have to use them! Enjoy your season.
Capt. Chris Gatley
April 14, 2009
Hi Pam and Wally
I would like to share a recent experience with you regarding Optima Batteries and Mercury Motors.
On my guide trip this past Monday, I navigated a line in the river like I have a thousand times before. On this day, I backed off the throttle only to greet a rock. Upon impact, my jetboat immediately began filling with 45* water. Within seconds, the boat was half full of water and my only action was to pin the throttle and make a direct route to land, 150 yards away. My customers remained calm and collective even-though we were grey-hounding over giant boulders. Needless to say, we made it to dry land and all three of us were safe and sound. I must tell you that my Optima Battery was fully submerged as was most of my Mercury 90/65 Jet through this ordeal.
Through the most extreme conditions that these two products could probably face in my region, they both performed like nothing we have ever witnessed not to mention that they remained working! Most products would have quit on me. The Sealed Optima Battery gave me the constant power source to move my hard at work motor. My two customers and I feel that the only reason we hit solid ground (rather than sink) was due to your fine products. My Mercury Jet and Optima Battery got us home safely through a true hair-raising experience. I will update my website on this experience because people that boat really need to know this information. Life threatening things happen in a matter of seconds. The choices we make in products and the instinctive decisions made when needed really boils down to life and death. Your products performed above and beyond their expected duties in an extreme situation. Thank you for that!
On a side note, my welder fixed the boat and I ran her today. The boat is operating like nothing ever happened. Just Incredible!
Thank You!
Capt. Chris Gatley
CatcTheBite.com
Ardent Angler Guide Service
First, bad things can happen to anyone, at any time. Have some sort of plan in place. While moving around, keep your PFD’s accessible, better yet – ON! My boat became ¾ filled in less than One minute. If I had to reach under my platform to dig out a PFD, let alone three, we would have surely gone down.
Second, carry the proper tools to fix anything. Once on shore and drained, we used a hammer, chisel and aluminum epoxy puddy to help patch the massive hole. The chisel allowed me to access a welded platform on the boat to better expose the hole. The hammer was needed to bang the peeled back metal back into place. The epoxy kind of patched it all together. On my boat now is a box with a hammer, chisel, epoxy tubes, battery jump box, cumalong winch, chain and rope.
I made it barely made it back to the ramp because of some very fine people. The guys at Van Horn Machinery Moving, fishing guides Steve Kollar, Bill Heller and On A Mission fishing assisted as well - otherwise, we would have been stuck. The water was coming in the boat so fast that bilge pumps and buckets just didn’t work. It was a struggle to reach land but I am convinced that quality products and quick reactions got us to shore rather than sink in the middle of the river. After thinking about all of this for two days now, this is what I would like to pass along to any boater, especially the ones that fish Trenton Falls. Prepare for the worst, expect the worst and always have a ditch plan. With an exit strategy in place, the right tools and some help from fine folks; you’ll live to fight another day.
Stock your boat with thes e items and I hope you never have to use them! Enjoy your season.
Capt. Chris Gatley