Fishing tournaments are no small thing. You might picture a bunch of people lined up along a pier with fishing poles, or maybe a small fleet of boats heading out to see to enjoy beer and fishing.
The truth, however, is much grander than that. Real fishing tournaments are major affairs that draws hundreds, sometimes thousands, of serious sports fisherman. Entrance fees can spike to $50,000 just to be involved, and prizes can reach $1 million or more.
It’s serious business with a lot of money at stake.
And that’s why those who participate in these tournaments are serious about boat maintenance and repair. The last thing they want is for an unexpected fuel tank repair or engine failure to pull them out of the tournament. There are no refunds on those $50,000 entrance fee!
Here are some of the emergency repairs that can utterly ruin that fishing tournament – so be ready to address them!
Engine Failure
This catchall category can encompass a dozen different problems, but all of them boil down to the same thing: your engine won’t start or won’t run properly. It goes without saying that this can bring your fishing tournament to a screeching halt, but unless you’re power by sail, no motor means no go, and no go means your weekend is over. The good news is that most fishing tournaments take place near major boat yards, so it might be possible to have repairs done in time to get you back into the tournament.
Saturated Foam
You thought maybe your boat wasn’t quite sitting level in the water, and now you realize you were right. It’s not. One of the culprits may be saturated foam inside the boat’s hull – and if you have this problem, chances are good this tournament is not happening for you. This is a sign of rot, a breach somewhere in the hull or in the cabin, and that the boat has taken on water. It also means the boat is not going to control very well, which isn’t exactly desirable when you’re dozens of miles out to sea and trying to maintain control in big, churning ocean waves. The bad news is, this problem could also signal the end of your boat’s life, as there is no easy or cheap way to repair this.
Leaking Fuel Tank
Having to do an emergency marine fuel tank repair just before a big fishing tournament can do more than put a damper on your weekend, it can take you out of the tournament completely and cost you a ton of money. This isn’t the sort of problem you want to ignore, either, because a leaking fuel tank can cause fume buildup in the bilge – and that can be explosive. Literally.
Hull Breach
A hull breach of any kind, from a minor crack to rot to major damage caused by a collision or submerged debris can be a real headache. It some cases it might be possible to cobble together temporary repairs that will allow you to head out to sea and start catching, but is that really a risk you want to take? When you’re 60 miles off the coast the last thing you want is for a rushed repair to come apart. That’s not just gambling with your placing in the tournament, it’s gambling with your life!
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