Valentine’s Marine

I would not buy a boat plug from these idiots if I was sinking in the middle of a lake.

This is my experience last summer, that I posted on other review sites, I’m still very bitter, and to update, turns out, they never checked the winterization plugs, which were missing when I took the boat out. Luckily they were filled with debris, so my boat did not sink.
My father recently passed, some the greatest memories I have of him are centered around his boat. which I am happy to have it to help retain some of those memories. The down side is that the boat had not been in the water for over 7 years and I’m very much new to owning a boat. A little over a month ago, I took the boat into Valentines and explained to them how long it had been sitting and to do what was needed I could not anticipate what all could be wrong with it and asked that they take a look. They called me within a reasonable amount of time, told me the cost (about what I was expecting) and we proceeded. They told me it was good to go. I asked if they had changed the oil. The phone became disconnected. I was just down the street and stopped in, as they were finishing the oil. I don’t remember all of the problems that they said that they addressed, I know that the carburetor had to be sent out for boiling, the battery replaced and that the gauges were not working. Before getting in the water, I realized I was missing the drain plug. I can’t say for sure whether or not there was one there before, but no matter, I went into Valentines and purchased a new one. Very excited, we got down to the lake dropped the boat in the water and were set to go. Unfortunately, the boat was not set to go for more than 20 ft or so, then stranding us in the lake with non-​working gauges and what I assumed to be a problem with the fuel system. I took the boat back in and explained the situation. They said that they would take a look. I understand, there are quite a few things that could be wrong with a boat of this age (1985) that had been sitting for so long. A little over a week later, I got the call that the boat was ready to go. Great! I did not get an estimate so (wrongly) assumed that since they had told me previously that it was in running

I called another boat shop (review under that shop) looking for basic parts for my older boat and was told that the cables, control, out drive… All obsolete, parts were not available and essentially I should take my boat to the scrap yard for the aluminum.
So on a hunch I stopped by Valentine’s on my way home from work and they wee awesome, told me they keep the cables in stock, parts are no issue and they were even very kind to give advice to a new boat owner working on his own 47 year old boat.
They will be my first stop from now on

They had the part I needed. I felt like I was bothering them coming in, but whatever.