Found a ghost pot last week just north of Thomas Point in 35 feet. Trolled by it and just barely saw the float - it was few inches under water.

No where even close to where pots are set - closest ones easily a mile west.

Hit MOB on GPS and pulled lines to go find it. Took some looking but finally got it.

Line was all dirty - pot real dirty. Been there for a while. It had some old fishing line on it but no lures.

Never know where they will pop up.

I've got electronic controls on my boat also, 3 stations. Encountered basically the same problem 1/2 way home when I launched this Spring. Boat just suddenly shut down to idle and went into neutral - no alarms, controls were just dead with no lights! Finally had to use the back-up throttle and manual release on the trans to get home. It's a lot of fun trying to dock while you're laying on the floor behind the engine putting the trans in and out of gear manually with no one else on the boat! Just glad it didn't happen in Kent Narrows by the bridge.

Ended up being water in one of the controls which blew a fuse in the EEC control box. Bought all of the 3 amp mini fuses on the Island until I isolated the problem. REPAIRS to the control (not a new one) were $450. I have vinyl covers that I made to cover the outside controls to protect them from the sun and water. This is the 3rd time in six years that I've had to repair one of the outside controls. They're great when the work but you're pretty much screwed when they don't! These are Glendinning controls.

I am starting to like the fact that I have cable controls.. Although I never had problems with my last boat that had digital throttle and shift.. However it didnt have outside controls either.

I've got three brand new sets of manual controls sitting in the basement that I bought when I started the boat BEFORE I ordered the engine. Cummins salesman kind of convinced me to go electronic. I was a little concerned about the amount of drag that three sets of cables would make causing the controls to be really stiff. You don't see very many new high end boats coming through with manual controls! Electronic is the future, you just don't see a lot of them exposed to the weather.

It certainly looks like it is weather related. We get a lot of spray over the controls. This year, with the wind and rain from Spring Trophy Fishing, must have done them in:mad:
It's hard to believe weather would be a factor on a boat:eek:
5th (Marty)

I went to Glendinning's web site and it states that the controls are rugged and weather proof. I was looking at the install instructions and it doesn't say you have to mount them inside. I think I will give them a call and see what gives.

bhl (Bruce)

The second set that I had repaired, they had to replace the touchpad. When I asked the tech what could have caused it to go bad, he stated being exposed to the Sun would deteriorate the membrane in the pad. That's when I made the vinyl covers for the outside controls!

My Glendinning controls have "gone out" a few times on me. It seems it is water related. Although I keep her under a shed, and had a console cover made to cover the back station when not in her slip, I got caught in a thunderstorm and lost them and had bad boat spray 1 day and lost them. Of course they worked fine the next day when the mechanic looked at them (and they were dry). It seems everyone I know with these controls has or had problems with them, not so good if you ask me.