Fuel problem solved by good service

To the editor: As we were leaving Miami via Government Cut, our engine started sputtering, so we turned back and managed to anchor close to the Venetian Causeway just before the engine quit.

We then discovered we had lots of water in our fuel. Sea Tow Miami made arrangements with Ataboy Fuel Cleaning & Waste Oil Service to pump out our fuel tank the next day. Sea Tow towed us to an anchorage close to the fuel dock where it would be done the next morning. Another tow was necessary to that fuel dock the next day. When I realized I had neglected to renew our Sea Tow membership, I was, of course, very upset. But Sea Tow came through and only charged us 25 percent of the usual fee. The next morning, it all went off like clockwork. Sea Tow Miami towed us to that fuel dock, and Ataboy arrived soon thereafter and did a great job pumping out our fuel and the water that was in it.

The day our problem started, we called the marina where we had bought the fuel, Caribbean Jack’s in Daytona. Much to our surprise, after we told the marina manager what had happened, he said to stop in on our way up to Jacksonville, and he would “make it right.” He told us the marina had paid a company to check and remove any water that had gotten into their fuel tanks after the last hurricane, but apparently the company hadn’t removed it all. He made absolutely no attempt to squirm out of responsibility for the problem fuel and apologized several times for the trouble it had caused us.

We were at Caribbean Jack’s Marina again recently. Aaron, the manager, was a true gentleman and businessman. After seeing our receipts, he credited our credit card for the total amount. Now that’s customer service!

Paul and Claire Dupuis live in Poland, Maine, and regularly sail Stargazer II, their Irwin 43, from Maine to Florida and back.