I'm in no way trying to make you mad here, but your whole weekend plan was doomed from the start. Sorry you have to cut it short.
First off, you don't try and learn a new boat during a weekend at a busy ramp, especially after a two month quarantine from the virus, everybody and their brother will be there trying to get on the water. Most of them really have no business owning a boat much less trying to tell you how to run yours. Best for you to have taken off work and gone on a Tuesday or Wednesday as those seem to be the less busy days.
Secondly, your laundry list of people that you took or met you there for your first initial splash/shakedown/christening, was to many to deal with and really unfair to yourself, putting undue pressure on you to get them on the water, when you, yourself, is clueless about your new boat. Again, you should have gone on a early week day with one person, a guy preferably, that can help you with launch and load and with no expectations of fishing, you are there to learn your boat. You and your buddy go to the lake, practice unload and loading, backing up with two motors, maneuvering with two motors. If there is a marina on the lake, pull in and practice docking in an empty slip, practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. As far as the asshats at the ramp trying to tell you how to do it, you need to learn to ignore the peanut gallery. The quiet guy that wades into the water and grabs your bow to help you on the trailer is the guy that you need to get to know, not the ones running their mouth, even if he's your friend.
Thirdly,, as you have now found out, after service of your motors, always test run and put into gear, forward and reverse, to make sure everything is lined up and functioning properly. You had already changed your impellers and they were peeing I'm guessing, if you had put both motors in gear on the muffs or in the tank, you would have known that one of them needed attention. Instead, you dropped another unplanned $800 on a full service, last minute, on an emergency visit. I thought you had already changed the oil and filter, plugs and other items during this past 14 months. Why pay to do it again with no time on the motors? All that was needed was to drop the lower unit, see what wasn't lined up and put back together. One maybe two hours at most for labor rate, no parts needed and away you go.
Fourth,,, your other supposed friend with a boat. As a responsible captain, he shouldn't have allowed your other "friends" to keep the illegal fish. Take them out fishing to enjoy the day and throw back the illegal ones. If that's the way he is all the time, I would suggest you talk to him about it or find another friend. If DNR gets wind of it or does a spot check on him and catches him, they will always be on the lookout for him, if you're anywhere around him at the time, you'll be guilty by association.
You seem to be a nice guy with your pay it forward attitude on your extra parts and such. We have all been with you on your 14 month journey to get your boat wet. With the addition of the hardtop and the cleaning you've done on your new to you Grady, don't give up!!! You've got a really nice boat now. Step back, take a deep breath, relax and make a new plan,,,without 2 dozen people involved. I, and most here, understand the excitement to get our new to us boats on the water, but there is a process that needs to be followed or frustration will hit with multiple failed attempts and you'll want to give up.
My boat is therapy for me, I enjoy my time on the water away from everyday life, even if just for a moment. You need to start over, go to the lake, spend time getting to know your boat, heck, rent a slip at the lake and go down by yourself and work with your boat, you don't need an audience. You can make friends there too. As you have seen from your exposure to the masses at Port A,, saltwater does not make you a captain! Practice makes you a captain, and a real captain is always learning and willing to quietly help a fellow boat owner. I've had many styles of boats over the years and they all have quirks that you learn to recognize. Even now, I still learn from mistakes, especially in the current or tides, or a gust of wind, right when you have the perfect line on the trailer and you miss the guide bunks and load off to the side and chip your keel on the trailer,,,,, it happens.
Sorry for the long post, just trying to get you to see a few issues you had going into this weekend. We offer you advice on here as a help to you as most of us have already gone through it, not to make you mad and go against your plan. How you receive this is up to you.
Ky out!