Well Doug, here is the scoop on that....This installation has been in the planning stages since we bought the boat in April of last year. I was given permission to visit the shop during the check out to ensure that everything works before the install. I'm using Coast to Coast Marine and the owner Mike and his head guy Sheldon have been nothing but excellent to work with so far. Sheldon will be meeting with me at the boat to discuss how the autopilot bracket will be mounted in the aft lazerette. As a long time aviation technician I made it clear that I expect a professional installation to my specifications which I am clearly spelling out. Preparation is a big part of the game. We have discussed both major and minor details to ensure as few problems as possible. It is a 20 yr old boat and there are bound to be a few hitches along the way. I'm pleased that they are allowing me to do some of the install myself including pulling some of the wiring and installing the radar mast. They seem genuinely excited to see my project through to completion and I'm counting on them to see it all the way through.
I know everyone seems to think all marine professionals are horrible thieves but the truth is there are some very, very good ones.
I recently came from a training event, hosted by one of the large electronics manufacturers, where the question was asked, by a dealer in the audience, about how to get a private number just for pro's to use. It was then explained to us that close to 95% of the tech-support and warranty-support work load, for marine electronics, is spent dealing with "DIY/owner installed" electronics and that a private line would not shorten the wait time because they simply need more people to handle the load (something they are continually working on). They also stated that since the inception of NMEA 2K, where owners assume it is plug & play, they have had to boost the inside tech support teams by upwards of 30%.
I thought they were very interesting stats to say the least...