Hello everyone... Ok so this post is a bit of a rant on the quality of repair and instillation services here in San Diego. I've now owned my 2000 Hunter 340 for about three years, and in that time I have worked with several different mechanics, electronics specialists, a sailmaker and even a few carpenters trying to get different jobs done on my boat. Overall I can say I've only really been satisfied with one of the two carpenters and the sailmaker (actually the sailmaker/canvas worker has been phenomenal). I often wonder if I'm just picky about how work gets done or if other people have experienced the same problem with repair or installation services in this area. Just to give you an idea of the problems I have experienced (and I won't name who did what as I don't want to slander anyone here) but a few of the problems I have experienced: The mechanic who charged me $500 to install a volt meter in my boat (should have said no but didn’t know better at the time), the electronics guy who installed a new battery charger in my boat and then the battery charger never worked quite right (even after he replaced it with a second new one), the same electronics guy who installed an aftermarket larger alternator and external alternator regular in my boat only to have the external regular fail later (should have known not to use him again), the carpenter who was coping the work of an earlier carpenter who had created a liquor rack for my boat (sadly the carpenter who I liked retired) only to repeatedly mess up the work and require me to go back to his shop on no less than 3 occasions to get him to make the needed pieces correctly. Then recently I tried to get a new electronics installer to get me a quote on upgrading my autopilot which has recently had significant problems only to have him tell me several things which I know to be incorrect (i.e. That the Raymarine S1 system doesn't come with a rudder sensor and that you can't buy just the Raymarine MKII wheel drive system) which has made me decide that if this guy doesn't even know about what comes with the systems or what systems are available that I really shouldn't trust him to install anything. Now I realize that I could avoid a lot of these problems by just doing all the work on my boat myself... and while I do complete many projects on my own there are some that I don't either have the time to do, feel I have the expertise to complete effectively, or simply don't want to do and would rather pay someone else to do (as a Navy Psychologist I can easily work 50-60 hours per week and when I'm not working I would rather be sailing than working on my boat and thinking about sailing). So I continue to look for good help... but as the title says it seems good help is hard to find in this area. So while most of this was just a rant if anyone knows of a really good electronics installer in the area please let me know (still need someone to help me with this autopilot issue). I would also love the name of a really good mechanic as well, but this isn't as important right now but I'm sure at some point in the future I will want one. Anyway thanks for reading... just felt like I needed to vent. -Levin
We keep getting questions about battery charging here, for instance. I can't recall just how many times we've suggested that people read the West Marine advisors and Ample Power. It's all there. The time spent reading this stuff will be rewarded with LESS downtime because of bad mechanics and electricians. The only work I did have done "by others" on our boat, I ended up fixing because he messed it up. There are altogether too many stories of bad guys out there, and you described them well. You don't have to be a mechanical or electrical genius to do boat work well, all it takes is some research and planning, with some good basic tools. And it's worth missing a day or two of sailing to know this stuff - it's your life and your passenger's safety that is directly related to the things you know how to fix and deal with.
