Haul Out Blues

[Rick D]

It's time for Attitude Adjustment's fifth haul. While at the boat show, I checked with a couple of SoCal yards. I had been thinking of going to Mexico but the trip and expense seem a bit much as the time draws near. The labor rate for painting is $60 / hour compared to $22. Mechanical labor is $75 compared to $30. That can add up quickly! Additionally, I will have to pay the cost of tenting the frigg'n boat just to sand the waterline in the US. That alone is enough to make a trip south attractive again.

 

[dscribner]

Plus you paid taxes for some guys to sit down with the Governator and pass laws that makes everything cost more. Seems wrong somehow.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

Before you head to Mex, suggest you give King Harbor Marine Center a call:
http://www.socalsail.com/bg/co/king-harbor-marine-center/
I hauled out there 2 months ago and was very satisfied - and I'm not that easy.

For one reason or another I detest all the yards in the greater L.A. Harbor area including Long Beach Shipyard (is the yard boss still there, the one where you can't get anything done unless you bribe him with a carton of ciggys?).

At King Harbor they have a package price for haulout, pressure wash and 1 coat of paint (Trinidad). For my Catalina 30 it was $750. Working on your own boat is no problem, you can drive right up to your boat so there's no schlepping all your stuff. There's a $50/gal surcharge if you bring in your own bottom paint, lay days are free as long as the yard is doing work on your boat. They even provided me a key in case I wanted to work after hours.

My haulout was 5 days - plucked Friday and splashed Tuesday. I replaced 2 thruhulls, sanded, masked and painted my topsides (2 coats rolled and tipped), painted 2 coats of my own Trinidad bottom paint and the yard painted a third coat. Total yard bill was $836, paint surcharge included.

 

[Alan]

Likewise I have been looking for a yard here to haul for winter storage. A couple years ago most of the yards in the area decided we can't bottom paint anymore, have to pay these guys to do it for us. They did a real crappy job. All the years I had been doing my own bottom with no issues. This time the paint peeled so I had a lot of green and brown nasties. Fortunately I found a place that lets me do my own painting. An added plus was a 20% discount if you're one of the early birds. I lucked out and got in.

 

[zeehag]

dang-you only have an hourly rate of 60 dollars?? here in sin diego bay is 85 dollars to 100 dollars per hour for anything in the yard --no self working as ins doesnt cover the yard for that anymore. baja naval competes with north sd bay yards, the premium pruice mongers, and the other yards arent far behind in this area.. i have to go to puerto escondido for a break, or to channel islands or ventura/oxnard. 3 MONTHS in puerto escondido and doing all the work --some by yard , some by me, will come to a total of 1300 dollars, yes 1300. in baja naval and north bay yards, is around 2500-8000. depending on the yard. an the north bay yards and baja naval the estimate is for just a few days. i think i will sail my way to the yard--if i still need it by the time i get there--i may find another place or way to do stuff without a yard...puerto escondido is only 1200 mi away or so.....not too bad-- at least is not northward......

 

[ffaubert]

So then,... $500 storage Oct-May (trailer, year round) including splash in and out with the TravelLift, power wash on haul out, work on it yourself with free electricity (within reason) isn't that bad of a deal where I'm at.

Hey, I might have finally won a life battle. Cool.

 

[Billbeard]

I’d like to say as a Cabinetmaker and tradesmen Who has to pay a Lawyer or medical doctor or any other “white collar” trade some exorbitant hourly rate to be charged 100.00 an hour for yard time and get some one else to clean you bottom at the same time is a steal.
And any one who thinks this is too expensive should do the work themselves and they maybe will come to appreciate what the work involves.
Also the yards south of the border do not have to follow any kind of safety protocol to safeguard the workers or the environment.
All you green thinking blow boaters need to keep these things in mind.
And while I’m on the subject the fact that you can no longer do your own work in most yards is a direct result of lawsuits and we know who we can blame (greedy people and the void created by them which fills quickly with lawyers).

 

[Rick D]

Just for the record, I did my own bottom painting and other work for 30 years. I have seen little difference in how workers are treated or the working conditions at the yard I am referring to in Mexico. The overwhelming number of yards no longer permit owner work and by my own calculation, the few that do will kill you with lay days making the savings vanish. You certainly have a point regarding liability and insurance costs. Don't get me wrong, I am hardly saying the SoCal yards are ripping people off. I think they are charging what they need to. I just wish they didn't need to and that the expense was more closely tied to actual work rather than permits, fees, taxes, real estate and feel-good regulation.

 

[larryw]

My boat is right on the edge of being worth heading to a yard in Ensenada. Another three feet in length and I'd go. I've had work done at Baja Naval before and was very satisfied, but I was already in Mexico. The time involved doesn't make the trip down there worth it, plus everything else that's going on down there. My boat is on the hard right now at Cabrillo Boat Works in Long Beach, getting a new shaft and probably a blister repair.

 

[Jeff20919]

Rick,

I have a 2006 Hunter 45 CC in Alamitos Bay, and also need to haul out this year. If you decide to do it here and not in Mexico where would you go to haul.

Jeff
Hunter 45 Center Cockpit
S/V Sooooo Lucky

 

[Rick D]

For your boat, probably Cabrillo. You could also check with Colonial if you have a shoal keel since they have a railway and it can't be too deep. Also, King Harbor has a good reputation, but I have no personal experience with them. I have hauled at Colonial three times with two boats and once with Cabrillo, but a long time ago. Cabrillo had some problems a couple of years ago but the old management came back and took over again. It had, up to that point, a very good rep too. Colonial has always treated me well.

BTW, I just compared with Mexico and it would be about a third less, probably north of a grand. I found they will let me stay on the boat and provide security, showers and heads. Sounding good. Since I'm retired and it's just time, it is a viable alternative.

 

[Jeff20919]

Rick,

Thanks, do you know if Cabrillo has a travel lift? Also a while back you gave me the name of the guy that did your ports, Marco I think was his name, I used him for a new companioon way hatch. Do you know if he is still in business? I have some more work for him.

Jeff
Hunter 45 Center Cockpit
S/V Sooooo Lucky

 

[Rick D]

I recall they hauled with a crane; not sure though. Larry, who is also on this thread, will know since his boat is there now. Maybe you can PM him.

The port guy is Marco Drovandi of MDI. His phone is 949 2901069 and e-mail is: marcally@sbcglobal.net As far as I know, he's still around. He did a friend's 420 in Marina del Rey this spring as I recall.

Good luck.

 

[larryw]

Cabrillo uses a crane and a hydraulic trailer to position the vessel, sets up jack stands with a hunk of timber under the keel, and voila-

 

[zeehag]

as far as kalifornikation prices in yards is concerned-- we have screwed ourselves over by having the union wages and the magnificently high pricing on everything. for my boat--haul, launch, repair what i need t have repaired--over 8000 dollars./ in puerto escondido, mexico--1300 dollars.. and that includes 3 MONTHS out in the yard. baja naval cannot do that--they have to compete with north san diego bay pricing. too many folks from sin diego go there for psychological reasons--they THINK they re getting a deal--guess what--aint happening that way anymore--have to go farther every time you want to haul for cheap anywhere. i was estimated in channel islands boat yard for 845 for my work--but a friend worked there at that time. i refuse to be pushed into a category. i WILL haul for a reasonable rate and i will NOT haul out in kalifornikatia. and i would dearly LOVE to do my own work. i havent been allowed to touch the below waterline area of my own hull in a yard since 2002, when i hauled and did a blister job on an islander 26 in kohler's. now not allowed to touch your own hull below the water line, due to insurance problems and frivolous law suits--isnt that one major attraction of living in kalifornikatia??
i am so much a fan of high pricing and ridiculous padding that i will not remain in this idiocy -- there are many beautiful places with goood sailing and beautiful scenery and no smog and no war machines overhead 24/7/365-- and where boaters are not an alleged threat to national security (as per thad allen, when he was commandant! of uscg.)

yes, i have btdt with baja naval-i have watched as they add 40,000 dollars, without a blink of an eye and without remorse, because the owner was stupid and left the boat in the yard's hands. lol...would have been only a coupla grand without his departure tax. go figgger--you only THINK you are getting a deal in baja naval, as the yards in dago are so very very outrageously priced. get out of kali and see how a yard should price their work. you will be incredibly surprised. but then in kali, only folks with boats are filthy rich and have nothing better to do than spend all their money on yard fees. baja naval is in direct competetion with the north bay san diego yards. highest pricing in usa. ask me how i know..i have only been on board 24/7/365 since 1990. i have researched yard pricing, and have received info from many sources.. good luck finding a respite on the west coast south of lost angeles.
cabrillo is the yard with eddies crane and lupe--they are good. i think they even upgraded the crane since i was there in 1990-1991.

 

[Rick D]

Great rant, Zeehag! Actually, I have known several people who have done work at Baja Naval with good results and no price grinding. I went over my list with them a few days ago and compared it to my last L.A. haul and it is a third less ($1000) and making it more attractive is that I can stay aboard during the work and save a ton on hotels. Now, all I have to do is line up crew which will be the deciding factor since there is no way my wife will let me singlehand down. If it falls apart, I'll haul at Cabrillo.

 

[zeehag]

cabrillo is a decent yard. i liked the folks there. they did good work.i lived in lighthouse yacht landings in 1990. lupe was young and funny as dickens--we would joke a round a lot--fun and smart in what he does. they did a really good job. still do. camellos used to be reasonable and excellent work, but i understand augie died. the kids do well--they were raised right.
the yards here want to charge 8000 dollars for a 2500 job in baja naval but in puerto escondido i get 3 months out and all th work done for 1300 dollars. cant beat that. good work and reasonable pricing not attached to sin diego. the farther one sails, the better the deals. just make sure the boat will make it to the yard ..LOL

the showers at baja naval are awesome--so are the folks--but isnt a lot of savings, when ye consider the trip isnt free.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

Zee,
I lived in Lighthouse too, 1987, first slip in front of the parking lot. In the winter the power would go out 10 times a night. By the time you got there I was down the road at Pacific Yacht Landing.

I think when referring to Cabrillo you really mean Cerritos. It's Cerritos with the crane from WW2 that has 'Eddies' hand painted on the side. The Cerritos yard is in the shadow of the Terminal Island drawbridge, Cabrillo Boat Yard is under the Long Beach side of the Desmond bridge in the vicinity of the Gambol yard.

Hate 'em all.

 

[Joe]

I must be living in a different San Diego.... I just hauled my boat this past weekend and found no problem with DIY in the two yards that I called... KoelerKraft in Shelter Island and Driscoll in Mission Bay. I chose Driscoll because it's right next door. I had to buy their paint....$175/gal for Interlux Ultra... a fair price.. plus they have a supply shed right there for everything else...with same prices as any local chandlery. The best deal is that if you don't use it you can return it for credit. So on Friday I checked out 2 gallons of paint and 1/4 gallon of epoxy primer plus a few other odds and ends. On Monday I returned one full gallon and about 1/8 of the other and half the primer I was given.... total cost with two lay days was $753 which included 2 lay days ($162). By the way, that amount was very close to the quote Driscoll gave me for a bottom job on my Catalina 27.

At Driscoll, if you're a tenant in one of the Mission Bay marinas you get a 10 percent discount off the bottom job. Plus, the yard doesn't charge lay days when they do the work, so the plan is to have them haul the boat on friday with final paint applied Monday morning and splash that day. Then you have the boat all weekend to tackle other projects. That's what the guy next to me did... and that will be my plan next time.

 

[CharlieCobra]

Jeesh, those yards wouldn't last a month up here.... Too bad it's such a tough sail up to the PNW from Cali or ya'll could bring me your boats, save some money and still be in the USA. South Alaska maybe but still the USA.