Pointy Hair Boss is the Boat Owner
Guy drinking coffee is the Boatyard Manager
Guy drinking coffee is the Boatyard Manager
Haulout Backburner Hell
- Thread starter SailMaster
- Start date
I have decided that people who work themselves often fall into 2 categories, those who have high standards and want to make sure that the job is done right and those who can't get hired by anyone else. Marina's can be especially frustrating because you're often stuck with whatever marine services are connected to that marina. Sorry to hear you're having to stay on top of them.
Perhaps choosing a bit more expensive and busier yard would actually work out better. They usually want you in and out ASAP so they can move more boats through the yard.
The smaller, cheaper yards often procrastinate to keep boats in the yard, hoping for additional jobs to come up and have less competent employees (or subcontractors).
The smaller, cheaper yards often procrastinate to keep boats in the yard, hoping for additional jobs to come up and have less competent employees (or subcontractors).
Situation is this: Local Marina with a small haul out area. I choose this one as my engine was locked up and it was the closest place to be towed to for a haul out and repower. Or so I thought. Service manager said to come on over. He made no indication that they were overworked and understaffed. We arrived on April 19th.
After having an anger melt down last week, they are finally getting their act together. I am at work all week and hope to show up on Friday and find an engine sitting in place and at least half way completed.
Getting my surveyor involved was a help as I have a tendency to lose my temper when dealing with gross mismanagement.
After having an anger melt down last week, they are finally getting their act together. I am at work all week and hope to show up on Friday and find an engine sitting in place and at least half way completed.
Getting my surveyor involved was a help as I have a tendency to lose my temper when dealing with gross mismanagement.
Our Surveyor has recommended a yard that is about 30 miles away with an excellent reputation. When he said it would be a bit inconvenient and out of the way, I looked at him and said, "There is nothing more inconvenient than dealing with morons for 4 months"
And there is nothing more expensive than dealing with people who do not value your time.
1996: old 10HP Faryman (already rebuilt once ,) finally blew at mid-May haul in. one local yard X claimed it had 'Yan mar certified technicians.' I ordered a new 2GM20F (through family business) drop shipped to yard X. dropped by a week later, my new engine was sitting out on their receiving dock in the rain. tech went in and ground off old solid fiberglass engine beds unevenly, left was 1 inch higher than right, engine and p shaft would never align properly with that big difference. tech was perplexed when i asked to see his engine install mockup box for his alignment . (recommended, per my Yan engine install manual which I had ordered.) i asked to see his copy of engine install manual, tech said it was in the office. went to office, met yard manager, asked to see yan install manual : 'we don't have one.' Q;" how many new diesels has D installed ?" " yours is the first one." " no, it isn't. " Rx: My boat was towed out of there to another much busier yard where it waited June till Sept. for a new engine. but that engine was installed right.
Update: We purchased a Yanmar 3HM35F. This caused a stir and the yard decided that it's '83 yr old mechanic" did not have the ability to install it. They decided to try to move this forward by finding an outsourced mobile guy. I hired him and made the mistake of giving him a deposit so he could have mounting brackets made. He did start working on the bilge clean up and assessing cockpit drain issues. "We have water leak issues during rain. But now we are at a stand still again. Evidently due to his now not showing up due to other projects that he is working.
In the mean time the yard has actually started moving forward on the bottom job and rudder work that I had ordered.
Boat US Consumer Affairs has been following this thing since I blew my stack back in August at the yard. I am on the fence about calling my lawyer to start sending a "Wake Up Letter" to this engine guy. He has now been delaying things for another 3 weeks now.
What would you do?
In the mean time the yard has actually started moving forward on the bottom job and rudder work that I had ordered.
Boat US Consumer Affairs has been following this thing since I blew my stack back in August at the yard. I am on the fence about calling my lawyer to start sending a "Wake Up Letter" to this engine guy. He has now been delaying things for another 3 weeks now.
What would you do?
call a tow service and get your boat out of there ASAP to a competent yard. that's what i had to do. i prearranged with the receiving yard what their availability and labor rates would be for a new engine install. i then made an appointment with the manager at incompetent yard #1 without telling him what it was about.. i knew they weren't working on my boat at all since one of their yard techs drinks a lot and broadcast that at the local bar. at that appointment, i handed the yard manager a letter outlining my issues, and stating that i would have BoatUS tow there in an hour to tow out my boat -- with its new engine and all the parts they had taken off the boat loaded back on to it. And i would supervise the load and tow. (there were items like an old but usable undersized bronze thru hull, etc. that i wanted to keep. i also wanted to make sure the boat still had all the electrical etc. that it came in with. ) It might be best in your case to call ahead and get a current bill and status for the rudder and bottom work they claim to be doing. (They have a right not to let your boat out of their yard till you pay the charges due. if you have to pay for something , do so by a check stating PAID UNDER PROTEST written on the item line.) I'd go in person to make sure the new engine and rudder went with the boat.
I agree with MitchM about moving the boat to a competent yard. I would ask for a bill itemizing all work done, including launching boat ready for removal. Once amount is agreed to I would arrange to give the yard a certified check once I ascertained that all items are present and the boat was in the water.
The "engine guy" sounds like an incompetent. Do you really want to continue with him?
The "engine guy" sounds like an incompetent. Do you really want to continue with him?
Oh trust me, I plan to terminate the relationship. And then I plan to put a very bright spotlight on these people when I am out of there.
What I would like to know is WHY, do marine industry customers lack the balls to report yards like this to the public after a bad experience. Look at Active Captain, Google reviews, Cruising Guide, etc and there is NOTHING NEGATIVE about many of the places I know are manned by slackasses. Moving on and forgetting after being screwed by some of these outfits only hurts all of us.
What I would like to know is WHY, do marine industry customers lack the balls to report yards like this to the public after a bad experience. Look at Active Captain, Google reviews, Cruising Guide, etc and there is NOTHING NEGATIVE about many of the places I know are manned by slackasses. Moving on and forgetting after being screwed by some of these outfits only hurts all of us.
I love your choice of a cartoon. It sounds like a few stories we have heard from our members. I am very sorry for your pain. Please keep us informed as to how this story plays out.
Here is an update.
- Engine is installed. Minus the electrical harness and one cable. We are waiting to sea trial the installation.
- But now we have serious paint damage due to their putting us on a hurricane damaged dock. Amazing.
Have a look:
I will start making additional videos regarding this case. Name of the boatyard / marina will be kept private for now.
- Engine is installed. Minus the electrical harness and one cable. We are waiting to sea trial the installation.
- But now we have serious paint damage due to their putting us on a hurricane damaged dock. Amazing.
Have a look:
I will start making additional videos regarding this case. Name of the boatyard / marina will be kept private for now.
When was the video made? What month does it show? What is the timeline of this whole saga? WHY are you still at that marina??? Is this still the incompetent company? If so, WHY is your yacht still in the hands of these incompetent people? Why are you allowing your yacht to hold up their dock?
Do you see how this is confusing?
If your boat is in the same location as last July, sooner or later, someone must ask why you have not taken action, whether you are complicit in your victimization. I know you owe me no explanation or answers. I hope you find relief from this situation soon. For me, I would have hired a tow, moved my boat, and had the job done right, right away, or I would have done it myself. Maybe those options were not possible for some reason for you. I can understand if not.
Do you see how this is confusing?
If your boat is in the same location as last July, sooner or later, someone must ask why you have not taken action, whether you are complicit in your victimization. I know you owe me no explanation or answers. I hope you find relief from this situation soon. For me, I would have hired a tow, moved my boat, and had the job done right, right away, or I would have done it myself. Maybe those options were not possible for some reason for you. I can understand if not.
The video is back up. It appears that You Tube needed to verify something on our account. You can plan on seeing other video's of this yard's work.
To answer the questions from Andrew, this boat was placed on that dock after they put her back in the water on Wednesday. That video was shot on Friday. The boat is being moved to a stable dock on Monday.
The yard is a joke, no doubt. However, I work a full time job and travel. Hence I have been a bit trapped by total lack of execution on a repower job that has taken them waaaay too long.
Now at this point, the service manager has come clean and admitted that they owe me a paint job. You can bet we will have an attorney working with me from this point on to unravel the travesty and make sure I am done right for once.
To answer the questions from Andrew, this boat was placed on that dock after they put her back in the water on Wednesday. That video was shot on Friday. The boat is being moved to a stable dock on Monday.
The yard is a joke, no doubt. However, I work a full time job and travel. Hence I have been a bit trapped by total lack of execution on a repower job that has taken them waaaay too long.
Now at this point, the service manager has come clean and admitted that they owe me a paint job. You can bet we will have an attorney working with me from this point on to unravel the travesty and make sure I am done right for once.