Puzzle me this: Marinas, Boat Yards

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Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
I read over what I wrote this morning, and through that rambling diatribe don't think I expressed my point very well. (I've gotta quit thinking at 9am, and go back to my 3am schedule). After all that, we are just that busy. WAY busy, and have been for some time. It truly is not like we are an arrogant bunch of snobs, that will only work on your boat if you are affluent enough, or whatever. I don't think I personally have given it much thought if the customer is a female or not. Or any personal body description. I do like Neils advice on the yard, that is very close, we WILL eat your donuts, haha.
But I'm going on again. When time is tight, and for a looong while I was humping it seven days a week. Wife RAISIN' hell about why I don't "retire". Again. So a lot of times it just boils down to do we have time to do it. 10% maybe. It's like being the neighborhood cat fanatic that wants to take them all home and feed them. It cannot be done. Pick our battles maybe? I guess. After a whole lot of very grim jobs, or dealing with some undesirable people, we're now "profiling"....:D

Another thought. Sometimes, I would rather deal with the misinformed, as opposed to the opposite. I've got a guy now, that all he knows is, he wants water out of the bilge. Period. Knows nothing about a pump, wiring, nothing except how to turn the switch. So in goes the pump, done the very best that the job can be done, and a lot of times call yer buddy over to just give it a second pair of eyes, so that it should not fail for any known reason, the owner could not diagnose the problem. And I get to do it without explaining every heatshrink I made. The end. It doesn't muddy the waters for the job.

And women in particular? Scum of the Earth. (NOW somebody's mad). Haaha, you gotta be kidding. Again, I don't know about everywhere else, but around here, the women have generally got the smart market cornered. Yep, we're country boy and civil, but some owners of the XX chromosome persuasion know exactly what they want. Not a problem. My wife when she walks into a conference, a lot of people sit up straight.
And when she walks in here, I do too..

(That was supposed to be funny. I promise it's rarely personal).
 
Feb 21, 2008
418
Hunter 33 Metedeconk River
I used to be a busy professional but still found time to work on my own boat. It got to the point that I didn't know what was more fun.....sailing or fixing (upgrading) something up.
You can be a terrific sailor, know all about setting the sails, navigating thru mine fields, but if you can't diagnose your boat when something is not right, you are going to be in the biggest trouble. Working on you own boat helps you learn the systems, track down the cause of a problem and fix it yourself. The information that the posters offer here is most valuable and interesting. Even the Admiral, over the years, has started calling this site "ask all sailors" instead of "assho-- sailors". LOL.
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,970
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
The chip on your shoulder showed up clearly from the get-go and is continually reaffirmed. That yard guy is a smart man.
 
Aug 10, 2013
32
Cal 2-25 aka 25 MKII Portsmouth
@getinthere


Point proven. I have a chip do I? Had I never addressed the disperate treatment issue and just *****ed about service, no chip right? Never disclosed my gender, you'd have shrugged, felt my pain, and moved on.

Thank you for proving my point.

To all the others: you sailors are good eggs. Thanks for the commentary.
 
Aug 10, 2013
32
Cal 2-25 aka 25 MKII Portsmouth
I did bring it up. Because its a problem. And it doesn't mean I have a 'chip'. Seriously - you sound ...... Stupid.
 

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,717
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I think you misunderstand the industry. You have a boat worth at most 3K and want 5K of work done. Who is going to do that work and hope you will pay when you get the bill?
 

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,717
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I never accused you of having a chip. All I said was that the only post here that brought up gender was you. Why is that "stupid"?
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Peace Brothers. Women and people of color are very sensitive to discrimination and with very good cause. A tall good looking man in a coat and tie and a high school education will get more respect than a black woman with a PhD in engineering. I know that as a fact because I have seen it.
 

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,717
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I never brought up gender as an issue,nor would I. I wonder why it was brought up to begin with.
 
Aug 15, 2012
301
Precision 21 Newburyport MA
Just out of curiosity, are you locked in to have the boat yard do your work? Ask around and get recommendations from people who have had work done to their boat. For example, I have one friend who hires a team that comes to his house and does bottom paint when the boat is pulled out. I'll probably have them do my boat next year.
 

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
927
Macgregor 22 Silverton
...no droids here..
"I never brought up gender as an issue,nor would I. I wonder why it was brought up to begin with."
People sensitive to discrimination have been discriminated against by people who do not see them selves as discriminators and others.
What bugs me however is nobody on this site is able or will name a specific shop close to Portsmouth near you to try. posted after #70
 
Feb 16, 2011
227
Macgregor 26X Michigan City, IN
I'm not so sure that gender is the issue. I think the issue is being an attorney in an adversary-based system. If I were a yard - I would not want an adversarial attorney's business - too much risk of being litigated. Remember the dry cleaning business in the DC area that got sued over a pair of pants? :D

Court rules for cleaners in 54 million suit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/25/AR2007062500443.html

I never brought up gender as an issue,nor would I. I wonder why it was brought up to begin with.
 
Jan 22, 2008
880
Fed up w/ personal attacks I'm done with SBO
NH,

I have three questions at this point (75 posts in):


  1. What is your sailing/boat ownership background? I make no assumptions re: newbie, old salt or somewhere in between. That's why I'm asking.
  2. Do you feel this yard has an obligation to you? If so, how are they obligated?
  3. What do you need to happen to resolve this to your satisfaction?
 
Aug 20, 2010
1,399
Oday 27 Oak Orchard
Just one question and one request. Why do you want a paint job? More often than not the gelcoat will be thick enough to buff out. The request is; could you flip your profile photo?
 
Nov 19, 2011
1,489
MacGregor 26S Hampton, VA
Wow.

I work on mine because I can't afford a new one and refuse to pay dregs to do half as work. I'm in the same boat (pun intended) in that I clean up my professions messes for a living. I can't think of but a couple customers of mine I would allow in my home. The rest of you are stuck with the roll of the dice.

I call my wife Admiral because she deserves the respect of being the one who I aim to please. Yes, I do the grunt work and I skipper the boat, but I do it for her.

Some of this work is therapeutic. It's an opportunity to learn something new and take pride in ownership. Some of it, you should hire out. Each of us have our limits. Fact is, sailing is cheap, owning the boat is the expensive part and is not an entitlement. I'm on the edge of not being able to afford it, but I am not sure I would enjoy too many other hobbies.

There's a lot of help here that costs nothing. Establish what needs done and throw it around here for a while. You may find many here actually know more than any boatyard and may very well have found an easier, yet better option.

I'm pretty sure there is no one here selling anything that would influence their suggestions. Keep in mind, many products do not actually have to be marine. You already know the ink that spells marine on a package somehow triples re cost if the part. In bother cases you better use a proper marine part
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,139
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
1. ACE Hardware is one of my favorite marine stores.

2. Never buy a battery from WM. :)
 
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