Starter discussion from Roger Long's page

Dec 8, 2006
1,085
Oday 26 Starr, SC
Maine sail,

I would post this as reply to your post on Roger's thread about starter but it touches being political.

You said, "They've been good to me but IMHO Gary is a little over worked and Rick probably needs to get him some help... "

Boating is seasonal and sailboat owners for the most part are cheap. They are that way because they like the low cost recreation after they buy a sailboat. Contrary to the pictures in magazines and articles in magazines, most of us sailboaters sail on the edge of finances.

So for the mom and pop operations serving us, doing business does not bring in big bucks. Today, good technicians can get big bucks and benefits at the high dollar yards. Or employed in a less seasonal business.

Getting extra help randomly when work all of sudden accumulates can be more expensive than you imagine. Owners of such business typically put in many, many hours when business is busy. But that business occurs for limited times. If they hired someone for three or four months then let them go even though they were doing good job, they would have to pay more into unemployment funds, etc.

Getting temporary extra help has many hoops, hurdles and red tape. Not to bring up subjects of additional liability insurance and defending complaints or lawsuits generated by such employees.

Even Roger may go back and stir the pot...

We all know now that Roger found a good place. And we should all keep a record for future use even though we are 500 miles away.

In my travels both by land and water I have been fortunate to find many traditional honest competent mechanics or technicians. Yes, they are still around. But with increasing governmental interference and rules and litigation many who could, say why bother...

These forums help find those like Roger found,

Ed K
 

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Feb 6, 1998
11,667
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Maine sail,

I would post this as reply to your post on Roger's thread about starter but it touches being political.

You said, "They've been good to me but IMHO Gary is a little over worked and Rick probably needs to get him some help... "

Boating is seasonal and sailboat owners for the most part are cheap. They are that way because they like the low cost recreation after they buy a sailboat. Contrary to the pictures in magazines and articles in magazines, most of us sailboaters sail on the edge of finances.

So for the mom and pop operations serving us, doing business does not bring in big bucks. Today, good technicians can get big bucks and benefits at the high dollar yards. Or employed in a less seasonal business.

Getting extra help randomly when work all of sudden accumulates can be more expensive than you imagine. Owners of such business typically put in many, many hours when business is busy. But that business occurs for limited times. If they hired someone for three or four months then let them go even though they were doing good job, they would have to pay more into unemployment funds, etc.

Getting temporary extra help has many hoops, hurdles and red tape. Not to bring up subjects of additional liability insurance and defending complaints or lawsuits generated by such employees.
Ed,

You probably should stop making assumptions, of which you've made many, most of which are incorrect. This business has as little to do with "seasonal" marine work as a Dairy Queen in the desert...

It is an AUTOMOTIVE & TRUCK electrical, general and radiator repair facility. A "portion" of the business is alternator and starter repair. I am one of their bigger marine repair customers and I am pretty small. The vast majority is automotive, industrial and truck starter and alternator repair. In Jan Gary was swamped with a bench stacked three feet high with starter and alternator repairs. Not a single marine unit other than the unit I dropped off. It was one of about 100 repairs waiting to be done or about 1% of Gary's work load. In Jan, in Maine, boats are on the hard all covered up... They actually get pretty swamped with starter rebuilds in the winter due to cold temps and lack of available cranking amps. The boating season is not necessarily any busier for them, per conversations with Gary.

IMHO and why I mentioned it, and because Gary has mentioned it to me, Rick has a number of employees there who already who could lend a hand. My statement of "get him some help" did not mean "outside" help, just to perhaps use what he has there more efficiently.

Also please note that I prefaced my statement it by using "IMHO" (in my humble opinion) and used the term "probably" when referring to Gary's help..

Each time I am at TC there are often employees just milling around or standing in the doorway smoking butts while Gary busts tail all day. He also comes in on weekends when they are closed to try and catch up.. Gary learned his trade on the job as could one of Ricks other employees who are often to be found smoking butts or chatting up/distracting Gary while he continues to do his job. Rick also does these repairs, and lends a hand when he can, but he is very busy running the business. My comment was not meant as "Rick needs to hire more employees" but just as I wrote it "get Gary some help." This help is likely available without additional payroll. He has a few guys there, ALREADY ON THE PAYROLL, that could likely fit the bill and perhaps make his payroll & business more efficient.

Even Roger may go back and stir the pot...
You tend to like to stir the pot and find arguments where there are none. I would remind you that "pot stirring" for the sake of "pot stirring" is not acceptable behavior on these forums. We call it trolling....

We all know now that Roger found a good place. And we should all keep a record for future use even though we are 500 miles away.
Yes Roger found a good place and had one bad experience with another. I am in Rick's place close to weekly and have not yet had a single issue. I would not want to suggest that Twin City is "bad" because of one bad experience... Mistakes happen even at the best of shops.

In my travels both by land and water I have been fortunate to find many traditional honest competent mechanics or technicians. Yes, they are still around. But with increasing governmental interference and rules and litigation many who could, say why bother...

These forums help find those like Roger found,
Again I would still stand by Twin City and I will continue to use them. If you want to discuss the "political angles" of being a small business owner we have a forum for that. Rick is very honest and a straight shooter, as is Gary, and neither of them are the types to intentionally leave out a brush kit or charge you for one then purposely not install it.. They clearly made a mistake, that can and does happen, or this was a communication error. They have sourced me "parts" that even Torresen, Hansen Marine or Westerbeke have claimed are no longer produced or available. These guys have saved my customers thousands of dollars by being able to do so..

I would ask Roger if he has the invoice for the rebuild and if they charged him for the brush kit or not? If not then it may just have been poor communication. If so then it certainly could be from Gary being overworked and forgetting to put the brushes in and thinking he had. I am not going to make assumptions as to what happened just that it did. Roger had one bad experience I have had many, many, many good ones...
 
Dec 28, 2009
397
Macgregor M25 trailer
Well put Maine, to many people expound with out facts and just selective reading posts.

Fred Villiard
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,667
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Well put Maine, to many people expound with out facts and just selective reading posts.

Fred Villiard
The problem is I was responding to Roger, it's why I quoted him. Roger has been to the shop and understands the layout and how the place works so I would "assume" he would get where I was coming from. As such Roger could take my comment and probably understand it, but others clearly not.
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
Ed does have a nice American flag on his posts though.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Here in Florida boating is seasonal, it only lasts 12 months. I thought the busiest time for boat mechanics up North is in the winter and spring when boaters are getting around to complete projects they were to busy to do while sailing in the summer. With gasoline at over $4 a gallon I don't see them big spenders filling their $800 tanks for a couple of days outing. We sailors support the beer industry what more do they want. It is true that government regulations and liability issues are driving away our best mechanics..... We call them Doctors down here.