Next message: Stefan Mochnacki: "lv-ab: A mystery solved."
Fred and Jeremy,
I am really not a cynical person by nature but I have to say I haven't met a boatyard person yet I respect or trust. Even the ones I like.
It isn't about the money either or at least completely. You can be throwing Rosepetals and $100. dollar bills at their feet and they still won't do the work.
We have been waiting four weeks to get a new muffler installed and the starboard carb rebuilt.
It just ain't happening and the marina where we keep the boat is such a fiefdom that other mechanics refuse to enter the yard without explicit permission from the yard owner.
Finally a family member who is a LandRover mechanic came out and helped us pull the carb off. We dropped it off for a rebuild and it is supposed to be done by Weds. (Yeah right! I have a better chance at winning lotto.
The yard mechanic swore he ordered the muffler and he will complete all the work Weds. I am buying a muffler myself so that he has no excuses and I am sure it will still not get done. Last year I slipped cash bribes to the guy all the time to get the work done. Now not even that works.
I wish we were better shade tree mechanics. I am a mechanical engineer. I can always tell when something is wrong and almost always diagnose it correctly but the fixing part is hit or miss.
I am planning on taking the motor repair class offered by the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla we belong to as soon as I can.
I also just need to have a bit more confidence. When it appears that the entire aft portion of the deck has to be removed to get the carb out I need to just say "How about that isn't that interesting!" rather than "No moron could possibly have designed it like that, this can't possibly be right!"
Plus when I talk to the parts house it is always a whos on first conversation where they never seem to answer the question I ask.
"What do you need to know to tell me which muffler I need?"
Parts Shop Guy: WE have an entire variety of sizes so it won't be a problem."
Me "Yeah but what do you need to know from me so that you know which muffler I need?"
Parts Guy: "We have every size in stock so I know we have what you need."
Me: "Ok which one do I need?"
Parts Guy: "Oh that depends."
Me: "On what?"
Parts Guy:"On which one you need!" I kid you not.
I will spare you the rest of the conversation but it took 20 minutes to get him to say I needed to tell him what size the exhaust in take was on the current muffler.
I know I have a lot to learn and we need to get more self sufficient but I work in the service sector making people like 3M and Chrysler happy. I just can't imagine that these boat guys get away with this crap all the time.
Climbing off the soapbox, rearranging my clothes, clearing my throat and thinking I really need a martini.
Hoping to Be Back Underway This Weekend
Mary
The Enchanted Wave
-----Original Message-----
From: "Jeremy Randall"<>
To:
Cc:
Date: Mon Jul 09 16:09:02 PDT 2001
Subject: Re: lv-ab: Boat Yard Blues
>I've found if you have *any* doubts when first contacting a yard, keep looking.
>I recently went looking for some engine work. One of the yards here flat out
>told me that, instead of fixing my engine problem, they could, and would, make up
>a story to get my insurance company to buy me a new engine.
>
>Another was happy to come to the boat and tell me an "approximate" price for
>engine work, but when I left a message asking for a written quote they didn't
>call back. I called again and the owner's wife told me her husband would "call
>back when he was ready to return calls." I called again the next day to check in
>and she screamed, "I told you yesterday he would call you when he was ready to!"
>
>If it feels fishy, don't trust your boat to them!
>
>Jeremy
>
>
>
>
> wrote:
>
>> I had my first experience at a boatyard recently. I did my own sanding &
>> bottom painting, but I had 3 specific services I asked the yard to
>> do/provide.
>>
>> When I was hauled, the same clerk who I made my appointment with was there. I
>> reiterated what I was expecting to have done. He made no comment.
>
>[snip]
>
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