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Old 01-05-2019, 06:41 PM   #1
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You Get What You Pay For

A new customer asked me to inspect the work her previous dive service had done a week earlier.

https://youtu.be/mSdRfASiDGc
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Old 01-05-2019, 07:47 PM   #2
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What alerted the customer to seek a "second opinion"?
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Old 01-05-2019, 07:50 PM   #3
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What alerted the customer to seek a "second opinion"?
She had asked (via text) the other diver when he had last dived the boat. Something about his answer and the timeline he indicated didn't sit right with her. So she asked me to have a look. She was mostly concerned that he hadn't replaced the anode he billed her for. Turns out he did do the anode replacementt, but the rest of the job, not so much.

She's my client now.
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:05 PM   #4
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Reminds me of a guy wrapping dock pilings in our neighborhood. Charged 100 bucks or so per piling. But he only wrapped the top part. Not all the way to the sea floor. And you are supposed to pressure-wash a few inches below the sea floor. I have wrapped our pilings correctly, and when I heard he finished in 1 day I was skeptical. Dove a neighbor's dock and sure nuff, 2 - 3 feet of bare piling. Not very effective. And... his cell phone apparently doesn't work.
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:44 PM   #5
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I don't think it's necessary a matter of price, but it's a matter of managing the work and making sure that any contractor you use does the work you're paying for. We completely trust our bottom cleaner but we have someone on site when they do the work and we always inspect it afterwards. We want to know any issues and the state of the anodes and the bottom paint and prop speed.
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Old 01-05-2019, 10:01 PM   #6
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We completely trust our bottom cleaner but we... always inspect it afterwards.
I'd say that indicates that you don't trust your bottom cleaner.
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Old 01-05-2019, 11:03 PM   #7
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I'd say that indicates that you don't trust your bottom cleaner.
If he didn't trust his bottom cleaner, he wouldn't let the diver near his boat. I always check my bottom after the diver cleans it, why wouldn't you. There's almost nothing I don't check after I pay someone to work on it. In the immortal words of president Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verified ".

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Old 01-05-2019, 11:11 PM   #8
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I'd say that indicates that you don't trust your bottom cleaner.
In the aviation business the phrase is......"Trust...but verify"!!!!!
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Old 01-06-2019, 01:56 PM   #9
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In the aviation business the phrase is......"Trust...but verify"!!!!!
In business, my wording was to "put anyone beyond any accusation or suspicion of impropriety." If we're there or check, then can't come back later and say problems are due to something the diver did or didn't do. Our divers have commented that they wish everyone did as we do. Divers in South Florida get complaints often a couple of weeks later that they must not have done their job when all that happened was new growth happened. Also on haul outs, divers get negative comments made when they also have done their work well.
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Old 01-06-2019, 02:17 PM   #10
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In the aviation business the phrase is......"Trust...but verify"!!!!!
Same attitude in the nuclear power world![emoji848]
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Old 01-07-2019, 04:57 PM   #11
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Seems like a video overview could easily be delivered with each job. It only added two minutes. Verification accomplished.
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Old 01-07-2019, 06:13 PM   #12
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That's Nothin'!! I did a sea trial on a boat that had a couple of years of "monthly" cleaning. Boat would not run. Hauled it and there were dime sized barnacles covering the props and rudders.

Diver was summoned by phone to the boatyard. Owner and diver had words. I believe some cash changed hands. Heard it was a good bit of cash.
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Old 01-07-2019, 06:56 PM   #13
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Seems like a video overview could easily be delivered with each job. It only added two minutes. Verification accomplished.
My diver shoots about a half dozen before and after stills that he sends along with the email bill. Big help in determining anode replacement, paint's remaining life, and any other issue.

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Old 01-07-2019, 07:01 PM   #14
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I'd say that indicates that you don't trust your bottom cleaner.
Trust, but verify.
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Old 01-07-2019, 07:05 PM   #15
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Some of us have GREAT divers and some don't. I'm fortunate. My guy is very reasonable, does good work and he's paid instantly often with a tip when he completes the bottom.... BUT, I will inspect with my hooka.

He'll occasionally miss a few things but overall a great value and that's the point. Plus he'll replace zincs as needed almost free.

If ya got a good one, take care of him.....(her)
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Old 01-07-2019, 07:07 PM   #16
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I had a really nice experience in November. My diver had cleaned the boat about a month before and replaced the zincs, all but the transom bonding plates. His report was that she was good to go, didn't need a paint job for at least another year, paint is three years old. There were two areas to comment on. The first was right at the front bottom of the keel where the paint had rubbed off (wonder why ), and the other a little nick out of the port prop, but nothing to cause any issues.

Mid November I had her hauled to have two through hulls put in for my watermaker. As part of the haul they pressure wash her. When she was lifted they looked at her and told me the boat did not need the pressure wash. I then inspected her, paint was great except for a foot or so on the bottom of the keel forward. And yes, there was a little nick out of the prop, bent back by some pliers!
Put the bonding plates on while she was out.
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Old 01-07-2019, 10:11 PM   #17
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The way I heard it is...

You get what you inspect, not what you expect.
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Old 01-07-2019, 10:46 PM   #18
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If someone wouldn't mind to say; what is a typical charge for a diver to clean and inspect a bottom? How is the cleaning done, by using a power washer? Being from an inland waterway area I am not sure anyone offers this service in our area, even during the summer months. Just curious, Thanks
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Old 01-08-2019, 12:55 AM   #19
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If someone wouldn't mind to say; what is a typical charge for a diver to clean and inspect a bottom? How is the cleaning done, by using a power washer? Being from an inland waterway area I am not sure anyone offers this service in our area, even during the summer months. Just curious, Thanks
Actually we found a diver who came out on Pickwick and I suspect you can get one where you are. Not needed often but still nice to do.

It's done by a diver using soft brushes if you have it done frequent enough, not scraping. In South Florida every three to four weeks depending on time of year. This winter we continued at 3 weeks rather than changing to 4. Divers also check anodes and clean metal, which in our case also has a coating on it.
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Old 01-08-2019, 05:07 AM   #20
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Thanks BandB. Do they normally charge per foot or per hour. I would imagine hourly at least the first time, not knowing how bad it may be. Can you tell me how much is customary in your area. I had it hauled in the spring of 2017 for new bottom paint but nothing since then. I am sure it will be a while to clean it underwater. Thanks
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