The Ongoing Quest To Find Honest Marine Repair

About a month ago I ended up paying out over $5200 for repairs to my Exhaust Manifold/Elbow. OUCH- Turns out that because they used refurbished parts, the REAL BILL should have been much less. Then this unscrupulous company tried to collect another $400 after I paid my bill, saying they forgot to bill me for a part. BUYER BEWARE

And now for the good news:
I have been losing coolant resulting in my engine alarm going off on several occasions with an engine temp over 200. Obviously both times this left me powerless for about 15 minutes on each occasion as I immediately shut down and added coolant. A few minutes later, all would go back to normal - or so I thought.

I was very worried that the loss of coolant was the result of another major engine problem which was going to cost me thousands. AT LAST, I found an honest, highly recommended local mechanic who diagnosed the problem in 2 minutes time - a faulty pressure cap on my radiator. That was it. Nothing more. WOW- how nice to have an honest guy not milk me and make the problem into something else entirely.

I'm trying my best to educate myself on basic engine and mechanical stuff. I'm a great salesman, but certainly no mechanic. Just glad there are still honest people in the world and learning each day how critical it is to get personal recommendations when it comes to finding vendors in the boating world..especially in Florida.

Great post and very timely. Sorry you had such a lousy experience with the first guy. I'm frequently surprised at the lack of professionalism, accountability and valid written estimates (with appropriate amendments) in the marine repair industry. Every time someone else works on my boat, I feel vulnerable for a fleecing. Fortunately, it's only happened once. I vowed to make it my last, but we all know we have very little control over much of the process.

My temps have also been creeping on my port engine. Nothing over 195, but I'm used to 180. When I drop the RPMs from 1800 to 1600, it drops to 185-190. I also found some coolant in the pan, but figured I must have over serviced it. I was preparing to drop the HXs to look for blockage, but now I will race to the store to buy 2 new caps.

Does anyone know the specs for the caps for a Perkins 4.236? Is the cap pressure spec normally stamped into the cap?

A good, trustworthy, competent marine mechanic or service tech is like gold. Eric at Coeymans Landing Marina in New York for example. Now it's just too bad we live 1500 miles away in South Dakota and our boat will probably never see him again. (Hmmm, unless I fly him out here.. )

This has the potential to be a very valuable thread inasmuch as honest marine mechanics can be as hard to find as rocking horse crap.

I got the shaft from the marina where I bought my boat. They took 3 months to figure out why my engine was overheating. Most of that time was just me waiting for them to find the time to get to me. They finally figured it out, then tried to charge me twice for a bunch of things. Utterly useless buffoons.

The guy at my current marina had it figured out immediately. He's been spot on with his diagnoses ever since, and very fair with his prices. I trust him, and would do a lot to keep him around for a good, long while. If I could, I'd hire him to work for just me, so I wouldn't have to share him with anybody else. I'd keep him in a pot of good soil in my cockpit, and be sure to water him every few days and be sure he got lots of sunlight. He'd be very happy. Yes precious, very happy.

Honest Services and Repairs are hard to come by

Boat Mechanics and service people are not hard to find in Florida. Good, honest and reliable ones are. I owned and operated a repair and service business for 20 plus years and taught Diesel, Electronics and Mechanics for 17 years at tech schools.Years ago I had a sailboat in Florida and could not get down to work on it So I hired a recommended company to do the work. The mechanic assigned did a great deal of work. I asked him to meet me at the boat to go over the repairs. The Yanmar diesel on which he said he replaced a $300. stop solenoid does not have one. I asked him to show me where it is located. He pointed and said "Down There" I ordered him off the boat and took the company to small claims court. Our trawler developed a problem and due to back surgery I could do little. We stopped in Dana at a well known repair company that is highly recommended. An older mechanic came to give estimate. He started talking about some very expensive parts and repairs to be done. A young mechanic was sent to start by draining some fluids. I talked with him and discover he had attended a college where I knew the diesel teacher. I told him some of my past. He excused himself and went to the office. When he came back he told me he did not want to lose his job but that they had planned to rip me off. A few minor repairs and we were on our way. I know personally and have used the services of two technicians one in Marathon and one in Brunswick. Both are self employed and both are skilled mechanics that are honest men. PM me if you need their information. Hope this helps!

Another great guy is Tom at T-Diesel in Marblehead, OH. Straight shooter, and very accurate. We were in a pinch for time. Tom got right to it, and allowed for us to order and ship in our own parts to help expedite after advising us on what to look for. He had also performed our Mechanical survey, and spent a lot of time on our boat at sea trial. Never rushed us, and very respectful. Wish he was in Muskegon....

Autoteacher said:

...Boat Mechanics and service people are not hard to find in Florida. Good, honest and reliable ones are...

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We are in JAX and the area is blessed to have a couple of competent boat mechanics. One of them, Eric, who use to work at Huckins, is an absolute Boy Scout. We had a transient neighbor from up north with engine issues who I referred to Eric. When the job was done they wanted to pay me. I hear stories of the bad $100 plus per hour mechanics and cringe. Eric charges $65. Maybe that's why the guy is so busy.

FlyWright said:

Great post and very timely. Sorry you had such a lousy experience with the first guy. I'm frequently surprised at the lack of professionalism, accountability and valid written estimates (with appropriate amendments) in the marine repair industry. Every time someone else works on my boat, I feel vulnerable for a fleecing. Fortunately, it's only happened once. I vowed to make it my last, but we all know we have very little control over much of the process.

My temps have also been creeping on my port engine. Nothing over 195, but I'm used to 180. When I drop the RPMs from 1800 to 1600, it drops to 185-190. I also found some coolant in the pan, but figured I must have over serviced it. I was preparing to drop the HXs to look for blockage, but now I will race to the store to buy 2 new caps.

Does anyone know the specs for the caps for a Perkins 4.236? Is the cap pressure spec normally stamped into the cap?

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Al,
I replaced mine last summer in my perkins 6.354 . I'm thinking it was 7 psi but could be wrong .I know it was a low pressure . It was a little hard to find the right fit with the right pressure , but I found one at Napa .

Oh, Diogenes would be so happy with these honest mechanics - he could set his lamp down and rest for a while .. Great thread and info.

It's like any other profession, good and bad. I do look for certifications from manufacturers. In our case when in South Florida we've picked one major yard for everything. We know there are less expensive places but we also know they do their work well and stand behind it and we have an established solid relationship. When away from home obviously it's more difficult, but choose carefully and not by price.

Now, as to our responsibilities as customers if we wish to build more good mechanics. That is, when we find one, we don't quibble about every nickel and dime, we remain loyal to them, we don't jump around when we find someone willing to work for less. As a society, we've not shown we're willing to pay for service. So businesses seem to look for every way to reduce service. Gas stations were once called service stations by many until they all became self-serve. Yes, I know, not in New Jersey and Oregon.

Just please make sure you show your appreciation and your loyalty to the people who treat you right, including marine repair places.

I just got a quote from Cummins to tighten the fuel line that feeds the port engine. Their estimate is $1,800. No typo there.
See the thread with pics here : http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s6/cummins-fuel-block-20624.html
This was their quote, they did nothing unethical. Yes they're crazy but not unethical.

Wow! Did they give you any breakdown on how they cam up with that number?

I've said it before, the users of TF are not the typical boating consumer.

What we see in the marine world is exactly what has been going on in the auto industry for a looonnnng time.

I lived in cities just to close to the one mechanic I had found who was actually both competent and charged reasonalbe rates.

virtually all self employed.

Even today, we drive 6 hours and leave the Jeep at a guy in Maine because even i can no longer tell from the merely incompetent or the true thieves. So when I find someone who is neither, I keep him.

Greetings,
Mr. Wx. "...competent and charged reasonalbe rates...virtually all self employed."
EXACTLY!!!!!! Where ARE these people. In the last 30 years of boating I can recall only 5 or 6 mechanics who I consider reasonable and competent. I've been stung so many times for big $$ I'm VERY "gun shy" about employing anybody.
Most recently while having an engine serviced, I watched the "mechanic" attempting to remove an injector line by tightening the fitting (turning the wrong way) and on top of that I was charged (initially) for parts that didn't even belong on the equipment (Cummins parts for a Lehman?). Not the "mechanics" fault but it took 3 phone calls to convince the service desk that the closest Cummins engine was 1/4 mile away and was NOT involved with my Lehman in any way. Final bill still had Cummins parts on which I paid for simply to get rid of the "professionals".
Good mechanic=worth the $$ and usually less than the $100+/hr for the....(expletive deleted).
How about a "sticky" for good, reasonable, independent mechanics in various areas? Start with Ft. Lauderdale

Larry M said:

We are in JAX and the area is blessed to have a couple of competent boat mechanics. One of them, Eric, who use to work at Huckins, is an absolute Boy Scout. We had a transient neighbor from up north with engine issues who I referred to Eric. When the job was done they wanted to pay me. I hear stories of the bad $100 plus per hour mechanics and cringe. Eric charges $65. Maybe that's why the guy is so busy.

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PLEASE share Eric's number.

Well, we don't use independent mechanics and we still find very good service. In Fort Lauderdale there are plenty of boatyards that provide good service. So, I don't buy that they're all independent.

Now relating to Richard's post, I've never lived where there was a shortage of mechanics to choose from and I can see that as being very different. Probably much more hit or miss. I lived and boated on a lake with boat dealers and mechanics all around and easy to find out their reputations. I now live in Fort Lauderdale and it's the same way.

So, I don't share the anti yard, pro independent view but I also have never needed mechanics in areas where the choices were limited or it was difficult to find our reputations.

One thing I've also noticed is that there aren't many reviews of mechanics or boatyards available. I google auto mechanic in Fort Lauderdale and get a long list with lots of reviews. Try the same with marine mechanic, no reviews. Active Captain partially hits it as you see some mechanics in marina reviews. But perhaps another marker or layer would be nice to add as an enhancement with marine service providers, not just mechanics. But include canvas makers, upholsterers, mechanics.

I can go online and find out about service reputations of the vast majority of businesses but not marine mechanics and boatyards. The source of information there I use is professional boat captains. Just walk among them and ask.

for some..where they may take a 30-40 footer may be different than the 55 plus crowd.....for a lot of reasons.

Ziggy8321 said:

PLEASE share Eric's number.

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Eric Weatherly
New Point Marine
(904) 635-4044

New Point Marine | Jacksonville, FL 32234


Edit: JAX is unique from what I can tell. There are 6 marinas with in the "marina mile" which includes Huckins Yachts, Sadler Point Marine and Lambs which all offer full service. Competition is a good thing. This is a small local area so word travels fast and the last boating down turn seems like it took out the marginal guys. Besides Eric, there are other service providers from alternator/starter rebuilders to custom marine mattresses available in the area, all with good honest, reputations.

psneeld said:

for some..where they may take a 30-40 footer may be different than the 55 plus crowd.....for a lot of reasons.

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Very true, although sometimes people think places are only geared for larger boats when they aren't necessarily.

I was only half kidding when I posted that I'd fly Eric the Mainship mechanic from Coeymans New York to South Dakota. If I had a major repair to do, it would definitely be worth the plane ticket, hotel, and meals.

I once paid for the mechanic to drive 5hours one way to service my very sick 6-71. Turns out I dropped a valve. I motored 40 hours home on one engine. They met me a the dock on my return, had me rebuilt and back in the water in two weeks.
I have an outboard mechanic on Pine Is. Fla.
that is so honest it's almost scary.

The point is that there are good people out there we just need to be careful in our choices.

It is both an indicator and a downside of the competent and honest mechanic that he will be busy and you may wait. It`s possible the honest ones are even more motivated to get it right because they don`t let themselves fib their way out of trouble if things don`t go so well.
If you find a good one, pay him, when you get the bill. Anyone in business knows that confronted with 2 jobs, the better payer has a good chance of priority.

BruceK said:

If you find a good one, pay him, when you get the bill. Anyone in business knows that confronted with 2 jobs, the better payer has a good chance of priority.

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Pay him and also treat him well. Don't be a pain and make things difficult but make sure he understands you appreciate him.

Huckins Yachts here in Jacksonville (904-389-1125) has earned my repeat business. They are custom yacht builders, founded in the 1920s, and still in the same family ownership. They built up their service department as a strategy to weather the downturn in custom boat building. Not the cheapest, but we should be wary of the cheapest anyway. On-site ownership, conscientious staff, high-skill work, and prices that always leave me satisfied that I've received full value for my money.

Nearby Sadler Point Marina also has on-site ownership, a fine gentleman named Brooks Busey, and an excellent reputation. Sadler Point strives to be a "green" operation, environmentally conscious.

Slightly upriver, Lamb's Yacht Center has recently (spring, 2015) changed hands. Reportedly it has been taken over by a member of the original Lamb family, and one may expect good service and treatment.

All three of these yards are on the Ortega River, a brackish tributary of the St. Johns River just south of downtown Jacksonville. A bit of a run upriver from the ICW, but worth the trip.

My best experiences with marine mechanics have been when I hire a mechanic to help on a job and we worked together to solve the problem. I save on some labor, learn a few tricks, have some fun in the process and almost always learn something new about my boat.

If it's done right, you end up making a friend in the process.

I've been working for 6 years at solving this issue of finding quality service work. Sometimes, it's a local boatyard. But in other places, it's a guy who works out of his truck. That guy in his truck has an impossible time getting exposure. Pure word of mouth isn't enough - there has to be something more.

We're about to turn on 20 new categories of services. These categories list the places by lat/lon where service can be gotten. The businesses can be found by map viewing or by name finding. Every listing has reviews and ratings.

Here's the list of new categories coming online:

AC, Heating, Refrigeration
Bottom Painting
Carpentry
Canvas, Upholstery
Detailing, Washing, Waxing
Electrical
Electronics, Navigation
Engines, Generators : Diesel
Engines, Generators : Gas
Engines, Generators : Outboard
Fiberglass
Haul Out
Mechanical
Paint, Varnish, Gelcoat
Plumbing
Propeller, Shaft, Running Gear
Rescue, Salvage, Diving
Retail : Stores
Sails, Rigging
Storage

There is some overlap between categories. A single business can exist in multiple categories and you'll be able to get a summary showing their ratings in all categories they belong to. A boat yard, for example, might be in all 20 categories. A John Deere guy out of his truck might be in only 2 categories.

We've experimented for about 3 years with 4 basic categories (boat brokers, surveyors, transport/water, transport/land) to develop all the software and figure out what was needed. That all has been done and we're ready to move to the next level with all of this.

...and there's more categories coming after this too.

For those in Jax and nearby, a little further south on the St. Johns at Green Cove Springs (approx 20nm south from Huckins) there is Holland Marine. I have used them for work and Tom Holland has always been fair and honest with me as far as I have seen so far.

Before going to him I found a number of others's that had vouched for their work and honesty. Plus they can handle pretty much anything size wise I'd guess to about 65-75' with the travel lifts I've seen. One even can lift LARGE sailing cats that are WIDE.

Jeffrey S said:

That guy in his truck has an impossible time getting exposure. Pure word of mouth isn't enough - there has to be something more.

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I think any experienced independant marine service provider will tell you that word-of-mouth is the best advertising and in many, many cases, keeps the service provider as busy as he wants to be. You are certainly not the first to conceive of a centralized listing for marine service providers; I have listed my business on many of them. They bring almost no customers. Ineffective to the point that if they weren't free, I wouldn't use any of them. The bottom line is the best independants don't need to to do much advertising. They have as much work as they can handle without it. Don't get me wrong, I encourage your efforts and hope they're successful, although I have to say a listing of service providers where anybody can leave a review (whether they've actually used a particular service or not) is a potentially dangerous thing, and can do more harm than good to a service provider.

Jeffrey S said:

We're about to turn on 20 new categories of services.

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Hopefully, "Hull Cleaning" or "Dive Services" will be a separate, stand-alone category, as opposed to a subset of the "Rescue" category.

fstbttms said:

although I have to say a listing of service providers where anybody can leave a review (whether they've actually used a particular service or not) is a potentially dangerous thing, and can do more harm than good to a service provider.
:

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I have to say that comment is very true. I'm sure he will try to handle that appropriately. There is always the fear of the one unreasonable customer who has some sort of personal vendetta. However, as volume builds dilution takes place. I look at restaurant reviews regularly on google for all the areas we travel to. There are none that have averages of 5 but a lot over 4. I do feel bad for the restaurant when it's clearly very expensive but someone gives them a negative review saying the food was good but the prices were too high. They could have and should have looked at the menu before they went and would have known the prices. We'll see that on marine service providers where someone out of touch with what prices should be on a particular job writes and scores that way. If there are enough reviews it's easy enough to dismiss those that don't fit.

You even have sites for doctor reviews and you can look for consistent patterns. If there are 6 reviews and 4 say the doctor has a lousy bedside manner, you can figure he or she isn't very friendly. However, I saw one review where they gave the doctor a bad score because they didn't like where his office was located and the parking.

In your business I'm sure there are those who use the neighbor's kid to clean their boat bottom and suddenly go to a professional and then will write about the prices and perhaps even telling them they needed to replace their zincs and the kid never said that.

I've seen reviews on AC of marinas. The marina we left this morning had a 3 star review where the negative was that the marina would like you to make reservations before pulling in. So maybe they can assign a slip? Duh. Apparently when they just pulled in the marina wasn't prepared for them.