I'm totally exasperated

I bought a boat in Oct last year.
Immediately we put it up on the hard and had it winterized, Iowa.

Its at a city Marina and the contracted marina staff keeps telling
me next week for the sanding and painting.
Next week to fix a few minor problems
Next week to discuss davits, electronics, etc.
Its been next week since March.
Well, I finally said I want this stuff done or I will bring in my own
people.
He said they can't work on the property unless they have a $2 million bond.
He won't even put it in the water because he knows I will take it to
another marina.
What recourse do I have ?

A demand letter from your attorney might get their attention. But I'm a geologist, so what do I know.

The local sherif?
Just curious, what is the boat? You can always decline any repairs.
I'd find a way to get it out of there asap but that is just me. This time of year you are likely to run into trouble finding yards with any spare time so no matter what you do you will be waiting.
I'd never allow a yard to work on my boat if I have a lack of trust though.
Bruce

The weeks leading up to Memorial Day are some of the busiest in the marine industry. This is particularly the case if you are in a area that gets hard freezes through the winter. Everyone is jockeying to get work done before (sometimes after) launch. Boats are being launched. Things that worked last year, no longer work during spring commissioning. People procrastinate until spring to get work done. Then there is the always popular "Weather had been crap" excuse.

You can cancel work and get the boat launched, but I doubt you're going to get on someone else's list or be seen anytime soon this time of year.

1) Check with local companies. Many of them have the necessary insurance.

2) DIY. Sanding and painting is not difficult.

3) He can't hold you boat hostage for fear of loosing business.

The boat is a 3818 1988 Bayliner.
This was supposed to be my summer to learn to drive and live on
this boat for a 2018 Loop.

I think I'm going to try and start sanding the bottom and see
if that gets somebody motivated to start working.
I assume its time consuming and work but at least something
is getting done.
Anybody recommend a good dustless sander ?

I mean, I'm ready to spend $20k refitting and prepping this
project and they don't seem to care,, its always "next week".

I sure wish this crew came to my dental office, IT WOULD HURT

You can pay them for the work done to date, assuming some has been done, and have them launch it, also paying for the haul and launch. That's simple. Once paid they can't refuse to put it in the water.

As to the required bond, I'm sure there are those who do come into the facility and work. In fact, they often have a list. The yard we use does most of the work themselves but they have a list of Authorized Vendors (around 300 vendors) as well. The required bond is not unusual at all.

What "really" do you need to get done to start your learning how to pilot her? Maybe get her in the water, used to her and investigate all your other options along the way. Interestingly, some of those may change....then late fall, start your stuff

Good number of yards have crunch periods and we are in one right now. We generally put in service requests in December that way after break they can keep some mechanics busy.
Like others have said, pay them for what they have done, stop work order, and get it launched.

Mostly this summer I'd like to relearn docking, anchoring and going
through locks with wind and current.
I took a course in Jan at Southwest Yacht school on a 38 ft Grand
Banks twins. I learned a lot but just want to get back the feel
of handling.
ps great class with a great teacher Captain Chris.

One of the reasons we no longer have a boat!!! I got sick of "begging" for help when I needed it. Never seemed like I was the paying customer!! Forces you to do much work yourself but there are always things that need more expertise or younger muscle power. And for the record, I was not a PIA. I was reasonable with my expectations. They were just seldom met.

Show up a few minutes before closing time with a case of cold beer. Thank them for taking care of the boat over the winter, and ask nicely what would it take to get the work completed and the boat launched.
Tell them you were planning on a launch party, you have some friends coming in from out of town, and would like to nail down a specific week if possible. Of course, the maintenance team is invited for snacks and refreshments after the ceremony.

Reminds me of the closing vignette of A Year in Provence, the story of a British couple who bought a stone cottage in Provence and found that it took forever to finish the last 5% of work they wanted done on the house.

So they sent out invitations to a wrap up party for all of the tradesmen that worked on the project. But they sent it to their wives. It was finished in plenty of time for the party, and a good time was had by all.

David

Ha...great book there

Ch

I wish I would've thought of that in March.
Now,, I'm just pissed. The less I see of them the better.
As soon as that boat hits the water, I'm off to a marina
with better service.
I will bring in my own mechanic and be there when they work,
so if there any questions about bonding I will tell them he
is my assistant.

Well to add to your pain, our marina would not allow any outside contractors unless they carried $10M in insurance and paid a 20% cut to the yard!! Needless to say no typical contractor had the insurance, so the kick back was never an issue. Hope you have better luck. If you own a boat you are a target!!! I do not think there are any "self service" marinas left in the New England

I'd focus on how to get out of there. If nothing else, you are soured on them so nothing good is likely to come of the relationship at this point. Time to move on.

Sounds like a poor choice of yards or, in some way, you have not been able to get priority from them. I see by your post you haven't decided everything you want done even as you mention "fix a few minor problems" and "discuss davits, electronics, etc." Do you have a detailed and complete work order even in place? It doesn't sound like it. Seems that would have all been resolved between October and March. There should be a list of work and pricing of each item on the list, signed by you and by them. When you talk "discuss" the yard probably assumes that it's going to take time to figure out what you want exactly and the thing could drag out. Every yard has their peak times but with the yard we use, we would have given them a detailed work order in December for the work to have been done in January or February before they get busier in March. Sadly, the passage of time would concern me more as June to August will be their absolutely busiest time.

I think you have a few options.

1. Go talk to them politely and do a detailed service order with everything worked out (no discuss, all do...leave the discuss items until later) with pricing and then with that done get a commitment from them as to when it will be complete. You could facilitate this by reducing the order to what you feel you must have done to use the boat.

2. Take the boat somewhere else for this service.

I would make sure the running gear (props, rudders, shafts), transducers, and through hulls are clean and functional. Then pay your bill and have them put it back in the water. If they ask, tell them you will bring it back later in the summer when they're less busy. If there's any resistance, a letter from your lawyer should clear up the misunderstanding. While it would suck to pay for another haul out, I certainly wouldn't trust the yard where you're at. Most yards slow down after the spring rush is over. I'm sure you could find somebody who was hungry for work in late June.

Ted

Like most everyone has already said.....Cut and run! Cut your losses and run the hell out of there.

"What recourse do I have ?"

Truck it home to a yard you trust - in the long run it will be cheaper and you will be happier as well.
Good luck with the 38 - a great boat IMHO


If you have not visited the site already please check out the Baylinerownersclub for info on that boat.

"Anybody recommend a good dustless sander ?"


I have a spackle sander set up that utilizes a shop vac for vacuum and pulls it through a supplied 5 gallon bucket to separate out the dust in large volumes.
I use a heavy duty round DA sander with 60 grit - remove the dust bag on the sander and add the vacuumn hose from the sander dust collection bucket.
Attach the vacuum to the other port on the dust collection and turn it on and you can sand for hours before 'filling' up the bucket separator.
Has worked well for me over many years and boats - even though dust is mostly removed please continue to use a good respirator.

I would demand they launch the boat now. You can take care of the minor repairs later. This is getting into the prime season now. I wouldn't take no for an answer.

1) Make sure your yard bill is paid for winter storage fees
2) Paint your bottom, wax the sides. Take a vacation day or two if necessary.
2) Politely ask when they might be able to launch your boat

Have you already paid for a summer slip or mooring? Signed a contract? Note they can only launch so many per day and if you're no longer a member of the chosen a launch date may be weeks out.

If you are paid up, and don't have a contract, and they refuse to give you a date, ask them for the names of boat hauling services they recommend. Then make arrangements to get the boat trucked out of there to a facility that will launch it. Probably a lot cheaper and less aggravating than a legal approach.

Slippery floor? Debris on the ground?? etc... Get the picture!! With simple leverage a trade off could quickly become reality by talking with yard manager.

From what you have posted my guess is you will have problems and more delays until/unless you have it moved. The summer comes and goes soon and every week counts now as we get into the season - I am on LI sound as well. If you have a place that you know you can work with truck the boat there - I had trucked my 38 Bayliner each year for 4 seasons and one year twice to my home.
Easy to work and make time when you know and trust the yard or you have it home.

Chrisjs said:

Well to add to your pain, our marina would not allow any outside contractors unless they carried $10M in insurance and paid a 20% cut to the yard!! Needless to say no typical contractor had the insurance, so the kick back was never an issue. Hope you have better luck. If you own a boat you are a target!!! I do not think there are any "self service" marinas left in the New England

Click to expand...

Did find a DIY yard in MASS, reading the comments off a google search, so they are there.

https://activecaptain.com/quickLists/marina.php?name=Shaw's_Boat_Yard_Dighton_MA&i=1116162046

If it is a city marina they probably fall under some politico, find out who is their boss in city government and start hounding him or her.

As of right now, all bills are paid.
The slip is paid for and I informed them, that my slip should be prorated for everyday
after Memorial day my boat is not in the water. The manager agrees because she
is afraid to confront the head of the yard.
Trailing to another location is not an option.
My plan is to start sanding Memorial day and then if they still put me off, I will paint it
myself.
Politely have them put it in the water but find another yard for the rest of the refit.
Later, go to the City manager who has the contract with the head of the yard and
ask them to find someone else to run the place. I'm a newbie but I've talked
to other boaters and they all find similar problems with this guy.
His bully attitude of , I will do it on my time, is poor business and maybe if the
city realizes the city could make more revenue with a more customer friendly
manager.

Stuck in Yard

If they give you the excuse that they are booked "several weeks out" for launching I would get my attorney to send then a letter demanding a launch on a specific day based on the fact that they are not getting work done as contracted. Before you start sanding the bottom yourself make sure that they allow DIY work at the yard - many do not. As for the insurance issue I know of no marina or yard that allows outside contractors to work on the premises without proper insurance. This however should be no problem for established marine mechanics.

I do not know Mass but there are a number of yards in Ct , the Ct river and up the Hudson that are friendly to DIY's as long as you are reasonable.

FWIW - if the person at the City Yard has been there a long time I have found these small towns to be problematic. The person may be very imbedded there are extra complaining may be a poor direction. Perhaps learn the lay of the land before going overboard and becoming a further 'victim' of this garbage.
You being happy is paramount and it is unlikely to happen there.