Good Diesel Mech in Tacoma area

[Bongi]

Team, I have a Cat 3208N which needs an excellent "contortionist" capable diesel mech to get our oil cooler off and serviced. We recently brought our boat down from Anacortes area to the Tacoma Narrows area.

Don't know if I even needed to add the word "contortionist".. heck its an engine room, so what else should we expect.

Seriously, some diesel folks are simply a cut above and I am looking for one of those - else this will take way more hours than it should.

Any recommendations from the larger Tacoma, Gig Harbor and possibly Olympia area you folks would recommend?

 

[NWboater2]

Hey just went thru this. Might’ve gotten more replies on the main forum. Not sure if they’d move it.
I used Tacoma diesel for cooler service and was happy with the work. Found the name Kraken on this forum, talked to the main guy who was going to call me after the new year. Never did; Didn’t respond to follow up email. Won’t try again. .
Good luck!

 

[Bongi]

Hi NW Boater… thanks for the reply, I was able to get the job done well by a young startup mech named Andrew Maclenachen. He has worked for a number of years at Cummins and in the aircraft industry - so understands and operates with the added skills that industry demands. Andrew, though newly minted into the marine industry is a boater livaboard himself and was superb at what he did on my boat.

He was very well equipped; his skill and talent was obvious and I was impressed.

https://www.tacomaims.com/home

 

[Bongi]

… just for more context, Andrew rebuilt a very hard to get to oil cooler on my Cat 3208N. This required use a some specialist mech tools I did not have and some youthful agility and strength. He was a pleasure to work with. Hope this helps.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Here in the midwest it is not so much finding a good diesel mechanic it is finding one who will come to the boat to work. Most will charge portal to portal (door to door), add a truck charge and milage. Gets expensive. The same goes for marine electricians.

Don't get me wrong. I was in the medical field and would occasionally respond to emergency house calls, usually no charge for emergencies. Routine calls like changing a Foley or a dressing change would be portal to portal at my normal pay rate, around $100 an hour.

There are many things which need to be done on a boat that do not require the skills of a $2000.00 an hour expert. But sometimes finding a capable "grunt" to change out some 8d's or need an extortionist can be just as hard to find.

pete