Annual Maintenence

Mickey said:

I keep the boat in a slip I own. (That's how this all started: bought a condo that came with a slip.) I have no place to store a trailored boat since my town does not allow boats or trailers of any kind on private property. This is the spring detailed invoice:
Remove and sispose of shrink wrap $55
Wash, clean, wax hull $308
Bottom painting $352
Install Zincs 6@$14=$84
10059A Zinc Anode Kit $62.50
Reinstall batteries 2@37.50=$75
Recommisiion Engine $100
Outdrive Mounting Kit $10.50
Reinstall Canvas $120
Clean and Paint Outdrive $155
Service Outdrive $150
plus tax and misc. items

I don't even know what these things are, or even if I have 2 batteries. And what's a zinc?

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These sound like reasonable full service prices to some? Wow, I want to open up shop near you guys. I see that it includes servicing the outdrive but nothing about servicing the engine. MAYBE that's recommission engine...

• Remove and dispose of shrik wrap -$55? Reasonable? Uh, no. 10 minutes worth of work... Where can I get a job charging someone $300 per hour?
• Wash, clean and wax - $308? Not horrible, but there are certainly better alternatives even if you pay someone. I am guessing that since you are bottom painted that you don't have a lift. Too bad...
• Bottom paint - $352. Can't comment, I don't bottom paint.
• Zinc - $146.50 for parts and labor... Probably right inthe ballpark. Are they really that bad after one year...?
• Renstall batteries - $75??? See removing shrink wrap. Rediculous!
• Recommission engine - $100. If they are chaning the oil here then good. But what are they doing?
• Outdrive mounting kit - $10? What boat part can you get for $10?
• Reinstall canvas - $120? SERIOUSLY??? Charing for something that they took off in order to service the boat? This is OUTRAGEOUS!
• Clean and paint outdrive $150. Seems high. Again, I don't leave my boat in the water for full seasons so I can't really comment.
• Service Outdrive - $150. Yeah, OK.

Just my thoughts. Sounds a little high to me....

I'll let you use my boat twice a year for $3300!

Mickey said:

Remove and sispose of shrink wrap $55
Wash, clean, wax hull $308
Bottom painting $352
Install Zincs 6@$14=$84
10059A Zinc Anode Kit $62.50
Reinstall batteries 2@37.50=$75
Recommisiion Engine $100
Outdrive Mounting Kit $10.50
Reinstall Canvas $120
Clean and Paint Outdrive $155
Service Outdrive $150
plus tax and misc. items

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None of this looks too outrageous, but I would say that the assessment by unlvrebel is about right. Some of these costs should have just been "included" in a package instead of nickel and diming you. (i.e. like removing shrinkwrap, installing canvas, etc).

Recommission Engine? Not too sure either unless they filled your water passages with anti-freeze in the fall, and then emptied & flushed them. Perhaps this included an oil change, fuel filter, etc? (Should have been done in the fall). Did they pull the outdrives before shrink wrapping? Maybe that would explain the Mounting kit and "service outdrive"

This list contains many things that people do themselves (i.e. wax, replace batteries, install canvas, etc). Also, most folks don't shrink wrap, but you can do that if you wish. It would save you some money to just store it with a cover and not shrink wrap (there are pros & cons, and either way is fine).

But either way, you could get this cheaper if you just paid as a package. In other words, work with somebody, and ask them to perform all these things for a set price - i.e. pick up the boat in the fall, change fluids, wax it, store it, and then commission it in the spring. You don't even need a dealer - you might want to find a friend that can do the work.

Mickey said:

I don't even know what these things are, or even if I have 2 batteries. And what's a zinc?

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A "zinc' is a type of metal and is a really a "Zinc Anode". It's a long story, but metal and water don't play very nice, and this mix will cause metals to corrode. So they mount sacrificial zinc anodes, so that these will deteriorate and not your boat. Google it for more info.