Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities?

[LennyD]

Like the title says are there actually any people or places that "do the right thing"?

I mean like I can not seem to have found anyone in many years who as a rule does not rip you off, put you off till they feel like doing the work, fail to return calls due to hang overs and drug binges, really know WTF they are doing, actually care if you get "wet" again in a reasonable amount of time, lie, cheat, bait and switch, fail to honor their estimates, and just honestly give a damn about making you happy.

It seems even the seemingly most sincere people lie right to your face, and then expect you to believe whatever BS they throw at you as to why they can not do a simple job till the end of the season, the price is 3x what they quoted, it took 4 hours to find the motor had no spark (or whatever other simple diag etc), your new whatever needed to be replaced, and all the other BS we all have heard before.

Even the people I know personally who actually are honest (with me at least, I wont say more lol) are about as reliable as a politicians promise to put the people first etc

Is it the industry itself that causes this problem? Have all the good, knowledgeable and honest people moved on to non seasonal businesses? Have I just not looked under the right rocks?

Those who know me will point out that I do much of my own work, and much as this is true it did not start out that way and it is a result finding all the wrong people, and honestly should those who do some of their own maint expect to be treated poorly or receive sub par work?

Years back I thought that I needed to use larger more expensive yards/dealers, but quickly found that the only difference in the ones I tried to give business were just more expensive (sometimes) and ultimately more difficult to deal with.

So whats your trick to getting good service, in a timely manner, and at a fair price?

Sorry for the rant, but had to haul my boat this week for some repair and the $50 overcharge from the quoted price on the phone just sent me off the deep end :wow:

 

[comsnark]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

$50 overcharge?

Pfft. If the overcharge doesn't break $500, I wouldn't notice.

I had some notable problems a few years back. This year, I had to get a new PWC mechanic, due to lack of response despite a 5 yr working relationship.

 

[annie]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I know how you feel.... I got ripped off by a "friend" who owns the marine engineering workshop i used to work for! I ordered risers x2 @$250 a piece with gaskets and got a $850 bill!
When questioned I was told that freight had added to the bill. Needless to say I won't deal with them anymore.
I'm sure it's the same over there.... You need to take what they are saying..... and double it!

 

[Paulkarlsven]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I probably should abstain from this thread but I would have to answer NO!

 

[sporters78]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

sorry to say but NO, sometimes they start out good but if you can do the work yourself and shop around for a parts

 

[JediJD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I worked my way through undergrad and grad school turning wrenches, and developed a genuine appreciation for the industry. I'm not sure that the problems are sloth or intentional incompentence. I think the issues are unrealistic expectations and free markets. In my marina alone, there are probably 50 or so models of boats-covering probably four decades-plus PWC's. There isn't enough of a market to support any "specialists", so we end up with well intentioned general practitioners...few of whom are candidates for Mensa. They only have so many hours a week, and for every hour of complimentary diagnosis and good will, they have to make up the lost revenue somewhere...or go without. Tools, training, employees and regulations are frighteningly expensive and for every LennyD that wants quality work at a fair price, there are a dozen others looking for shortcuts, just trying to just get by. Mechanics have a tough row to hoe, and I simply have very low expectations for results. Even the three legged stool rule...price, quality and timeliness-pick any two...seems to be a little optimistic in the marine environment (perhaps we get only one).

 

[fwebster]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

We live in a marine area loaded with boat yards , dealers and repair facilities. Here, the trick, if there is one, is to build a relationship with those who work on your boat. Treat marina personnel like friends instead of servants. I know all the mechanics in the marina by name, I ask about their kids, wives, parents and dogs, so now they are more my friends than service personnel, and the same guy has worked on my boats for the last 20 years These folks don't ever set out to cheap someone, but you have to look at it from the other side of the table.........you ask for a quote on a repair, the mechanic can't get 1/2 the bolts out because of corrosion. Somebody's gotta pay for the extra time and the marina didn't give you a warranty when they gave you the quote,so a few $ more than a quote is reasonable provided there is a reason.

Another trick is to keep the engine spaces on your boat spotless. Mechanics hate getting greasy when they work on boats, and a dirty bilge tells them "You don't care".

One final point is that if you let $50 on a repair set you off, then you need to consider giving up boating as a hobby and take up kite flying.

 

[Summer Fun II]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

Well said Frank. My mechanic Mikey has treated me very well over the years. :thumbsup:

I knew that he loves Arby's roast beef sandwiches so when he worked on my boat .

Guess what Mikey had for lunch on me. A little kindness & personal feelings goes along ways. :smt001

 

[Steve S]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

One final point is that if you let $50 on a repair set you off, then you need to consider giving up boating as a hobby and take up kite flying.

Shoot - $50 could just be misc shop supplies - rags, fluids, a bolt or two - a small piece of hose. Frank is right - that is nothing in the grand scheme of boating and if that set you off...

 

[MonacoMike]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

Frank is dead eye on target, as usual, this has little to do with mechanics and all about human relations. I feel for the folks traveling that have to always inlist the help of strangers for their support. As for your regular service, get to know them. This IS NOT A ONE STOP ENDAEVOR! First find folks that are reputable to others. You may full retail plus for several visits but work on the relationship aspect NOT PRICE etc. Make offers when you can to give them flexibility in timing. These things go a long way in the relationship part of life.

As for over-runs, my guys that service for me let me do some minor stuff myself in their lot. I recently needed to drill 4, 1/2 inch, holes through the galvanized trailer crossmember and aluminum load guides and spacers. It took 4 hours of exausting back breaking work! The owner laughed and said " if I told a customer it took 4 hours to drill 4 holes they wouldnt beleive me". And this was with proper tools and expert guidance. the point is: the marine environment is unusually tough and the unexpected is to be expected. MM

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

$50 overcharge?

Pfft. If the overcharge doesn't break $500, I wouldn't notice.

I had some notable problems a few years back. This year, I had to get a new PWC mechanic, due to lack of response despite a 5 yr working relationship.

$50 was sort of like the most recent last straw. I have had the customary $2000.00 add on in the past too. That one almost got me some serious trouble because when I found that my newly installed rebuilt engine was full of rust and tapping away like a diesel and the marina claimed it was OK and nothing they could do for it I damn near lost it completely.

Dont get me wrong I have friends who have been soaked $40K, but for me that is a lot of cash, and also four times the amount I have seen offered to hit men on all those cop shows

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I know how you feel.... I got ripped off by a "friend" who owns the marine engineering workshop i used to work for! I ordered risers x2 @$250 a piece with gaskets and got a $850 bill!
When questioned I was told that freight had added to the bill. Needless to say I won't deal with them anymore.
I'm sure it's the same over there.... You need to take what they are saying..... and double it!

It is funny you mention exhaust because when the original rebuild was done back in 05 the knucklehead that referred to himself as a marine mechanic (really just an old arse marina owner that owned some wrenches I later learned) refused to remove the manifolds from the old engine. So I advised him that I had ordered a pair of aftermarket ones in (the risers were nearly new and re used), but somehow he misunderstood me and was having a fit that he was stuck with $800 for the ones he ordered which were the same ones I got for $350 delivered.

I mean WTF was this guy thinking.

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I probably should abstain from this thread but I would have to answer NO!

It somehow sounds like you would be a proper member to commiserate with lol

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

I worked my way through undergrad and grad school turning wrenches, and developed a genuine appreciation for the industry. I'm not sure that the problems are sloth or intentional incompentence. I think the issues are unrealistic expectations and free markets. In my marina alone, there are probably 50 or so models of boats-covering probably four decades-plus PWC's. There isn't enough of a market to support any "specialists", so we end up with well intentioned general practitioners...few of whom are candidates for Mensa. They only have so many hours a week, and for every hour of complimentary diagnosis and good will, they have to make up the lost revenue somewhere...or go without. Tools, training, employees and regulations are frighteningly expensive and for every LennyD that wants quality work at a fair price, there are a dozen others looking for shortcuts, just trying to just get by. Mechanics have a tough row to hoe, and I simply have very low expectations for results. Even the three legged stool rule...price, quality and timeliness-pick any two...seems to be a little optimistic in the marine environment (perhaps we get only one).

I will admit I am not a certified mechanic, but I learned a lot when young at my dads body shop and various racing ventures and even did work in the field as a professional during a similar time as yourself so I know my way around internal combustion engines pretty well.

That experience alone allows me to respect these guys who have to deal with marine engines and the cramped areas they are shoved into etc, but that is quickly lost when you realize that your master mechanic is charging you full yard rates to try and figure out simple issues, or trouble shoot and test via the replacement parts method due to not having proper testing equipment or the skills to use them anyhow.

This has gotten so bad that I am seriously considering getting into the business. I mean the money is fair, and it would seem if you could provide one or two of those other legs it could be great.

I keep having this business model running in my head that is reinforced every time I deal with another damn marine mechanic or repair facility that those with the means would gladly spend to have a pleasant experience that included be treated like a respected customer, getting timely repairs, reasonable estimates that closely matched the work and price, and ultimately getting what they pay for.

Maybe I have spent too much time involved with supplying service in own career that I just can not accept that things are so bad in the marine industry.

One thing is for sure is that if I had quoted one of my larger customers one price, and then demanded another that was nearly three times more I would not have that customer, and very likely my job either. Still this crap is common here, and almost expected. Wow.

Now to be clear I do have friends in the industry (brokerage, marina owners, mobile mechanics etc) so I do have a pretty clear vision of what they go through. Customers who tell them one thing, and then freak when they see the bill and claim they never requested it, or people wanting to buy used parts through the mechanic and then have him warranty the repair etc etc etc.

So I do know that it is a two way street, but when you ask how much to do X job and they say or quote $100 it should be $100 and not oh well my mentally challenged mechanic screwed this or that up and it was about to fail anyway so we had to replace that, and they had a hard time removing the two bolts so we are now looking at $700. It is just not right, and not what you hired them to do.

Of course all of this is assuming that they actually show up and do the repair before the season ends, or then they just assume you wanted them to winterize it too and add another 500 to the bill.

Or better yet like one of the guys I know well did with mine, screw up the one part of the engine accessory that he actually installed (I did the rest) that creates a serious vibration that he then plays off as being electrical related (miss etc) and after being convinced that was not it attempt to have me replace every single item relating to mounting or the drive which leads to losing another season before he gives in to me and I disassemble everything so he can lower the boom on his fork truck to pull the engine from the boat so he could scratch his head when the bellhousing was removed and just like I said the damn flywheel was installed wrong.

Yea that was my fault I guess so guess who expected to be compensated for his time? WTF

Maybe I should just name my boat WTF as it seems to sum up the experience lately

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

Shoot - $50 could just be misc shop supplies - rags, fluids, a bolt or two - a small piece of hose. Frank is right - that is nothing in the grand scheme of boating and if that set you off...

Well if I did not start to relate some already I would have answered you got to imagine what I have been through leading up to it!!

The only really sad thing about the haul was that I did get along with the original owner who was a great guy who really did not fit into this rant on the others in the business, but sadly he passed away and is now hauling boats up in the sky.

In all fairness the guy who did the actually work seemed pretty much on the level and the problem was one that came down from the top.

But really where does it end. I mean with all the money the various thieves have hit me for I could have damn near purchased the boat when it was new. Maybe if we were to have a season for these guys like we do for deer or ducks etc LOL

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

Frank is dead eye on target, as usual, this has little to do with mechanics and all about human relations. I feel for the folks traveling that have to always inlist the help of strangers for their support. As for your regular service, get to know them. This IS NOT A ONE STOP ENDAEVOR! First find folks that are reputable to others. You may full retail plus for several visits but work on the relationship aspect NOT PRICE etc. Make offers when you can to give them flexibility in timing. These things go a long way in the relationship part of life.

As for over-runs, my guys that service for me let me do some minor stuff myself in their lot. I recently needed to drill 4, 1/2 inch, holes through the galvanized trailer crossmember and aluminum load guides and spacers. It took 4 hours of exausting back breaking work! The owner laughed and said " if I told a customer it took 4 hours to drill 4 holes they wouldnt beleive me". And this was with proper tools and expert guidance. the point is: the marine environment is unusually tough and the unexpected is to be expected. MM

Have to agree and relationships are truly important in any aspect of life or business, but it is just hard to establish good ones when like yourself we are looking to do some work ourselves, and either can not or will not allow these guys an open check book.

I also agree with the owner that I can not believe it took you four hours to drill a few holes in steel, but I do know that for around $50-80 I could have got you some drill bits that would have cut three hours off that time

An honest question. Would you think $440 for drilling some holes to be a fair price? That is the min that time would equate to locally without any padding on the time, or charges for the $8hr guy that broke four drill bits doing it.

BTW I have drilled though a few trailer rails in the past, and they are a pain and so much more so with a dull bit.

 

[jason78]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

All I have to add to this thread is- there is a small clickable box to the bottom right of each post that has a "+ icon.

If you want to respond to multiple posts, click this icon on each post you want to respond to. Then click "Reply with Quote" on the last one and you can respond to all in a single post.

Good Luck with your situation.

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

All I have to add to this thread is- there is a small clickable box to the bottom right of each post that has a "+ icon.

If you want to respond to multiple posts, click this icon on each post you want to respond to. Then click "Reply with Quote" on the last one and you can respond to all in a single post.

Good Luck with your situation.

That should be a big help, Thanks!!

Also thanks for the kind words on my situation, some good luck has been way over due.

I guess I should have hinted to some of the problems I have had during my 6 year repower in a little better detail (actually thought I did, but either was imagining it, or messed up the reply) as this latest $50 is a drop in the bucket (as many have suggested lol).

Still the idea of the thread was more about the problem with finding a place that offers good work, fast turnaround, affordable prices, and good customer service than my personal disaster with trying to find a place like that.

I will post in more detail later, but for now just consider last time I tried to total things up (it is difficult with so much going on and so many years) I came up with approx $9K and 6yrs for dropping in a rebuilt 7.4L that cost $3100 delivered, and that was over a year ago.

Have to assume we all know that there is going to be additional parts needed when ever doing a job like that, but this is getting ridiculous dont you think

Plus I did not add in all the small few hundred here and there for the guys who did work that was not authorized with the excuse it was needed to give a price on straightening things out back in the early stages of this fiasco.

Had one local large marina tie my boat up for nearly three months to do a valve adjustment only to find a bill for $300 for diagnostics (I hired them to set the valves, not find any problems) and an estimate of $500 for the adjustment and also another $700 for replacement of some of the brand new items just installed. Guess I should expect to only see a few months from a new starter, and another $700 to replace it.

Shame is a few years earlier the same place installed the same starter in another boat I owned at the time that was 10x harder to get to for only $450 and it was an OEM part.

Maybe I should share the whole horror story, but that will only help other members to avoid places, and none of us will learn of any good ones.

 

[Scupper Guppy]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

................if you let $50 on a repair set you off, then you need to consider giving up boating as a hobby and take up kite flying.

That's right. Boating is a luxury, and bears a luxury price. Besides, $50 over on a PHONE estimate is good.

 

[LennyD]

Re: Are there any honest, competent and affordable marine mechanics/repair facilities

Oh stop with the $50 already LMAO

With all the comments on $50 being no problem I am thinking my idea of getting into the marine service business may be a better idea than I thought.

If so many are happy to be overcharged nearly 40% what you were just quoted for a simple job this may be a great way to earn a living.

No wonder most of the bigger guys around here live on million dollar waterfront estates. Wow that $50 must add up

All joking aside I agree boating is a luxury, but that does not give anyone in the business a license to steal.

And since most haulers charge by the foot (and then the mile if longer distance) this is just inexcusable to me. I mean what was the unexpected extra they needed to deal with? Maybe just that even though I had scheduled the haul well before Irene was a named storm they still felt the urge to gouge me? Cant be sure but point remains that it seems impossible to find a good source for marine maint. and repair.