From: gerard@progress.COM (Gerard Bras)
Subject: Re: Boat Yard Rip Off
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 14:24:42 GMT

STU@mwvm.mitre.org writes:

>Well, the #$@%$& found some minor corrosion on the strut - and rather than
>brazing on a $5 repair (approved by the supervising surveyor), they told
>me I "had to build a new one."  I declined to approve the extra time and
>money - and they went ahead anyway!
> 

Seems to me you don't owe them a dime for work you told them not to do.
This is a pretty independent mined yard!

>The surveyor examined the old strut in detail, deemed it fit and suggested
>I keep it as a spare.  Sort of like a spare left arm - very useful if you
>need it, but an unlikely need!
> 

Keep it as evidence in case the whole thing ends up in court.

>While the strut was out, I asked them to test the fuel tank.  It was installed
>flat against the bottom of the hull and had some wear and a minor (2 cc/month)
>leak.  I expected them to spot/weld a patch, but - no - they epoxied on
>some crap to seal the leak.  Naturally, the surveyor disapproved the repair.
> 

Let me tell you a story.  Last year my aluminum diesel tank developed a very
small leak.  With a great deal of effort I got it out and took it to a
yard that builds aluminum boats to be welded.  This yard was highly
recommended by a local machine shop.  Anyhow, after I put the thing back
in it still leaked.  At this point my water heater (Hi John) was back in
and I really didn't feel like ripping my boat apart again.  Soo... What
I did is just slap a Bond-Aid patch (prepacked epoxy and glass) on the
site adter giving it a quick acetone wipe.  It has held beautifully for two
seasons now, never leaking another drop.  BTW, the patch was applied with
the tank full of fuel.  The moral of the story is to not
be too down on this piece of work,  it's not as lousy as it sounds.
 
>At this point, they said I needed a new tank - what ever happened to good
>quality welding?  They finally decided to weld on a new bottom for the old
>tank.  More extra money down the drain for no added value.  Again, I had
>disapproved the repair and the surveryor said it was unneeded for safety but
>...

This yard must really need the work to go to this length to establish a bill.

>years ago.   The first welding jerks, just off the sidewalk, welded with mild
>steel welding rod - big mistake.  I asked them to re-weld the area with
>stainless/heli-arc - a conservative technique approved in advance by the
>surveyor.  They refused, put more epoxy on the mess and failed the survey.
> 
>Then they tried to weld it and burned a hole in the muffler.  At this point
>I told them to put it back together and give me the boat.  They refused.
> 
>I authorized the installation of a plastic water lift, approved by the
>surveyor and far safer than stainless steel (I believe and he confirmed).
>The shop refused saying that the original boat was equipped with stainless
>and plastic was far less expensive, thus not as good.
> 
>My lawyer (I hate lawyers more than boatyards - but want the boat back),
>said to pay them what they ask by credit card - and protest the charges later
>to the credit card company - after I am safely away under sail.
> 

Everybody thinks lawyers are scum until they are in trouble.  Then, all of a 
sudden, they're not such bad people.  Lawyers didn't invent the legal 
system, we did.  Your lawyer is giving you pretty reasonable advice.
Be careful though that you don't end up with a lien on the boat.  You
may just want to grab the bull by the horns early on and get this resolved
to everyones satisfaction.

>I hate to hurt a boat yard - they have really done nice work for me in the
>past - but they seem to be quite unfair this time - and I want the Shearwater
>back so I can depart on schedule.
> 

I don't know what to tell you.  My advice is get the boat to a different yard.
Personally, I don't deal with the kind of yard that wants to be the general contractor.
I do mostly my own work and hire out individually the jobs I can't or won't do.

>they have had her a week and a half - that is probably enough time for any
>reasonable activity.
> 
>I'm not really expecting anything profound - just wanted to vent my anger.
> 
>Thanks for listening.  /Stu
Newsgroups: rec.boats