Well, it's been a journey alright...

[HenryFreeman]

So here we are on the 8th August 2023, only a mere 21 months since my boat went into dry dock to get repainted. In that time, the first boat yard managed to sandblast and apply a single paint of coat which, due to poor workmanship, subsequently had to be sandblasted off again and started from scratch. That took them from December 2021 to August 2022. I'm currently going through the courts to get my money back.

 

The second boat yard took my boat into their dry dock in February this year and despite being told April! No, May! No, July! I've just got it back, or will do tomorrow evening when I take it to the local visitor moorings.

 

Also in that time, I've gone from being a liveaboard boater to a land lubber. That's one of the most frustrating things about the whole debacle. I'm now living with my girlfriend, which originally was going to be a few months at hers while the job was being done and then back on the boat.

 

Through no choice of ours, we've been forced to move in together because I couldn't live on a boat with no windows or doors and while it's fine now and it's a fair that chance life would have likely taken us in this direction, I feel a little bit sad that the lifestyle was taken away from me due to the lack of urgency at both the boat yards. There is absolutely no excuse for the length of time it's taken and as much as I realise that things come up and in the case of the first boat yard who didn't have a covered paint shop - although they did have a polytunnel frame over the boat that was never taken advantage of - they were up against the elements at times, there were often weeks that went by, with perfectly fine weather, where there was absolutely no progress.

In some ways, it was lucky that they took so long because had I let them continue doing the work, having seen the quality of the single coat of paint they'd applied (I think many of you have seen the rust that had formed in some photos I've previously shared), I'd have ended up with a boat that needed repainting again and had to go through the whole rigmarole again.

And now I've got a second home that I'm not 100% sure what to do with. I guess it's a holiday home now. The whole thing has been incredibly frustrating and maybe I've had two poor back to back experiences with boat yards and every other boat yard has fantastic customer service. I get "boat time" and "mañana, mañana" but I've had the piss taken out of me for the past 21 months.

 

Unfortunately I've not had the luxury of just taking my boat elsewhere. I did that once (hence the second boat yard) and nothing improved. Plus I'm not in the position of keeping chucking money at boat yards to get it done and try to get the money from the previous boat yard later. Mates have kept saying "Well, why don't you do this or do that or the other" - what they fail to realise is I can't physically stick a paint brush in the hand of the boat painter and force them to do the work.

 

As annoying and frustrating as it's been, I'm over it all now, I think - boat yard two has done a really lovely job and I'm just glad that the end is finally here and I've got a lovely shiny boat that should hold up for years to come. I'll be off cruising this weekend and I can hopefully forget about the past 21 months in due course.

 

There's a few things that need finishing off - getting a sign writer to paint the name on the back panel (of which I'll be changing and of which I'm still to decide on) and a few things here and there as far as aesthetics go - maybe a few flourishes here and there on the gas locker lid, on the bow side panels etc. but no massive rush for those.

 

So this is how it's looking, if you care!

 

ps. seriously, are all boat yards this bad?

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by HenryFreeman

[Stilllearning]

No they're not all that bad. You have been unlucky - twice. Lessons should have been learned, so that you avoid future contacts with useless wastes of space. 

Don't hurry with your choice of name, but do pick a good sign writer, many members here will be able to recommend painters when you know what you want.

[HenryFreeman]

3 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

No they're not all that bad. You have been unlucky - twice. Lessons should have been learned, so that you avoid future contacts with useless wastes of space. 

Don't hurry with your choice of name, but do pick a good sign writer, many members here will be able to recommend painters when you know what you want.

 

I've a few ideas for names that reflect my experience over the course of the past year and a half, alas it references the boat yards and I'm not sure the CaRT would let me reregister my boat with the colourful language I'd use to describe them.

[Stilllearning]

41 minutes ago, HenryFreeman said:

 

I've a few ideas for names that reflect my experience over the course of the past year and a half, alas it references the boat yards and I'm not sure the CaRT would let me reregister my boat with the colourful language I'd use to describe them.

'Cunning stunts'?

[HenryFreeman]

Just now, Stilllearning said:

'Cunning stunts'?

 

Along those lines!

[Rob-M]

Canals do seem to attract the "it will be ready next week" mentality.  I always try to go by recommendation from satisfied customers when looking to get stuff done.

[magpie patrick]

2 hours ago, HenryFreeman said:

Also in that time, I've gone from being a liveaboard boater to a land lubber. That's one of the most frustrating things about the whole debacle. I'm now living with my girlfriend, which originally was going to be a few months at hers while the job was being done and then back on the boat.

 

Through no choice of ours, we've been forced to move in together because I couldn't live on a boat with no windows or doors and while it's fine now and it's a fair that chance life would have likely taken us in this direction, I feel a little bit sad that the lifestyle was taken away from me due to the lack of urgency at both the boat yards.

 

Boatyard hassle aside, watch this one - I've had it happen (for different reasons) in the past and know others have too. It should be a delight that you now live with your girlfriend if that's what you want and it makes you happy, but the thought "I wish I'd had my boating days..." can gnaw away. Don't lose the boating completely and don't let what has happened corrode your relationship. 

[Mike Tee]

I hope when the courts have finally done their thing, we will be told the name of the first boatyard so at least we have the information available to make a decision when we want work done.

[HenryFreeman]

7 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

I hope when the courts have finally done their thing, we will be told the name of the first boatyard so at least we have the information available to make a decision when we want work done.

Yep, certainly will do.

[roland elsdon]

Opposite to what we had last docking.

Cycled over to yard to check progress only to see base coat already on.

Cycled over48 hrs later to repack stern gland only to find boat floating.

I suppose given the yard owner was in the cottage adjoining ours we could have banged on the door to check progress first but he was working dawn to dusk.

That was 19 months ago and no the 2 pack is still well stuck on.

[Francis Herne]

With this type of post, I do wonder why it seems verboten to name names so the rest of us can learn from it.

 

Your first we'd all want to avoid; the second looks to have done a great job so perhaps a good choice if no rush.

 

In my own experience:

UCC and Candle Bridge at Braunston were both incredibly quick and helpful when fixing Lark up. Above and beyond.

 

The gas fitter recommended by the marina I would never go near again - charged for work I didn't ask for or need, skipped part of the job without telling me, and left the neighbouring boat in a seriously dangerous condition (gas leak into the battery locker, easily detectable smell of gas through the whole boat; what's "testing"?).

Edited August 8, 2023 by Francis Herne

[Arthur Marshall]

I've had one boatyard do a totally botched job , another highly recommended one take six months over a job quoted as three weeks and never properly completed, another equally highly rated leaving so many bolts out of a coupling it fell apart as soon he left and cost nearly a grand to fix, one do an exemplary rapid repair when a bit of the engine fell off, waited for a booked in one day job oil leak repair at another for two weeks who never got round to even looking at it, a perfect seal replacement and rebuild at another (engineer at Heritage) and a first rate resteeling at Stoke Boats. I could continue...

You've got away pretty lightly... most, I think, are pretty crap. I learnt a long time ago that if anyone does anything to your boat, be prepared to get someone else to come and do it again properly. And if an engineer has done anything , don't forget to tighten up all the bolts after he's gone, because at least half will be loose. Or missing.

I never bothered trying to get compensation. Life's too short. Damn thing still floats.

 

[LadyG]

It does not matter how simple the job, the attitude is get it running, get paid, leave.

I had a replacement solar kit, an upgrade, he had to remove the vhf aerial,  but did not replace. The solar cables were too long, he did not cut them, just left them dangling, did not connect the cables properly, and removed the top of some existing  trunking exposing more loose wires for no good reason. Pathetic.

I had a radio replaced, it works intermittently(loose connection)I had to push to get an aerial fitted, he would have left it without one, apparently people download music to a stick and stick it in the radio, so that I would not need an aerial!

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by LadyG

[cuthound]

One of the lessons I learnt from 20 odd years of shared ownership was to always try to use boatyards who have a hire fleet.

 

Whilst some are not perfect, they will have some understanding of what a sense of urgency is.

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

And if an "engineer" has done anything , don't forget to tighten up all the bolts after he's gone, because at least half will be loose. Or missing.

Fixed that for you. If the job was done by a proper Engineer (in this case it would more likely be a mechanic), you'd have checked and found it had been done properly. Sadly, however, the professional bodies in the UK allow the term "engineer" and "technician" to be used willy-nilly so the terms are practically meaningless.

[Mad Harold]

4 hours ago, Stilllearning said:

'Cunning stunts'?

'Sock Cookers'?

[blackrose]

That's why I try to do all jobs on the boat myself. Nobody cares about your boat like you do - even if you're paying them. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by blackrose

[Mike Todd]

23 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Fixed that for you. If the job was done by a proper Engineer (in this case it would more likely be a mechanic), you'd have checked and found it had been done properly. Sadly, however, the professional bodies in the UK allow the term "engineer" and "technician" to be used willy-nilly so the terms are practically meaningless.

Unlike on  the continent 

[Stilllearning]

51 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Unlike on  the continent 

Quite so, at least here. No qualifications, means no membership of a trade association and no professional insurance.

[Ewan123]

On 08/08/2023 at 15:49, HenryFreeman said:

 

ps. seriously, are all boat yards this bad?

 

No, you've had rotten luck by the sounds of it. We had our boat gritblasted and two-pack epoxied at Debdale Wharf. When they had to move booking dates around they offered (and we said yes please) a £500 discount if anyone was willing to move their booking by (if I remember correctly) a few weeks. I'm sorry that doesn't help you now, but at least they're a name to remember in future.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Ewan123

[fanshaft]

On 08/08/2023 at 15:49, HenryFreeman said:

 

ps. seriously, are all boat yards this bad?

 

 

 

No but you were lucky!  I took my boat to a well known and respected boatyard in 2014 to have a new steel cabin and engine room plus some hull work, and then engine re-installation, cabin fit out and running gear.  After two years the steel work was done to a very high standard  but no more could be done. So the boat then went to another well known and respected yard for completion and is still not finished after nearly  nine years - albeit the work again done to a high standard. 

[Alan de Enfield]

On 08/08/2023 at 15:49, HenryFreeman said:

ps. seriously, are all boat yards this bad?

 

 

No, some are worse.

 

I visited a boat yard to discuss having some work done, as I got into the 'yard' I saw a very large tracked excavator lifting a boat - nothing unusual except that it was on a 'single strap'.

 

He had got the centre of balance pretty well spot on but as he lifted it off the ground it broke its back and the two halves fell to the ground.

 

I decided to leave and find somewhere else to do the work.

 

Another example -  I was wanting an outboard for one of the trailer fishing boats and saw that a 'yard' had a Yamaha 50 for sale, went to view it and agreed to buy it subject to them giving it a service. Paid up.

Went to pick it up a few days later and it 'wasn't quite ready'.

Later that day I saw a friend and he proudly showed me his new Yamaha 50 outboard.

 

Long story short he had actually sold it to 3 of us (all in the same boat fishing club) The boatyard 'folded' a few days later and two of us lost our money. Others lost a lot more than we did (he had sold expensive boats and not given the money to the vendor)

 

 

Then of course there was the narrowboat salesman in Nottingham ...............................

 

A boat salesman was jailed for four years after netting £480,000 by cheating customers out of their vessels.

David Shakespeare once sent a dud £27,000 cheque when the company accounts contained only 85p, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Customers tried to claim cash from Nottingham Boat Sales only to find the Meadow Lane yard had shut.

He blamed flooding which hit the leisure boating business as well as costs in moving from Castle Marina.

 

Judge James Sampson told the 39-year-old: "You used money due to one customer to pay another. You were fobbing them off.

"You acted without a care for the impact on their lives and that impact was significant.

 

 

"This was clearly an abuse of trust. You relied on the historic reputation of the business and worked on a 'trust me' basis. It was a fairly sophisticated level of dishonesty."

Justin Wigoder, prosecuting, said the company acted as a brokerage and helped people who wanted to buy or sell boats.

It traded legally but ran into trouble in 2013 when it risked being wound up.

"Mr Shakespeare's initial response was to legitimately take out a loan which totalled £126,000, secured against assets. However that sum did not suffice so he turned to dishonesty.

"He secured a further loan for £140,000 from a separate company, using as security boats he did not own. They had simply been entrusted to his yard to be sold by him.

"When that amount didn't suffice, he turned to the straightforward theft of selling the boats and keeping the proceeds to himself," said Mr Widoger. Some of the cash was transferred to another firm.

One victim was pensioner Terence Emmerson, who arranged for the company to build a houseboat and later asked for it to be sold for £72,000. It was sold for £10,000 less than that.

 

It was discussed in this thread :

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately it is an industry full of fraud and deceipt, companies going bust and emerging again as a Phoenix company - this is why I always pay cash and 'take it away immediately'.

Edited August 11, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[MtB]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Unfortunately it is an industry full of fraud and deceipt, companies going bust and emerging again as a Phoenix company - this is why I always pay cash and 'take it away immediately'.

 

Whilst I agree with most of your post, I think "paying cash" is unnecessary, and possibly a mistake. 

 

If I find I am dealing with a charlatan, having paid by credit card gives me a far higher level of protection.

 

Taking it away immediately however, is I agree, essential.

 

 

[Quattrodave]

Not wishing to say anyone is right or wrong here, but there are 2 sides to every story.

 

A number of years ago i started doing some work for a new customer.  The first time I was on site all they did was slag off the previous company... The alarm bells should have been ringing, I soon found out why... the customer was a right pain in the arse, constantly trying to micro manage, constantly telling me how to do my job, even tho they had no idea, constantly changing their mind then accusing me of not doing what they asked & always trying to argue prices... They were not customers for long...

Edited August 12, 2023 by Quattrodave

[HenryFreeman]

24 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

Not wishing to say anyone is right or wrong here, but there are 2 sides to every story.

 

A number of years ago i started doing some work for a new customer.  The first time I was on site all they did was slag off the previous company... The alarm bells should have been ringing, I soon found out why... the customer was a right pain in the arse, constantly trying to micro manage, constantly telling me how to do my job, even tho they had no idea, constantly changing their mind then accusing me of not doing what they asked & always trying to argue prices... They were not customers for long...

 

Sure there is, but in this instance the only interaction I had with both boat yards is "that's the colour I want" and "is it done yet?". Didn't query the prices once.

 

Either way, is there an excuse for the first boat yard taking 10 months to sandblast (and consequently fill my boat with sand) and put a single coat of paint on it, of which had to be removed entirely and started again by the second boat yard? I don't think there is. A shit job is a shit job and they did a shit job and took their time over it.