eek - lift out costs - variations

[Amwris]

Hi

just organising the survey for NB Tomorrow

I was amazed to be quoted 340 plus vat for lift out and refloat at one yard and a phone call to another I was quoted 175 plus vat for the same service. talk about variation !

 

Phil

[GSer]

IME Boatyards that have their own cranes are the cheapest, after that when the yard has to hire a crane in, costs are often quoted according to how many boats need the service on that day. I tend to use either a slipway or a drydock cos they are handy and cheap, the local boatyard that cranes boats out only hires a crane once a blue moon.

[Maverick]

Last year I watched a friends 25 foot narrowboat dragged out up the slipway by tractor and trailer. This took about 10 minutes in total.

 

It was then powerwashed off by a lad and given 2 coats of black then lowered back in the water.

 

£250 was the charge. I'm all for boatyards making a living but is this really justifiable? The lad was on £5 per hour wage.

[Amwris]

Thanks for that folks.As was suggested the difference was down to one yard owning its own crane. Would it be more sensible if I booked the boat in for a reblacking and the surveyor did his thing before the paintjob on the understnding that if the boat failed its survey (?) I would pay the yard for their time and use of the dry dock. What do you think?

 

thanks for your help on this BTW

 

Phil

[chris w]

Last year I watched a friends 25 foot narrowboat dragged out up the slipway by tractor and trailer. This took about 10 minutes in total.

 

It was then powerwashed off by a lad and given 2 coats of black then lowered back in the water.

 

£250 was the charge. I'm all for boatyards making a living but is this really justifiable? The lad was on £5 per hour wage.

Cow Roast Marina (Tring) charge £592 (inc VAT) for taking the boat out, high pressure washing, 2 coats of Intertuf Bitumen and putting the boat back in the water. At that price, it's a no brainer to let them do it rather than DIY.

 

Chris

[Orphiel]

Tell us where you are Mav, I'll gladly pay £250 for a job lot of blacking and hauling I have no leet boat skills.

[Maverick]

The amount of black used would cost £10 the lads wages for 4 hours to give it 2 coats cost £20 that leaves £220 to the boatyard for 20 minutes work towing it out and lowering it back in.

 

Most tradesman charge roughly £100 per hour. The boat sits out the water for 1 day at a charge of £12. Do the maths. Its not rocket science to see that boat yards rip you off.

 

 

Nothing we can do about it but even in winter months when there isnt much work about how many do you know who will do it cheaper just to make some extra money? Not many and then they wonder why they go out of business.

 

I have never objected to paying a man a fair price for a days work but I'm of the opinion they would get far more work if they stopped taking the piss and charged fairly.

[The Drunken Duck]

I've just had a quotes ( today) for launching a 55ft n/b, off road transport. The quotes are for launching in the Midlands, approx 3 miles apart.

 

The first , a large marina, did not have it's own crane .They advised me to contact direct the crane company they use - I was quoted £1,800 or if I fitted in with when they wanted to do it £1,200

 

The second, a much smaller company, has it's own crane on site and quoted £350 + vat.

 

What a difference .

 

I 've also been quoted £200 - £250 to have it craned on to the transport. Lifts must be cheaper in Lancashire

[Machpoint005]

The amount of black used would cost £10 the lads wages for 4 hours to give it 2 coats cost £20 that leaves £220 to the boatyard for 20 minutes work towing it out and lowering it back in.

 

Most tradesman charge roughly £100 per hour. The boat sits out the water for 1 day at a charge of £12. Do the maths. Its not rocket science to see that boat yards rip you off.

 

 

Nothing we can do about it but even in winter months when there isnt much work about how many do you know who will do it cheaper just to make some extra money? Not many and then they wonder why they go out of business.

 

I have never objected to paying a man a fair price for a days work but I'm of the opinion they would get far more work if they stopped taking the piss and charged fairly.

 

It's not what it costs them that matters, it's how much of your time you save - and at what cost.

 

On that basis, £250 for half a day's (non)work is well worth it, IMO.

 

Boatyards, like other businesses, go out of business when they can't charge enough!

[bramley]

The amount of black used would cost £10 the lads wages for 4 hours to give it 2 coats cost £20 that leaves £220 to the boatyard for 20 minutes work towing it out and lowering it back in.

 

Most tradesman charge roughly £100 per hour. The boat sits out the water for 1 day at a charge of £12. Do the maths. Its not rocket science to see that boat yards rip you off.

 

 

Nothing we can do about it but even in winter months when there isnt much work about how many do you know who will do it cheaper just to make some extra money? Not many and then they wonder why they go out of business.

 

I have never objected to paying a man a fair price for a days work but I'm of the opinion they would get far more work if they stopped taking the piss and charged fairly.

 

boatyards have overheads, they have insurances to pay, they have wages to pay when nobody is getting lifted in and out, they have lots of things.

 

if you think you can do it cheaper then do it????

 

i dont begrudge paying for a service that you cant get elsewhere, its already been mentioned that £250 is actually very cheap, buisness's need to make money to stay in buisness i agree nobody should be ripped of in this world but it happens. Personaly im more bothered about the amount of tax on fuel and labour Robing us every month in tax by somebody who we diddnt even vote in. great

Edited May 5, 2008 by bramley

[Timleech]

boatyards have overheads, they have insurances to pay, they have wages to pay when nobody is getting lifted in and out, they have lots of things.

 

if you think you can do it cheaper then do it????

 

My concern if I followed the description correctly, would not be the cost (sounds pretty reasonable) but the time scale. If the whole job was done in 24 hours or less, it wasn't done properly as the blacking needs to dry thoroughly.

 

Tim

[Black Ibis]

we're paying £215 for lift-out, and power wash + bitumen. we're (probably) going to do the actual blacking ourselves. i can't wait! hehe