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Boatyard activity


Arthur Marshall

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Other people's experiences needed for comparison as I don't want to get irritated if I don't need to...

I don't have a lot of experience with taking my boat to a yard for repairs as it's usually been done at the mooring, but this time I booked it in at the beginning of January for blacking and the replacement of the flexible coupling, which might entail a new propshaft as well. They booked me in for the middle of the month and I dropped the boat off three weeks ago, since when it's sat in the water by their slipway and no-one's even looked at the coupling and they seem to have no idea when the boat will actually come out of the water.

I don't live on, so it isn't an urgent job, and I know yards can get emergency work which has to be done fast, but there's no indication this has happened here. Is this normal behaviour and should I remain patient and polite, or start treating them the same way I have learnt to treat estate agents and solicitors - ie harrass them a bit?

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Certainly, boatyards seem to work suit themselves. Having a motor trade background, customers phone up, tell us what they want done, they are given a day and time, they bring their car in and the work gets done. Obviously, in the real world it doesn't always work like that as many jobs need diagnosis and many will need parts ordered.

 

But, a Mondeo is a Mondeo and repair times for most repairs are published by the manufacturer. With a few exceptions every boat is different and makes it a bit more complicated. That doesn't explain why your boat should just sit there with, seemingly, no one even looking at it. At the very least hey should have checked the coupling to see what is needed or it might mean another weeks wait for the bits to arrive.

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Our (limited) experience was that everything took twice as long as you'd believe possible and cost twice as much. But we had a better impression of some boatyards than others; the worst gave the impression that they'd basically never get round to doing anything without being constantly badgered, the best seemed genuinely to be concerned with getting hold of the necessary parts as soon as possible and doing the work in a reasonable timescale.

 

I suggest a bit of harassment; if you give the impression that you're not bothered when the work gets done, the temptation is surely for them to prioritise people who do seem bothered.

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The one (and only) time we had a yard do work on our boat we had a similar experience to yourself.

 

We had it booked in for the drive servicing. They lifted the boat, took the drive off and then left it sat in the yard for over a month with no work being done. They then had the cheek to bill us for the month it was on the hardstanding!

 

Needless to say we didn't pay that and we have done the work ourselves since. It takes less then a day to service the drive. Usually about 3-4 hours.

  • Greenie 1
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I think unfortunately, this is common. One yard I used in the past seemed to work at "canal time", i.e. 4 mph, took 2 months to install a water tank. It did and still does run a hire fleet so I think our boat took a "back seat." Needless to say never been back.

 

I am happy with the yard we use at Hillmorton.

Edited by Ray T
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We ask people with out of the ordinary jobs that need doing when they want/ need the boat back by. Obviously a liveaboard needs the job doing asap whatever the circumstances ( unless they see it as a way to escape boat checking for a period), however, a boat delivered in Feb and not needed until Easter will be done as and when the weather is right (if an outside job) and other jobs allow time.

Edited to add, mooring is not charged unless the boat owner wishes to leave the boat for a while after the work is complete .

Perhaps in your case, a local boat sank and has been pulled out to inspect why. It may be awaiting insurance go ahead to repair or write off.

The yard may also not have been wanting to black it when the canal was iced over.

 

If you are concerned, pop in and let them know that you are off out round the system on February the Xth and need the job doing by then please.

Edited by matty40s
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Over the past 30 years I've only ever used three yards: Warwickshire Flyboat Co., Jem Bates at Bulbourne and John Pattle at Watford. I've found them all to be punctilious in keeping appointments and doing the work when they said they would. Also Ed Boden comes out to service our BMC and is always on time.

Two examples: John Pattle fretted that I'd be delayed for a day because he had a problem with his crane and the last time I took one of our boats up to Bulbourne Dry Dock, Jem's men were wondering where we were because I was 15 minutes late in arriving!

 

The important thing is to build up a relationship with the yards: don't mess them about and pay up promptly.

  • Greenie 1
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Over the past 30 years I've only ever used three yards: Warwickshire Flyboat Co., Jem Bates at Bulbourne and John Pattle at Watford. I've found them all to be punctilious in keeping appointments and doing the work when they said they would. Also Ed Boden comes out to service our BMC and is always on time.

Two examples: John Pattle fretted that I'd be delayed for a day because he had a problem with his crane and the last time I took one of our boats up to Bulbourne Dry Dock, Jem's men were wondering where we were because I was 15 minutes late in arriving!

 

The important thing is to build up a relationship with the yards: don't mess them about and pay up promptly.

 

By co-incidence we have a used all three of these yards although WFB was many years (Decades) ago.

 

Ou last trip was to John Pattle at Cassiobury for some welding. We were booked in for early January and from experience we expected to leave the boat there and collect it a month later. On arriving the crane was ready with the strops in the water, we hardly had time to switch the engine off before we were being lifted. We left after being told that the work would take a week only to be rung three days later saying that the work was complete and asking us to remove the boat as he needed the space!

 

The boat being lifted:

 

111%20Lift%20Out%20At%20Cassiobry%2018th

 

Tim

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When we have had work done at Streethay, we are given a date and the expected length of the job and so far these dates have been adhered to. On the one occasion when there was going to be a delay, they phoned to tell us why . The boat wasn't a liveaboard. Mind you, the fact that we moor there and always pay our bil on time may have helped :-)

 

Haggis

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The squeaking wheel gets the grease!! But remember, if you make too much noise or are impolite, the attitude with which the job is done may not be as good as it could be. Locally we have 3 boatyards and the same yards get totally different reports from different people, so I suspect that the initial approach and discussions make an impact on the relationship.

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Did that, got a despairing "don't know" from the desk!

 

 

That sounds to me as though the desk person is fielding a dozen calls a day like this from all customers. I'd take my boat somewhere else if I were you. A few days of delay is forgiveable but a month, with continued failure to commit to a timescale is just plain rude and incompetent.

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my fella is in the family roofing game .and in all the years he has been doing this. not once has any job ever been late upon starting when a starting date is given ...weather permitting ...unlike a boat yard we booked in ..having been promised this and that. 6 week job took 12 months. i surpose it did not help paying upfront ..and thats a no no .not all boat yards are a law to them selfs but i suggest most are


agreed mike

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The squeaking wheel gets the grease!! But remember, if you make too much noise or are impolite, the attitude with which the job is done may not be as good as it could be. Locally we have 3 boatyards and the same yards get totally different reports from different people, so I suspect that the initial approach and discussions make an impact on the relationship.

Possibly partly my fault for telling them it wasn't urgent. I'll go in next week and mention that I've a trip planned in early March and see if that has an effect. They did a really good job welding me up last time, though that took a lot longer than planned too. Ah well,patience is part of boating I suppose.
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Possibly partly my fault for telling them it wasn't urgent. I'll go in next week and mention that I've a trip planned in early March and see if that has an effect. They did a really good job welding me up last time, though that took a lot longer than planned too. Ah well,patience is part of boating I suppose.

 

 

Ah I don;t think you said that in your first post. Never a good thing to tell a boatyard!

 

Yes maybe you just need to tell them it wasn't urgent then but it is now, as your impending holiday looms.

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Did that, got a despairing "don't know" from the desk!

'the desk' sounds a bit like the part-time girl who comes in to make the tea and man the phone (limited to taking messages) while the workers are doing what they're good at.

 

didn't you ask to speak to someone who did know, or for them to call you back with a proper answer?

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I'd say they are taking the proverbial. Personally, after this amount of time, with no sign of anything happening, I'd probably go and collect my boat, book it into a DIY yard for a few weeks in April or May and DIY. You'll have the blacking done in 3 or 4 days - definitely less than a week. The rest you can either DIY, or the yard will likely have someone who can do it.

 

Depending on how far the yard is from where you keep the boat, if they complain you could tell them you'll drop it back the day before they plan to lift it... although, given their performance to date, it's always possible they might lift it then do nothing for a long time.

 

very disappointing, but not unusual in this day and age.

 

Is there another yard with a reputation for good work and quick action, (where quick could be anything from slow to very fast, and which would be better than you've got now :( )

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When we have had work done at Streethay, we are given a date and the expected length of the job and so far these dates have been adhered to. On the one occasion when there was going to be a delay, they phoned to tell us why . The boat wasn't a liveaboard. Mind you, the fact that we moor there and always pay our bil on time may have helped :-)

 

Haggis

I also had some work done to my boat at Streethay a couple of years ago and they did a good job in good time that I was pleased with.

 

I've also had a couple of jobs done by Justin at Aqua Narrowboats, Mercia and they couldn't have been more accomodating and I was very satisfied with the work done and in the time agreed.

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'the desk' sounds a bit like the part-time girl who comes in to make the tea and man the phone (limited to taking messages) while the workers are doing what they're good at.

 

didn't you ask to speak to someone who did know, or for them to call you back with a proper answer?

No she's sort of in charge! But I think the engineers (as all good engineers should) tend to run things the way they want to, rather than follow orders!

 

 

Depending on how far the yard is from where you keep the boat, if they complain you could tell them you'll drop it back the day before they plan to lift it... although, given their performance to date, it's always possible they might lift it then do nothing for a long time.

 

Is there another yard with a reputation for good work and quick action, (where quick could be anything from slow to very fast, and which would be better than you've got now sad.png )

It's just a bit too far for that. I'm going down on Tuesday next week to see if there's any progress at all, then I'll give it another week and then go and take the boat home and try to find someone else to do it, and just hope the coupling stays in one piece till they do.

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I very much doubt the boat needs to be out of the water to change the coupling.

 

Sounds to me like a couple of hours' work, once the parts have been identified and obtained. I'd ask them if they've got the new coupling in yet and if they have, to fit it immediately rather than wait for the boat to come out for blacking.

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My two most recent boatyard experiences were both positive.

 

  • First, an exhaust repair, where I was given an estimate and dates. The work was done at the agreed time and I was actually billed less than the estimate as some of the existing parts were good to be reused.
  • Second, some significant steelwork mods - windows plated up, new portholes - modified roof handrails... new solar panels and a complete repaint. All done to time and estimate, even when I threw in a curve ball by choosing to buy new window units rather than reuse the existing ones.

I have to say that in the second case, I virtually had to drag the guy out to come and look at the boat to see what I wanted doing because he was originally only willing to give ballpark quotes based on boat length and a general description of the work. Once we were over that hurdle, everything went smoothly.

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But I think the engineers (as all good engineers should) tend to run things the way they want to, rather than follow orders!

 

err ........................ don't get me started.

 

they will be technicians and mechanics, possibly working in the 'marine engineering' business.

 

 

.............. sorry to go on about it .blush.png .............. MtB knows what I mean.

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I very much doubt the boat needs to be out of the water to change the coupling.

 

Sounds to me like a couple of hours' work, once the parts have been identified and obtained. I'd ask them if they've got the new coupling in yet and if they have, to fit it immediately rather than wait for the boat to come out for blacking.

It's more than possible that a new coupling will need a new propshaft, as the old one has been shaped specifically to fit the coupling, which is about fifty years old and isn't made any more*. That's the main problem.

*ETA and no-one I've met in the last twenty odd years has ever seen another one like it, unfortunately.

Edited by Arthur Marshall
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