It’s only money... right?

[boatman37]

This is the first year we aren't breaking the bank getting ready. Last year was new canvas. I think we had about $5k in getting it in the water. Nowhere near what many of you are dishing out but this is a 30 year old 25' boat here...lol.
I picked the boat up from storage 2 weeks ago and it has been cold and snowing so haven't touched it yet but bought everything I need (I hope). Currently up to about $700 plus the $1300 marina fees.
But I agree. My mind races 1000 miles per hour most of the day thinking about work and what needs done and kids, and.....But when I'm on the boat my mind is blank. It's the only time I can really relax.

 

[Boater420]

K9medic

I think I know the boat yard you had the work done (from your other postings).

Pittmans

Same one that did the haulout for survey when we were buying this boat.

Were you happy with the work they did?

Mark

I just used Pittmans in Tarpon. They are excellent IMO.

They were prompt, waited for me to bring the boat in on the weekend. Haul out, bottom job and cutless bearing replaced. Work was done to perfection and I couldn't have been happier. I picked the boat up late on a Friday and they waited for me after hours.

They're used by a lot of the commercial boats in the area and I haven't heard anything negative about their work.

 

[k9medic]

I absolutely recommend Pittman’s. Dave and David are straight shooters and get the job done right.

For this job I brought the boat in at 0800 on Tuesday and it was in the water by 1600 on Friday.

Since there was room on the dock, I plugged in and stayed overnight for free so I could leave the Saturday morning.

When the tide was too low for me to get fuel at Turtle Cove, David called a guy at F&Y (normally closed on the weekends) so I could get fueled up for the trip.


Also, if you need a mobile guy check with Justin at DNA Marine.

Both of these groups have done work for me and several of my boating friends.

 

[trflgrl]

Well, The yard's prices look very reasonable, if it is any consolation.

A boat yard is a tough place to work and we find that every haul out you are met with new faces and the job you need done is the first time they new guys have ever seen it. That means, if the marina mgt. is left to their own devices, they will assign a $125/hour mechanic to "assist" the $65/hour yard guy......and your $400 cutless bearing becomes $875. It is for this reason that I never allow work on my boat in the yard unless I am there with it to see what it needs and how the marina staffs it. When the bill comes, it still becomes a war with the service manager to arrive at a fair charge. I am lucky.....I am retired and have the time to watch what is going on; most people have other time pressures to prevent their being present.

I definitely don't have even a tiny fraction of the technical knowledge you have, but this does make me feel better about insisting I be present or readily available at the marina any time major work is happening on my boat--thankfully our restaurant has WiFi so I can office from there!! The current outfit just says, "Tell us where to find the keys" every time I book work, and sounds a little exasperated when I asked for date/time they would be there, but I wasn't having it.

P.S. What's your hourly rate to be an owner proxy to supervise the $65/hour guy they send me?

 

[GoFastr]

I guess what I didn't realize about boat ownership is the fact that stuff just happens even though I was warned and heard all the horror tales from boat owners! I've done enough boating with others and still do but I just wanted my own so I can use it within my time frame and choose the crew and spots where I want to go.

I can leave my tow vehicle sitting for a month with no battery charger on it and it will start every time with no problems and it is 3 years older than my boat. Albeit, it doesn't go in the salt water too well.

I am mechanically inclined and used to build up, maintain and drive my own autocross cars so I know the maintenance routine but boating is very different. Stuff on the boat seems to corrode even while sitting on the trailer even after thoroughly flushing and washing down everything and performing the preventive maintenance that I read about on here.

Even with my boat on the trailer I never know what is going to be the outcome the next time I go to try and start it.

• -Do the batteries have enough juice in them or did I forget to leave the trickle charger on?
• -Do I have to trace a ground fault wire back somewhere and pull off a dozen connections to clean and put more dielectric grease on them to get a good connection?
• -It starts but runs rough,.... injectors, fuel filter or spark plugs need cleaning or some other electrical issue.
• -It starts but strange noises are heard from engine or drive that may or may not go away after warming up.

I hope I can get the gremlins out shortly because I am getting enough of the "I told you so" finger from the Admiral!

 

[trflgrl]

I hope I can get the gremlins out shortly because I am getting enough of the "I told you so" finger from the Admiral!

Perhaps the Admiral should get acquainted with Rat:

Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing... about in boats — or with boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not.
The Wind in the Willows

 

[JVM225]

Boating isn’t cheap, but it’s great anyway.
I try to do as much as I can myself and shop around for the best prices on parts. That cuts down on the price a bit. Owning the property where I dock also helps cut costs.

 

[FootballFan]

I absolutely recommend Pittman’s. Dave and David are straight shooters and get the job done right.

For this job I brought the boat in at 0800 on Tuesday and it was in the water by 1600 on Friday.

Since there was room on the dock, I plugged in and stayed overnight for free so I could leave the Saturday morning.

When the tide was too low for me to get fuel at Turtle Cove, David called a guy at F&Y (normally closed on the weekends) so I could get fueled up for the trip.


Also, if you need a mobile guy check with Justin at DNA Marine.

Both of these groups have done work for me and several of my boating friends.

I bought our current boat in CLW and keeping it there for now. Justin from DNA has been doing the maintenance on my boat for 6+ years. He has been doing work for me since we bought the boat. His favorite comment is the company is named DNA cause boating is in his blood (I am sure you have heard that).

Very fortunate that the previous owner gave me all his files and contacts. I changed divers and washing crew - but other than that have kept DNA, the captain that does boat checks (I live in TX, so need someone close by) and the guy that has been doing any electrical work.

Pittmans has done all the yard work on the boat. Only time I have been there was for the haulout at survey. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

Clearwater area is so refreshing with the people after having been in the Miami area for a couple of years.

Mark

 

[Curtis]

I'm always over budget every year it think.... Joy of boating I'm up around the 12k this year i think... And i didn't even start the motors yet...

Scary, isn’t it! Yet we continue to do it.

 

[k9medic]

This shows that boating is a small world and word of mouth goes a long way!

 

[hottoddie]

The only way I can afford this hobby is DIY. That plus yacht club vs. private marina @$150ft.

 

[capt steve]

what would you guys do for a quick and dirty crack repair for around the exhaust ports? thread link if possible. im waiting for the weather to give up a nice day and im going to pounce

 

[k9medic]

capt steve, I ran my boat for 4 years with some nasty looking cracks around the exhaust ports. I shake my head no knowing it cost less than a boat buck to have EVERYTHING correctly repaired. You can't even tell there were cracks!

Having said that, you can always use marinetex which I have used in the past.

 

[Creekwood]

what would you guys do for a quick and dirty crack repair for around the exhaust ports? thread link if possible. im waiting for the weather to give up a nice day and im going to pounce

Those cracks are common on the 330's of that era (mine included). I had them listed on my survey 8 years ago and have done nothing to them. I was told the area could be ground out and filled with epoxy and cabosil, then gelcoated over. They don't bother me any more.