Boatyard Blues

[sailnetmallory]

They could probably make a reality show on the boatyard. Between the people, the projects, and the stories there would be no lack of content. Having lived in St Thomas for a while, I spent a lot of time at Independent Boatyard. The tales there never ceased to amaze me.

One guy decided to sail his Macgregor from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean. Needless to say he was unprepared and showed up at the boatyard with his anchor chain holding up his mast and his Atomic 4 engine had what I can only guess was coral growing in it.

What are some of the tales you have run across or found yourself a part of?

[brak]

mainly boatyard orders not being ever done on time or at all.

[sailortjk1]

A guy in the yard has working on an old wooden Trawler for about the past 5 years. The boat is a very nice looking boat and must have realy been something in her day.
It was a wreck when he first started, planks missing, transom off, etc. We have all seen them, the woody's with only half the wood on them.
Anyway, every year for the past two years, this guy says "We'll have her in by the 4th of July."
This spring when we started our work, she was still there.
I didn't have the heart to ask him if this was the year.

[earl444]

don't worry, we do this kind of job all the time, we'll take good care of her and you'll be back on the water in no time, trust me...

[sailhog]

There are some scary looking folks working the SC boatyards... At last haulout I took my kids to see the boat out of the water. There they saw some fellows who made it clear that they would just as soon kill and eat a boat owner as look at him. So... the kids got to see the boat out of the water one time.

[RickQuann]

Several years ago, I met a colorful character working as a handyman for slip fees in a local marina.
This crusty old fellow sported a gray ponytail and had plenty of sea stories.
Leaving South Africa, his boat sank within sight of the land (on his initial voyage to the States) so he buys another boat, sails it here, sells the boat on arrival only to have it burn to the waterline after the deal closed. A colemen lantern was the culprit supposedly.
He lives on a Catalina 22 for a couple of years and then takes possession of a 26 Paceship damaged / submerged during Hurricane Isabel. He launched last season, and is now sailing off the charts somewhere I'm sure.
To be honest, the fellow did a super restoration job on the Paceship,inside and out, but his stories, recollections and believability were, eh, questionable. Nevertheless, he was entertaining.

[petegingras]

no blues in Rhode Island at Pleasant Street Marina...just one of the few truly family owned and run marinas in RI. Small waterfront dock space, but they they've got a travel lift that'll accomidate at least a 36' sailboat. But winter storage at two sites, plus they're boat haulers too and will happily put the boat in your front yard. No restrictions on do-it-yourselfers, but ther next door neighbor is the Rhode Island Dept. of Envior. Mgmt. so i guess the threat is there.

Way on the plus side, not so secret keg in the work room, honor system, nice on a sunday when you don't feel like a trip to the packie, but you do want to whet your whistle after a Narragansett Bay weekend.

again no blues here, excpet their waiting list for a dock in monumental and was only offered cutsies if i bought a boat they were listing, they'd give me the right to keep renting the slip.

[beej67]

I met an elderly couple in their 80s that were 75% done with a circumnavigation, on a 45 foot ketch they built themselves. They were farmers in Oregon, built the entire boat from scratch, including the fiberglass hull and casting their own lead ballast ingots, and headed west. We ran into them in Florida. They were getting ready to head south towards the Panama Canal.

Don't remember their names, but their boat was called "Witchcraft."

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by earl444

don't worry, we do this kind of job all the time, we'll take good care of her and you'll be back on the water in no time, trust me...

Or it will get done when it gets done...lol

[Sabreman]

Unfortunately, I may be the cause of some tales resulting from when I worked for several yards in the '70's (See my posts under the "What's Your Most Boneheaded Move" thread). This one happened to my Father and I was NOT the cause.

My father became friends with the dealer who sold him his Catalina 22 and 27. When he decided to buy a new Catalina 30, my father found a significantly better deal from another broker. Dad offered to split the difference in price but the first dealer, the "friend", refused and then added "What's a couple of thousand between friends?" You can imagine my father's response.

Dad's Cat 27 trade-in was on the hard in the first dealer's yard behind a couple of other boats and the dealer refused to move them even though the second dealer offered to pay the cost. The result was that our 27 sat until the following summer (not spring) and could not be sold by the second dealer for several months thereafter.

I've learned not to do business with friends. I'm not still not sure what strategy my father could have used to get his 27 out sooner.