Getting work done in the Bahamas vs. the US

[labatt]

We have one major issue with our Passport 40 that we were planning on taking care of before we jumped off the the Bahamas, but it has been suggested to me that I could save a lot of money if we had it done in the Bahamas.

Passport 40's had an issue at build time where the port side was heavier than the starboard. As a result, the builders placed iron shot under the floor boards and starboard water tank to compensate. Over time, the shot oxidizes and starts bulging, resulting in the floor (and everything else) above it bulging and being displaced. The fix is to remove a portion of the floor and the starboard water tank, grind out the ballast, and to then put everything back the way it was. It's only a few hundred pounds of ballast from what I understand, and we're usually leaning to starboard a bit when we have our tanks full. My expectation is not to replace the ballast that is pulled out. The problem is happening to us now, with one of our floorboards being displaced. I'd like to take care of it before something becomes severely damaged.

Would I be better served having this work done in the US by a boatyard here, or is there a recommended place I can bring "Pelican" in the Bahamas to do the work? We're not going to be able to live aboard when the work is being done, so part of my concern is that, due to culture, things move slower down south than in the US. Of course, my primary concern is quality, then cost, but living away while the work is being done has to factor into cost.

Thoughts?

Chris

[camaraderie]

Things are NOT cheaper in the Bahamas for skilled work Labatt. You can find folks to do teak work, polishing etc. cheaply but I'd get your work done at a decent US yard.