Selecting And Dealing With a Boat Yard
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT YARD IS ONE OF THE MORE MOMENTOUS DECISIONS
of boat ownership. In many cases it’s not given nearly enough
thought, considering the consequences. Choose the right yard,
and a season of reliable cruising is nearly guaranteed. Choose
the wrong yard, however, and your all-too-short season may
be characterized by mechanical failures and frustration.
In the 12 years I’ve been working in and managing boat yards, I’ve
seen many customers—most, I’m happy to report, satisfied with the
work done and price paid. However, I’ve seen a few that were
howlin’ mad. Almost without exception, those few unpleasant
experiences could have been completely avoided. Here’s how to
avoid becoming a casualty.
Boat Yard Versus Marina
It’s important to start the search with a proper set of guidelines. I
draw a clear distinction between boat yards and marinas. Boat yards,
as the name implies, are more boat- than people-oriented. If creature
comforts like ice, fuel, swimming pool, shower, and a bar are less important than experienced craftsmen, tools,
sheds, and parts, then the choice is a bit easier.
Some facilities do both well. However, I believe
they are the exception.
Word of mouth is by far the most useful
criterion when choosing a repair facility. Consult
fellow boaters on the dock, or at the local yacht
club, who have boats of a similar style, vintage,
fit, and finish as your own.
Know The Rules
Once a preliminary list has been compiled
from this research, the real fun begins. If you are
a do-it-yourselfer, no doubt some of the
candidates will fall by the wayside.
Many yards, with waterfront property values
on the rise, increased taxes, and the cost of
doing business going up annually, frown on this
type of boat owner.
Determine what the yard’s rules are and get
this, and all such critical information, from a
manager. Yard employees, while skilled in
repair and service, may not be privy to the latest
customer-relations plans. Also, determine what
the yard’s policy is concerning subcontractors. If
Arty the mechanic has been working on your
boat’s diesel since it was a wee outboard, will
he still be able to service it and you? If so, will
he require liability insurance, and how much?
Who Cares For Your Boat
The type of individual that works on your
boat will be of critical importance. Ideally, he or
she will be careful, meticulous, and respectful of
your property. Again, this is not unlike allowing
a stranger into your home unattended.
What is the experience level of the employees
in each trade, and average length of
employment? The latter is very important, as it
can be an indication of the morale in the yard.
Happy, motivated employees stay in their
place of employment and usually have good
work habits. Many repair facilities display
diplomas and certificates of service schools and
seminars attended by employees. This is a clear
indication of the importance management
places on education and training, as well as the
employees’ esprit de corps. This importance
cannot be overstated. Mechanical, electrical,
paint, and fiberglass systems of today require
constant updating and re-education of those
who service, use, and install them.
How Does It Look?
The general condition and appearance of the
yard, equipment, and staff is an important
window to the inner workings of the
organization. Some yards have a busy, well-used look. This is okay, and usually is a sign that they
have no spare time to paint curbs and manicure
lawns. However, neglected, rusting equipment
especially—travelifts and trailers—should be
warning enough to give a wide berth.
While the work often necessitates getting
dirty, slovenly, unkempt employees are usually
not a positive indication for attention to detail.
In fact, a measure of an employee’s expertise is
how dirty he or she doesn’t get while working.
If they arrive for work dirtier than when they go
home, there is usually an underlying management
problem.
The labor rate, while important, should never
be the primary or sole determining factor in
choosing a boat yard. The labor rate can be an
indication of the neighborhood in which the
yard is located. Metropolitan areas are usually
quite expensive to do business in. Remember,
the people who work in the yard have to live
and have families within commuting distance. In
high-rent districts it is difficult for the yard
management to hire and keep skilled personnel
if they’re not paid a living wage. As a result, just
as cheaper is not necessarily better, higher labor
rates are not a guarantee of quality workmanship
and value for the money.
Quality Versus Economy
Closely linked to the labor-rate issue is the
quality-versus-economy argument. What is the
definition of quality? It can have different
definitions for different boat owners. I define
quality partly as carrying out a task to accepted
industry standards. The economy part comes in
with the invoice. Few of us would be willing to
pay any price for this accepted standard. There
is a happy medium. If the standards you set for
your boat, or for your life for that matter, are
higher than average, expect to pay a higher than average price for what you consider acceptable.
If they’re lower, then you will accept a lower
standard, and expect to pay a lower than
average price.
A problem arises when a given
personality/wallet-type gets mixed up with the
wrong yard/labor-rate type, i.e., those who
expect more get less and usually pay less
(although any amount seems like too much
when you aren’t satisfied). Conversely, there
are those who get more, pay more, and didn’t
expect either. Naturally, the least desirable
situation is getting less and paying more. It is a
completely avoidable scenario. Do your
homework and you’ll end up with the right
combination.
The billing system a yard employs should be
of particular interest to the potential customer.
Ask the manager to show you a sample copy of
a bill, with the actual boat owner’s name
removed, of course. Does it make sense to you?
What is the yard’s response to billing queries?
Do they provide additional information, such as
a materials breakdown, or hours spent on each
task? Which jobs are flat rated? Does the yard
give quotes or estimates?
Be sure to understand the yard’s definition of
each. A quote, in our yard, is just that: a lockedin,
guaranteed price that does not vary, barring
unforseen circumstances. Estimates usually have
a range that varies from yard to yard and are
also affected by state law. However, if the yard
gives neither on straightforward projects, steer
clear. More on this later.
The Company They Keep
A boat yard’s membership in professional
organizations, such as the American Boat and
Yacht Council (ABYC) and the American Boat
Builder’s and Repairer’s Association (ABBRA), is a good indication of its commitment to quality
work and customer satisfaction. Determine
whether the yard performs, or is willing to perform,
service and repairs that meet the ABYC’s
recommendations. This body sets exacting,
voluntary standards for all types of marine repair
and construction, from plumbing, electrical, LP gas,
and diesel fuel systems to vessel stability, running
gear and engine installations (remember, if your
vessel is gasoline powered, many of the electrical
and fuel system standards are mandated by law,
and the yard should know this).
Yards that do belong to these types of
organizations are more apt to be up to date on the
latest techniques and standards of the industry. In
fact, the ABYC has recently instituted a Technician Certification program (currently there are
certifications for electrical systems, engine
installations—one each for diesel and gas—and
refrigeration systems), following in the footsteps
of the automotive industry’s ASE system. You
should feel free to inquire as to how many
certified technicians are on staff.
Location, Location, Location
Finally, in the quest to find the perfect boat
yard, evaluate the location. If the yard is located
in an area that requires high fences, barbed wire
and armed security, it may not be ideal.
Beware of long, legalistic waivers to sign
absolving the yard of any responsibility for theft
or vandalism. While these documents may
satisfy the letter of the law, they usually indicate
that security is an issue for which the yard does not want to be held monetarily responsible. It is
preferable to drive another 15 minutes and pay
an additional three or five dollars an hour than
have to submit an insurance claim(s).
Remember, however, that every boat should
be fully insured while in any boat yard, no
matter how secure.
The Relationship
Once the chore of selecting a boat yard has
been completed, it’s time to get down to
business. First and foremost, get off on the right
tack. It would be inappropriate to show up in
the boat yard manager’s office with a dinghy
load of equipment and bottom paint you’ve
purchased yourself at a marine discount store to
begin your courtship. Remember, this may be a
leisure pursuit for you, but its a living to the folks who work in the yard. Develop the
relationship and build trust.
If there’s any doubt in your mind or you’re
just the cautious type, before bringing the family
cruiser in for the first time with a long list of
repairs, start with a small, in-water midseason
project. An oil and fuel filter change is ideal for
this type of initial contact.
If this goes well and the staff and management
meet your expectations, then move on to
bigger, more complex tasks such as commissioning,
hauling, winterizing, and storing.
Just The Fax
Nothing will spoil this cherished, and fragile,
relationship faster than a lack of communication.
Good, frequent communication is the key to
problem solving and avoidance. I have an unofficial rule in our yard: if I anticipate the invoice
will exceed a given price, say $1,000 for
argument’s sake, I respectfully request that the
customer get either a fax machine or email address,
if they don’t already have one. I send and
receive a minimum of a dozen faxes or emails
per day to active customers. The beauty of this
method of communication is the record. It
makes clear what was said and produces an
archive for the boat’s file.
If the project is a long one, say three months,
set up a communication schedule—reports twice
a week, for example. If it’s a shorter project, communication may be more frequent. Nothing
is more frustrating to boat yard workers, and
managers, than not being able to get in touch
with a customer. You should respond to calls,
faxes or emails from the yard as soon as
possible. If they have to stop working on your
boat because a decision has to be made, it
reduces efficiency, increases cost, and negatively
affects the morale of those doing the work.
Twenty-four hours should be the maximum time
passing before responding, and the same rule
should apply to the yard’s responses to your
inquiries (if that long, for the latter). Again, this
is the beauty of emails and faxes. You can
respond to an important question even if you get
the message after arriving home late from a long
day at the office or on the road. Some of my
customers have established a contact threshold:
“Don’t call me unless it’s more than $500.00.”
This will depend on the level of trust you build
with the yard, and its staff.
One final word on electronic communication:
There are times when a phone call or face-toface
conversation is necessary. Electronic
communication is great, but it often fails to
transmit some ideas. Beware, as this can lead to
difficulties. Intimately connected with the
communication issue is how clearly you
communicate your wishes and expectations.
Everything, everything you say to the yard’s
service writer or manager should be backed up
in written form. Many of my customers follow up every telephone or in-person conversation
with an email, letter, or fax. Any boat yard
manager or service writer should welcome this.
There is never any doubt about when these
customers are dropping the boat off, what they
expect to have done, when they expect to pick
the boat up, and what setting they want the
refrigeration and air conditioning left on. There
is also a reiteration of the quoted price for
quoted work. This is an extreme, but these folks
leave little chance for disappointment.
Do it in writing. Don’t ever grab the service
manager in the middle of the boat yard, where
he is clearly unarmed (no pencil and paper) and
attempt to give a list of five or ten items you’d
like to add to your work order. Unless he has a
phenomenal memory, he should politely refuse
the list until you’re in the office, and even then
you should be handing him a clearly written or
typed copy. Be sure to list any special
instructions,. such as, the engine intake seacock
is closed, the engine won’t start unless the light
in the head is on, or the fridge is full of cold
cuts, make sure the boat is plugged in after
being hauled!
Quote, estimate, guesstimate. Different
definitions for different boat yards and boat
owners. In our yard, as mentioned earlier, a
quote is, with few exceptions, a fixed price. An
estimate can vary, and you should determine
what the range is. Guesstimate is a term I
reserve for jobs that are not safely estimatable and can vary by as much as 50 percent from the
figure given. Keep in mind, not all tasks are
quotable. Troubleshooting and what I call
“exploratory surgery,” are rarely quotable. The
latter often must take place prior to creating a
quote and are frequently applicable for electrical
and mechanical repairs.
Avoiding Rough Waters
Try not to abuse the quote process. Remember,
it takes the yard time to prepare a quote. The rule
in our yard is if we think it will take six hours or
less, we will not do a quote. With a few
exceptions, such as high dollar electronics, it’s
usually not worth the time required. Finally, trust
must run deep. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to
keep the relationship healthy:
•Don’t hang over the employees with a pad
and pencil recording, and deducting, every time
the mechanic puts down and picks up a
wrench. This exhibits a lack of faith on your part
and will foster bad feelings. If you don’t trust the
yard, its employees, or its reputation, you
shouldn’t be there.
•Don’t park your car in the way of yard
machinery, lock the doors, and go for a week
long cruise.
•Do give the yard the benefit of the doubt
when questioning a bill or work. Accidents happen, and most reputable yards will make
good if you give them the chance.
•Don’t use yard or employee’s tools or
equipment without permission from a manager.
There is no quicker way to make yourself
persona non grata in a boat yard than to make
this grievous error.
•With few exceptions, there’s no such thing
as scrap teak.
•Do remove as much personal gear from the
cabin when going in for a major repair or refit.
It is extremely time consuming, and expensive,
for workers to have to move all of this stuff into
a v-berth or aft cabin, only to have to move it all
back again.
You may look forward to leaving a boat yard
after a seasonal lay-up or the completion of a
large project. Wouldn’t it be nice, however, to
actually look back on the stay as a pleasant and
productive one, feeling as though you got what
you paid for and developed a good relationship
to boot? Following these steps will help to make
that picture a reality.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2001 © Dominion Enterprises (888.487.2953) www.passagemaker.com
You are reading the text-only copy of this article. To access the article as it appeared in PassageMaker Magazine, please log in to purchase and download the PDF version of this article.