Texas Bottom Job

[RainDog]

Anyone have recent experience with House of Boats, 533 Marine, or Hooking Bull? Heading in for a bottom job soon.

[bstreep]

We've used House of Boats. Decent, but not a great job. Hooking Bull - just be aware of extra charges. Friend asked for a total upfront, and found out that since they were busy and couldn't get to his boat right away, they charged him for lay days, even though it was their fault!

We will probably end up back soon for a bottom. Not sure House of Boats will take us again - we blew the seals on their travelift last time.

Both of these places let you DIY.

[Sailormantx]

Hooking Bull is great, laid back place. Was there for a month July 2012, no problem with the billing. I do all my own work, so it was only haul out, laydays and use of their pressure washer. There is (was?) Somebody living on a boat at their dock who kept an eye on things when the office was closed and would let you in the gate if you were out late. Talked to House of boats several times while shopping for a yard, but they would tell me something different every time I called, finally said they couldn't haul my boat, it was to big...stopped by there on the way back from the store one day and saw a boat like mine in their yard...

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[RainDog]

I checked 533 and Hooking Bull. They have prices as follows:

Labor - $55/hr $50/hr
Haul and Block - $275 $325
Compound and Wax - $15/ft $20/ft
Bottom Job - $54/ft $18.25/ft
Crane Time - $150/hr $95/hr

So they are similar for everything but the bottom job. On the bottom job 533 is 3x hooking bull. This makes me think they are doing a ton more than Hooking Bull. I know this includes wet sanding, priming, 2 coats of paint. Maybe Hooking Bull is lowballing and always finds extra charges? Or they do a quick and dirty sanding job? $15/ft seems like maybe a little too low. Curious what others have experienced.

[xeon_tsd]

Have you looked at prices in Clearlake or Galveston???

[Horror Hotel]

Why pay to have one of the easiest, money saving jobs done? Everyone has something their not good at that gets subbed out. For me it's making sails from scratch, repair maybe someday. But every other bit no matter what I do. Bottom stuff seems to easy to pass up.

[bobconnie]

Cost's 800.00 US Bucks plus paint for a 51 ft deep draft full keel ketch down the bayou, even less when the shrimp season fix up is over ! In- out and all work done by them, there are a few DIY yards down here but Ive not used them so can't say what there costs are !

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by Horror Hotel

Why pay to have one of the easiest, money saving jobs done? Everyone has something their not good at that gets subbed out. For me it's making sails from scratch, repair maybe someday. But every other bit no matter what I do. Bottom stuff seems to easy to pass up.

Yes, we have done (Rain Dog and I) probably 30-40 bottom jobs, I used to own a yacht service. But I'm recovering from an illness so we have to pick our battles. We are dropping the mast, Brian will focus on new tangs and fittings, I will hopefully be rebuilding or replacing all the thru hulls/seacocks and doing a gel coat repair. So the bottom job will be done by a contractor. I wish we could do it all, mainly cause I know it will be done right, but the bright side is we can afford to pay someone

Bsstreep, we heard about their lift issues, even heard they dropped a couple boats! Until recently, I had only heard good things about them(hob).

[bill cartwright]

I took my boat to Hillmans and they charged 10 dollars a foot for pulling and blocking a 3 days lay time which was 200 for my Flicka 20, bought paint there for 100 a gallon and did it all for 400. One hundred was food an drink as it was in July an hotter than heck. They also do bottom jobs reasonable, just be extra careful and stay to the left in the channel to them. The chanel is marked but not good. I think the bridge is 38' above the water so you may not be able to get in. They do bottoms here at GYB an you can check on that when your here.