crazy quote for a basic job

[Cheftothesea]

Hi all I’ve just boat a new to me 28ft sail boat I’m after installing a NASA Marine instruments , I got a quote to supply a NASA wind and depth sensor for approx €500 delivered from a local company , which I know I can find a little cheaper online but then on the same quote they offer to install at €40 per hour anticipating 15 hours work so €600

I was intending to instal myself but I did not anticipate spending 15 hours doing it, am I underestimating this job?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Cheftothesea

Hi all I’ve just boat a new to me 28ft sail boat I’m after installing a NASA Marine instruments , I got a quote to supply a NASA wind and depth sensor for approx €500 delivered from a local company , which I know I can find a little cheaper online but then on the same quote they offer to install at €40 per hour anticipating 15 hours work so €600

I was intending to instal myself but I did not anticipate spending 15 hours doing it, am I underestimating this job?

Are the instruments already installed and mounted?

[Cheftothesea]

Hi, thanks for the reply.. the mast is up and the boat is in the water, basically it will be a new install the previous owner removed everything as he wanted to in his words “ sail oldschool”, so he removed and chucked out every-thing and has re glassed the holes.

[sailorboy1]

it's only a crazy quote if you aren't willing to pay it (to me it's crazy)

[Pete17C]

Your boat is a unknown to the installer, his price is based on his 'longest expected' time to do the install because of this.

Is it a set price, or is he actually charging by the hour? (if he does it in 10 hrs does he still charge for 15).

If he is charging by the hour, maybe you can get some of the prep work done before he gets there.

[Cheftothesea]

Wow thank for all of the advice it is good to get reviews from Both sides of the fence

The price is quoted per hour based on estimated hours, my main concern now after your advice is as the boat is a few hours drive from me is the time it takes, I am the first to admit I have underestimated this task.

Now the quote doesn’t sound to crazy as the time spent travelling, fuel, time off work would certainly cost me the equivalent to do myself if not more.

Are there any questions I should ask prior to the job based on your guys previous experience

Cheers

[roverhi]

If there is no through hull for the instruments boat will have to be hauled to install. That's a few hundred dollar charge. If there is no masthead wind indicater to act as a messenger for the new cable, stick may have to come down, a few more hundred $ added. If there is a messenger in the mast to run the wires, still a time eater going to the masthead to install the wind mast and pull the wires through. A job that will take two workers to get done which will increase the labor cost. Know in my most recent boat mast would have to come down as the wires from the mast are hidden behind the liner. Running the wires through the boat, drilling the pukas for the instrument heads, installing and hooking them up could take more than a few hours to do the job right. Can see how the time could get up to 15 hours. I wouldn't pay to have it done because I'm too cheap and hard headed so would do it myself or not add the instruments. The depth/knotmeter are pretty easy installs but the wind instrument will be the time eater.

FWIW have been sailing for 60 years without electronic wind indicater and haven't missed the input. Have always had a mast head Windex and tell tales on the shrouds for wind direction and Beaufort scale to estimate wind which have always worked. A knotmeter and depth sounder are must haves on the other hand.

[Tillsbury]

It does sound a lot, but realistically that's two people for a day. Installing that from scratch would be a good result for a day, I'd say.

[Shrew]

Would it be better if it read (€120/hr @ 5 hrs = €600)?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

It does sound a lot, but realistically that's two people for a day. Installing that from scratch would be a good result for a day, I'd say.

Exactly, and it could take a lot longer if one of the runs turns out to need dismantling half the boat to get done. How long does it take to run a new cable down a mast? Not that long when all goes well. Way too long when the messenger is jammed, halyards are twisted in the way, someone filled the base with foam, ....... Who knows?
I've done way too many jobs on my boat that I estimated as taking a day, ending up taking 4, and thinking how pissed I'd been if I'd paid someone for that long.

[S/V Illusion]

It always seems expensive when you're not the guy doing the work.

[tarian]

Originally Posted by Cheftothesea

Hi all I’ve just boat a new to me 28ft sail boat I’m after installing a NASA Marine instruments , I got a quote to supply a NASA wind and depth sensor for approx €500 delivered from a local company , which I know I can find a little cheaper online but then on the same quote they offer to install at €40 per hour anticipating 15 hours work so €600

I was intending to instal myself but I did not anticipate spending 15 hours doing it, am I underestimating this job?

OK I have nasa instruments and they run on 183, one wind sensor at the top of mast one wired to instrument, one transducer , one hole one wire to instrument. On your size of boat I would think this not to be to hard, therefore in my opinion I would rather think this would be quite simple in my mind 15 hours to me seems a lot , if it is beyond your skills or fitness ask around the yard it is really quite simple to fit and there maybe a helpful cruiser around , good luck

[iyamwhatiyam]

How long has it been since you had the standing rigging replaced? "We", (the electrician), installed our wind indicator while the mast was down for standing rigging replacement.

[Standbly]

Originally Posted by tarian

OK I have nasa instruments and they run on 183, one wind sensor at the top of mast one wired to instrument, one transducer , one hole one wire to instrument. On your size of boat I would think this not to be to hard, therefore in my opinion I would rather think this would be quite simple in my mind 15 hours to me seems a lot , if it is beyond your skills or fitness ask around the yard it is really quite simple to fit and there maybe a helpful cruiser around , good luck

I so HATE being that helpful cruiser that can't say no! even if I know I'm being taken advantage of. I'm learning though Handy helpful cruisers (usually men who work(ed) with their hands, not earning millions) should stop working on rich peoples boats for nothing or nearly nothing. Says the handy cruiser

[tarian]

Originally Posted by Standbly

I so HATE being that helpful cruiser that can't say no! even if I know I'm being taken advantage of. I'm learning though Handy helpful cruisers (usually men who work(ed) with their hands, not earning millions) should stop working on rich peoples boats for nothing or nearly nothing. Says the handy cruiser

Ah what goes around comes around , you will be rewarded in the great ocean in the sky , any chance you could look at my boat