Boat Work Help on Tortola ?

[Tspringer]

Our 1981 Stevens 47 is currently on the hard in Road Town, Tortola in the BVI.

I am planning on going down and spending a week (or more) tackling a bunch of boat projects sometime in late September or early to mid October. My plan is to fly into St. Thomas (I get dirt cheap standby airfare) and catch a ferry over to Tortola. I have no idea as yet where I will stay as I am still figuring this all out.

I need to replace several thru-hulls and seacocks, service the remaining seacocks, install a shower sump with pump and plumb it so the showers no longer drain to the bilge, fix some leaks in the forward shower compartment, replace 2 bilge pumps (or rebuild, I have the kits) and do some cleaning and painting in the engine room.

I am trying to find someone either on Tortola or in the VI who is qualified and can help me with these projects without it totally annihilating my meager cruising budget! Signing up for work at $90 an hour or so just isn't in the cards. I need someone who can help at a fair but more realistic rate. If this ideal individual also had a berth available for me to stay while tackling this work I would rather pay them than a hotel.

I may be crazy and this may be an absurd idea but I figured what the heck, its the intardnet after all so I may as well post and see what pops up.

Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.



Terry

[bvimatelot]

Terry, I live on Tortola and would have loved to help but I'll be at sea delivering a boat from Barbados to Rio.

Are You in Nanny Cay or TYS? If so, check your layday costs for the days that work is being done on the boat. Also check what work you (or a subcontractor) is allowed to do in the yard. The Yard must get its cut dontchaknow!

There are so many good operators down here, I'm not going to recommend anyone. BUT if you talk to the head mechanic of the nearest charter company to your location, he'll very likely help at a reasonable rate on his "off" days or recommend someone from his team to do the same. As for accommodation, ask around when you arrive. Very often you can stay on your own boat (though this is obviously pretty spartan accom, having to use the shore-side heads, showers etc.

Hope this helps, Tony