DIY or Boatyard ?

[unbusted67]

I was just at the New England Boat Show and was impressed with how many full service marinas and boat yards there are in the area. It got me thinking, are there people out there that rely solely on boatyards to do all of their maintenance/work for them?

So I am going to take a poll to see how many people do all of the work on their boats and how many people have someone else handle it for them.

Just to start, I should say that I do all of the work on my boat with the exception of stepping the mast and launching the boat (except for when I worked at my family's boat yard and I would do that myself to). I would obviously defer any monster engine problems to a qualified mechanic but I try to do all of my engine work myself as well. This will include a full rebuild should the opportunity arise. I have tried sewing but really, really suck at it so I tend to defer any sail maintenance to the pros.

[minaret]

I think the nature of this forum means that few here will fall into the pay someone else to do everything category. Those people are called powerboaters.

[delmarrey]

I didn't use your poll b/c it doesn't match up to my qual's. But I can say I do everything, even the machine work, except sails and canvas. My father would have done those if he were alive.

I'll bet these guys pay...... http://www.yachtforums.com/

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by minaret

I think the nature of this forum means that few here will fall into the pay someone else to do everything category. Those people are called powerboaters.

WOW When did we become so PC? I always thought the word was stinkboater.

[Charlie]

I do minor sail repairs. I don't have a sewing machine anymore but am thinking of buying one.

[rebel heart]

I do pretty much everything I can. I just dropped my whisker stays off at the rigger for them to make me new ones, so sometimes for things like that and machining I have someone else do it. But general labor and quasi-professional I'm good.

If it's a foreign job to me I'll tackle it if it's small. First time I do anything I suck at it, so as long as I'm good with a terrible job at first I'll give it a go. To quote a friend when I was varnishing, "Well, you can always sand a little and add another coat."

[familycruisers]

I will do, am doing, everything. Have done all other things. ie bottom paint, topside paint, fiberglass repair, canvas, sails, refrigeration, electrical.
The only thing I'm getting use to is the diesel. Very familiar with gas and finding out how simple these things are.
I like working on my stuff, when things go wrong, I can usually fix them. Not to mention I sure as hell cant afford to pay labor to anyone. Hell thats how I got into hvac 12 yrs ago, not affording to pay someone to do it for me. Actually quite amazing the things you can teach yourself really.
Between studying, taking your time, and maybe some natural talent with your hands, just about anything can be done to a satisfactory degree. Real trick is being good at em too!

[rebel heart]

Also, outsourcing projects to the "pros" assumes that the person(s) doing it are in fact professional and that you won't need to redo that repair yourself later. 90% of the jobs on the boat you can teach someone in a few hours.

[bobconnie]

Im like Delmarry, I do everything, even diesel rebild if needed, and can PATCH a sail if needed with a palm and needle, but don't care to unless nothing else can be done! I even cook and clean LOL shop and wash clothing at sea !! just to cheap cus Im retired LOL Bob and Connie

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by minaret

I think the nature of this forum means that few here will fall into the pay someone else to do everything category. Those people are called powerboaters.

Now that's what i call a "swift kick in to the family jewels"......

By the way i do it all myself, thats just what you do growing up on a farm...

[unbusted67]

There is a company up in Maine that is FULL service. They will even bring your boat to the dock so you don't have to row out.

These guys will come in an Avon from the town 15 miles away to your boat on its mooring, bring it to your dock, and then turn around and go home, come back when you are done and put your boat back on the mooring.

They are painfully yachty: everyone wears Nantucket Reds, collared t shirts, fancy vests, and Robo Cop shades. It kind of makes me barf. I would always be sure to kick off a little extra wake when I went by.

[kaimusailing]

I thought I was totally self-sufficient. I moved the mast while sitting on a mooring. I put the boat together on the hard. I just don't have time to fool around with a bunch of boatyarders who don't know how to work on a boat like mine. Kind of out there. It was described as "very odd". "Like two German submarines tied together".

Then I docked next to Captain Chris, ahem, I mean Kaptain Kris. He was making things out of scrap titanium, stainless. He had a winch that he broke and got pissed at, re-manufactured the inner bronze tower and gears. If he were working at that company, they would still be making winches. But he is now doing electrical and plumbing on what little time he has. I guess the carbon fiber fabrication he does at his day job involves some "testing" in the mornings before everyone arrives. He's got a very custom hard dodger and main track. Like rocket...
But it goes back and forth. I think we both are glad to show off our work and make an extra effort to go over the top, if we can. Now I'm doing silly carpentry work and throwing half of it out, but I'm retired and the end result is some good work at the end of the week. I just can't imagine a boatyard guy doing some of this work without a lot of money being spent to get a designer and manager to make it come out right. I've met a few independent freelancers who can redo the woodwork in the interior, or do your electrics, or rig, and they are well worth their rates, usually less than the boatyard. It is always true that the best are busy and you can't get them when you need them.
Why does a sailor have to be a composites engineer, cabinet maker, machinist, diesel mechanic, electrician, NMEA expert, celestial navigator, aeronautics researcher, bioengineer, cook, chef, and bottle washer? I guess if we want to be self-sufficient, we will have to keep it all ticking over, even when the grid is down, when it is a good time to get out to sea on a blue water sailboat.

[unbusted67]

I am a sailor and I am going to say that power boaters are much maligned, I am sure Rebel Heart will agree. There are plenty of people who drive commercial boats who are way more legit than people sailing their brand new Beneteaus. I just wanted to throw that in there.

I should also mention that I hate wake, skee does, and most power boaters. What can I say? I am a walking contradiction.

[Ex-Calif]

I voted number 2 not because I screw up and need the cavalry but rather a time vs. money thing.

Labor is relatively cheap, even in Singapore. I have the bottom paint done as I would rather not spend 2 days sanding and 2 days painting. I don't have a sewing machine so any big sail and bimini repairs go to the sail loft. I had all the seams on the bimini and dodger redone with reinforcing leather at the chafe points for about $80usd.

I did repaint the cockpit myself as well as a new head, new through hulls, new seacocks, patched the deck where I got collided with, installed new depth speed instruments etc, etc, etc...

I do all the "technical" work like electricity, instruments and rigging because as they say, you pay peanuts you get monkeys... Although you think you'd be getting elephants. Wouldn't bananas get you monkeys? Oh, never mind...

[Duke 48]

Do I do "ALL" of my own work? No.. Some things I just do not have the training, tools or physical strength to do myself. I let the pros replace the thru-hulls and seacocks, and re-step the mast. But I do, do all my own routine maintenance and, except for sail making, my own canvas work.
Duke