DIY Marina Way Up a River West Coast Florida?

[thruska]

Originally Posted by Chotu

They are asleep at the switch at Belle Hatchee. Guess I'll go to a different spot.

I know that a friend is launching his 44 trimaran there .
Is this the number you are using ?
*+1 (863) 675-4371‬

[Chotu]

(863) 675-4371... called for a week and a half. Left several messages. No returned calls. Nothings.

This place doesn’t care about its clients one bit. Went to a different marina.

[flyingfin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

(863) 675-4371... called for a week and a half. Left several messages. No returned calls. Nothings.

This place doesn’t care about its clients one bit. Went to a different marina.

Actually, they do care about their clients. They are working on the boats currently in the yard and with active contracts. Sorry they dont have time to chat.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

Actually, they do care about their clients. They are working on the boats currently in the yard and with active contracts. Sorry they dont have time to chat.

Calling to set up a haul out isn’t a “chat.”

I sat at the entrance to the Okeechobee waterway for a couple days waiting and calling also,.

If they are this inconsiderate before you even get in, have no email or website, leaving the phone as the only way to contact them, yet ignore clients, how bad are they once they have your money?.

I see the bad reviews on them on the internet too.

My input to the thread is not to go here.

[hellosailor]

If they are so new to business and telephones (I understand high technology and mainland US business behavior isn't common in Floridia) that they can't, ah, PUT IN AN ANSWERING MACHINE AND RETURN CALLS AT 4PM OR FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING?

They're not business people. I wouldn't give them any work either.

It is NOT so hard to have your number forwarded to an answering service. Or to someone who is housebound and willing to take messages all day. Or any of a dozen other things, like put up a message that says "We're out on the docks...but open from 8AM to sunset seven days a week".

I knew a watchmaker who had a very simple message on his phone and web site: "I'm working with tiny parts and my face buried in someone's watch all day, I can't jump up and interrupt that to answer the phone. So please leave a message and I will call you back."

It ain't rocket science. Folks who can't answer the phone? Should have stayed at the bait shack.

[thruska]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

If they are so new to business and telephones (I understand high technology and mainland US business behavior isn't common in Floridia) that they can't, ah, PUT IN AN ANSWERING MACHINE AND RETURN CALLS AT 4PM OR FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING?

They're not business people. I wouldn't give them any work either.

It is NOT so hard to have your number forwarded to an answering service. Or to someone who is housebound and willing to take messages all day. Or any of a dozen other things, like put up a message that says "We're out on the docks...but open from 8AM to sunset seven days a week".

I knew a watchmaker who had a very simple message on his phone and web site: "I'm working with tiny parts and my face buried in someone's watch all day, I can't jump up and interrupt that to answer the phone. So please leave a message and I will call you back."

It ain't rocket science. Folks who can't answer the phone? Should have stayed at the bait shack.

Wayne the 80*year old , old school owner, is probably so tired, he can’t stay awake long enough to answer calls when he gets in after 14 hour days.
His yard is pretty full, so I’d say reviews don’t bother him. Maybe he passed away and is being laid to rest next to his beloved wife and son at the memorial on the property.
To the OP of the thread, you could have motored right over there and made a cool trip out of it, and likely been able to put the bad reviews to bed. Tell us where you did find an appropriate substitute for your headaches.
To some of the other armchair commentators, you might ease up on your speculative commiserations, instead of piling on whomever is fair game to your condescending misplaced judgement. And you know who you are.

This forum could be called the cruisers castration forum.
But that’s just an opinion, and opinions are like... well you know the riff...

[flyingfin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Hi.

Looking for a very well protected DIY Marina on the west coast of Florida. I'm not familiar with that side of the state yet.

Hoping to find something similar to all the low cost places over on the east coast in the St John's River.

Looking for protection from hurricanes, low cost, economically depressed areas so the local labor pool is plentiful.

Thanks for any help.

The OP says it all!

[Infatuation]

Apollo beach marina..the one just south of the BIG Bend power plant...the marina to the north...not the southern one

[SVAspen]

Question - Some Florida boatyards say they are DIY. BUT you are required to buy all materials from the boatyard and cannot bring anything into the boatyard, like bottom paint, etc. Does anyone know why this is the case?

So really a DIY boatyard is only half a DIY since you get to do some work but without your own materials?

If anyone also knows of any boatyards that do not require you to purchase materials from the boatyard to do your own work, please list them. Interesting to say the least.

[hellosailor]

Why?
Because they can make money that way while appearing to show a cheaper rate. Then once the rubes have hauled, they are committed.

Same as the auto service shops that almost universally charge an "environmental fee" and a "shop supplies fee" without posting those in their quotes either.

Indiantown doesn't play that game, AFAIK. It proves owners with the right mindset can grow a business and make a profit without pissing people off.

Put this on a brass plaque to it becomes easy to remember:
"Is that the total price? No extra fees, taxes, or charges?"

If you need 100 kilograms of enriched fissile material to replenish your reactor core...I wonder if they'd be able to supply that by the end of the business day? (Ask anyhow.)

[SVAspen]

Oh, so Indiantown is different but I can't get there with a mast over 54 feet. So that kind of limits things.

I understand about the profit thing but you would think in Florida of all places, with all the boats, there would be other yards not requiring the purchase of the materials onsite. There seems to be a large market for something like that. Geeze.

[pesarsten]

Apollo Beach Marina is DIY and does not require you to purchase from them.

[SVAspen]

Apollo Beach looks good on the west coast. However, are there any on the East Coast of Florida?

[Sailmonkey]

Apollo beach marina is a great place to work on a boat.....and you get to haul with travel lift serial #1 (not literally, but it’s got some years on it).

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by thruska

Wayne the 80*year old , old school owner, is probably so tired, he can’t stay awake long enough to answer calls when he gets in after 14 hour days ... ease up on your speculative commiserations ...

This yard is well known and well appreciated by folks who understand that sometimes reality intrudes upon traditional forms of communication (ringing phones in the middle of a haul, etc.). This yard remains "Old Florida" and proud of it, so if that doesn't meet one's requirements, then ...