Much much am I being ripped off?

[Hardhead]

I always feel like I'm getting ripped off... Best thing, IMO, is as stated - get everything in writing in advance, and ask as many questions as necessary to pin down what's going to effect those prices.

IMO, employees are not always judicious in what extra services they should be charging for without any prior consent.

[odonnellryan]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Maybe I was not clear enough. Before you contract to have your boat hauled you need to find out what services they offer and what they cost. If they don't volunteer that information you need to ask a written quote.

If they charge you for something that is not on the agreement, then you are being ripped off.

One thing I would not accept is that they would not notify me as to the date and time ahead of time.

But I think that the yards in the NE have so much to do every fall (and again in the spring) that they just do it and the owners have gotten complacent about it, which opens the door to surprises.

I hear you. I would never do this to a client, so it is a little odd, but I get it.

Their prices are on the agreement - and it definitely says in the small print on the back that they can do "extra services that may incur additional cost" or some nonsense, but whatever. I guess eat it and go to a different yard next year

[mlydon]

Yes, you got ripped. I’m at safe Harbor in Haverstraw.

Roughly $55 a foot for my 50 footer, includes stands, power washing, and they disconnect/reconnect the back stay. As this year I have a back stay mounted radar, I had to remove it for them.

Matt

[Mike OReilly]

Seems to me the backstay removal fee is ridiculous -- unless it is meant as a punitive charge for you not having done it ahead of time. Do they believe you should have?

Also, you said you are renting 10 jackstands for a 37-foot boat. This seems rather excessive. I own a 37-footer and she is safely positioned with seven stands. Why so many stands?

The rest of the fees seem expensive, but not out of line.

[odonnellryan]

Originally Posted by mlydon

Yes, you got ripped. I’m at safe Harbor in Haverstraw.

Roughly $55 a foot for my 50 footer, includes stands, power washing, and they disconnect/reconnect the back stay. As this year I have a back stay mounted radar, I had to remove it for them.

Matt

I've kept my boat at Haverstraw before!

[odonnellryan]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Seems to me the backstay removal fee is ridiculous -- unless it is meant as a punitive charge for you not having done it ahead of time. Do they believe you should have?

Also, you said you are renting 10 jackstands for a 37-foot boat. This seems rather excessive. I own a 37-footer and she is safely positioned with seven stands. Why so many stands?

The rest of the fees seem expensive, but not out of line.

No, they never notified me that it needed to be done. I've never had to remove the stay for this boat so I had no idea.

And yeah - they pick how many stands to use, so I imagine they want to use as many as possible if they are renting them out!

[Jim Cate]

Re the need to remove a fore or back stay in a travel lift: Besides the size of the lift, your LOA and your draft influence the need. Deep draft boats must be lifted higher to get on to the hard, and that decreases the clearance for the stays. Long boats bring the stays closer to the cross beam of the lift, again reducing clearance.

Bottom line, both our 36 and 46 foot sloops, each with 2.2 m draft have most often needed a stay slacked or dropped . Recent experience in the Boat Works yard in Queensland's 100 ton lift was the first time it wasn't needed... o joy!

As to the huge charge for stay removal... what is their hourly labor rate there? at 100 bucks an hour that's over 5 hours to do a ten minute job. Kinda slack IMO, and I'd consider mentioning that to their manager.

I continue to celebrate never having had to slip the boat for winter... even in Tasmania!

Jim

Jim

[Nauticus]

Its disappointing to hear of sailors still getting taken advantage of as it sounds like you too maybe. To give you a bit of hope for humanity I know of a marina that gave a credit for the lockdown time and applied that discount to the winter fees. But this is Canada [emoji1063] and we roll pretty relaxed up here.

Fair winds [emoji569] and I hope you end up in a much better place [emoji846]

[Cool Hand Luke]

Be happy you're not in Jersey City in northern NJ... I feel like my marina just randomly picks numbers for prices for the services and you have to agree... ugh

[Island Time O25]

Moving the boat without owner present seems strange. My yard encourages owners being there during haulouts and launches. But it uses large hydraulic trailers, no travel lifts.

[sowwaninii]

As others have mentioned, I suspect additional charge for “backstay” also included hauling charge.

[j.g.evans]

Sail the boat to Barnegat Bay, a good day sail. The Forked River marina rates for everything run $31-35/ft.

[Hoodsail]

The fees you note seem in line with what I have paid for winter, external storage (including bottom power wash) in guilford, ct. $47/ft for 27-36 ft length overall. Unstepping and stepping mast with external rack storage is $19/ft (=> 42 ft) & add $2/ft for roller furler. Been at this yard x 5 yrs now and they are good about sending out winter rate/checklist fee schedule prior to haul out for you to complete. DIY is allowed as I do all winterizing, oil/filter change/ batteries, and place canvas cover. Will be keeping stick in for the next few yrs as all my mast work will be completed this winter, so saving $$ there. The $500ish fee for back stay, maybe a decimal point mistake, should be $50?? Definitely worth discussion. As I have been mistakenly charged twice for items on some work done when reviewing complex, itemized invoice. Yard reversed the mistaken charge. thnks

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

Is your backstay particularly complex, or it just as simple as removing a cotter pin and twisting the turnbuckle? If it’s the latter, $540 for the backstay is absolutely a ripoff. If it’s the former then that’s still an extreme charge. Either way, it makes zero sense unless they backed the boat into the lift. I wouldn’t hesitate to challenge it.

If it wasn't the backstay, then, it would be the forestay.

In our case, it was the forestay - and the way we managed it was to, first, loosen the backstay to take the tension off the furler/forestay.

Second, we used a preventer (multipurchase) to pull it slack-at-the-clevis. EZ off, ditto back on when we retrieved the furled genny from back on the foredeck.

That was after I discovered I'd been billed for two guys and two hours at yard rates (130/hour). And I had to provide the wrenches.

I marked, with tape, and once loose, with black marker, the backstay turnbuckl screws so we'd have the same tension at the end. The preventer made it a doddle.

[zstine]

in 2019/2020 I kept my 41ft at Lockwoods, Raritan bay, for just over $2k for the winter, including rental of stands... I disconnected and reconnect the backstay myself.. So with a backstay charge, I may have paid $2,600. yes, that backstay charge seems high. Lockwoods has their costs for work on their web page for all to see, which is nice. ..anyway, that kind of crap is why I always take the day off when the boat is hauled to "help".
I've been happy with Lockwoods. I had it farther up the cheesequake at Raritan boat yard and Not happy there. if you are at Atlantic Highlands I would expect to pay a bit more b/c the location. no bridges to wait for and a nicer town right there within walking distance, city access via ferry, etc.