Rio Dulce

[danmhi]

Thanks for the replies

She's a 50' ketch, the big jobs are to unstep the main mast to replace the compression post top supports, bottom job with a few blisters to repair, lots of interior wood work (a whole new v-berth interior) and a few other spots of fibreglass work.

I'm currently in ft Lauderdale which seems like the most expensive place to get anything done!

[model 10]

I think the record for recent crossings is 8.2' They use 2 boats, one tilting and the other towing. I heard that the boat was at 45deg.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by danmhi

Thanks for the replies

She's a 50' ketch, the big jobs are to unstep the main mast to replace the compression post top supports, bottom job with a few blisters to repair, lots of interior wood work (a whole new v-berth interior) and a few other spots of fibreglass work.

I'm currently in ft Lauderdale which seems like the most expensive place to get anything done!

Yes, Ft. Laud is WAY expensive, but convenient.

Tom, of Cayo Quemado Sails & Rigging, has a small crane at his dock specifically built for unstepping masts.

Bottom paint is available on the Rio, but can be relatively expensive. Ive imported my own in the past cheaper. Also, Trans Oceanic bottom paints may be available thru SUR brand distributors, this is also much less expensive than some of the big name imported brands. You could also sail down w your own.

Contact Captain John, of Captain John's Marina, or Luby (by Monkey Bay Marina) for very good interior wood work/varnishing.

For bottom job, there are 3 boat yards to choose from, Nana Juana is the least expensive haul out. They can recommend contractors for bottom job/blister repair. RAM Marine and Abel's are the other 2 options. All 3 good yards.


What is her draft?

Mast height?

[Tartan37CB]

Originally Posted by danmhi

Thanks for the replies

She's a 50' ketch, the big jobs are to unstep the main mast to replace the compression post top supports, bottom job with a few blisters to repair, lots of interior wood work (a whole new v-berth interior) and a few other spots of fibreglass work.

I'm currently in ft Lauderdale which seems like the most expensive place to get anything done!

Check with
Tom at cayo quemado rigging 502 3357 3009 he uses whats app too.for unstepping mast he also does rigging work not sure if mast of your height will be doable for him but call him first. He has done rigging work for me does great work.


Of 3 yards your choice check rates abels in san felipe was the only yard in town for many years long before Ram and Nanna Juanna arrived. Local owned and operated good people. Reasonable rates they can do your bottom job or you can they have a 60 ton boat lift. And yard they were my best quote who i hauled with last year. They are farther from town than others but but not to far.

As far as carpenters best reccomadation is Chilo Saquil 502 4982 3060
He does top quailty carpentry work and has a team his sons and him. He worked 8 years learning from a english shipwright that was on the rio dulce years before. He can do all woodwork you need does fiberglass work also.
He did recent work for me and i was very satisfied. He only speaks spanish but i can get you a english spanish translator whose english is as good as yours and mine and he is a good local contact there on the rio who can source anything you need.
I hope this helps.
Cheers

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Tartan37CB

Check with

Tom at cayo quemado rigging 502 3357 3009 he uses whats app too.for unstepping mast he also does rigging work not sure if mast of your height will be doable for him but call him first. He has done rigging work for me does great work.





Of 3 yards your choice check rates abels in san felipe was the only yard in town for many years long before Ram and Nanna Juanna arrived. Local owned and operated good people. Reasonable rates they can do your bottom job or you can they have a 60 ton boat lift. And yard they were my best quote who i hauled with last year. They are farther from town than others but but not to far.



As far as carpenters best reccomadation is Chilo Saquil 502 4982 3060

He does top quailty carpentry work and has a team his sons and him. He worked 8 years learning from a english shipwright that was on the rio dulce years before. He can do all woodwork you need does fiberglass work also.

He did recent work for me and i was very satisfied. He only speaks spanish but i can get you a english spanish translator whose english is as good as yours and mine and he is a good local contact there on the rio who can source anything you need.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Yes, Abels are good people, but their rates have gone up considerably since Abel Jr took over the show and more competition arrived.

One consideration of Abels vs the others is mast height. Running the bridge/power lines with a tall mast can be a pucker inducing experience...especially if youve not done it before.

Thats why I asked about mast height.

[mvweebles]

I can't speak to doing a refit in Rio, just to doing it cross border when I'm only 70 miles south in Ensenada and can have stuff delivered to San Diego and driven across the border, 99% of the time uninspected. I also live in Mexico (Yucatan) part time and have done a fair amount of remodel-type work. Finding and acquiring higher quality parts ranges from an expensive hassle on the easy end, to more or less impossible on the other end. The local hardware stores will have wire, but not tinned wire if that makes a difference to you (it does to me). If you can find tinned wire, will be 30% higher than West Marine which is already 40% higher than Defender. The hardware store will have hose, and the marine store may have a step up, but if you want options in size and quality (such as non-permeable sanitation hose), it most likely needs to come from the US. I cannot begin to think of all the stuff I've ordered from Defender and McMaster Carr.

To the OP: if you're having your stateroom reconfigured, make sure you bring whatever cabinet hardware you want. I could only find cheap junk in Mexico. I can't imagine Guatemala is any better. Central America has ingenious people who can cobble a solution together and are fine if it needs to be re-cobbled in 6-months which means cheap parts sell better than expensive ones (just visit a hardware store to confirm).

All I'm saying is that looking for cheap labor only may be false economy depending on the work being done. Blister job involves fiberglass and labor which are readily available everywhere. But there are many systems-level activities where labor may be cheap, but parts won't be and you'll experience either lengthy delays or inferior quality. Really depends on type of work being done.

Good luck

Peter

[mvweebles]

Can I ask about approximate labor rates in Rio? I'm paying about $17/hr-$20/hr for general yard work, carpentry, and fiberglass. Mechanic, electrician, stainless steel fabrication are somewhere in the $35-$50 per hour. I told that deeper into Mexico rates are less than half that (except for skilled mechanic/electrician which is still close to $50/hr).

Wondering how that compares with other locations.

Peter

[model 10]

A Guatemalan guy who can operate a piece of sandpaper could make Q100 per day. With breaks too.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Can I ask about approximate labor rates in Rio? I'm paying about $17/hr-$20/hr for general yard work, carpentry, and fiberglass. Mechanic, electrician, stainless steel fabrication are somewhere in the $35-$50 per hour. I told that deeper into Mexico rates are less than half that (except for skilled mechanic/electrician which is still close to $50/hr).

Wondering how that compares with other locations.

Peter

Unskilled labor in Guate is as low as ~ Q60 per day (< $10).

Local semi-skilled labor up to about Q150/day (~ $20).

Foreign more highly skilled labor, like various technicians, $25-35/hour.

[hpeer]

100Q s roughly $13 or about $1.50/hour??????

[robert sailor]

100 Q is bottom of the barrel but I suspect locals would pay other locals that rate or less.
Normally the base rate is 125-150Q per day for fellows that do bottom work or stainless steel cleaning and just general labor. The rates rise as you get into the skilled trades..none the less still very cheap compared to USA or Canada.
There are some excellent trades there, some locals and some displaced Americans but if you choose the better ones their work is as good as you'll get almost anywhere.
If your getting your bottom done bring in your own paint as the paint prices there are a bit crazy. Try and stock up before leaving the USA and you'll be glad you did.
If you have major electrical work such as radar, gps,vhf sideband etc.get it done in the USA as it's hard to get that type of expertise there.Outboards , diesel engines ...these guys are very good at and really inexpensive compared to the USA.
If you have any real specific questions feel free to pm me. R

[Thumbs Up]

A few comments:
TheWest Marine store at Ram is not a real West Marine store. They resell some West Marine branded products.
The laborers there mostly have an amazing work ethic. Please provide them with lunch and an occasional bonus!
Chilo and sons are good craftsman but do not allow them to attempt to fair a hull.
Luvi is a smooth talker and speaks very good English. He also underpays his laborers and is known to dock their pay for technical problems.
You should get several references before you contract any job there.
Guatemalan workers don't like to wear dust masks or gloves or respirators. Please provide them and insist that they are used, particularly when working with epoxies and 2 component coatings.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Thumbs Up

A few comments:
TheWest Marine store at Ram is not a real West Marine store. They resell some West Marine branded products.
The laborers there mostly have an amazing work ethic. Please provide them with lunch and an occasional bonus!
Chilo and sons are good craftsman but do not allow them to attempt to fair a hull.
Luvi is a smooth talker and speaks very good English. He also underpays his laborers and is known to dock their pay for technical problems.
You should get several references before you contract any job there.
Guatemalan workers don't like to wear dust masks or gloves or respirators. Please provide them and insist that they are used, particularly when working with epoxies and 2 component coatings.

RAM marine is actually the only liscenced foreign West Marine distributor I know of. True, they are not a corporate owned West Marine store, but the difference is just semantics.

Agree that Guatemalans are awesome workers! Typically they are VERY hard working, honest, and conciensious. Do help them out with a meal and a little extra for a job well done.

Ive often considered importing some good Guatemala workers into Panama...geez.

[Thumbs Up]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

RAM marine is actually the only liscenced foreign West Marine distributor I know of. True, they are not a corporate owned West Marine store, but the difference is just semantics

I would be very surprised if this is true. I think that the owner just buys deeply discounted items from a California West Marine store using his Port Supply discount, and puts them in his monthly shipment container. He does state this on his website:
Marina Store supervised and assisted by West Marine / Port Supply for the Best Product at an affordable price.

But I think that is a stretch

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Thumbs Up

I would be very surprised if this is true. I think that the owner just buys deeply discounted items from a California West Marine store using his Port Supply discount, and puts them in his monthly shipment container. He does state this on his website:

Marina Store supervised and assisted by West Marine / Port Supply for the Best Product at an affordable price.



But I think that is a stretch

That info is directly from owner.


Not that the semantics matter really, bottom line is its equivalent to having a WM store right there.