Caribbean Haul-Out Costs and Dealing with French Charter Companies

[Dragon Lady]

Hi all,

I am having fun dealing with a French charter company who won't dicount their asking price and want to charge me 500 euro for and inspection haul out.
The asking price is fair but is the 500 euro is a bit high for an inspection haul out especially when they own the yard.
I think the vendor ususlly pays the haulout if the boat is sold but these people have their own rules.

[Vasco]

Prospective buyer usually pays for haulout.

[boatman61]

Are you sure its not 250 each way.... including time in the slings....
I don't suppose the seller wants the boat left on the hard.... if so thats about standard rip-off rate by yards these days.....

[Rich]

I just had an inspection haul out in St. Maarten 2 weeks ago and paid US$200.00 plus taxes for 3 hours on the dry, including a complete hull scrape.

[Passage50]

Originally Posted by Rich

I just had an inspection haul out in St. Maarten 2 weeks ago and paid US$200.00 plus taxes for 3 hours on the dry, including a complete hull scrape.

Friend you got a hell off a deal.
I had a houlout done by the Polypot Yard in St. Maarten done in April this year on a 37ft Sailboat Which I did not buy. Still I paid for the houlout and if my memory serves me right it was arroud US 600.**

[bljones]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

Hi all,

I am having fun dealing with a French charter company who won't dicount their asking price and want to charge me 500 euro for and inspection haul out.
The asking price is fair but is the 500 euro is a bit high for an inspection haul out especially when they own the yard.
I think the vendor ususlly pays the haulout if the boat is sold but these people have their own rules.

Think your bigotry might be colouring your impression?
Reading this post, it could appear that aussies are cheapskates, complaining about a 500 euro hauluout cost on a 30-60000 euro boat. But to say that out loud would be bigoted and insulting to all aussies.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by bljones

Reading this post, it could appear that aussies are cheapskates, complaining about a 500 euro hauluout cost on a 30-60000 euro boat. But to say that out loud would be bigoted and insulting to all aussies.

Of course we are cheapskates. We don't tip waitresses either. If they don't get paid enough in their job they should go back to school and learn a job that does pay.

[donradcliffe]

You didn't mention the size of the boat...size matters.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by Passage50

Friend you got a hell off a deal.
I had a houlout done by the Polypot Yard in St. Maarten done in April this year on a 37ft Sailboat Which I did not buy. Still I paid for the houlout and if my memory serves me right it was arroud US 600.**

Don't use the yards on the French side. Their rates are crazy.

The Bobby's yards on the Dutch side are very reasonable. We have a cat (20' beam), hauled out in Philipsburg and was in the $200-$250 range.

The French yards are totally over priced. No one goes there except the French for some reason. When the new Bobby's opens in the lagoon (might be open by now), they will be putting them out of business I suspect.

[Dragon Lady]

Thanks, it's a 39 foot cat and the vendor owns the yard which is probably the only facility available and 500 Euro is the going rate so I'll just have to wear it.
As for bigotry, build a bridge and get over it.
I mentioned I was having fun dealing with the French be cause they have different customs and attitudes to what I have been told to expect.
It is a challenge dealing with these people who answer emails when it suits them sometimes 2 weeks later and they make no compromises.
I deal with French and other nationalities in my work and knowing what their customs and values are very important in establishing an effective working relationship.
Different people and cultures make this world such a great place to be in.
Maybe Aussies are tight with their money but that might be the reason we are now in a position to buy boats at discount prices.

[bljones]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

As for bigotry, build a bridge and get over it.

I'm not the person bitching about the cost.

[Palarran]

Who are you using, JMC? They use slings without a spreader to haul the boat. I'd recommend, strongly, you look elsewhere. I can still see here they crushed the foam core on my boat. FWIW, 56' cost $1050 for out/in with 3 days on the hard.

[Dragon Lady]

Originally Posted by bljones

I'm not the person bitching about the cost.

What's bigotted about questioning the cost of something?

Call me a tight arse if you like but not a bigot.

[bljones]

If you'd left the "French"part out of it, then, yeah, you're just cheap. But slagging the french makes you a bigot. See the difference?

[Dragon Lady]

No sorry I don't believe I was “slaging” off the French. Maybe I was being critical of a company that happens to be French but even then it wasn't my intension to slag them off, just question how fair their policy is.