Visit our Popular Forums

laika · 02-05-2015, 06:07

I've been refitting my boat at the Sailcraft boatyard in Oriental, NC for over a year now and will be departing next week.

The issue is between the yard manager and the old rigger who recently started off on his own. I've known the rigger for a while now and had planned on using him when he was still at the yard. He went off on his own and I hired him anyway because he's the best rigger around.

Hiring him seems to have personally offended the yard manager, who has taken it upon himself to make this project as difficult as possible for both me and the rigger. There was a time when my rig was down, strewn out over sawhorses, where I thought I would have to move the whole deal over to the neighboring yard because the yard manager was going to block the rigger from the yard. I had to stand between them in a heated personal argument, trying to calm them down and reason with them, in order to get my job completed.

We walked away from that conversation on "good terms" with the rigger able to complete my project.

Another time the yard manager straight-up lied to me about a conversation he had with the rigger regarding supplemental work. It bordered on sabotaging my project and I almost wound up with a new furler I didn't want.

Now that I'm getting ready to depart, whatever agreement they had appears to have fallen apart and the yard manager is coming after me for the rigger's commission. He actually threatened to bring me to court and impound my boat if the rigger didn't pay up.

I'm a bit miffed by the possibility of essentially paying for all the BS I've been put through here. I've spent over $10K at the yard over the last year and it strikes me as greedy and highly unprofessional that the yard would be coming after me now. Essentially, the yard manager and the rigger both have personal axes to grind and I'm just the leverage in the middle.

So I guess my question is what leverage do I have over the yard manager beyond going on an online forum to gripe about it?

Alan, you're killing me man!!

I need to get out of this boatyard!!

brantleychuck · 02-05-2015, 06:32

Your most likely going to have to pay the riggers commission. Or get the rigger to pay what he owes. It seems that simple at this point. Good luck

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

clownfishsydney · 02-05-2015, 06:45

I can say that in Australia we would tell him to f*** o**.

gonesail · 02-05-2015, 07:01

contract? estimates? anything on paper? verbal? was there an agreement up front that you pay the rigger's commission?

Roy M · 02-05-2015, 07:01

In the U.S., the boatyard has the responsibility and power of "care, custody and control". You pay your money to them and regain c,c and c to yourself. Suck it up.

Dulcesuenos · 02-05-2015, 07:29

Hire an Attorney unless the commission is reasonable then suck it up

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Captain Bill · 02-05-2015, 07:35

Many (most) boatyards require some sort of fee from outside vendors. It is usually covered in the invoice from the outside vendor as a separate line item. If the vendor's hourly rate is $100 and the yard requires a 20% commission Then there's a $20 charge per hour that's usually call Yard fee or something similar. I am familiar with Alan and I suppose your rigger is Mark. If Mark charged you the fee then your beef is with Mark, if he didn't, pay Alan his fee and get out of there. Either way you would have had to pay the fee.

scottmills · 02-05-2015, 07:51

I always need to get out of a boatyard the second they pull my boat! Let's face it most boatyards suck, and suck you dry. As with any business, it is the management and owner that make or break a yard. For example: Brewer chain of yards in the NE US bill you by every 15 min. even if you are asking a worker a question, or even just shooting' the shiit for a few minutes, they bill you. Their policy is like a law firm - every worker must account for billable hours at the end of each day - and with talking with some of the workers - they told me they just arbitrarily bill kinda who they like or don't like. It's a corporate mentality gone wrong. It's ugly and it's immoral. That's my experience at a Brewer yard in CT.
Get out of your boatyard in NC ASAP and never go back - plus, you must tell everyone you can about this experience - or it will continue to get worse.
Happy sailing, and good luck.

svHyLyte · 02-05-2015, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by laika

I've been refitting my boat at the Sailcraft boatyard in Oriental, NC for over a year now and will be departing next week.

The issue is between the yard manager and the old rigger who recently started off on his own. I've known the rigger for a while now and had planned on using him when he was still at the yard. He went off on his own and I hired him anyway because he's the best rigger around.

Hiring him seems to have personally offended the yard manager, who has taken it upon himself to make this project as difficult as possible for both me and the rigger. There was a time when my rig was down, strewn out over sawhorses, where I thought I would have to move the whole deal over to the neighboring yard because the yard manager was going to block the rigger from the yard. I had to stand between them in a heated personal argument, trying to calm them down and reason with them, in order to get my job completed.

We walked away from that conversation on "good terms" with the rigger able to complete my project.

Another time the yard manager straight-up lied to me about a conversation he had with the rigger regarding supplemental work. It bordered on sabotaging my project and I almost wound up with a new furler I didn't want.

Now that I'm getting ready to depart, whatever agreement they had appears to have fallen apart and the yard manager is coming after me for the rigger's commission. He actually threatened to bring me to court and impound my boat if the rigger didn't pay up.

I'm a bit miffed by the possibility of essentially paying for all the BS I've been put through here. I've spent over $10K at the yard over the last year and it strikes me as greedy and highly unprofessional that the yard would be coming after me now. Essentially, the yard manager and the rigger both have personal axes to grind and I'm just the leverage in the middle.

So I guess my question is what leverage do I have over the yard manager beyond going on an online forum to gripe about it?

Alan, you're killing me man!!

I need to get out of this boatyard!!

It is not uncommon to find that a boatyard will not permit outside contractors to work on a yacht within their premises unless the contractor goes through the yard management which, of course, charges an over-ride on the cost of the work. This is for several reasons not the least of which is the prospective liability the yard management may have to the contractor or, worse, the client, in the event of an accident resulting in injuries or damages to other yard workers or equipment, the client or his yacht, or other customers and/or their yachts. Moreover, a yard is not in the business of simply providing "working space" unless it is an owner DIY facility in which case the lay days tend to be more costly and 3rd party contractors may still be disallowed. Unfortunately, such policies are not often disclosed to a yard's clients until the matter arises although signage is often posted to notify outside contractors that they must report to and clear through the yard's management before doing any work. In your case, at this juncture, it might be wisest to discuss the matter with the yard management in a calm and collected manner and offer to pay an over-ride on the contractor's work, say 10%-15%, to resolve the matter. That may not be successful but at least it would be a starting point.

FWIW...

Hawkeye · 02-05-2015, 08:19

Boatyard owners are currently suffering from an identity crisis. They have long felt disrespected for being left out of the, "if a lawyer was drowning here, and a used car salesman was drowning over there," joke, and have made a concerted effort to nudge one of those two ne'er-do-wells out of the spot they feel should rightfully be theirs. Just remember this: long after you are gone and enjoying life to the fullest, that man will be stuck there, filled with hate and resentment, fighting with his ex-employee over chicken feed. The best revenge upon such people is to avoid lowering yourself to their field. They are their own worse punishment.

There is one little thing you might do to get a bit of enjoyment out of it, but never let him see you smile. Act a little irritated and offer him half. No matter what he settles for, the bit you leave with will haunt him.

Cadence · 02-05-2015, 08:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

It is not uncommon to find that a boatyard will not permit outside contractors to work on a yacht within their premises unless the contractor goes through the yard management which, of course, charges an over-ride on the cost of the work. This is for several reasons not the least of which is the prospective liability the yard management may have to the contractor or, worse, the client, in the event of an accident resulting in injuries or damages to other yard workers or equipment, the client or his yacht, or other customers and/or their yachts. Moreover, a yard is not in the business of simply providing "working space" unless it is an owner DIY facility in which case the lay days tend to be more costly and 3rd party contractors may still be disallowed. Unfortunately, such policies are not often disclosed to a yard's clients until the matter arises although signage is often posted to notify outside contractors that they must report to and clear through the yard's management before doing any work. In your case, at this juncture, it might be wisest to discuss the matter with the yard management in a calm and collected manner and offer to pay an over-ride on the contractor's work, say 10%-15%, to resolve the matter. That may not be successful but at least it would be a starting point.

FWIW...

Very well put!

UNCIVILIZED · 02-05-2015, 08:51

What yard?

Also, who, corporate wise, do they answer to, so that sailors might look up what else they own & avoid the places. Ditto on sending corporate a well drafted letter about your experiences, including dates, names, threats, etc. Especially said items vs. what should have properly transpired; as gentlemen, & if you like, the legal version as well.

And corporate has to answer to someone also... if they have the 'nad to try & get nasty about things. Not just answer to in terms of bosses, but both online forums, & published periodicals too.

If you choose to pursue it that far, or they want to try & be nasty with you.