PO'd at the PO!!

[Joli]

It'll get better, fix one problem at a time. The PO probably was not that knowledgable and did not realize he was creating problems.

[Tellie]

Sorry Sully it sucks. Used boats like used real estate all have a few hidden secrets, many times secrets the PO didn't even realize by either lack of maintenance or ignorance.
But the important question is. Do you still like your boat?

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Sorry Sully it sucks. Used boats like used real estate all have a few hidden secrets, many times secrets the PO didn't even realize by either lack of maintenance or ignorance.
But the important question is. Do you still like your boat?

I do!

I'm just a perfectionist. I used to be one with computer programming and now I'm one with boats. I like things to work perfectly. I'll be hauling out sometime soon in NC and getting these things sorted out as well as the weight distribution and my little flapping genoa leech issue.

Really, for a used boat, that's not the worst list in the world.

[ssullivan]

I'm currently in New River, NC.

Should I go to Beaufort or Oriental?

I saw that Jarrett Bay Boatworks (not suggested by Zach) is going to cost me about $900 to be out of the water for 7 days with a 34' boat.

That's pretty steep, considering hauling a 45' boat out for 2.5 weeks this summer cost me $800 at a Brewer's! (an expensive yard in the northeast).

So are the places in Oriental any cheaper? Any names for the yards in Oriental or Bufort so I can try to see what their costs would be? Any ones people particularly like for reasonable rates?

I may rent a car for a day or two if nothing is close enough to walk to. I'll need a Whole Foods (hopefully), West Marine and hardward store.

[GordMay]

Evidently, the Sate of N.C. was (in 2007) planning to end its participation with the Maritime Museum’s car loaner program, offered as a hospitality project to transient boaters visiting Beaufort.
Anyone know what developed - do they still offer the loaner car?

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Evidently, the Sate of N.C. was (in 2007) planning to end its participation with the Maritime Museum’s car loaner program, offered as a hospitality project to transient boaters visiting Beaufort.
Anyone know what developed - do they still offer the loaner car?

Wow! A free loaner car would certainly narrow the choice down quickly. I may pick Beaufort just because it had tried this (or is offering it). I mean if a town is that friendly to cruisers, there are likely other advantages (aside from the car) that a cruiser would find useful.

Interesting info, Gord.

[GordMay]

FWIW, the Museum is on Front Street, not far from a couple of my favourite bars.

[ssullivan]

Good info, Gord. If I have time during the repairs, I'll take a walk through the "old town" and see the museum.

One very good sign (literally):

I see a Yanmar sign right on a building. Hooray!

Now let's see if the people are jerks or nice.... (or in other words, do they force you to use their staff for bottom paint?)

[Zach]

Hey Sean,

You are about to run through one of the tighter spots on the ICW. There are a lot of little cross currents and confused waters in the stretch behind Camp Legune. Couple years ago I was making the trip and we ran aground in the channel and had to go out side a red buoy to find deep water. Plenty of blasts running through little cuts that will heel the boat over when the tide is running. Keep your eyes peeled for changes in the color of the water. I suggest ya run through at high tide... and keep your eyes peeled for points extending towards ya!

Bock Marine Builders
233 Core Creek Rd
Beaufort, NC 28516

Get Directions(252) 728-6855
Kenny Bock runs the place, and is a good fellow to talk with.

Sailcraft in Oriental
The New Sailcraft Service Your Full Service Boatyard Oriental, NC

Deatons in Oriental
Deaton Yacht Service in Oriental NC - Marina, Boat Repair, Yacht Brokerage, Towboat Services

Theres also Core Creek in the same complex as Jarret Bay, but they are in the middle of nowhere if you haven't a car.
Welcome to Core Creek Marine, LLC

There is a boat yard on the Morehead city waterfront before you get to the turning basin for the port. Its off of Shepard Street, but I forget the name... and haven't dealt with them. (The turning basin is NO wake, the coasties mean it...) The Morehead city waterfront is behind a little island, the current runs pretty quick through this cut when the tides are changing according to Mel at Ace Marine (Walking distance from that boat yard.)

Theres also a yard on Radio Island, within a dinghy ride from the Beaufort waterfront. I've ridden around, but haven't really investigated. They have the gorgeous hull of an ancient wood sailboat out front that calls my name from time to time... (Place looks pretty dilapidated.)

Also, go under the bridge to Atlantic beach at high tide, they had a 50 foot power boat go aground in the channel of the ICW right there a few weeks ago, and had to drag it off at high tide. I'm not sure what they were drafting, but at low tide its one big sand bar around the bridge.

There are two channels that go around an island north of the highway 70 bridge that crosses the port. One is the ICW, the other runs off to Beaufort to the airport. The channel that cuts off to starboard is shoaling, and has a sand bar across it at the south end by the bridge. Put the island with the brick chimney on your starboard... even the local shrimp boats run aground over there, favor the spoil areas to port till you get up into Adams creek, the stuff to starboard is shallow. Once you pass Jarret Bay your home clear. If you want to get to Gallants channel, and the anchorage by the airport and you are heading north... you either go under the beaufort bridge or have to you have to go out past island with the chimney on the ICW and head north till gallants channel meets the ICW. Otherwise you'll find bottom....

Oh... and if you anchor in Taylors creek along Beaufort's waterfront, I'd suggest you not go all the way out behind Carrot island at the east end of the channel. Ran aground between the markers in a 22 foot walk around a couple months ago, not a lot of water. Beautiful though!

Do NOT cut the corner of radio island if you are heading toward Beaufort from the south, theres a navy seal training ramp at the end, give wide berth... there is a massive rock jetty off its point that has claimed a lot of props by folks taking a short cut. Go out towards the inlet and follow the channel. It makes a pretty good jog off to port towards the new condos almost as soon as you are in it. At low tide the eastern side has a decent sandbar that folks will toss some beach chairs out on... give the island to starboard some room at low tide. Your back in a no wake zone once you round the Condos...

Theres another anchorage on the other side of the Beaufort Bascule Bridge by the airport. Personally I run back out around radio island unless I'm in a small powerboat to get there if I'm in Beaufort, its a little tight to hang around for 20 minutes...

Oh... and to get to the boat yards in Oriental you will be going into Whittaker Creek. Watch your markers. Head towards the rocks and run parallel to them for a bit, then aim for the new docks... You have to cut over toward the dock to starboard, do a little kinky turn towards the face dock at Whittaker creek marina... Its almost a sport to watch folks cut between the two markers off the end of the fuel dock. "Say... How'd ya get in here anyway?"

[hellosailor]

Sean-
"What is this guy thinking?? " Oh, you naive young thing. What makes you think a boat owner is capable of rational, much less concious, thought at all?! [vbg]

You might also check into zipcars (zipcar.com?) if they are available, you can check them out by the hour, with zero paperwork and fuss.

A $900 haul?! Makes a $1500 dry suit seem like a very attractive investment.

Are you willing to take a 41-cent gamble? Send the PO a letter with a copy of your haul bill, and tell him that your attorney has advised you that his changing the oil that way could be interpreted as criminal fraud intended to deceive the buyer (you) but that you have no interest in pressing the fraud charges if he simply reimburses your new expenses.

Worst he can do is say "no".

If you want to gamble $50, have some storefront attorney send the letter on a letterhead. Carries more impact.

One of my favorite curses: May all the camels in Egypt trod across his leftmost toe!

[N.M.I.ke]

I'm not sure attorneys can send a letter threatening to press criminal charges if you don't pay a civil claim. Sounds like extortion, or mail fraud (hey, I watched "The Firm...")

You should certainly talk to a lawyer before you do anything.

Proceed with caution.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by N.M.I.ke

I'm not sure attorneys can send a letter threatening to press criminal charges if you don't pay a civil claim. Sounds like extortion, or mail fraud (hey, I watched "The Firm...")

You should certainly talk to a lawyer before you do anything.

Proceed with caution.

Unfortunately, I am just sucking it up since lawyers tend to eat up any monies earned from persuing something like this anyway. It's easier to put less time into fixing the boat than it is to put more time into retaining an attorney and paying them.


I have already fixed the majority of issues.

How about this one?

He put regular old silicone below the waterline to keep my zincs in place. When I hauled out, the silicone was already coming off and there wasn't much between me and the sea.

He also painted the saildrives with copper anti-foul.

If only I could have found some of this out... it was done after my survey and before I took delivery of the boat. Also, the props were loose when I hauled out. He didn't tighten the saildrive hardware enough that holds the props in place.

Well, everything is fixed now and the prop cages are gone.

I launch tomorrow!

[sluissa]

Originally Posted by N.M.I.ke

I'm not sure attorneys can send a letter threatening to press criminal charges if you don't pay a civil claim. Sounds like extortion, or mail fraud (hey, I watched "The Firm...")

You should certainly talk to a lawyer before you do anything.

Proceed with caution.

Big corps do it all the time. Look at the RIAA. Their basic deal is to threaten just about anyone that has the slightest chance of even ever having owned a computer with music that may or may not be pirated on it. "Pay us <insert some amount of money I hear generally $400> or we'll press charges." Most of the time they get away with it because defending yourself is more expensive than just paying them off.

[Tellie]

Baseball bats Sully baseball bats.

Just kiddin, don't want to offend the high toned guys here.
But it does remind me of the Italian version of the three little pigs story.

[slomotion]

The PO indeed sounds flaky, but it may not be entirely his fault:

!. Any boat in south Florida which does not move for a month will experience growth on even the most toxic bottom paint - it's worse in the summer, but it will happen year round in south Florida.

2. When a boat is hauled for survey in Florida the bottom is typically pressure washed. This is great for the surveyor, but you can imagine what it does to ablative bottom paint. When we sold our boat in 2002, it had a new bottom and we spent 2 hours hand scrubbing it when it was hauled for the survey - no way were we going to let the yard pressure wash it for someone who might not buy it.

OTOH, sometimes prior owners leave behind interesting and not necessarily bad surprises. In our first 6 months of cruising we discovered 2 S&W .38 cal revolvers and $700 in cash hidden on our boat. After that, I spent more than a few hours crawling through lazerettes and other tight places looking for more treasure. No luck, but maybe the new owners are rich and well armed.