My boat is in the yard and getting filthy

[docrn]

So back in October my neighbor side swiped my boat while it sat in the slip. It caused some damage to the toe rail necessitating the need to replace all them them around the boat (long story). Anyway, up here in the rainy and damp Pacific Northwest things get pretty green on the decks, canvas work and lines if you don’t keep up on cleaning the topsides. My boat has been in the yard for 3 months and likely will be for at least another month and it looks really bad.

This particular yard allows zero work to be done by the owner. I can’t wash it and I can’t even lube the max prop myself. Of course this adds to my displeasure with the whole damn thing and the fact that I’m a perfectionist when it comes to the condition of my boat is clearly not helping. I know there are some here that wouldn’t bother so this question isn’t directed towards you filthy heathens (snicker) and I’ll pose these questions to my other fellow OCD’ers below.

1. Should I expect the yard to be responsible for detailing the boat before I take it back or should the owner of the boat that hit me be responsible for absorbing those costs should the yard try to charge for those services?

2. Are my expectations too high?

Please note I wash my boat often and detailed the boat myself inside and out prior to taking it to the yard. I even took video to document it’s condition at the time. I also maintain my boat to very high standards and it shows. My only expectation is that I get the boat back in the same condition it was when I left it in the yards care. If they won’t let me do anything to help with that I feel that it’s on them.

[slug]

Find a new marina

[Sailmonkey]

I feel a yard that doesn’t let you do anything at all to your boat should charge higher prices and deliver on cleanliness.

If they don’t do those two things, find another yard to use next time.

[AndyEss]

Read your contract, lease, posted rules, regulations and conditions. I suspect the “no work by Owner” was in force before you hauled.
As another has said, find another yard. You are pissing up a rope if you think your photos and verbal statements will supersede written documents/posted policies.

[Montanan]

Their yard, their rules. If you don't like the rules of the play yard, find a different yard to play in.

As to the specifics of the contracted work to be performed by the yard, the devil is in the written details.

I'm pretty sure that they would detail your boat at their standard cost per hour if your desire to have such performed, but such routine upkeep maintenance will not likely be a liability of the owner that did the toe rail damage.

Expect that you will be using some elbow grease on the top sides, in addition to lubricating the prop.

[Orion Jim]

The owner of the boat that hit you is responsible for all costs associated with making you whole. Speak to your insurance company as they will bear the costs which they fail to recover from the responsible parties insurance. Stand your ground....they are not bashful about collecting your premium and you should not be bashful when you insist they make you whole.
And when you choose a yard you agree to abide by their written rules if it is in the contract ....if it isn’t in the contract you signed any “rule” you are made aware of subsequently has no standing and is unenforceable. Any small claims court judge will side with you....

[docrn]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I feel a yard that doesn’t let you do anything at all to your boat should charge higher prices and deliver on cleanliness.

If they don’t do those two things, find another yard to use next time.

They are the highest priced yard in the entire PNW from what I’ve been told. I believe this after seeing the invoices. They seem to like to spend hours on things that shouldn’t take that long (I worked in a boat yard many years ago and I can tell they are padding).

[JPA Cate]

Some of this depends on who it was that selected the yard for the work. If it is your neighbor who side-swiped you who selected the yard, he might be cajoled into detailing your boat for you. Think of it as a "leg up" on the way to your doing it for yourself.

If the yard was your choice, then you picked the yard where you would not be allowed to work on your boat in any way, and so, it will all be on you. Your only hope will be to talk to whoever's in charge of the work, and ASK them to get the boat back to her state of cleanliness on arrival, let them see the video, if they are interested. Behave in a friendly, humble fashion--you are not entitled here, you are asking them a favor.

Now, understand you will pay regular labor rates for this work, I would not expect them to just do it because you hope it would be the right thing. What normally would happen in the places we've been is that we bring the boat to a marina and clean it up after working on her, not wanting to pay others to do what we can do to our own standards ourselves. In general, tradies (people in the trades who work on your boat for you) leave the cleanup to the owners. In fact, we've even helped them carry their tools back to their pickup trucks.

Ann

[docrn]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

Read your contract, lease, posted rules, regulations and conditions. I suspect the “no work by Owner” was in force before you hauled.
As another has said, find another yard. You are pissing up a rope if you think your photos and verbal statements will supersede written documents/posted policies.

So just have them splash the boat and toss all the stanchions, lifelines, toe rails screws and bolts in the cabin while I get in line at another yard? I think that might be causing more problems for me in the long run.

Yes, I knew it wasn’t a do it yourself yard before I took it there. It was the closest one of my two choices in my area. They told me it would take A MONTH to complete the work. A month of, bird poop, yard dust, jet exhaust grime and mildew on the deck, lines and canvas isn’t that bad and can wash off without too much extra work on my part. Now 4 months of neglect is where I take issue. Especially when the yard took off 2 weeks for Christmas and another week for thanksgiving. The needle hasn’t moved on the project since early December and it’s partially because there is no sense of urgency for them to get it done.

[docrn]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Some of this depends on who it was that selected the yard for the work. If it is your neighbor who side-swiped you who selected the yard, he might be cajoled into detailing your boat for you. Think of it as a "leg up" on the way to your doing it for yourself.

If the yard was your choice, then you picked the yard where you would not be allowed to work on your boat in any way, and so, it will all be on you. Your only hope will be to talk to whoever's in charge of the work, and ASK them to get the boat back to her state of cleanliness on arrival, let them see the video, if they are interested. Behave in a friendly, humble fashion--you are not entitled here, you are asking them a favor.

Now, understand you will pay regular labor rates for this work, I would not expect them to just do it because you hope it would be the right thing. What normally would happen in the places we've been is that we bring the boat to a marina and clean it up after working on her, not wanting to pay others to do what we can do to our own standards ourselves. In general, tradies (people in the trades who work on your boat for you) leave the cleanup to the owners. In fact, we've even helped them carry their tools back to their pickup trucks.

Ann

Thanks for the reply.
Why would I let my neighbor choose where my boat goes to be fixed? That isn’t how it works here at all. By law it’s the owner who decides where it goes no matter who is at fault. The insurance companies can’t even decide where to take the boat. Lastly there is no do I it yourself yard in my area. It’s almost 100 miles to the closest one.

[Knotical]

Is your neighbor's insurance company going to pay for all this work?
Did you open a claim? If you did, doesn't the insurance company require the work to be done within a certain period of time?
If you didn't, why haven't you filed a claim if the accident was in October?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to understand the timeline of events..
Hope things are fixed soon and to your satisfaction, personally, I wouldn't choose this yard again if I were you.
-Darshan

[Montanan]

Informative References:

https://www.passagemaker.com/lifesty...ith-a-boatyard

https://www.boatus.com/magazine/tomn...e-boatyard.asp

Boat cleaning contract:

http://www.sea-incorp.com/downloads/...ngContract.pdf

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by docrn

Thanks for the reply.
Why would I let my neighbor choose where my boat goes to be fixed? That isn’t how it works here at all. By law it’s the owner who decides where it goes no matter who is at fault. The insurance companies can’t even decide where to take the boat. Lastly there is no do I it yourself yard in my area. It’s almost 100 miles to the closest one.

You decided on this yard. Why are you now complaining? You complain about the yard's delays and padding of hours. Did you not check out the yard's reputation first?

[docrn]

Originally Posted by navdi

Is your neighbor's insurance company going to pay for all this work?
Did you open a claim? If you did, doesn't the insurance company require the work to be done within a certain period of time?
If you didn't, why haven't you filed a claim if the accident was in October?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to understand the timeline of events..
Hope things are fixed soon and to your satisfaction, personally, I wouldn't choose this yard again if I were you.
-Darshan

Sure.
He has insurance but wanted to pay out of pocket. I filed a claim with my insurance within an hour of the accident. My insurance has suspended the claim until I call them and tell them we are good. I can re-open the claim if the other guy backs out.

[docrn]

Originally Posted by Vasco

You decided on this yard. Why are you now complaining? You complain about the yard's delays and padding of hours. Did you not check out the yard's reputation first?

Yard has a great reputation for the work quality just they are expensive. The reason I went to them is out of convenience and the fact that I am not paying for it. The other yard is much further away and it would have been a major inconvenience for me to go elsewhere. No one ever said they take a long time because they typically don’t. They just charge a lot.

I am complaining because for what they charge and the time they’ve been taking (read the posts) it’s ridiculous that I can’t simply wash my boat and neither will they unless they write up a work order.

I presume you think I should be okay with this or take some blame because I chose the yard? Do you let people use you as a door mat or is it just others you expect to accept such treatment?