We had Star Marine doing our bottom when we had our Catalina 30. He started complaining that our bottom was getting hard to clean so we needed a bottom job. We said we are not racers or yachters so we are not going to get a bottom job done real soon. Besides we told him we are going to sell the boat so we will just take some cash off.
Not long after that he said our shaft was getting small and need replacing.
We did not notice any vibration or anything else so we asked our mechanic who said it was fine. Star Marine just wanted us to pull the boat out and while out get a bottom job.
He then decide to up his fee for us so we fired him. We got California Marine Services to clean the bottom and for less money and they gave us free WiFi. They did seem to charge more for zincs. We could have bought our own but it was not worth the savings.
We kept them for a few years and about a year and a half into our new boat. They then raised their rates so we let them go. Got an x employee diver who lives at our marina to clean the boat for the old price. So far still have the free WiFI.
Here is a recent email I sent to our new diver about our current boat bottom.
Jose,
Thank you for your work.
We are of course curious about our boat bottom.
I would think from a divers stand point you do not want to hear this.
We are hoping to not have our bottom done for a few years yet. Not till we get to Mexico.
If it has to be done to save the bottom from damage then we will of course explore that. We would probably take the boat to Mexico and have the bottom job done there.
I am not in favor of led paint as I think it poisons the water but we are in favor of fair prices on labor. Here the labor is just out of sight.
So my question is the blisters.
Are they serious and if so how serious?
Is there any other reason the boat would be damaged by waiting?
I do know it makes your job harder and I apologize for that. It is a strictly finical and a time decision.
Time being I would need to use my vacation time to take the boat to Mexico and I also do not think the boat is ready for a trip like that quite yet.
08/31/10
The diver replied that the bottom was fine for the foreseeable future!
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