jonic
Well-known member
As some of you know, we are currently cruising in the USA with two kids. This has become a bit arduous of late due to weather, some rough passages and the boat recently demanding a bit more than an oil change and wash down.
Compounding this we needed to leave the boat in the USA and take a 3000 mile road trip to Canada. On the recommendation of a cruising friend we left the boat in http://www.pleasurecovemarina.com/ Pasadena, Chesapeake Bay. We knew nothing about the place but the rate was good and the docks etc all looked in good condition hurricane wise.
On our return late at night three weeks later we were pretty frazzled by the kids after such a long drive. "Are we there yet Daddy?". "No! There's still 2990 miles to go." We were even more strung out to find the aft hatch above our bed was not closed fully, so we had a nice soaking wet bunk to climb into at 11 pm. The next morning I discovered most of the batteries had boiled (my fault) and the simple passport matter we had to resolve would now involve a one and a half hour drive at 6.30 am through rush hour traffic to Washington DC with all the family - and finally the newly repaired mainsail was 25mm too big to furl properly.
Cue Dockmaster Travis.
He took one look at us, took the pi** out of our British accents and sprung into action. Nothing was too much trouble for the guy. First he drove us to the airport to drop off the hire car, then to get new batteries, and onto another store to get fresh groceries (there is nothing within walking distance). He offered use of his car whenever we needed it and amazingly said he would drive us to Washington DC at 6.30 am, wait for us at the UK embassy for as long as needed then drive us back to the boat. Sure enough at 6.30 he was there and with two screaming fed up kids off on another drive, kept his sense of humour, and us sane.
He was straight back to the boat the next day to see if we were OK, or needed anything. He took the garbage away, and then insisted on driving my dead batteries back to the store so my credit card would get a $18 refund.
I have never known such customer service focus from a dockmaster/marina manager.
Then Frank the security guard seeing me trying to amuse the kids, gave us directions to a hard to find playground and let me push them there in a marina trolly.
Today Travis helped us haul out for what was supposed to be just a lift and scrub, as we are in a hurry to get south. He baby sat the kids whilst we got in the slings.
However the hoped for scrub soon become an obvious need for an antifoul job.
Cue Geoff and Brant from the attached shipyard.
Geoff took one look at Nicola's face at the thought of three or four nights on the hard in semi wintery conditions with the kids and said, get out of here for the afternoon. We'll get you sorted. It was 1.00pm
Before I could ask, Travis had already given her his car keys, so we set off.
At 5.05pm we returned. Brant had us blocked off in the best spot and plugged into electricity. He and Geoff had a team of eight, sanding, masking and re-painting the double bootstripe and antifouling the hull. By 6.15 the whole boat was painted.
Give us half an hour in the morning and we'll change your anode, paint where the blocks are and have you back in the water they said. Grinning.
Then they insisted that we should not unpack our groceries, but formed a human chain to get them from Travis's car and up the ladder onto the boat.
If you plan to stop somewhere in the Chesapeake or need some work done, I cannot recommend this place highly enough. They work hard, care about you and have a great sense of humour. ( They're especially good at British accent impersonations. Travis even pretended to be enthralled by my description of a good old British breakfast of boiled egg and soldiers.)
No trade links with them etc, just a very satisfied customer.
Travis, Brant, Geoff, Chuck, Steve, Frank and all the team who's names I'm sorry I can't remember, thank you so much.
Compounding this we needed to leave the boat in the USA and take a 3000 mile road trip to Canada. On the recommendation of a cruising friend we left the boat in http://www.pleasurecovemarina.com/ Pasadena, Chesapeake Bay. We knew nothing about the place but the rate was good and the docks etc all looked in good condition hurricane wise.
On our return late at night three weeks later we were pretty frazzled by the kids after such a long drive. "Are we there yet Daddy?". "No! There's still 2990 miles to go." We were even more strung out to find the aft hatch above our bed was not closed fully, so we had a nice soaking wet bunk to climb into at 11 pm. The next morning I discovered most of the batteries had boiled (my fault) and the simple passport matter we had to resolve would now involve a one and a half hour drive at 6.30 am through rush hour traffic to Washington DC with all the family - and finally the newly repaired mainsail was 25mm too big to furl properly.
Cue Dockmaster Travis.
He took one look at us, took the pi** out of our British accents and sprung into action. Nothing was too much trouble for the guy. First he drove us to the airport to drop off the hire car, then to get new batteries, and onto another store to get fresh groceries (there is nothing within walking distance). He offered use of his car whenever we needed it and amazingly said he would drive us to Washington DC at 6.30 am, wait for us at the UK embassy for as long as needed then drive us back to the boat. Sure enough at 6.30 he was there and with two screaming fed up kids off on another drive, kept his sense of humour, and us sane.
He was straight back to the boat the next day to see if we were OK, or needed anything. He took the garbage away, and then insisted on driving my dead batteries back to the store so my credit card would get a $18 refund.
I have never known such customer service focus from a dockmaster/marina manager.
Then Frank the security guard seeing me trying to amuse the kids, gave us directions to a hard to find playground and let me push them there in a marina trolly.
Today Travis helped us haul out for what was supposed to be just a lift and scrub, as we are in a hurry to get south. He baby sat the kids whilst we got in the slings.
However the hoped for scrub soon become an obvious need for an antifoul job.
Cue Geoff and Brant from the attached shipyard.
Geoff took one look at Nicola's face at the thought of three or four nights on the hard in semi wintery conditions with the kids and said, get out of here for the afternoon. We'll get you sorted. It was 1.00pm
Before I could ask, Travis had already given her his car keys, so we set off.
At 5.05pm we returned. Brant had us blocked off in the best spot and plugged into electricity. He and Geoff had a team of eight, sanding, masking and re-painting the double bootstripe and antifouling the hull. By 6.15 the whole boat was painted.
Give us half an hour in the morning and we'll change your anode, paint where the blocks are and have you back in the water they said. Grinning.
Then they insisted that we should not unpack our groceries, but formed a human chain to get them from Travis's car and up the ladder onto the boat.
If you plan to stop somewhere in the Chesapeake or need some work done, I cannot recommend this place highly enough. They work hard, care about you and have a great sense of humour. ( They're especially good at British accent impersonations. Travis even pretended to be enthralled by my description of a good old British breakfast of boiled egg and soldiers.)
No trade links with them etc, just a very satisfied customer.
Travis, Brant, Geoff, Chuck, Steve, Frank and all the team who's names I'm sorry I can't remember, thank you so much.
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