Boat Mechanic Time Frames

B

bowler

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Hello all.

Bit of a rant perhaps but also mostly curiosity.

I had the head pulled off my port engine due to a coolant leak. This was mid January. Initial time frame suggested by him was 3 weeks. Still not back on almost 3 months later. Took a few weeks before head got skimmed but what feels like an age later it is still not back on. Mechanic is a nice guy who promises each week that this is the week. I am in NI and engineers are hard to come by. He is good and I have used him before. He was slow then but that was just as covid was imminent. He is experienced and knowledgeable and was recommended. Getting him to answer the phone is next to impossible! As stated, he is good and a very nice chap.

Any tips on how to gently encourage him along? I ring every week and am nothing but polite and courteous. I have missed an opportunity for a lift out and now the Easter trip is in doubt. He has been aware of my plans at each stage.

Do folks on the mainland experience this type of thing? Is this the norm? I know they are all busy and I am sure I am not his priority.

Maybe he will weigh in tomorrow...

D
 
Roger that. I think a little sympathy is all I am after! First world problem however...

I am packing all the parts away this weekend and moving back on board regardless. Booze cupboards will be well stocked.
 
Does seem a bit extreme, have you tried going to see him?

Perhaps he doesn’t realise the negative effect his inaction is having?
 
He is an 90 mins away so not too handy. I have kept him in the loop regarding lift and upcoming trip. He promised that it would be sorted by then so tomorrow will tell. Just a bit of a groundhog day feeling, like the last several weeks. Tuesday was this weeks big day but no phone answering and no action yet.
 
Your song is the lament of many. So many boats, so little time, everyone wants it done at the same time.

Now add, no project manager, small operations etc and try to find a good mechanic that can also organise a good pissup. That there is your problem. I find the dealers a bit more time conscious but unfortunately my local one, while great and knowledgeable is run by a completely obnoxious tyrant who works on the blank chequebook policy and holds you to ransom when everything is in a zillion bits.
My answer to you, if you want it done on time, properly and to budget, learn to do it yourself.

Or, find yourself a top bodger who will clean your engines so the look lovely and sparkly and convince you the inside matches the outside. No names no pack drill but can you say Google?
 
What engine is it, If it is a Perkins (or similar) and it was my boat I would start ringing round the sort of mechanics who go out to Farm and repair Agricultural Machinery. They will be used to pulling heads off, having injectors cleaned and tested. There are probably 10 times the amount of Agricultural Mobile Mechanics as there are Marine Mechanics who are mobile.
You could even ring one of the hundreds of Perkins Tractor dealers (even if your engine is not a Perkins) and ask if they can give you the phone number of a mobile mechanic.
 
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