Can you reccomend good yards on the medway/crouch/blackwater/orwell that do decent work at decent rates?

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steve yates

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Could be for a range of different things depending on what I get finished before launching and what I decide is worth leaving the boat somewhere for a week, anything at random from rerigging, installing a solid fuel stove system, making up new steering cable/conduit including fabricating a new conduit end fitting, to installing a haslar wind-vane for a wheel steered boat to some finishing joinery trim to improve my own amateur efforts. All depending on how much I decide I want this season as opposed to waiting till she is ashore in scotland next winter. ( which will be dictated by how long I have to hang around the south for to complete emptying and selling of house.)
Thx.
 
Hi Steve,

If you have a wide range of various jobs to address, you mighr rty talking ro Suffolk Yacht Harbour. On sute, apart from SYH's yard, there are a wide range of marine trades, riggers, sailmakers, marine engineers, welders / fabricators. The yard is accustomed to cordinating the vrious trades to deliver a project, including lift out / in and berthing for the duration.

If you're interested, speak to Josh Major, the MD.

- Suffolk Yacht Harbour

They're busy so unlikely to take on nything but small jobs at short notice.

Peter.
 
I think the problem here is “decent work at decent rates”. If you’re anything like me (skinflint) you’ll baulk at the hourly rate for marine trades around marinas, but to be fair you do get what you pay for. Fox’s on the Orwell have a good reputation for boat work, but it’s gonna cost. They quoted me £2.4k to media blast the hull on a 30ft boat. Result: I scraped hull myself. They would definitely have made a better job of it than me though.
Back on topic, look up Harbour Marine - they used to get a good press on here. Based in Ipswich and/or Southwold I believe.
 
sigma38dave said:
That's an expensive wish list you've got there Steve!

Your timescale of a week is wildly optimistic for just one of those items on your list, sorry if that's a bit blunt!
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Don’t I know it Dave :) it’s more of a case of, …actually I could mebbe get this done here if someone could squeeze me in, while I have to wait around the east coast because of other circumstances….kind of thing, than a “I must get all this done” Some of it will get done before launching ( maybe :) ) and I can do without the rest till I am ashore again. But knowing so and so was handy and good at this might influence the jobs I don’t do and I could have a conversation on launch about the chances of being fitted in as and when.

If I get to knock another bot of the todo list, great, if not, thats fine, I’m going sailing and the rest can wait till the next fettlin session.
 
PeterWright said:
Hi Steve,

If you have a wide range of various jobs to address, you mighr rty talking ro Suffolk Yacht Harbour. On sute, apart from SYH's yard, there are a wide range of marine trades, riggers, sailmakers, marine engineers, welders / fabricators. The yard is accustomed to cordinating the vrious trades to deliver a project, including lift out / in and berthing for the duration.

If you're interested, speak to Josh Major, the MD.

- Suffolk Yacht Harbour

They're busy so unlikely to take on nything but small jobs at short notice.

Peter.
Click to expand...
Many of the trades operating at SYH are self-employed. If you can access their 'network' and project manage matters yourself then it may be possible to get your jobs done at an advetageous price and time scale...
 
You could check with Frank Marine in Gillingham in the Medway Towns. He used to be the yard foreman at Gillingham Marina, but went self employed with several other lads. He still works there and at other places on the Medway including MDL Chatham Marina. He is a skilled worker and can work on timber and GRP yachts. Can be quite busy, so worth asking. I have seen some of his woodworking skills on a wooden boat. MDL had seized an old 35ft wooden boat for unpaid fees. She was nearly cut, but sold for a couple of thousand. The new owner then paid Frank Marine to replace a few hull planks and part of the cockpit due to rot for £8000. The owner then sailed her to the Solent and sold her for £30,000! I have also seen some of his GRP skills, they are good but not quite as good as the local GRP man - who is excellent.

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We had a fairly substantial amount of work done at Shotley this winter (on the recommendation of a friend who had them do a lot of work for him last winter). We were treated extremely fairly and have been super-happy with their work, attitude and friendliness. Marc Ward the manager is a very good problem solver. They don't do rigging themselves but Evolution rigging at SYH will travel there.

If you're going to talk to yards about work then you need to pin down a defintive list of what you are interested in having done. They will want to see the boat and talk it through with you before giving you estimates.
 
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