Cost for yard to replace a skin fitting?

[ridgy]

Need to replace four next month but running a bit short on time.
Considering asking the yard for a price, seems like a simple job (for someone who does it for a living) or should I be sitting down when they tell me?
Suffolk Yacht Harbour if that helps.

 

[Sandy]

I suggest getting a camp bed, but I had a very poor experience from a 'marine electrician' who took two days to rewire a mast that was off the boat and horizontal! I a job that took me an hour with the mast vertical up on my last boat.

 

[steveeasy]

Dont bother, your never get back up. Whatever you think it will cost double it and again, then you might be close. Go on just ask, whats the worst that can happen apart from saying yes.

Steveeasy

 

[veshengro]

If you could find out what his hourly labour charge is it would give you a clue, if indeed he works that way rather than just quoting a price for the job. Replacing ? Does that mean corroded in perhaps? If so hourly labour charge multiplied by X times 4. At least with a clue to costs you could prepare , ie rob a bank or sell the kids perhaps.

 

[Laysula]

Did one just before Christmas last year. Took less than an hour.

 

[Zing]

We did one a few days ago, took over two days. It was well buried. Hoses changed and deck fittings rebedded too.

 

[penfold]

Replacing skin fittings is one of the simplest jobs on a boat, at least if all new parts are used(old hose invariably puts up a terrible fight and unless it stretches the full length of the boat the cost should not be prohibitive); have a go yourself?

 

[jwilson]

If internal access is reasonable it's a simple quick-ish job. Cut away from outside carefully with an angle grinder if difficult to undo internal nut. Then use new everything, skin fitting, valve, hose and jubilee clips. I did 5 in a morning's work with one person to help, which you need.

Some skin fittings however on some older boats have appalling internal access: I once had two under the cockpit sole, You had to be very small, long-armed and gymnastic to even reach them.

 

[Supertramp]

I use a yard when the job is beyond my expertise or too physically demanding (and a yard has access to proper power tools) or when the time I need is not available.

With skin fittings, they are basically simple, and doing it yourself should give confidence. But the comments about pipes and obstructions to access are right. And it really needs 2 people. Sometimes I embark on a simple job which ends up requiring 3+ attempts due to unforseen complications. If access is good and you know you have a like for like replacement its probably straightforward. Otherwise time may be needed, and especially if hole or pipe diameters are different.

Time is what costs you dear from a yard. Add the time spent planning, procuring and preparing for a job to the time needed to do it, factor in two people, and it won't be cheap. But not much is.....

 

[stranded]

I had 14 done last year - total cost was about £3.5k but that was switching to tru-design plastic with reinforcing collars which involved some fiddly modifications in places where the collar was too big to fit where the previous DZR had been.

 

[RivalRedwing]

Do take a seat... expect the quote to be 2 or 3 times what you consider the job to be worth (and that is not marina specific, just the reality)

 

[clyst]

Am I missing something ?........... why not just ask the boatyard for an estimate ?..every position and access is different in every boat .

 

[burgundyben]

Get all the tools and stuff, get new seacock from stores or chandlery or order it in, get ladder to boat, tie ladder on. Find boat keys. Easy access, hose comes off ok and can be re-used, chop off old one with a grinder, clean up, apply sealant, fit new one, pop hose on, double jubilee clips. I cant see all that being less than 1hr. Plus 30 mins each for the other three. Then 15 mins to pack up.

Say 2.5 hours at £50 is £125 plus vat. Plus materials.

One or more could turn into a full on battle requiring routing a new hose through bulkheads etc.

So worst case I reckon a day, 8 hrs at £50 is £400 plus vat plus materials.

 

[38mess]

Get a quote not an estimate if possible. It's not going to be cheap. Why can't you do it yourself, it's straightforward.

 

[Wansworth]

Boatyards charge for carrying ladders untiring covers sitting and thinking walking back to the store hanging about chatting with the store man,tea breaks……..

 

[Boathook]

It will be a days work plus the bits for all the reasons mentioned in other posts. If access is awkward allow another day plus possibly another person.

 

[steveeasy]

To be fair it wont be cheap because any business activity is about making money. As we all know any job involves having tools to hand and the correct materials. takes time to gather them and even a smallish job really takes up half a day. However that does not excuse some of the ridiculous prices some people charge.
Steveeasy

 

[Jodel]

I had three changed this time last year. One ½ inch DZR and a ¾ and a 1 ½ Trudesign. Total bill was £488 inc vat.

 

[Bob@SYH]

Need to replace four next month but running a bit short on time.
Considering asking the yard for a price, seems like a simple job (for someone who does it for a living) or should I be sitting down when they tell me?
Suffolk Yacht Harbour if that helps.

Hi, hope it's ok to reply on behalf of SYH.

Without knowing or seeing the boat, it's a bit tricky to give any detailed info at this point regarding what may be involved or how long it might take, however as has been mentioned above there are a whole raft of possible issues that may hinder what would ideally be a straight forward job, access in particular being one. It is of course possible that your seacocks may be located in a spacious locker with good all round access, but (more likely on newer boats) they may be tucked away to maximise otherwise usable space, in a small locker up against a bulkhead where you cant fit full length tools, this is something for which we would have suitable tools already made up whereas the DIY'er may not.

In an ideal world someone may only wish to have a seacock replaced, but considering the threads on replacement seacocks do dot necessarily start in the same position, once tightened the handle may not end up in the same orientation as the one removed, if this then causes access problems further work may be required to correct it. We chose to dry assemble fittings in the boat to ensure correct handle orientation etc, prior to final installation and bedding.

As 'Stranded' mentioned Tru-Design's range of composite (plastic) fittings has made life easier than traditional DZR fittings and can offer these if preferred.

The long and short is, we'd be more than happy to provide an estimate... you can of course opt not to take up the offer and no one is any worse off, either way we would look forward to hearing from you.

 

[penfold]

In an ideal world someone may only wish to have a seacock replaced, but considering the threads on replacement seacocks do dot necessarily start in the same position, once tightened the handle may not end up in the same orientation as the one removed, if this then causes access problems further work may be required to correct it. We chose to dry assemble fittings in the boat to ensure correct handle orientation etc, prior to final installation and bedding.

That's what the nut is for, to allow a seacock to be locked at the orientation desired rather than at the mercy of whatever the threading operation of the valve body leaves you with.