Help with costs

[Screwie]

Hi all,

I have a quick question regarding my boat. It's a Sunseeker Manhattan 60. I have had trouble finding reliable help to manage my boat. Especially when it comes to repairs. I recently switched and they seem to be doing an ok job, but the offers I get for some repairs just seem high to me, but I'm unsure so I wanted to quickly check here how you all go about these types of maintenance and check what you think on the prices.

So one recent one is a flybridge helm cover - flew away in a storm. Here luckily I had a comparison, the old one cost me (Sunbrella) 220 euros (that was when the boat was in Mallorca). Now they quote me over 600 euros for the new one (the boat is in Italy now)... Did I just get a bargain on the first?
Second one is a airco fan coil in the master bedroom - they quoted me 3700 euros excl labor for a new unit.

Any help/advice much appreciated, I'm a bit at my wit's end and it's tough to find people I can actually trust that know about this stuff...

Thanks!

 

[Portofino]

Where in Italy are you ?
Those prices are ridiculous btw .
Your €200 should easily perhaps 1/2 that 100 for the cover .Or make one yourself with a sewing machine? + £20 quids worth’s of materials.
You should be easily able to source a new fan coil from Marinair ? .Or E bay ...just plug n play with a bit of plumbing / water mess .There will be a tap in the ER to refill it .

 

[Screwie]

Thank, that's what I was afraid of. The problem is I can't (and don't really want to) do this myself... But it's impossible to find people that help with the boat that don't try to take advantage of you.

My boat is in Varazze.

Do you know of a reliable broker that sells boats in Italy?

 

[jrudge]

It depends on how big and detailed the helm cover is. Mallorca is never cheap ( I am based there) so I assume the Mallorca price to be “ normal “

the air handler seems expensive especially if ex Labour. Do you have the model number. changing them is not difficult. The “coolant” is only water.

 

[Portofino]

Thank, that's what I was afraid of. The problem is I can't (and don't really want to) do this myself... But it's impossible to find people that help with the boat that don't try to take advantage of you.

My boat is in Varazze.

Do you know of a reliable broker that sells boats in Italy?

We are just down the way about 1 hr away in a Loano .
I had no trouble finding local fixers .
Bust a 1 m long zip on a cover , €6 to replace with new , there and then in the marina sewing / cover / seat upholstery shop .
Same thing in SoF was €60 and they wanted it for 3 days .
Geny batt died .Chandler did not stock so I ordered , next day 11 am €100 brought to boat fitted + removed old one took it away .
Ok I sourced one in the Italian DIY chain in a out of town shopping mal a few days later for €70 , but if you don’t use em you loose em .
Corvid .the whole lockdown thing .....local guy @€100 month checks the leccy , washes it2x month , checks the lines Etc sends me pics etc .
Yours should be €200 ish maybe more .
Varazze is nice but limited , I think it’s owned and controlled by the same family that own the ship yard .
There tenants floor space costs might be high ? and closed shop .
We did scope it out ..well had lunch there and took the tariff from the marina office .

Try Loano before selling up or theses guys .I have met them been to there yard 3 times Paulo is a nice guy .
As’ if they will travel or they have visitor berths by there yard in Savona .
A pic of the unit ( to source the part ) and a tech @ €40 / hr say 2 to fit it ? Even if you pay travelling it worth it .
Assuming the “ Family “ in Varazze allow ? If not sail 1/2 hr to Savona .

Boat Maintenance

You have only just bought it if I remember correctly.? .....press the marina reset button .

 

[J12345T]

FWIW; Varazze was by FAR the most expensive port we visited on our trip from St Tropez to Genoa.

JT.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Any help/advice much appreciated, I'm a bit at my wit's end and it's tough to find people I can actually trust that know about this stuff...

Dunno how new you are to boating but thats why they call them B.O.A.T.s. Bring On Another Thousand (with thanks to Mapism of this parish). The helm cover does sound a bit of a rip off. I can't comment on the air handler without knowing its make and model but to be honest I wouldnt be surprised if I got quoted a price like that for an air handler in my boat

I've been boating around the Med for about 18yrs based in various locations and I'm afraid there is no cheap place to keep a boat unless youre able and willing to carry out maintenance jobs yourself. For most of us however, we have limited time to spend on our boats and we don't want to spend that time with our heads stuck in the bilges mending something so the alternative is either to find a set of reliable service partners in your location and manage their work yourself or find a reliable person to manage the maintenance for you (known pretty much everywhere as guardiennage). However with the latter you will probably have to pay a retainer of €300-500 a month and that person will take a cut from the service providers too

There are a few things you can do to mitigate the costs.

You can try to buy parts and components in the UK if they are cheaper here and ship them out there. The trouble with that is that some service providers may refuse to fit those parts on the pretext of not being able to warrant them; of course the real reason is that they want to make a margin selling you the parts as well as the service. FWIW I've found service companies in Italy and Croatia more amenable to fitting UK sourced parts than service companies in France and Spain.

For covers and cushions, it is often worth shipping them back to the UK and having them remade here. The problem is how do you get them back here and for that it helps to be in a location to which you can drive by car or van

Some people do arrange to have maintenance staff from the UK fly or drive out to their boats in the Med to carry out service work but that only works for annual maintenance which can be planned in advance rather than urgent maintenance

Not sure that helps. The reality is that you just have to get used to the costs and decide whether its all worth it

 

[Screwie]

Thanks for all the replies, helpful perspectives all!! Portfino, do you know a good cover maker near varazze by chance?
With regards to the costs, I did expect that they would be high and have no problems paying for a job well done, but I don't like feeling like I'm getting ripped off... and that's kinda how I feel when they quote me 600 euros for a cover which cost me 220 before...
Maybe worth to have a look at Loana then...

 

[Portofino]

Thanks for all the replies, helpful perspectives all!! Portfino, do you know a good cover maker near varazze by chance?
With regards to the costs, I did expect that they would be high and have no problems paying for a job well done, but I don't like feeling like I'm getting ripped off... and that's kinda how I feel when they quote me 600 euros for a cover which cost me 220 before...
Maybe worth to have a look at Loana then...

Sorry the only upholstery people we have used are the husband and wife team in Loano .

You could pop by in your boat and suss them out .
Theres always a decent spread of self employed boat fixers here and one particular guy Matteo who runs his own shop .
Feels like Varrazzi is a closed shop a few chosen guys by the owners and that’s it .

Have you tried to price up a air handler unit ?

 

[Portofino]

I mean a £ grand ...is where I would think .
I know it’s a big space btw ....
Dometic ATL36HVZ Heavy Duty Air Handler

Dometic ATL36HVZ Heavy Duty Air Handler Coastalrides Reduced Sunseeker Surplus | eBay

 

[Portofino]

 

[petem]

Seems a shame to sell the boat just because the local boat menders are expensive. Have you tried asking around in the marina to see who other people use?

 

[Hooligan]

I am based in Italy and pay a retainer to someone to look after and keep an eye on things. Yes he will take a cut but my experience is that the quality of repairs done is excellent and not expensive and of course you can save on certain fixed areas which cuts bills by 20 pc plus. I am in South Italy where even marina fees are negotiable if you wave cash. Unless you speak Italian I would think very difficult to operate yourself so I think the retainer is worth every penny. You also have to consider what happens when something goes wrong that you can’t fix yourself ie an alternator when you are miles from home port. My guy got someone to the boat in a day who did a short term fix, ordered the part and three days later the same guy came back and installed it. Worth every penny as without this holiday on verge of ruin.

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

I am based in Gena Marina Airport and we have a guy on the forum Mike who is looking after us. He only started this month and seems very good, the costs of the marina are really low compared to others in the area, and I did look at Varazze but they were more than double for the berth let alone repairs. I did also look at Loano which looked nice but wanted a closer option to an airport and again the price for the berth in Genoa Airport was much cheaper and as we tend to leave the boat for most of the winter then it has enough locally to keep us entertained for a few days when we are there.