Dirty Sailor

So, you’re embarking on a boat project? A seasonal commissioning? A complete refit? If it’s your first major effort, or maybe even your first time in the boatyard, it can be an intimidating place for the uninitiated. Marine repair and carpentry are very specialized and often very expensive trades to hire on. Many boat owners have been taken for quite a ride; not due to those few unscrupulous yards, more due to their own inexperience.

Especially when planning to perform most of the work yourself, it’s essential to educate yourself. Here’s a few insights into the unspoken boatyard realities that will help you keep your eyes open and your feet on the ground.

Continue reading “Rules of Thumb” »

For most boat owners, especially new ones, that seasonal haul-out at the local boatyard can be a very nerve-wracking experience. To the inexperienced, the typical boatyard crew appears dismayingly casual in the face of impending disaster. As your boat -your baby- swings in the slings, the “yardrats” seem to have only half an eye on the operation. They nonchalantly act as if they’ve seen it a hundred times before, and with good reason: they have.

Continue reading “Your Own Skilled Labor” »