Mobile Marine Service

[Bud Kennedy]

I am going to give a shot to try having some service work done on the Ranager by using a mobile marine service guy.  I have heard a lot of good things about a person here who also just happens to be very experienced in diagnosing and repairing the older 2cy motors like my 1991 fast strike.  The first task I am gonna have him do is to replace the steering cables just so I can assess how he works.  This might just be my way to avoid leaving the boat at a service shops for weeks and weeks waiting for them to perform service.  At least if he comes here I will still have use of the boat during what ever wait time might be required. 

The guy I am gonna try is from Viet Nam and has been living on the west coast since he was a kid.  He had a small repair business there in the San Jose area and decided to move east to get away from the high cost of living and into a better business environment.  Reviews of his work have all been top notch but I guess we shall see very soon.

[Mike Cork]

This is becoming very popular in my area. It started because of all the folks living on the lakes and simply don't have trailers for the boats (working trailers anyway) So there are a couple guys that will do basic service like lower unit work, water pump replacements, plugs and the like.

[Wizard]

Simple fixes are easy for them at the dock. They carry limited parts in their work trucks and either have to order parts or visit marine parts shops and pay retail. There were several knowledgeable techs at LOZ who tried to make a living at this and failed. I believe that as long as there is a problem getting computer chips, goods will become harder to find. Everything needs either computer chips to function or computer chips to be be manufactured.  They affect every part of our economy. Dang CHICOMS!

Wizard

[Bud Kennedy]

I believe that since regular repair shops seem unable to keep up with demand the mobile guys will do fairly well with their business.  Most service requests are usually routine maintenance in orientation and the boat still is able to perform.  If you try to go with a regular shop then they will keep your boat for weeks on end until they get around to it.  If you just need some regular maintenance you certainly don't want to be without the service of your boat for that amount of time.  Most shops in our area seem not to be capable to provide appointments for service and want you to just drop it off for god knows how long.  Their customer service skills are questionable even if they do do provide good service once they get around to finally working on your boat. 

[Oldfart9999]

We had a guy here, he's a member of the club, who did mobile work, he went to several marinas working on folks boats. He did quite well, he just retired a couple of years ago. When the motor on my boat decided it didn't want to push my boat around, it dropped a jug, he pulled it for me for free, he wanted the old motor. He was quick and painless and I had some taken off the new outboard because they didn't have to deal with removal.
Rodney

[Princeton_Man]

I don't have much to worry about as long as my guy sticks around. Jack is third generation, his family has owned the business since day one, and has a reputation most businesses only dream off. I think the odds are pretty good that he'll stick around. But if that were to ever change, I'd consider one off the mobile mechanics if they had a glowing reputation. At least, I'd know my boat was protected from weather and vandalism while waiting for parts or whatever.

Prior to finding Addington's, my experiences weren't very good. Both of the two marine dealers I tried put my trust in, turned out to have problems with being truthful as well as scheduling jobs. Like most of Bud's experiences, they just wanted to secure work for the future weeks and months ahead, when they could get around to it. I also have no doubt that those same shops have VIPs who get bumped to the front of the line when they come in.