Reviews of Marine Trades We Used In 2006

Businesses we've worked with, our grade from A to F for each in parenthesis. Since only one company managed less than an A, we won't spend a lot of time explaining the grading system. We were very happy with almost everybody.

• Portland, Oregon :
• Rodgers Marine, Portland, OR (grade: A+) - Recommended by Jay and Danica on Alkahest, Marty Kirk is an invaluable resource for marine electronics. He checked out our slightly used ICOM 710 (apparently the victim of a bad install), sold us our antenna tuner, pactor modem, and everything else we needed for the SSB. Made sense of the web confusion regarding ground planes, he explains the pluses and minuses of various options insteading of subscribing to one of the 'religious' views. His phone support has been fabulous. Highly recommended.
• Seattle, Washington :
• Auxillary Engine Service (grade: A) - Mark is the best diesel machanic with whom I have dealt. He's been our mechanic since 1997 and installed the new Yanmar when we repowered. It was completely painless, definitely a check I didn't mind writing when we finished.
• Bristol Marine Fabrication, Bainbridge Island, WA (grade: A) - Alan Phillips built our arch, sheet guards, raised our dodger frame, and modified our bimini mounts. His stainless welding is some of the best I've seen and he's a master at engineering workable solutions. Very fair and reasonable!
• Ballard Sheet Metal (grade: A) - Made our fuel tanks and stainless refrigerator liner. Very good work built to supplied drawings, everything was made exactly as I requested. Union shop - a little pricey but worth it.
• Hayner Marine, Fremont (grade: A) - The Cullens recommended Kenneth Dreewes to us for windlass work and after I stopped by and saw the shop and spare parts on hand I happily brought our Muir Cheetah in for some wiring repair and maintenance. Excellent work, highly recommended.
• Lafferty's Pharmacy, Ballard (grade: A) - Michael Lafferty hooked us up with the UW Travel Clinic, handled all prescriptions and provided our offshore first aid kit. Very professional.
• Emerald Harbor Marine (grade: A)- See Larry for all your fresh water woes, he'll set you up with new Spectra Watermaker. Of course, if you're in the same area as Yohelah, I'd be more than happy to do the same.
• Port Townsend, Washington :
• Port Townsend Sails (grade: A+) - Both of us have taken Hasse's sail repair seminar and absolutely adore her. Hasse has made all our sails except our original staysail, which she rebuilt and repaired. Again, not the cheapest sails around but certainly the best quality and fabulous customer service. I wish other marine trades businesses would act as courteously and responsibly.
• Port Townsend Rigging (grade: F-) - This was quite possibly the worst experience we've ever had with someone working on the boat. From poor communication to unprofessional attitudes they made every step of the re-rig unneccessarily painful. Read our rigging pages to get an idea of the problems we had with them.a
• Fleet Marine (grade: A) - I've never really liked a boatyard before, sort of like going to the dentist, but Fleet is a very professional and painless. We used them off and on throughout the overhaul with the boat inside their building and also renting workspace when it was on the dock. Good people, great expertise. Some of the best paint jobs I've ever seen on boats.
• TAKU marine (grade: A) - We needed a couple of new doors made that would somewhat match the interior without exact, bank-breaking duplicates. We found Diana Talley at TAKU in Boat Haven, next to the traffic light by Safeway. She worked on wood projects off and on for over a year. Doors, shelving, the engine panel/Radar box, boxes for the nav station, etc. Good work, good value. I'd look up Diana and Rick if I needed a shipwright.
• Brion Toss Rigging (grade: A+) - Even though we didn't give the re-rig job to Toss Rigging they did some very good work for us this spring before we left. We had a sailing date with Hasse, needed the rig tuned and Brion was right there. They also installed some nifty preventers and, after we hoisted our trysail for the first time and realized the track had been installed too short, came down the day before we left and installed a workable solution. We spent the past winter at Point Hudson with Toss Rigging working on boats around us, it was very impressive watching them work. Good value and I don't think there's anyone more knowledgable than Brion when it comes to rigging.
• Peter's Marine, Boat Haven (grade: A) - Peter did some great welding for us, very good at engineering solutions. Grant Seran did some hydraulic fittings for our vang - very good
• Anchor Canvas, Boat Haven (grade: A) - Tracy made our bimini, sailcover, and provided expertise on our dodger rebuild. Very good value, excellent reputation.
• Electrical Panels by Phil Andrus (grade: A+) - we used Phil for engraved labels for the new engine panel. Like many Port Townsend businesses Phil was very professional and concientious, even to the point of remaking one label plate he had made exactly the way I asked, because he thought it would look better. Of course he was right. If I needed panels, I'd call him. Highly recommended.
• Port Hadlock Marina, Port Hadlock (grade: A) - we summered in Port Hadlock since monthly moorage is difficult around Port Townsend. Very flexible, easy to work with. They sublease slips of regular tenants who are gone for more than one day - if you're ever looking for transient moorage in the Port Townsend area give them a call.
• Schaeffer Marine :
• Schaeffer (grade: F) Yes, the sailing hardware company. Our jib sheet tracks are 12' 1-1/4" T-track, mounting holes 4" centers, from Schaeffer. When we pulled them to re-caulk the decks we discovered corrosion on the underside of the track so I ordered two new ones from Fisheries in Seattle. They delivered one and back-ordered the second to be included in their next stock order from Schaeffer. I received the first one and all was well, the new one exactly matched the two old ones. The back ordered track was delivered several weeks later. Laying the tracks out it was obvious the latest arrival was a bit different. The hole spacing seemed to be a bit bigger than 4" - at the end of 12' it was off by 3/8"! I called customer service at Schaeffer and they told me the track was 4" centers more or less but not all tracks were the same; the holes could be off. They said there was nothing they could do about it, just the way the track was made. I wonder how many people installing Schaeffer tracks on their masts or decks would be happy knowing if they ever have to replace it they need to fill all the holes and start over? Later in the summer I was in the bay area on business and dropped by Svendsen's. Their rigging manager thought I was a bit daft but I did talk him into measuring all 11 tracks they had in stock. The hole spacing on the eleven tracks varied from 1/4" under to 3/8" over after twelve feet ( I needed 12' from a 14' track). None were exactly 4" centers. Seeing my wife and I puzzling over the track one day, a well known Port Townsend rigger ask what was up and called Schaeffer to try to arrive at a resolution. No satisfaction, you can't even pattern the existing holes and have the track custom made through Scheaffer. A similar call to Harken revealed a completely different attitude - their tracks are identical and can be replaced; they'll also drill holes to match a supplied pattern for their T track. It is mind-boggling that a major manufacturer of sailboat hardware cannot manufacture track to the dimensions they advertise when they sell the track. Schaeffer's attitude regarding this leaves a bit to be desired. So, I am singlehandedly boycotting Schaeffer. We replaced our staysail sheet tracks on the coachroof with Harken since we weren't constrained by teak decks and bolts through the headliner. No more Schaeffer hardware on our boat!