After 5 Months - OD's in Pieces! "Maritime Marine"

[Guzzler-1]

Well boys I had to post this up for you all to see ,
and here's my story .

It's not a Pretty one .

I'm usually not one to throw someone under the bus in a Public Forum either .
The guy I am about to mention is at about the same level as pond scumm .
No he's lower !

My Boat:

89 SkipJack 25' Sportfisher -290 Volvo DUO Prop OD
Motor: 2000 Indamar Marine 5.7 L Chevy Vortec V8.

Summer 6/2006 thru 11/06

New 290 Volvo Duo Prop - Complete New Rebuild
Almost all new parts used on the rebuild
Spared no expense. I did it right
Cost = 10K+ with some other mechanical Repairs

Rebuild By:Steve Oathurst , Maritime Marine
Oceanside , Ca.

Time Frame : 6/06 thru 11/06 to complete repairs .

Summer 07 - 6/07 thru 9/07 - 20 hrs OD Service - 6/06

He had Boat pretty much the whole summeragain in 07.

I took the boat in latter part of June for 20 hr service on the new OD , and also Fix Trim Rams , and more surfacing problems

Cost June 07 servie New OD = $2,000 +

This time he fixes a bunch more stuff that wasn't on my list, but to get it matinance free . We're Gonna need: new Trim motor . None of it had to do with any of his prior work either , funny !

Get boat back 3 to 4 weeks -

Intake Manifold now bad after he services OD , works on trim motor , finishes 06 work ,and other items popping up.

First trip back out after his 4 wk service , end 7/07 -
Boat doesn't make it to bait reciever . Intake Manifold now has whole in it around the Thermostat .
My New Carb has Salt water in it , Salt water in the Oil Pan , motor, Salt water all over Engine and new electrical Components in and around the Engine Compartment .

I have to take boat back in to shop .

Seems He gave the boat back to me after 4 weeks with a JB Welded hole he plugged in the intake Manifold without telling me a word .
Saltwater went everywhere !



8/07 Return Boat to shop -
Hole in Manifold , Motor full saltwater-
Boats sits for over a week like this before
he starts repairs ,
and then Flushes the system only after another week or so

Problem with Inmar Manifolds , Wait , Buy Manifold , install new one .

Repairs this time - 8/07

New Manifold , Fresh Water CoolingSystem ,Carb Redo again , Adust new trim motor , another oil change , Flush Motor , another tune up now because of the Salt water Corrosion , another Fuel Pump . On and on

Time 5 -6 wks

Cost: $2500 to $2800 for the service - most of which was caused by him giving me the boat back with a whole in the manifold

Saltwater damage to - Block , New Carberator , Starter ,
& New Electrical Parts in 06
Get Boat Back in Mid September 07 :

Cost of Additional Repairs Summer 07 = $5k to $6K

All paid with Cash now - No checks no CC

BTW: He informed me he was retiring in August 08.
He's Retiring , and closing the shop right after I've spent all this money !
It's a Flippin Joke ! He's the same age as myself .
Just Burnt out he says .
But
he told me he would still service my boat ,
and still warranty his work ,
because I was such a good customer !


Got her back just in time to take 1 trip with my Daughter before back to Davis for College .

Problems Now 9/07 : Boat won't start .
Carb - Saltwater damage July
Finally get her running at Launch Ramp Problems During trip -
Trim Gauge now doesn't show
Proper OD Trim Location .
New Fresh water cooling system leaks coolant all the time .
New water separator filter bad / on newly flushed Fuel tank and Marine Filter system .


Call him after trip - he call back when he has a spot .....

This was the Last trip 07 - at the end of Sept. 07

Hours on new OD since 06 Rebuilt to New -
Less than 30 hrs .

This is because my boat had been at his shop pretty much 2 whole summer since the initial Rebuild of the
New Volvo DUO Prop OD

Boat Drydock for winter .

6/08 - Bloody Decks Yellowtail Shootout

Still have to do alot of mantenance to get the Boat ready for the tournament . Another thorn in my side . I have to take care of the items he was suppose to do because he never called me back like he said he would in Sept 07She's running good though after a few weeks of mantenance.

Sat Launch Boat 3 AM for Tourney, once again problem starting . Get her started , and she's fine .

Leave launch Ramp , Low power at prop . Hard to get on plane . 1st time ever this had happened , but all system check . No worries .

Later in the Morning notice Knock in motor or OD .
Late afternoon heading to the 302 - Knock is Deafening !
Call Vessel Assist to be towed in for the first time ever .

Noise is in the OD .

Back at the Launch Ramp New Props are almost spun completely off . Serious slippage in the Lower unit with a distinctive knock !

My new Props were almost completely spun off when I inspected the OD at the Launch Ramp !

3 weeks to contact Steve - Finally I take her in so he can see what's wrong , and take care of it , 7/02/08 .
He said he would get right on it , and call me in a couple of Days .

7/02/08 - Last coversation With Steve Oathurst .

End 8/08 - Phone is disconnected at shop .

Start paying visits to make sure Boat is still there at his yar.
Also I start leaving him notes every couple of weeks to the fact I want my boat backfixed or not .
I'm willing to cut the lock , and take it if I have to .

11/08/08 - Leave 1 last note on my Business Card.

Telling him he got one more week .
On 11/15/08 at 9 AM - The Boat needs to be on the street in front of his shop on Wisconsin Street in O'side .
Otherwise I'm cutting the Gate, and taking her out myself .

I just remembered this at 8 AM this morning , and I had to work early.

I call a buddy up , and asked him to see if she was out in front . He went by Maritime Marine at 1 PM , and the Boat was on the Street .

I picked her up this PM . The OD is in Pieces , The Lower units in a box . Ourter new Prop Shaft is Shot .

So much for the SOB warrantying his work that I paid over 10 grand foer a new OD

Steve ,

I know you read Bloody Decks all the time . He's a lurker !
Let's see if you have the Balls to diffend yourself . I doubt it , because you couldn't even face me like a man .

Word is he is now living at his vacated shop on Wisconsin Ave in O'side

Time of possesion of my Boat in 08 - 5 months !

Work = 0 Standing Behind & Warranty Repairs = 0

Recap for Last 3 years :

My Boat has been at Maritime Marine in the shop for 3 straght summers in a row . 2 of which I didn't get the boat back until November .

Actual usage time without needing more work = 0

Only been able to Use my boat less than 50 hrs since the OD rebuild in 06

Now she's still in pieces needing more work done , on the work I've already paid out the Asse for .

Can you say Theif !

Money Spent to get the Boat to a mantenance free state -

Over $15K

[ConSeaMate]

That's not good....really sorry you ran into this shit......

[Outlawman]

WOW, that's just ugly. Why did you return to him after 11/06, when it took him 5 MONTHS to do the initial work??? I'm confused...

[Guzzler-1]

Outlawman

Once you've had the work done you're kinda in bed with them for the tale end service , and warranty work . Actually I didn't think he would do this to me . But that's what we all say after we've been screwed .
This year I really had no choice but to try and get him to stand behind his work . Volvo OD's are the most expensive ones to work on . The Part of the OD that is messed up on mine , the lower unit that I can see , is the one part that is supposedly bullet proof according to the experts .
When you are faced with shelling out possibly another $8k for Parts that were replaced with new , and work performed already , it's hard not to make a stab at it . Shelling out more money is a hard pill to swallow . I still do not know if I'm going down that road again . Fact is the problem could still be up inside the upper unit . All the money spent could have been washed out my last trip out .

I've got a line on getting it checked out . I'll get the costs , then way out the options in front of me this time . If it's going to set me back another big chunk of change to fix what's there , I'm checking into Repowering . I'll price out a whole new Powerpac & Drive Package . I want fresh .
Sad part is in all this , is that I don't ever cut corners when it comes to repairs of any kind . If there's ever a question on anything , just put in a new one . If I would have gotten the evaluation from Steve originally 06 as to the overall costs I was looking at . I would have repowered the first time around . Instead I got nickled , and thousand , close to the same amount as a fresh repower .

Michael

[Gil Marlin]

Why did you take it back to him in '07 ???

[Bogii]

Fu*********************************** BOATS

why do we do this to ourself.

sorry dude I had a rough go on a few boats myself.

keep your chin up.

[Shocktower]

I feel for ya brother ,I have done the same,you try and trust some one and they just keep fucking ya ,with out a kiss.

[JUST-IN-TIME]

sounds half a$$$$ to me

[http404]

Originally Posted by Guzzler-1

Can you say Theif !

"Tha eyef" ?

[Mo Betta]

Good thing the economy isnt in the shitter. Thats a bad ass ride Micheal, I know you will get it all figured out. Sorry its so much $$

[Outlawman]

Originally Posted by Guzzler-1

Outlawman, Once you've had the work done you're kinda in bed with them for the tale end service , and warranty work.

Sorry but not me! A mechanic fucks me over once & he's history!

I've gone through a number of mechanics over the years, and even sued one over a similar case as yours which rightly resulted in winning a large sum due to the problems he created!

I still don't understand how he could've had your boat for 5 - 6 months originally... what was the initial problem? Really there's no excuse for a mechanic to have a boat for more than weeks or a month to do a repower or major mechanical repairs, unless he's holding it for delayed payment. Anything over that is just bad service, IMO.

[voodoojfb]

this thread heightens my desire to buy a boat