Two years ago, we stopped in Fort Lauderdale to meet up with a friend at Lauderdale Marine Center. We figured, what the heck, let's go ahead and replace our standing rigging; after all we had no idea how long we were going to be cruising and didn't know how long we'd have money. The rigging was done, we spent money, and we got very familiar with the Lauderdale Marine Center.
A year later, we were on the way to the Bahamas when we developed some keel issues, and found a troublesome leak. Again we made a quick stop for repairs; this time deciding to give a well known DIY yard a try, ending up at Playboy Marine. The short story is that we made the repair, although it was not to be permanent it did work out well enough to spend a few months in the Bahamas.
With the Bahamas behind us, and a pesky leak at the rear keel joint, we were on the hunt for another DIY yard. This time we were going to completely remove the keel and repower Lasata while we were at it. In the end, we found most comfort in a DIY yard which seemed to specialize in sailboats based on the fact that they were the only yard who indicated that they had a "keel cradle". Cracker Boy marine proved to be a nice and very helpful yard. With the exception that they are not in the best neighborhood and a little further north than I'd hope. They are my favorite yard to date.
That said, we did the major refit in slightly more time than expected for slightly more than I wanted to spend overall. We were able to find a great deal on a condo on the ICW and Stacie loved the time off the boat (something she needed and as it turns out, had for a month in West Palm Beach and three months in Miami). Additionally, I couldn't have learned more about Lasata and can honestly say I've seen just about ever inch of her and feel confident that there is nothing about her I can't handle; as evidenced by these photos of her taken completely apart.
(Step 1; remove mast)
(Step 2; Remove Keel)
(Step 3; clean keel)
(Step 4; relax in condo)
(Step 5; seal around bolt holes)
(Step 6; mate keel to boat)
(Step 7; sell old engine and remove, then buy and install new engine)
(Step 8; fit new engine into new home)
(Step 9; reinstall mast and enjoy new engine and sound keel).
Anything worth doing once is worth doing; twice,... three times...?
Here we are, a few months since our last major haul out; and we're doing it again. This time at Lauderdale Marine Center, where we'll be getting a new prop shaft, and cutlass bearing. At least that was the plan...
As we hauled the boat so that we could set her down on her keel, and verify the torque as well as fair the keel with a flexible epoxy barrier, we found a TERRIBLE bottom. Full of more barnakles than I've ever seen, we found that we needed to do the bottom as well. This turned a one week $1000 job into a two week $2,000 job.
(only a couple of months in the summertime Biscayne Bay!!!)
(Grind & Fair the keel joint)
(what the hell, new prop shaft & cutlass bearing)
In the end, it was basically worth it even though we had some issues with the rear portion of the keel "again!"... We're definitely going to become expert at this repair, eventually. The next time we do this, I am deffinitely going to enlist the help of a machinist to fabricate an impressive keel plate; to hell with what Beneteau says, we're going big and we're going thick. Once we torque this puppy down, it will not move!
In the end; a good understanding of DIY yards is a must
Anytime you own a boat, you will need to do extensive work. The question is pay someone else; where the benefit is that you will not get your hands dirty, you will feel as though you had expert workmanship, and the job will not stress you out (except the cash). The downside is that you will not know as much about your boat and be somewhat reliant on others, you'll possibly spend more cash than is needed, and you won't have bragging rights on a job well done.
In any case, DIY yards should be evaluated on the three C's (Cost, Convenience, and Contractors);
1 - Cost of haul/launch and storage on the hard. Many times, you'll be charged for storage based on the amount of time you're sitting on the hard. The first week is the cheapest, and subsequent weeks are increasingly more expensive.
2 - Convenience and access. Is the facility gated, do you have after hours access, and are you close to supplies.
a. Cracker Boy is great for convenience, gated access, and it seems you can basically live on the
boat if you wish having 24 hour access. But the facilities are NO-FRILLS and you are in a
working yard, in a not so great neighborhood.
b. Lauderdale Marine Center is for MEGA YACHTS first and foremost. It does have great
access, and you can live on the boat if need be, however you cannot make noise past 7pm
(you gotta take a break sometime). Additionally the facilities and conveniences are excellent.
You have a captains lounge with offices and big screen TV, as well as a small kitchen. The
downfall is the expense and being the lowest on the pecking order.
c. Playboy marine is perhaps the cheapest overall DIY yard, with the exception of possibly
Hurricane Harbor in Miami. But it is also the least convenient, and the facilities are sparse;
which is a good thing, because you can't stay in the yard past closing (6 or 8pm depending on
season).
3 - Contractors. With a handful of very knowledgeable contractors Cracker Boy only lags behind Lauderdale Marine Center in numbers, where as Playboy Marine seems to have a slightly shady character.
Now it's time to go enjoy what is basically a NEW BOAT!
