mast unstepping charges?

scubaseas · **Posted:** 17 Aug 2016 22:32

Greetings all,

I am a new to Tartan owner and new to the forum. Sorry about the whining. Reality check please.

I have a newly purchased 1980 T37-2 that needs to get out of where it is and under a cover at home to start some major renovations. All I want is the mast unstepped and laid down next to the boat. The yard where it is, every time I ask permission to do something I am told NO. No sanding unless you rent their $15/hour machine (mine's better and I can filter down to 5 micron if asked), No glass work if you make any dust or smells, No running the engine on the hard, No moving stands unless the yard does it ($45 per), No dumping diesel in the waste oil tank (25 gallon into a 1200 gal tank), No spray painting even with tent, No electricity on unless you are in the boat, No welding, No shrink wrapping by owners, No unstepping the mast unless a registered rigger is there and boat has to be in the water, No removing centerboard (and I can't find anyone in their yard to do it at any price even though I have all the bolts out already and the pennant can be cut) and many more NO!s I understand the rules and why for some of them and far be it for me to ignore them as we would have anarchy and I could start a chain if events that could lead to the downfall of Western civilization as we know it.

Does anyone have any idea what unstepping in the mast in Upper Chesapeake should run? I got a quote of 10 hours and $950 plus another $200 or more for the crane just to unstep the mast. It took 7 weeks to get an estimate for unstepping and replacing the standing rigging so they're clearly busy and/or don't care. The rigging replacement estimate was double one I got from a shop I trust and have used in the past. My previous boat would run $4/foot of mast and 2 people could do the entire job in under an hour and cost less than $184.00. I just get a gut feeling that $950 plus $200 is outrageous. or am I wrong? Boat is in Deale/Tracey's Landing MD. My old boat was on Long Island NY, North Shore.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Al

svheron35 · **Joined:** 15 Jan 2010 16:13 **Posts:** 54

Mine was unstepped at Tidewater Yacht Services in Baltimore a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly it was maybe three or four hundred dollars. I had everything ready to go; boom off, turnbuckles slack, wiring disconnected. Was done on land in an hour.

zdunc · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2013 09:20 **Posts:** 393

Mine was in Tampa Bay area earlier this year. Same as SVheron. $300-$400 including the crane. Only took an hour or so. I also removed my boom and sails ahead of time.

puffcard · **Posted:** 18 Aug 2016 14:31

My last time was $450 at Cobb's in Norfolk. Need to find a cheaper yard. There just isn't that much labor in pulling a mast, even with a roller furler.

scubaseas · **Posted:** 18 Aug 2016 15:50

Thanks Puffcard, Zach and SVheron for confirming what I suspected having done my Pearson 15+ times. I usually do all my own boat work but have been away from sailing for a while and not familiar with yard rates. I have now negotiated for me to do all the work and the rigger now agrees that it's about an hour's work to do the rest after the crane arrives.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Sanctuary (nee Romp)
Hull #242
Al Miegel

glymroff · **Joined:** 29 Jun 2013 09:23 **Posts:** 13

If you read your own post, as if it was someone else that typed it... You probably would have the same thought as me... Uh why keep your boat there? :-)

Price should be between 200-400. Depending on how much you do/prep yourself.

Roark
s/v Island Pearl
#027 T37

scubaseas · **Posted:** 20 Aug 2016 14:41

Thanks glymroff. I completely agree the boat needs to be someplace else. Working on getting it home.

I bought the boat in the yard it's at. I would launch and move the boat but the fuel system is full of algae and is partially disassembled, the injection pump looks like it's leaking, the cooling system is very suspect as the header cap for the heat exchanger is blown off, the engine strainer is gone, batteries are shot, the oil analysis shows way more bearing material than it should have, some of the running rigging is missing and the boat hasn't been in the water for 3 or more years. It's a project boat that needs a lot of TLC and probably a new or rebuilt motor.

I was asking for validation of my assumption that a price of $950 labor was a bit much, especially for the area. I am familiar with labor rates (for auto repair, etc which seem to translate close to what local marinas are charging/hour) in my area but then I am a 9 hour drive from where the boat is. Although I have owned boats for over 40 years I have never have had anyone other than myself do any work so I really have no idea what the going rate is.

I have pointed out to the rigger that if I do all the work all he has to do is stand there while the crane I have rented picks up the mast. He has now agreed to this and to charge accordingly.

Thanks for the input.

kerryman51 · **Joined:** 01 Jan 2013 21:09 **Posts:** 13

Just had my done on the north shore of Long Island NY it was supposed to be $700 round trip but the previous owner used spartite and when the yard try to pull the rig it when up two feet and then it got jammed $900.00 later they got it out.It was a good thing I pulled it because the hose clamps and hose for the centerboard pennant disintegrated when i touch them.

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mast unstepping charges?

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