Possibly it’s due to the lack of rain, a buoyant economy or some other factor, but both of our boatyards are busy! It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen so much activity in the winter, well in advance to the “spring rush.” Not that I’m complaining, mind you. We’re very happy to be able to keep our team busy…delighted in fact!
Now that we are experiencing a bit of a backlog I thought I’d share some thoughts with you as to how KKMI can help make scheduling and your overall boatyard visit as efficient, pleasurable and smooth as possible.
I appreciate that we all have many things to do, but getting your To Do list organized prior to calling the yard to schedule is very helpful. I recommend spending an hour aboard your boat looking at systems, lifting floorboards, running the engine(s), and operating your equipment. Then prioritize the things that might impact the safety of you and your vessel. Producing a well conceived work list is the first step to a successful boatyard experience.
Once you’ve got your To Do list organized, consider emailing it to us before calling us. While it’s difficult to absolutely guarantee what the costs will be for many items without first seeing your boat, we often can give you a “ballpark” estimate. This can aid you in narrowing down the To Do list if timing and/or budgetary constraints are a concern.
Another reason why the To Do list is so important is to minimize delays due to unplanned, additional work that is added after the boat arrives. Having a complete To Do list up front allows our project managers to better plan the labor and materials resources necessary to complete your projects. The To Do list also helps prevent possible disappointment if the yard is unable accommodate your request due to other scheduling constraints and commitments.
It doesn’t matter if your To Do list is long or short. Our goal is to provide you with great quality work at a fair price, no matter the size of boat or length of work list. That said, we all know that unforeseen things happen in life, and the boatyard is no different. Rarely do we find fewer things than anticipated needing repairs . Almost inevitably, the To Do list will grow and so too will the costs.
Since we’re talking about costs, our procedure is to post all materials consumed on a real-time basis and all labor costs daily. This means the tracking of your costs is accurate and transparent. If you have a question about the status of your project and costs, please contact us. We’re here to help!
There are a few more tips that I can offer but the above will certainly get things pointed in the right direction. If you’d like to learn more, KKMI has put together a short video, “8 Tips to a Successful Boatyard Experience”.
Looking forward to seeing you out on the water!
KKMI is your one stop full service Northern California and San Francisco Bay Area boatyard providing unbeatable service, competitive prices, and outstanding workmanship. Specializing in boat bottom paint, boat hauling and storage, boat carpentry, fiberglass gelcoat and repair, rigging and much more, KKMI’s North Bay Boatyard location in Sausalito and East Bay location in Point Richmond are here to serve all of your Bay Area boating needs. For great prices and service you can trust, make KKMI your SF Bay Area and Northern California boatyard specialist and give us a call today.