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Examples.

Here are a few real examples of how we can save you money and aggravation.

Example 1: The Grounding

Marine Advocates received a call from a customer who had his 27' SeaRay at a local marina. He was very upset because the mechanic where he stored the boat had told him that his engine was going to need new cylinder heads and other work in excess of $3,000.

Marine Advocates looked over the initial Estimate of Repair from the marina and advised the customer to hold off on the repair until we had a chance to look the boat over.

Our Field Representative went out to the vessel and performed a general inspection. He also interviewed the service manager and the mechanic. We then called the customer back and got a detailed history on the vessel.

A couple of months earlier the owner had run the vessel aground on a sandbar and used the engines to try to free the boat. Based on past experience, we sent a Field Representative back out to the vessel to check the engine's water passages. Both engines had the water passages in the blocks packed with sand from the grounding.

We advised the customer not to remove the cylinder heads as that would not completely address the main underlying issues. There was evidently much more damage then the mechanic had determined. We then found out from the customer that his vessel was covered under the owners boat insurance policy. Marine Advocates prepared a detailed report for the owners insurance company and the insurance company agreed to completely repower the vessel with new engines.

The boat now has two brand new Mercruiser engines with factory one year warranties and the customer is very satified with our services.

Example 2: The Sinking

While fishing off of Jenson Beach, this customers boat took on water and swamped. The customer had drifted, submerged, all night and was rescued the next day after drifting over 20 miles offshore. Thankful to be alive, the owner had a local tow boat company tow the vessel back to port and to a local marina. The marina was hired to "pickle" the 150hp Mercury Optimax Outboard as well as the little 4 hp get-home motor.

One week later the customer called only to find that the marina had failed to completely pickle both motors. The marina had prepared an Estimate of Repair for $9800.00 and had submitted the Estimate to the owners insurance company for approval and payment.

Concerned about the marina's attitude and lack of concern, the customer contacted Marine Advocates. We reviewed the Estimate and interviewed the insurance adjuster. Our findings had indicated some negligence on the part of the marina so we advised the owner to move the boat to a more reputable service center. Our field representative went to the new location and performed a detailed inspection of the vessel.

Our vast experince with submerged vessels had prepared us to make a much more accurate Estimate of Repair. The actual cost of repair was in excess of $19,000, almost $10,000 more than the first shops estimate. We then contacted the owners insurance company and procured additional money to cover the true cost of repair.

Marine Advocates reviewed what had happened to this customer. It appears as though the original marina had intentionally kep't the insurance claim below the $10,000 mark because if the claim had exceeded $10,000 the service manager would have had to spend some time meeting with an insurance adjuster. The repairs that the marina would have done would have only been a partial repair and the customer would have had serious problems in the months to come.