Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

[marcoalza]

Here's the deal....

Posted a while ago that my boat had an issue...

http://forums.iboats.com/mercruiser...engine-cutting-out-beep-any-ideas-581624.html

intermittent warning beep and cutting out momentarily.

Took it into my reputable and authorised Mercruiser workshop here.
They hooked it up and the only fault code was for a water pressure sensor.
Changed that, problem still there.
After a week they said the only other thing it can be is the fuel pump. Damn expensive and hard to get to.

I then got the worst phone call ever.
"There's been a problem with your boat, we changed the pump and while we were testing it the engine bay caught fire"
They said it was only a flash fire and that their insurance would cover it.
I went down there the following day and was horrified at what I saw.
Now the body of the boat has not been damaged apart from black marks that will clean up, however there are lots of cables, water hoses, drive fluid bottle, dipstick, anchor lights, battery, pulleys etc. that have been fire damaged.
The boat looks a f*^king mess.
Apparently, the pump leaked and filled up the bilge and BOOM!

The Dubai Police have been informed and they keep calling me asking if everything is OK.
I'm telling them that I have told the workshop that I don't want my boat back if I can see ANY trace of the fire.
The workshop have promised me that that is how I will get it back.

I'm just finishing 2 weeks off work as friends came over from London and we were due to make good use of the boat but I haven't used it once while they were here.
It's a public holiday weekend here from today till Sunday and still no boat.

Now I reckon I'm still gonna get the full bill for new pump, & sensor but I feel I shouldn't pay as we have been real inconvenienced and it's spoilt my holiday.

I suppose to be reasonable, I don't mind paying for the parts but why should I pay for the incompetent labour that caused the issue in the first place?
The workshop hinted that the new pump was faulty but I think different.

What do you guys reckon?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Wow . . . sorry to hear about your boat. that is a tough situation, because there will probably be some residual issues to be worked out and none of this was your doing.

Keep us posted on how things go.

I am thnking that the mechanics involved were not paying good attention to the pump upon the initial running of the engine. It is somewhat miraculous that the fire was contained to the engine bay.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Probably different in the UAE, but here in the states I cannot imagine anyone bothering to try to fix a 2007 Tahoe that had been in a fire. Insurance would total it since repairs/parts would run more than the boat was worth.

 

[QC]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

I am going to move this over to Boat repair as other than the "Losing Will to Live", seems like it belongs there

Have you asked them for a loaner boat while they figure how to fix what they did? If they are a dealer it would seem they might have a decent used boat they could let you use.

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

I did ask about a loan boat but only the registered owner can use their own boat here by law. You have to show your registration card tiny he coast guard each trip. Plus they don't have a boat....

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

...The Dubai Police have been informed and they keep calling me asking if everything is OK.
I'm telling them that I have told the workshop that I don't want my boat back if I can see ANY trace of the fire...

Out of curiosity, how do the police fit into the story? Obviously things work a little differently over there than here in the states, but that's an interesting twist.

Sorry about the boat Marco. What a kick in the pants.

 

[BlkY2k]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Sorry to hear about your loss. I cant see where you should owe them anything. If I were to change a fuel pump out, when I fired it up you can bet I would be looking for leaks right off the bat. Sounds to me like your not getting the whole story. Did they even change the pump? Or were they still trying to diagnose it when the original pump finally failed and filled your boat. If I`m working with fuel lines I`m looking for leaks.

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Out of curiosity, how do the police fit into the story? Obviously things work a little differently over there than here in the states, but that's an interesting twist.

Sorry about the boat Marco. What a kick in the pants.

Any insurance claim here requires a Police report.
It turns out that he has a AED 10,000 excess ($2800) on the policy so he's footing the bill himself.
Police do keep calling me asking how it's going and whether or not I want to file a complaint.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

doesn't sound like a bad system, repiar shop doesn't fix you boat snd the cops go after them.

sorry to hear about your boat but not being there it is hard to say if the pump was faulty or installed wrong, as long as it gets fixxed that is the important part.

sorry no caps, broke arm, not stupid.

 

[QC]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

sorry no caps, broke arm, not stupid.

Ahhh, but how did you break your arm?? LOL

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

"Losing Will to Live"

Dude, easy does it. It's a boat, man. Not your life. It'll either be fixed or it won't. And guess what? New boats are made every day, all over the world. It'll all be okay, really.

Good luck.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

while it is perfectly natural to be disappointed by not being able to use your boat, that happens all the time in many circumstances, and the only way to protect yourself is to have an extra boat. I spend a lot of recreational time on an island, and I always want to have two, preferably three.

Those who buy old boats b/c they are seemingly affordable are cautioned to be able to live with a couple weeks' down time; if you MUST have your boat, say for an annual vacation on the water, you have to buy new or have a back-up. Then you have an 80% chance. (I say 80%--in your case you have a new boat but look what happened.)

One of the good reasons to join a boat club instead of owning a boat.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

you want to talk depressing, on the way home from work to go on my last fishing trip i hit a deer with my motorcycle, now not only can i not use the boat i am relagated to sweat pants for the next 3 months and i have to fix this.

it is what it is and it could always be worse.

at least someone is fixxing yours and i am sure they will do a fine job, it is life, don't sweat it..

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

pic didn't post...

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Ouch

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Picking up the boat today after 6 weeks.

Wish me luck!

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

File the report regaurdless that way you are protected if anymore substandard work arrises also before and after pics would help in any further issues. Hope all goes well and demand a sea trial before taking back possesion of the rig!!!

 

[generator12]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

you want to talk depressing, on the way home from work to go on my last fishing trip i hit a deer with my motorcycle, now not only can i not use the boat i am relagated to sweat pants for the next 3 months and i have to fix this.

it is what it is and it could always be worse.

at least someone is fixxing yours and i am sure they will do a fine job, it is life, don't sweat it..

Has anyone interviewed the deer to get a feel of his viewpoint on the occurrance? Methinks there are two sides to this story, yes?

Regardless, I bet he was not insured....right?

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Actually he had $5000 medical that I got for him just in case, insurance is a great thing when you need it.

I was going to back and look for the deer with a limp and ask what he was thinking but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Ithink the fish bribed the deer to take me out before I ate them myself, it is all an animal conspiracy....

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Boat in For Repair - Caught Fire in Workshop - Losing Will to Live

Thanks for your advice guys.

A turn up for the books.... I went along to collect and they were just finishing off polishing the hull.
The boat looks awesome.
When it came to settling the bill he took me in the office and presented me with the total repair works he had carried out:

Fuel Pump
Water Pressure sensor
Gimble Bearing

Then he suggested that I take the boat, see how it goes for a week or so then come and see him to discuss the bill.

Can be any fairer than that.

Boat looks fine although the rear seat has slight heat damage to the top edge by the engine bay opening and the ski/anchor cover which they had to replace using thick plastic needs to be gel coated or something as its slippery and gets dirty very quickly.
There is slight signs of smoke damage to some parts of the engine bay that need to be cleaned/painted.

She runs like a dream and that gimble bearing really has smoothed thing out.