Thoughts and Qualifications

      I've been working on outboards and sterndrives since 1973. I perfer working on boats that are at least eight years old. The reason for this is that people get the boats for less money, and are willing to spend more money fixing them up. I like repairing gearhousings for outboards and sterndrives the best. I'm good at it, and fast. I have all the special tools required to repair gearhousings. I also have most of the special tools for repairing Mercury outboard powerheads. I have a microfiche viewer and most of the microfiche needed for looking up parts. I have service manuals but not all I need. I have a source for NLA and used parts.

      I'm familar with most of the problems boats can have. I'm good at getting the job done right before the boat leaves the shop. Things usally go smooth, and unexpected problems are rare. I like to see the expression on customers faces when they walk into a clean and orderly shop. I think customers are more likely to authorize work to be done, and will pay more if the shop is clean and inviting. I like boats to leave the shop cleaner than they came in.

      Estimates I create include an itemized list and charge for all shop supplies used in the repair, such as greases, locktite, rags, compounds, ect. The labor I charge includes all the time used getting the boat out the door. I like to see all the hours I spend at the shop billed out. I can do most jobs in less time than the flat rate manual allows. Charging for the evaluation required to create an estimate is usally accepted by the customer as a good value for their money.