Lesson learned, again

Buying a boat is just one step of many costs along the way to living aboard. After you buy the boat, then there are the repairs, the upgrades, the alterations. Since we bought Rhapsody two years before moving aboard, we thought we had plenty of time to get things done before we moved aboard.

Wrong.

During our first year of ownership Rhapsody lived on Virgin Gorda in the boat yard there. After we bought her we wanted to have some work done so we could enjoy sailing on her during one of our vacations.

While we were gone, some work got done, but not completely and not quite how we wanted it, so we learned a lesson. Do not just assume that the work will get done while you are away.

Having learned our lesson, the next time we left Rhapsody and wanted some work done we discussed with the workers the best way to contact them to make sure that they would remember,  and we could get our repairs done in time.

While we were gone, some work got done, but not completely and not quite how we wanted it, so we learned a lesson. Do not just assume that the work will get done while you are away.

By now we figured out that things would not get done properly, or on time at that particular boatyard,  so we moved Rhapsody to another island (Tortola) and another boatyard  (Nanny Cay) that has a very good reputation for getting things done. Satisfied with our new situation we left instructions to the new crew for our repairs, alterations and upgrades.

While we were gone, some work got done, but not completely and not quite how we wanted it, so we learned a lesson. Do not just assume that the work will get done while you are away.

Each time some work got done, and we were pleased with the results. It was just enough to keep our hopes up, and try to fix the perceived problems in communication while we were away from Rhapsody.

Some of the work that did get done in our absences include the new bimini ,  raising the solar panels so that Bob didn't have to duck as much, and new back stays.

One final time, last summer, we went away. We had new contractors who assured us that they were not like the others, they would follow through and actually get things done. We had their phone numbers and their emails, and we went away full of hope that finally we had found some people who would give the results we wanted.

While we were gone, some work got done, but not completely and not quite how we wanted it, so we learned a lesson. Do not just assume that the work will get done while you are away.

Some people take a little longer to learn their lessons. 

This is not to say that nothing got done in our absence, nor that we didn't run into some very helpful, very reliable contractors, however the frustration with others kept repeating itself.

There were several reasons that this happened.
1) We did not have the time to stay with the boat, and had to rely on others to get the work done.
2) The people in the BVI are just so dang friendly. They talk with you, and assure you that they will do right by you, but as soon as you are gone they are on to the people who are right there. If you stay, and are insistant, the work will get done, but, out of sight, out of mind.

Now that we are with the boat full time we are hopeful that our needed repairs, alterations and upgrades will happen in a more timely fashion, and closer to what we wanted.

I can be hopeful, can't I?