Mobile Boat Mechanic

[AFDan52]

Hi guys, I was thinking of buying myself a new Boat. But got to thinking that this really isn't the best time and I'm just going to fix the one I have. My question is, has anyone used the Mobile Boat Mechanic I have seen advertised? I live in Ogden and need to get some work done on my shifter cables and saw an ad for these guys. Does anybody know if they are anygood?

Thanks AFDan52
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[ocean]

There is Jones Marine in Payson and they are mobile and are very good. I take my boat to them for maintenance and i never have had any engine problems.
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[Fin-Addict]

PM sent about a very good mechanic that works out of his house that's close to you.
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[AFDan52]

Well, I finally decided to take my boat to Fred's marine in Layton on Friday. I should have it back by Tuesday.
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[walleyebob]

Jones Marine is the biggest rip off I have ever seen. I took my boat in to fix the spark advance. They told me they would have to do a compression check and a bunch of other stuff. I told them no, just fix the spark advance, everything else is fine.When I got the boat back, the bill was 225.00. They did all the engine tests I told them not to do, and fixed the trailer lights and pressure tested the gear box, and god knows what else. The bill to fix the spark advance was 74.00. That should have been the total bill!!!
And the trailer lights charge was crazy!! I build trailers. Don't need to pay some idiot to change a light bulb.
I would not recommend Jones to anybody.
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[bradstehly]

Did Fred's Marine do a good job for you?
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[AFDan52]

I was very pleased with the job that Fred's did on my boat. Was it was pricey , Yes. but They had to replace all of the shifter cables and replace some things that should have been done by the previous owner.
What I liked was the the fact that they did just what they said they would do. After they took the outdrive apart they inspected everything, and then they called me and told me what they found. We talked and Fred gave me a price over the phone and they did just what we had discussed. Plan on spending a little money, Just what do you need to have done.

If you would like more info, PM me and I'll try to help out.
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[Wormslayer]

I called the guy over at "best boat service" that has an ad on KSL Classifieds, in the fall to come check out an issue with my boat. Set an appointment for him to come to my house the following Monday morning. He didn't show up, no call, no service. Won't be getting my business, just my two cents on the mobile boat mechanic.
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[BigBuck3333]

how about that mechanics number im in need of a repair.
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[addicted2fishin]

Too bad. He did a lot of work on my boat a couple of years ago and I was more than happy with him.
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[jonsiee82]

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[size 3]Hi walleyebob, this is Kevin with Jones marine and I had a customer tell me about your post. I would like for you to please contact me so we can see what happened for you to be so dissatisfied with our service. We want all of our customers to leave our shop feeling they were charged fairly and treated honestly. If you would like to get in touch with me and let me know your info I can look up your work order and go over it with you. Our minimum charge for any service is $95.00 so I don't understand the $74.00 estimate you’re speaking of. We try to be as thorough as possible, in case the diagnosis that was done before we worked on the boat was not correct. For us to guarantee the work that was preformed we need the whole picture. We take our customers safety on the water personal. Hopefully we can get together and work out whatever the misunderstanding was. Thank You I look forward to speaking with you. [/size]
[size 3]Kevin Myers [/size]
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[LordoftheFlies]

I ended up taking my boat to Jones Marine in Payson (see my Boat Work in Utah County thread), and I was pleased with their service. They did good work, were reasonable and good customer service seemed genuinely important to them. Plus they also work on older boats like mine. I'll be seeing them this spring.
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[bobwhitebarry]

I recently purchased an old 1973 Lund with a 65hp Johnson on it. It is in pretty fair shape, but was not running. I checked around and because of the age, most boat shops referred me to Jones Marine in Payson. Friends with older boats did the same. I checked with the Better Business Bureau and they have an "A" rating with no complaints ever filed. The only other shop with a similar record was in Davis County.

I live in northern Utah county and Jones Marine is in way souther Utah county. I decided to try them out...

That was THE best experience I have ever had with any mechanic shop of ANY type! My initial contact was through their website. They responded the next morning. They either answer the phone or return calls within an hour of leaving a message.

What I also really appreciated was the communication regarding repairs and costs. They told me about the initial $95 diagnostic fee, but they said if they find the problem right away, it would apply towards the time doing the repair. They would contact me regarding any additional parts or repairs recommended. It was great.

They are certainly in business to make a profit, but they were really fast and thorough with everything they did. The service was excellent, they had all of the parts in stock (on a '73 no less). Their price for parts was very fair, etc.

Anyhow, I was extremely pleased with everything Jones Marine did. It is a long haul for me, but I will take every boat I ever have, including a newer one to them.

I think what sets them apart is that instead of hiring techs that come and go and have varying levels of experience (and ethics). Jones Marine is a family business where everyone tech is an owner or closely related to the owners. You don't have to worry if the mechanic is new or just started in marine. These guys seem like they were born with a wrench in hand.

Highly recommended!
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