Boat Storage And Repair In Pattaya

[nemofound]

Could anyone recommend respectable boatyards in Pattaya where I could storage 36 feet fiberglass boat and do some repairs for it. Having built that boat in Pattaya I know very well how corrupt most of those places are so looking for good advice so I can check the place myself before I make any deal with them. Ocean Marina is not an option as it's too expensive.

[jaywalker]

Hi Nemo,

A bit of a late reply, but there is a yard on Sukhumvit 3 km south of Ocean Marina with decent security.

I would NOT recommend that you use their repair staff though as there is zero supervision there.

I have my boat there & it has decent security. I pulled in there at 0530 AM a couple days ago & the guard almost tackled me when I got out of my truck.

I also have a trailer that can most likely move your boat. It was built to move my 42 foot cat & is best suited for moving catamarans, but we could probably cobble something together for a monohull. It's designed for various platforms to be bolted to the main trailer structure.

You pay for (& get to keep) the extra cobbling/custom trailer platform for your boat & can rent the trailer for 5K each way to & from the water.

You need to rent the travel lift from the marina.

My guess would be around 8,000 baht per month storage fees on a 36 foot mono hull boat at the above mentioned yard....waaaaaaay less than what Ocean Marina wants. I have a few friends that may be able to help you find some decent freelance labor with boat repair experience.

My experience has been that you HAVE TO BE THERE everyday to provide leadership, direction & motivation to the local labor, treat them with respect, have a fluent translator (my wife does for me), & pay them on time. Buy them a coffee in the mornings & a Coke in the afternoons. Drop another 300-400 baht a week on some stir fried rice & som tam for lunch....pay them 10-12K baht per month & they'll work their tails off for you & cry when the job is finished.

They don't mind hard work. They are quite keen to work hard as long as they feel appreciated

Shoot me an email at Pattayaboat at gmail.com

The farang owner of this yard is a bit flaky & is difficult to get a hold of. From what I hear he hits the jug a lot & has accident/traffic jug related $$$ problems. Rumor mill is that his wife (she used to help run the business) is fed up with his butterfly activities as well, so she is never there either....pretty muchly a ghost town.

Am waiting to pounce on this lease & buy the business for a song myself. Have just moved back over here from the mid east & can see that he has problems that I doubt he'll ever overcome.

A simple storage yard is all it should be with friendly management that can show you where to buy marine paint & stainless hardware & other such essentials nearby, plus provide launching/haulage/transportation.

Provide electricity & tool rental as well......Need to spray paint your boat? Put your name on the list & guess what? you get the sprayer & compressor on the date you booked it.

Need sandpaper, paint, filler, stainless hardware etc...? Need stainless or aluminum welding?

Just go grab a vendor of such from 200 meters down the street & set them up with a piss-willy shed in the yard & tack on 2-3%......make it EASY for the guy with the LARGE head-aches.....Better yet get price lists from the vendors & just have a catalogue & a kid with a motorbike that can go get & be back in 15 minutes.

Anyhow, have been there, am doing that. Shoot me a a PM or email pattayaboat at gmail

Regards,

Jay

[cloudhopper]

Good advice from Jay. The Pattaya yacht scene is a den of thieves and incompetents, and the criminal farangs involved in it there are the worst offenders by far.