It is overwhelmingly difficult for me to schedule somebody to get paid to do work on my boat. A little engine maintenance and fixing the gel coat for the name, that’s all. But I just get companies not returning phone calls or declining to do the work, which their business card specifies that they do. Seems like a poor business strategy to spend money on getting customers, but then not rendering services to get any money back.

When I moved onto my boat, my mom handed down some awesome cups and plates specific for boats because of the rubber bottoms that keep them from sliding away. I furiously wash my dishes and accidentally cracked one. Oops.

Somebody was scheduled to come check out my engine and write up a service order today, then come back with necessary parts and perform the work this Saturday.

Service Guy: “I will be in that area sometime before noon, does that work for you, Paul?”

Me (PHIL): “Yeah sure I work a few miles away so if you just call me when you’re about 15 minutes away I’ll leave work and meet you there.”

I wore my cell phone in my pocket all day, which isn’t cozy sitting in an office chair. Noon came around.

“Yeah our job is running late, so I can’t come by today. I’ll still be up there Saturday so I can take a look at things then. I’ll email you or call you to set up a time.”

I wonder if this is just how marine service things go… I wonder how the millionaire yachties get it done, oh wait, that’s probably where all these service companies are spending most of their time… I get it. I know I can do oil changes myself, but I’m pretty sure it requires a pump and hose or vacuum or some odd device I don’t own in order to collect the old engine oil without letting it get into the bilge (then the ocean). Ideally, I want to have someone walk me through it at least once, and inspect the rest of the engine and transmission and hoses and pumps just so I have a better piece of mind, from a professional.