I'm sharing this mail with the list because its author is so insightful. I hope that the author in a psychiatrist or psychologist because he reads the situation and the man perfectly. I'm only sorry that his email was truncated, somehow.

There is one item that a neighbor has brought into sharp focus for me. The yard has installed a $25,000 motor and has yet to check alignment, etc. with a sea trial. If he has made installation errors to include inadequate air supply, no one else is going to make good on the Yanmar warranty.

I do not know what he wants payment for - yet! My focus is that he should make the boat ready for sea with ports and glass installed, alignment checked, and running lights working. He has already allowed the house batteries to go down to 12V in spite of my repeated requests that he charge them in his dedicated facility.

I'll let you know what happens tomorrow - if anything.

Honey, pass the Valium,
Ron Rogers

----- Original Message -----
From: SeaLubber7@aol.com
To: rcrogers6@comcast.net
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 6:06 PM
Subject: Re: lv-ab: What To Do About Being "Thrown Out" of a Yard (UPDATE)

The boat yard guy may be good at what he does. He has a personality problem, emotional problem, what ever. He may not have enough help and he may be frustrated and not want to do any more work on the boat. Maybe he wants to go south for the winter. You need to evaluate what he's done, establish a fair market value and pay for it. He should take you step by step through the boat and demonstrate what he's done, and if it works. You seem to not have a problem with what he's done and the prices quoted for that. What I'm hearing is there is a problem that it is not completed and he wants payment for something. Put as much of the decisions back on him as possible. Ask who he would recommend.  Ask if it was his boat what would he do. Let him feel that he has some control of something (that's what he wants) and he likely will be easier to deal with. Just don't pay for something that has not been done or not done correctly a

Ron,

The earlier post suggests that there may be a possibility of calming the
yard owners feelings by seeking to  engage a  capacity of reason absent in
the description of the situation .

I disagree and  believe the situation as described has all the major

characteristics of highly charged Emotional decision making :
1. All or None - My way or the Highway .

          2. Highly directional  -- OUT of MY yard  - ' I ' am NOT

going work on your boat !

          3 Not subject to the examination of reasons..

           4.Strongly EGO  invested  -the big ' I '

           5. Immediacy of action required

           6 Punitive

   Out Now - Because ' I '  said so - and I'm putting a mechanics lean

on the boat  !

 I am reminded of the story told by the Sioux  of a maiden on the path

to get water on  the day of a surprise freeze - she comes accross a snake
who begs her to take him into her lodge to warm and save his very life -
without which he will surely die.

. She says that he has bitten some of her people and made them sick and
some have even died - he promises to do nothing of the kind and begs that
without her charity he will die .

She takes him back to the lodge of course - where  he warms up - and

almost imediately bites someone -
Whereupon she refers to his promise . He replies - well what did you
expect - You knew I was a snake when you picked me up !

  And so did the poor fellow who took his boat into this boat yard --

who now - at least in part  - is mad at himself for making such a decision -
in spite of knowlege of the yard owners reputation .

My advice is worth what you will pay for it - pay the yard bill -  tow

the boat to another yard - a with a good reputation -get an independant
surveyors report -  get the work done properly  - pay their bills and then
let the AG's office sort it out .

Forget about getting any more invested in trying to get things sorted

out with this yard owner - - It ain't gonna happen .. or so I believe at
least !

Getting an independant  surveyors report of the quality of the work
compleated  or left undone - to be  obtained AFTER  the boat is in the new
yard - but BEFORE the new yard has done any work on it may be great help in
presenting your case to the AG's office .

The new yard may be said to have a vested interest in saying that the
former yard made a bad job of it - thus would be considered bias by the AG
's office . Not so with a report by an independant surveyor . Probably
another couple of boat units .

I doubt that a written contract or agreement was drawn up which included
the timeleness of the expected compleation of the work do be done - so the
Loss of the Use of the owners boat for a family holiday  would likely not
prevail were a suit to be filed - but the owner may wish to consult an
attorney on this . Yea  - even more boat units up in smoke !

Think I'll retire my cracker barrel now !

I hope the boat owner will let us know how it turns out .

All the Best
Ken
m/v Mrs. Hudson