Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Phone consultations are free. For most jobs we can give a ballpark over the phone. For exact quotes on bigger projects we either come to your slip or you bring the boat in for a hands-on inspection — the inspection is typically $150 and credited toward the work if you proceed.

Most service work is quoted as a fixed price so you know what you're getting into. Diagnostic work and time-and-materials projects (like complex troubleshooting) are billed hourly at our shop rate, with a written cap so you're never surprised.

Yes — we accept all major credit cards, ACH, and checks. For larger projects we typically take a deposit and balance on completion.

Almost always yes — and the work is just as good or better. Big dealer service departments have huge overhead they have to recover. We don't.

Boats come to our covered shop in San Rafael from across the central Bay Area — Marin (San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Novato), Petaluma, San Francisco, the East Bay (Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville), and Vallejo. If your boat is on the water anywhere from Petaluma to Berkeley, we can service it in our shop.

Most owners motor in to a nearby haul-out facility and we coordinate the lift and transport to our shop. Trailerable boats can be dropped off directly. Call us first — we'll talk through the easiest haul-out for your marina and handle the logistics from there.

It depends on the season and project. For most jobs we can have your boat in the shop within 1–2 weeks. Emergencies (taking on water, dead engine, insurance damage) get prioritized — call us and we'll work it in.

It depends on the season. Spring (Mar–May) and fall (Sep–Oct) are our busiest — book commissioning and bottom paint 4–6 weeks out. Winter projects can usually be slotted in within 1–2 weeks.

Typically 2–4 days in the yard depending on condition. We coordinate the haul-out with your marina so you're not paying double yard fees.

Outboard repowers usually take 2–3 weeks from boat arrival to sea trial. Inboard / sterndrive repowers vary based on engine availability — typically 4–8 weeks.

Yes — we're an approved repair facility for most marine insurers including BoatUS, Progressive, GEICO Marine, Markel, and others. We document everything, work directly with adjusters, and handle the paperwork.

Yes — we work with major Bay Area surveyors on pre-purchase, insurance, and damage surveys. We can address survey deficiencies efficiently and document the repairs for the surveyor sign-off.

We handle storm damage, allision and collision repair, sinking recovery, and total-loss assessments — working directly with insurers.

All major brands — Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda, Tohatsu. We're trained on the current 4-stroke lineups and have legacy experience on older 2-strokes.

Yanmar, Volvo Penta, Westerbeke, Universal, Perkins, Cummins. From routine service to full rebuilds.

Sailboats are a major part of our business. We do rigging service, diesel maintenance, bottom paint, fiberglass, electronics installs, and full refits.

Yes — we design and install ABYC-compliant LiFePO4 systems with proper BMS, fusing, and charging integration. Done right, lithium transforms what your boat can do off the dock.

Yes — 12 months on labor and full manufacturer warranty on parts. If something we did fails, bring it back, we'll make it right.

Tell us. Our reputation is everything. Every job gets a sea trial and final inspection together so problems get caught before you leave — and if something comes up later, we make it right.