West Cove Boat Yard

1 Review
Claimed
Write a Review
On Frenchman Bay
Sorrento, ME 04677
44° 28' 24.24'', -68° 10' 37.92''
207-422-3137
www.westcoveboatyard.com
Sorrento Harbor
West Cove Boat Yard
West Cove Boat Yard
West Cove Boat Yard
West Cove Boat Yard
West Cove Boat Yard
You might also consider...

This yard is at the heart of the Hinckley legend. It began in 1928 as a small... Read More


40 Reviews
A privately owned marina in Belfast, Maine. Providing boaters access to one ... Read More

Services & Amenities

Last Updated: Jan 24, 2024

Long Term Storage:Yes
Service & Maintenance:Yes
Ship Store:Yes
Dry Stack:Yes
Show All

In the summer of 2022, I took my 16-foot sailboat to West Cove Boat Yard because it was taking on water and seemed to have a leak. I also wanted other work done—the bottom painted, the cast-iron keel coated with epoxy, a small gelcoat repair made. On the phone, I was told the job sounded like it would take four to five hours and would cost in the range of $400 to $500. When the boat was returned, the repainted water line was uneven and paint was splashed all over the trailer. The gelcoat repair was done hastily and hadn’t been wet-sanded and feathered. The color, with an obvious blue tint, didn’t come close to matching (see photos). More important: The boat still took on water and seemed to be leaking. At one point, it was riding so low there was only five inches of freeboard at the transom, and we had to remove the outboard motor quickly and haul it to shore to prevent it from sinking. Many months later, when I got the bill at my address in Philadelphia, it was for $1,500--three times more than the “ballpark estimate” I was given at the outset. When I returned to Maine and the boatyard last summer and complained, I was told that West Cove was “not liable,” and the service manager walked away. West Cove’s motto is “service you can trust.” Perhaps that’s true if you have million-dollar yacht, but that certainly wasn’t my experience.

Marina Response:
Any small business owner wants every transaction to go well. It’s our business, so we care. Yet, it is difficult to address problems when an entire year has passed before coming back to talk to us. Being mindful of the age of the boat and the need to keep costs down limits the quality of a repair. The ballpark estimate of the repair at $500 was accurate. The $1500 bill included additional work and round trip ground transport of the boat. The scope of work that was done and the resulting cost is commensurate with industry standards. We encourage our managers to courteously resolve any issues with our customers; however, if after 30 minutes their amicable efforts in dialog aren’t being reciprocated in kind, they can choose to end the said transaction.
Was this helpful?  Yes - NoReport