Spicer Marine Basin

First time trying Spicer Marine Basin after moving up from Pennsylvania 2 years ago. I dropped my Maxum 23 off at Spicer last fall to repair a drive oil leak. After a couple weeks Spicer reported the leak fixed and the Mercruiser 350 MPI was “running like a top.” I told them I would pick the boat up, but after a few weeks I called and asked them to winterize it and shrink wrap. I told them I would pick the boat up again but got behind with personal matters. I left the boat there and called weeks later and asked if it was a problem if I left it over the winter but hadn’t decided whether I’d bring it home or not. I was told that it wouldn’t be an issue. Come springtime I asked them to remove the shrink wrap and prep the boat for summer. Six to eight weeks later I called and told them that I was coming that day, Spicer said they’d pull the boat down. Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised that there was no wintering charge and no spring work up charge. I noticed the boat plug was in, an unusual observation for me as for the last 23 years I was accustomed to the plug being inside the boat or taped on the outside at spring pick up. I wrongly assumed Spicer put the plug in that day. My F-350 pulled the boat easily, but when home I saw that 1/3 of the engine was under water from rain through the cover! Three 6- month-old life preservers in the hold were covered with oil completely ruined. After consulting an ABYC Marine Propulsion Specialist, I was told, at minimum, the starter needed replacement. Oil checked for water, relays checked for corrosion and the drive pulled for water seepage. I confronted Spicer asking them why they put the plug in, trapping hundreds of pounds of water in my boat for so long as Chris admitted that they put the plug in when I called for dewinterizing, subsequently covering my engine with water, without informing me, and letting it sit for weeks in rainy weather? Spicer said it was “policy” due to 2 customers sinking their boats in the past, launching w/o the plug in! I told them that is kind of stupid, and if I put a boat in w/o the plug I’d be pretty “stupid” also. They disagreed. Fine. But if Spicer put the plug in, they need to remember that and remove it if the boat sits. There is no obligation for the customer to pick up the boat in a particular time frame or know that the plug was in! I asked them to check the engine and replace the starter. They said they would check the engine, but NOT replace the starter. I asked Chris to call me so I could watch the engine start. He agreed, but then deceitfully started the engine without calling me! Spicer said the engine was fine. Upon pick up they had the trailer nose low with only 4” above the ground so no water could gravity flow out! Again there was water! My Venture trailer nose wheel was broken, and my hardened steel piston was bent and had to be replaced! Then they lost my plug and had to meet me later to deliver my plug! Well, you guessed it, the starter failed upon second attempt! Spicer refused to take any responsibility. But that’s not all! I had run my engine one time and the drive oil was still leaking after nearly two thousand dollars of Spicer maintenance! I took the boat to another mechanic, and they found a new part Spicer allegedly put in was cracked, and the drive still leaked oil. I did not inform Spicer of this last “detail.” In my opinion, if Spicer wouldn’t take responsibility for their obvious error (leaving the plug in) I thought it evident that they wouldn’t show integrity for a difficult to prove item. I only had one use. It wasn’t cracked bc of usage. In 23 years of maintaining my boat at professional dealers only, this was the single worst experience I had ever had. Could it be a one-off? Sure. But the incompetence I witnessed, and the lack of integrity was something I hadn’t seen before at a professional establishment. Incompetent work. Not informing me of the plug being in. Not monitoring their action (plug). Not taking responsibility. Deceitfully starting engine breaking promise. Not replacing the starter I feel they damaged. Damaging my Trailer. Losing my plug. Just an FYI. Do your own due diligence. As for me, this outfit lacks integrity and expertise. Captain Gregg Mettler Delta Air Lines (Ret.) Boeing(B)-777, B-767ER, B-767, B- 757, B-737. 19,000 logged hours. International Captain 15 years. Former Navy Pilot.