Washburns Boat Yard

I've had an incredibly frustrating experience with this company. My broker initially advised me to avoid Washburns, but despite his warning, I met with them in person, felt a good connection, and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. I now realize he was right. I’m not alone in this experience—several friends have also reported questionable service from this team. In August 2023, they replaced the underwater lights on my boat. Several months later, the lights stopped working. However, I waited to contact them until May of the following year because the boat was in Florida. When I finally reached out, they didn’t inspect the lights until July, and told me it was a warranty issue, assuring me that new lights had been ordered. In September, I was told on three separate occasions that they were just waiting for the lights to arrive. Finally, after I suggested they refund me, they admitted that the lights had never been ordered and that they now needed to re-inspect the lights to determine if it was even a warranty issue. That level of dishonesty is unacceptable. This process began in May, and here we are, months later, still without a resolution. On top of the issues with the lights, their handling of my Marine AC and radar systems showcased another layer of incompetence. Their Marine AC technician didn’t even understand the basic temperature controls on our chiller, and they recommended running a new cable for the radar when the problem was simply an on/off switch. These unnecessary recommendations and lack of basic knowledge were frustrating and concerning, to say the least. There’s also documented damage done inside the boat while they were working on it. To make matters worse, I was charged hundreds of dollars to keep my boat at a marina next door just so they could perform the work, because they had run out of space at their own facility. Who does that? It’s clear that this company operates with a lack of transparency, follow-through, and professionalism. The level of dishonesty and incompetence I’ve experienced is unacceptable, and after months of dealing with them, I’m left with nothing but frustration. As an active member of the community, I have a platform to share my experience, both locally and online. I strongly advise others to avoid Washburns.

I have been using Washburns Boat Yard for many years for bottom and mechanical work, and have always been very satisfied with the people and the work. Spring 2023 I had Washburn apply bottom paint and PropSpeed to my boat as part of my preparation to begin the Great Loop. Today after 10 months of Looping I had a Brunswick GA diver inspect my hull and running gear. Noting the clean hull and propeller, the diver complimented my paint application work. I told the diver it was done by Washburns Boatyard.