Larry and Helmsman, thanks for the response.
I'm pretty convinced it's a ton of work. And a skillset. I don't think I want to learn on the Helmsman, but maybe my dingy ��
Larry, I don't know anything about Swift Spirit - but at 9-10k so far – I think you get what you pay for – see below. I heard of quotes for 3-4k to do the hull only.
As for the $9-10k it pans-out man hours plus materials - we are at 3-4 guys over 4 days + haul out. This covers the Prep work, which is the biggest work, (Hull blemishes, mold release, etc), and then finishing the hull, top, windows, and vinyl. For an additional <$1k they can clearcoat (aka invisible bra) the hull or the section where your fenders go. At 9k that makes sense.
I think since this is one of the most important investments don't the boat. I would suggest you, Rick and I compare quotes and notes.
My biggest concern isn't pricing, it's more on the type of materials, and applications and we need a covered dry dock or similar. Example: Premier being two layers, and Nano being four layers. Putting four layers of anything will or should cost more etc, but interesting enough, its about the same cost..
I would not ask for a volume discount from any of these shops since there isn't anything volume or hugely efficient if we all went with one, but the leverage we might have is understanding what they do.
One other interesting note , for what it’s worth - I had the Nanoflow services go into Waterline and give their pitch to Scott this past week. Scott was impressed by the owner, in terms of knowledge and depth of work in terms of cost. Scott indicated that at $10k it sounds about right for the work that goes into it. Scott also said while he indicated for a new boat is the right choice, he would continue to buff and wax. Similar to what I said. My point here is, I don’t think $10k is too far off, so I worry about the cost being half even if I want to pay only half. Love your quote, just wonder why the big difference.
If I was back in the states, I’d go to the shops myself and get a better understanding of the labor and materials involved.
Tom