I used UShip to find a captain to move my boat from New Jersey to Florida. He tried to upcharge me and claimed there were issue with the boat to get extra money out of me. He stopped in Maryland claiming the boat needed fiberglass work, billed me $1500 and wouldn’t produce a receipt for the work. I posted the story I reported to UShip below:
The boat was in perfect working order when the captain arrived. Please see the attached copy of the text message with the captain saying “Everything looks great. First boat this year with all current equipment”.
As far as the leak issue, the hull had been examined both out of water and the boat was examined by a mechanic just before the captain left and there was no leak. The only way a leak could have happened is if the captain hit something underway or ran aground. This probably happened during a storm he went through that he had no business trying to be out in. As far as the $1500 repair, he still has not produced a receipt for this repair and I have spoken to several fiberglass experts that say it should not have been more than a $300-$400 job. The boat was inspected in North Carolina after the boat was abandoned and the mechanic confirmed there was no leak.
I never advised him that I would not pay him but he stated that he did not work on holidays and was going home for Labor Day weekend and would return Tuesday after Labor Day. He refused to return calls and when he did respond to my text he said he was far away and could not do anything despite the coast guard calling for mandatory evacuations. I believe he saw the storm was coming there and got out when he could.
There also was no issue with an oil leak as he claimed. The boat was examined by a certified diesel mechanic that said he could not find a leak or any issues with the engine. The mechanics belief was the issue was that the captain was driving the boat for extended periods at full speed. Something boats and engines in these boats are not meant to do. The mechanic also confirmed that he had removed the regulator spring so the boat would go faster.