Exceptional Yacht Service

A while back, I posted that I wanted to have a fairly long list of work done to my newly acquired 2003 Azimut 55. I was looking for a yard anywhere from SC to FL, and I was seeking a "no excuses" type of facility to do it "right". While I didn't want to pay any more than I needed to, I put a premium on service vs "cheap".

Soon after I made my post, I received a PM from the owner of a custom sportfish facilty in Beaufort NC .... Lightning Yachts. The owner's name is Bill, and he indicated that the economy had put a burden on new builds, and they were currently doing refit type work. He indicated that they had an open slot, and they would be interested in giving me a proposal for my work list. I called Bill by phone, and was impressed by both his demeanor, his work philosophy, and his apparent expertise. Long story short, I hired Lightning Yachts to do the work. Here is some of the services they provided:

1. He came to Myrtle Beach, where my boat was originally located, to review the work with me. I was not charged for that initial review or travel.

2. Bill himself, along with a couple of his workers, came to Myrtle Beach and took the boat North to Beaufort. I'm based in NH, so this was a huge help. As Bill wanted to get started ASAP, he did not charge for this daylong trip.

3. My worklist was fairly long. I had read of some of Azimuts mechanical/electrical shortcomings, and I wanted to proactively address as many as possible prior to my use of the boat. My listed included lots of electrical, navigation, entertainment, mechanical, plumbing, carpentry, and cosmetic upgrades. Bill provided a rough estimate of the anticipated cost for each item, prior to starting work.

4. I was charged a very reasonable hourly rate, and a more than fair markup on parts. As Lightning dug into the boat, they found a few additional items were they recommended improvements/repairs. None of those recommendations came without photographic substantiation, and an estimated cost if I elected to pursue the improvement/repair. As I wanted to the boat to be as "right" as possible, I elected to pursue each of Bill's recommendations.

5. My boat was with Lightning for about 6 weeks. As far as I can tell, my boat received 100% of their attention, and it sat inside their enclosed building the entire time ... a big relief as Irene approached.

6. I received e-mails at least weekly, including photographs of the work that had taken place the prior week. All of my contact was directly with Bill. Any question that I had was adressed in detail within 24 hours.

7. I was never asked for any up front money, and I was provided with a detailed invoice, including receipts for all parts, monthly. While I paid promptly, I was never hounded for money.

8. Bill is an electrical engineer, and he thinks like an engineer. As best I can tell, every recommendation he made was a recommendation that resulted in either better value to me, or better quality to me. I always felt that Bill was acting in my best interest.

9. One of the things I had done was to replace the swim platform and cockpit teak decking with Nuteak. (I know ... I know, it's "fake teak", but I ain't gonna sand it, oil, it, or varnish it ... I'm going boating) Most of the time, you see Nuteak installed on newer boats, where teak decking did not previously exist. This installation was much more difficult, and required building up some of the areas where the underlying surface was too low. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from the Nuteak rep, telling me that Lightning's installation was one of the best that they had seen. I haven't seen it yet (I will tomorrow), but that is certainly a testament to the quality of work that was done.

10. I wanted to buy a bunch of new equipment for the boat. Several thousand dollars worth of stuff that was readily available from "the" national catalog. Bill took the time to seek out this equipment at lower prices, saved me $, and still made a few $ for himself. He had it shipped to his facility, andplaced the equipment in the boat for me.

I have owned boats, planes, and real estate for a long as I can remember. I have NEVER had such an experience with somebody that provides service/value of this magnitude. This is my first/only experience with Lightning, I have no interest in Lightning other than as a customer, and I was not asked to publicly comment on my experience. I simply feel that superior service/value of this magnitude warrants praise.

If I ever want a custom sportfish (I probably won't), a complete yacht refit (I hope I won't), or lots of great work done, I'll be calling Lightning again.

Kudos ... obviously.