Feb 3, 2008 - update. After 8800 dollars my boat is running. The engine Hank sold me had to be totally rebuilt and he damaged my transmission clutch plate when trying to jam the motor back in. I have found new posts from others about this and will keep an eye out and post links here. If you are coming to this page from craigslists posts, please be careful....
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/298/RipOff0298841.htm
- "Report: The Boat Connection Category:
Mechanics The Boat Connection Scam Artist!
Dishonest mechanics Rude Stay Away while you can
West Palm Beach Florida"
December 5, 2007 - I purchased a 454 block for my 330 Searay from Hank Kleber on CraigsList several months ago. At the time I asked Hank if he knew a good mechanic...He said he did and it was him.
After many weeks of planning he promised me that he would pull my motor on Saturday Nov 17th and have it back and running the following Sunday. I had the boat towed down to Cracker Boy Boat Works in West Palm Beach the day before and ready for him. He "promised" he would have the motor out and back in running within a week, he said he does this work all the time and without question he'd have it out and back in within a week, I even invited him to go out with us for the Boat Parade that following Sunday and hook him up with a ton of friends with boats!
My wife and I got to Cracker Boy early Saturday the 17th with Breakfast for him and his helper that were supposed to be there "first thing." We waited for him all day, and I called several times about insurance information, closing time, etc. He finally showed up at Cracker Boy at 1:30 (they close at 2p,m). He told me there wasn't time to pull it so he'd take Monday morning (19October) off to do it. He was a no show on Monday so after a few calls to him he promised to Tuesday, then (Thursday was Thanksgiving) Friday. Finally Saturday Nov. 27th was agreed to be "the big day" - again to pull the motor, dress it and have it back in on the following Tuesday. The motor was finally pulled the Monday of the Nov. 31st, he then told me the manifolds/risers that had been replaced 12 months prior were rusted out and he'd have to order new ones. He again PROMISED "no worries" he'd have the motor in and running by Friday (Nov 31) for the boat parade party weekend. Friday came and went, no Hank but after a call with him, he again promised he'd be there first thing in the morning to complete the job. Early Saturday (Dec 1st) my wife and I again took breakfast down for him but guess what ..No Hank Kleber. After a few messages that went to his voice mail, he left me a message late in the afternoon (I was drinking at the Tiki bar by this point!) He said his dad had a heart attack and his cell phone battery died so he wasn't able to contact me (Cracker Boy does have an office!) but good ole Hank told us not too worry ...he'd just take Monday off to do the job.
On Monday Dec 3rd he showed up late in the afternoon, from what people that were there tell me, he literally dropped the motor in (Crooked), attached a few bolts in 15 minutes and was gone, as you can see (images below) he didn't even mount the engine just dropped it on top of the studs and left. My wife called (I'd was too mad to talk to him by this point) he said his dad was sick and he was mad at us for not caring. He wanted us to put the boat back in the water, have it towed back to our dock and he'd get too it later "when he could". I'd paid him $800 cash up front plus $1500 for the block and he said we were "even" up to this point with parts/labor...
This morning I had a mechanic that everyone in the Cracker Boy boatyard says is the best in the area and two friends that have run marine companies in the area for the past 20 years look at what I have. The general overwhelming consensus is that the motor needs to be pulled, taken to the shop, fixed/tuned and then remounted correctly (ie bolted down!). This will cost me a few thousand more dollars in yard time, crane costs and mechanic's time and parts. As of this Saturday the boat will have been out of the water 21 days, yard cost alone on that $696.00 - thanks Hank!
I'm a business person and take pride in what I do, I would NEVER treat someone this way! I don't want anyone else to not be able to make an informed decision on using his services so I posted this page with my story for others to find if checking in to his work experience. I thought I could trust Hank and as you can see from the story above it doesn't appear to have been a good decision on my part. Hank told me he was the service manager at the www.boatconnection.com and a Master Certified Merc Technician, that had been building engines since he was a kid. While he said he was working "on the side", he did use their insurance to gain access to work in the yard and as per my experiences with him and the images below one can only assume what kind of mechanic he is.
Thanks a lot Hank!
I've put a counter on this page and will ask anyone they can to pass word along about it if they own a gas powered boat in the area...
PS - Cracker Boy Boat Works staff have been awesome and I HIGHLY recommend Mr Blake for Detailing services and Mr John Woods for motor/mechanical assistance -their numbers can be reached from the Cracker Boy Office!
Tuesday December 11, John Woods, the new mechanic got the motor started today. There is very little compression on both sides and a major water leak on the right side. The the spline in the clutch/vdrive was also damaged from Hank trying to force the engine back on the boat. I can't have it put back in and sell the boat in good faith knowing the condition so I now have little choice but to buy a brand new block and have Mr Woods install it. Another week of yard time and another $6500 later not too mention the $2300 I paid Hank upfront that I'll never see...
Thanks a lot Hank. I'll do my best to get word out about this to anyone and everyone I can so that this never happens to anyone else!
as of December 5, 2007