I hadn't heard anything from Gatewood Marine since I visited them two weeks ago. I didn't know if they were ignoring me because they had already been paid in full, or if they had plans to work on the engine to identify why it is lacking so much power. A little bit of communicatiion would go a long way to improving customer relations.
When I visited them, neither of the Gatewood's were there. I spoke with Gene, the mechanic, and learned that both he and Mr Gatewood had been at the boat last week, on the 20th and 21st. They had replaced some hoses (which should have been replaced as part of the original work order). Gene also said he had identified a coolant leak that was caused by a busted hose clamp. I didn't ask if it was a rusty clamp; all of the clamps should have been replaced as part of the original work order. Note to self: When this is all over, make a very detailed inspection of all hoses and clamps to ensure they have actually been replaced.
Gene said that he is going to be on vacation for the next two weeks, starting Saturday. He also said that he and Mr Gatewood will need to work on the engine some more to identify what is causing the loss of horsepower. So, that means it won't occur before August 16th, at the earliest. Oh, and Gene also said that the engine is not startable right now. I'm glad I had the foresight to start this engine refit in the first week of April. More than four months will have gone by before I might have a working engine.
This summer's sailing season is completely lost. I'm glad I was able to save up enough to take a nice vacation this summer. Now, I can only sit at the dock and think about the things I could be doing if Gatewood Marine had performed their job in a timely manner.