May 24, 2012.

I've been remiss in keeping up with the blog as of late. We've been pretty busy and there have been some major changes.

The biggest change was in Christy's job options for this season. The woman that she did brightwork with the last 2 years was being a little uncommunicative. Maggie broke a few ribs last year which really put a limit on what she could physically do. Combine this with the unpredictability of the weather and a birthday celebration/ vacation that lasted for more than 2 weeks and the decent paychecks were few and far between.

As we roared up the eastern seaboard Maggie professed a desire to have Christy's help again this year. But once we arrived there didn't seem to be any boats lined up for brightwork and more than a few phone calls went unanswered. Since we're not working as a hobby but for remuneration we decided it might be a good time for Christy to look for full time employment. The hourly rates bound to be smaller as Maggie was very generous but it might work out better in the long run.

My job was looking for a wood refinisher so she went down to inquire about it. Turns out she walked in the door on the right day. There was a mini uproar over the lack of control of the parts we install on peoples boats.

Lets say I was sent to your boat to fix a starting issue. If I determine that a new starter is the answer then I would return to the office, decide what starter was required and then order it. So instead of the mechanic spending time repairing boats he's got to spend time researching and ordering parts. When the part arrives the bill is paid by the company and the starter is given to the mechanic. So I would take the starter that the company just laid out the cash for down to your boat to install it. Then when I filled out my time sheet for the days work if I neglected to note the starter then the starter never made it onto your invoice. Something as simple as a starter install and it probably wouldn't get forgotten but when dozens of parts are going towards a single boat then the mechanics “memory” isn't good enough. Multiply that by several mechanics and the amount of money and parts involved is dizzying. After several instances of costly parts sailing over the horizon without being billed it was time to address the issue.

Christy is now our new parts coordinator. EVERYTHING we order, from tape for the painters, resin for the fiberglass people to breakers for the electrician goes through Christy.

On the negative side is that Christy has never been a secretary so her typing is like most of us, mediocre. She's also having to learn and master three intricate computer programs while her position takes shape around her while one mechanic after another asks for widgets and muffler bearings. It's a lot like learning to swim at the top of a waterfall.

The plus side is huge. Christy gets to shop from more than a dozen catalogs and an unlimited supply of internet resources; all with somebody elses credit card. She gets her shopping fix and the bill isn't ours.

Even though shes not out in the sun with a heat gun shes still busting her ass. But things should get smoother as things fall into place.