My boat went to the yard for bottom paint and standard engine maintenance. And like any trip to the yard, a few unanticipated items arose... And with that, I cannot say enough good things about how the folks at Driscoll Boat Works helped get me out and back in as efficiently as possible. The yard did a great job, and when I mentioned some bonding issues I was having with my boat, Stephen took it upon himself to do the research to determine a bonding wire had never been connected to the center tilt hydraulic cylinders. We got that remedied, and they also fixed an intermittent trim tab actuator issue. I always prep my boat for the yard, and I would suggest that you cover surfaces where workers need to go to do work. With the right preparation, my boat comes back fine. I also always give my total plan to the yard team in advance, so they know all the players coming in, and can better coordinate. This way, I can be in and out of the yard efficiently. I really like how I get quick text updates that the engine team arrived or finished, the electrical guys are working, here's the launch plan, etc. Like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Boats require several teams to come in and out and not be in each other's way, so if you let the Driscoll team know the bigger plan, they help make it all happen. Big thanks to Team Driscoll for getting us back in the water and off to Catalina! read more

Driscoll Boat Works - Boat being hauled out at Driscoll Boat Works - Boat Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

I had my 50' Bertram Sportfisher in with Driscoll for the haul-out this year. The work included new bottom paint, removal and replacement of rudder logs and rudders, fiberglass repair, install of new underwater lights, new batteries, new strainers, new raw water pumps, paint touch up, waxing etc. Some of the work was performed by Driscoll employees and some by yard approved subcontractors. The boat was in their possession for two months. They were short on space so at one point they put the boat back in the water and tied it up to their dock for two weeks. Then re-hauled it and blocked it again. Communication there it non-existent. Multiple calls and emails went unanswered as to the progress of the work. My project manager was Keith Dodson, working under Steve Driscoll. When they did finish there was never a chance to review the work. I simply received a call that the boat was in the water and need to be picked up. Upon arrival the boat was extremely dirty with rags and debris throughout the cockpit and salon. No effort was made to clean-up. The headliner in the VIP stateroom was laying on the floor. I was missing dock lines and fenders. The bow rail had been hit by something and was bent to the point that the aluminum cracked (this was a $6500 repair on my dime). The rudders were inoperable (there was no fluid in the system, it was full of air). I was told the inop rudders was due to a leaking steering cylinder and that they could replace this. I refused the replacement, there was no leak prior. I instead had had them fill the system and pressurize it. No surprise, the cylinder did not leak. The issue was they had removed the hydraulic hoses as part of the rudder replacement and did not refill and charge the system. Keith tried covering this by blaming the cylinder and attempting to sell and install an unnecessary replacement. All responsibility for the damaged bow railing was denied. It was not bent when the boat was dropped off, it was bent on return. Keith said it was impossible to determine what happened but they were certainly not responsible. Emails to Driscoll ownership regarding the railing went unanswered. Keith Dodson told me to contact my insurance company. I am not someone that cuts corners and was a good paying customer. My haul-out this year was over $140,000. $38,000 of that was yard fees alone. I will never go back here. I would encourage anyone to look elsewhere. read more

Driscoll Boat Works - Bent top rail and stanchion. The repair required cutting out and replacing 16' of the top rail and replacing the stanchion ($6500). - Boat Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

Good job repairing and painting the bottom of my 89' 19 foot Grady White. Easy scheduling. read more

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We experienced a steering mystery while cruising offshore, and our assorted sailing industry contacts all pointed us towards Driscoll Boat Works in San Diego. Although busy, Driscoll's provided us with safe dockage until we could secure a slip in the Shelter Island area while waiting for rudder drawings from our boatbuilder. When the day arrived to return to the boatyard, a seasoned and efficient team carefully lifted our (newly painted) Baltic 51, dropped the rudder for inspection, replaced an o-ring, and had us back in the water within 3-hours. Driscoll's is now our go-to resource for the US southwest coast. read more

Driscoll Boat Works - Steering Repair - Boat Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

Damaged my boat during haul out. Said they would repair. And Steve Driscol admitted to not blocking it properly. Actually sent me the work order. Brought the boat back to them for the repair. They reviewed it again and said they would not repair it as it wouldn't be covered by their insurance. So got the lawyers involved, got an estimate from another boat works and sent a demand letter. A week after the demand letter date was up, they offered to repair. Certainly wasn't going to let them do that after this. Then they offered to pay half of what I am paying another boatworks to do the repairs. You really really don't want to take your boat here. So it's off court. read more

If you have any brains what so ever do not go to this yard! , wait for a real boat yard next door "safe harbor" , I won't go into the details of there lack of integrity , just only go there for a desperate emergency or if your sinking! read more

Driscoll Boat Works - What your wallet - Boat Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

Had an excellent experience with a very simple job. Needed the Travelift to remove my boat and trailer from the back of another trailer. Great friendly service from Keith and Tyler at the Intrepid yard. Pricing was about 1/2 of what Safe Harbor (San Diego) wanted with much better availability. Slam dunk. read more

I've used Driscolls for many years They've always have been exceptional in dealing multiple issues concerning the yacht I captain. Special thanks to yard manager Rueben Rueben has helped me on manny occasion with professional conduct and service. Rueben is one of the main reasons I keep returning I would also thank Chuck and Steve Driscolls Edmund Scott Cary read more

Let me start by saying Robby is great! This rating should not be reflective of him only the shipyard. He is a great mechanic and immediately diagnosed our prop issue. Unfortunately he is attached to an incompetent Shipyard. We wanted the bottom of our motor painted and they painted the bottom of our entire boat. It might sound like we got something for free but the bottom was already recently painted. They did finally paint the bottom of the motor but painted over the speedo pickup so now the speedometer doesn't work. We asked for a quote to fix the ONE navigation light and fix the swim step ladder. We never got a quote on either so we finally picked up our boat on Friday after 5 weeks of them having it. Today (Sunday) we took her out for a cruise to find none of our electrical works?? No horn, radio or GPS. WTH?!? We will be calling them on Monday. I'm Not impressed with our dealings with Discoll. Let's see how they handle this. OH and our boat was beyond filthy when we picked it up. Dirty and grease everywhere. It took me 2 hours of cleaning before she look like herself again. No happy! read more

I picked up my boat yesterday and wanted to write this review, at the end I will list my comparitive experience to help qualify my comments. In a nutshell this was by far the second best experience I have ever had with a boat yard. The first best was when I came to Driscoll for a lunchtime "Strap" service on the Survey, hence my second time here. Yard staff has extreme care and attentive attitude towards arriving vessels and were immediately on the docks to assist in landing. While kind and jovial throughout, they were very skilled at their work. Movements and positioning by them was simple yet precise. I immediately felt at ease and that my business, though small was rather large in care and importance. Since my work only included a quick strap I was given plenty of time then assisted and sent on our way to complete the sea trial. Fast forward 4 months and a bit past their 3 month limit on survey credit for returning bottom jobs, when pulling up my boat's name and seeing I was there for the survey Keith graciously offered the credit of funds paid at the Survey. Cool that, maybe this DIY'er has them look at the yukky stinky job of fixing the head plumbing and toilets. So for my 51', 26 ton sailboat I received a quote for throughulls, sea cocks, head service, plumbing, bottom paint, and prop service. And felt it was reasonable so I signed and let them have at it. At $90.00 an hour it's a straight steal of a deal. Have you priced the fool that fixes your clogged sink? How bout the guy who forgets to put the bolts back on your $125/hour auto service? I brought my boat right over and the same Yard Staff Cheecho and his spotter, along with Reuben the yard manager were so helpful and made it real easy for me to single hand my big butt boat right on in. Not to mention they were also outbound shipping and other inbound boats. Never waited or felt like I was for even a minute.. Once on the hard Bob, one of their project managers came over to let me know he would be working on my boat and reviewed my workorder and everything that was on his list, advised me on a few things that might come up then walked me around the boat to eyeball everything we discussed. Also explained the yard process, personal, chain of command and workflow. I thought that was VERY helpful since in the past I have had experienced yards that were more of co op type setting where a bunch of service providers all work in the same general area and it's up to the customer to follow up with say the painter, plumber, or electrician all seperately. That said, to me when you say "service" that means value added, you get something more than the part. You get accountability which I will speak more to later. They started on a Monday and were done by Friday: two toilets plumbing, 3 through hulls, 2 sea cocks, check ALL through hulls, Bottom Paint, acid wash prop. Keith called me on Thursday night and said all was done and it looked like I would be "splashed" the next afternoon, AND would I also like them to fix the aft head sink. I asked if he could send me the bill so I could be prepared and get the settled. I recieved the bill and it was a couple hundred dollars more than the original quote which was known cause I asked them to fix a few more things. When I arrived to pick up the boat I first went to settle at the yard office where I learned that my ` final bill was $500 less than I thought it would be. Happy Surprise. I was not ready to take the boat back to my slip so they made one of their wharf spots available to me for the weekend and made sure I had a key to the yard. All in all this was truly the happiest best experience I have had at a Boat Yard. I have owned Santana 27, Newport 28, Islander 36, Gecco 39, Hudson Sea Wolf 44, Hudson Force 50..not necesarily in that order...and have been sailing since 1971. Yards experienced include: Windward Yacht Center, Aggie Cal, Berkely Marine, Andersons, Myron Spaulding, KKMI, San Francisco Boat Works, Kohler Craft, Shelter Island Boat Yard. While all of them have great features and benefits with some like Kohler and Spaulding true wood shipwrights, Driscoll Boat Works has all that and the customer service that makes yachting really rewarding. There is a reason lady's of the sea such as Miramar show up time and time again. There is a reason the America Cup teams worked there. Accountablility = yard process, personal, chain of command and workflow. Driscoll = Legend! read more

Don't believe a word anyone says here. Estimate was for between 3200 and 4200 dollars, final was 7001.96! Never called and approved, just did the work. Never advised of new price, just figured we're made of money. 2 days of no work, and exorbitant charges. Held boat hostage while they threatened us with all kinds of bs. 35 years in this industry, and I can tell you these guys are crooks. Especially that guy in the office who's name starts with a k e i t h. Left boat with grease stains all over carpet, shit all over, and greasy ass hand prints on paint. Broke chines on boat, and tried to blame us. If your only other option is to burn your boat down and collect insurance, is suggest that route before "Dismolls". read more

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If you own a money tree, AND do not mind a business trying to renegotiate an agreement after the work as been done without prior authorization, then by all means, patronize Dricoll's on Shelter Island. I used them a while ago, and while the work they did was acceptable, the final invoice they submitted to me was roughly 8 times what they quoted for the work they did. Here's the deal: 22 Boston Whaler- Haul out, new bottom paint, replace ONE thru-hull lining. Quote (including parts and materials) was $550-$650. This estimate was confirmed once the boat was out of the water. When they said the boat was ready I assumed I would be paying no more than $650 SINCE I DID NOT ALTER THE SCOPE OF WORK. When I arrived they gave me an invoice for $5,600. And they refused to release my boat until I paid the entire amount. Truly unbelievable for a neophyte like me. No wonder boat ownership has a bad rap... too many land pirates. Its their unethical business practices and low ball quotes to get you in the yard that has me writing this negative review. read more

Wow!, OMG! and Awsome! One can think of some choice words for a company, but credit deserved is credit due and they sure are absolutely terrific! Not only was their turn around time on getting my 31' Cal sailboat prepped, painted and in the water in less time than it took me to post photos of the sailboat at their yard on my Facebook! The turn around time, was just around 24 hours!! The boat had multiple layers that were not remove, so some heavy prep was expected. Well, fortunately, the prep wasn't as extensive as was anticipated, the whole bill literally came out THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS less than it sure could have (less than $1,200.00). Then, Bill Campbell was able to give me a credit for the haulout they did on Seasters when the survey was done earlier on. So the whole bill yesterday was under $900.00! Thank you Bill and Reuben and everyone else that gave me not only service beyond compare, but are all super nice people too! Honestly, It just cannot get any better than Driscoll's Boat Works......THANK ALL OF YOU AND BOB BROKAW OF BROKAW YACHT SALES FOR THE REFERRAL! BTW, honestly, ALL of the crew I have seen at Driscoll's definitely know what they are doing to complete any task needed for boaters. Dennis Conner knows what he's doing, the world's foremost yachtsmen and craft are here and I'm sure with their experience, they know what they are doing and also quite capable. Also, at least in my case, I was awestruck with the company's truly iron clad honesty and integrity since beginning with Mr. Campbell and everyone on board. Their kind of reputation speaks for itself. Nice! read more

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An efficient boat yard with skilled workers! I had San Diego Boat Movers deliver our company's 50' sailboat to this yard. Before splashing the Driscoll's crew completed some mechanical and fiberglass work, which was done flawlessly and on time! Then the riggers got the mast back on the boat and we were back sailing in no time!!! read more

I have had my boat in for the same repair twice and it is still not fixed. If they can't figure out the problem they just keep replacing parts and charging you huge labor bills. I will not go back they don't have professional mechanics. Trial and error is not the way to repair a Boat. read more

Went out to go fishing at 7 am and my throttle broke. They were open at 7:30am so I decided to pull up and ask them for help. Mike and one of his mechanics brought their tool box out to the street to help me. Although this is against their rules and taking tools out to the side of the street and taking no payment, they went out of their way to help me out. After 30 mins of free labor and diagnosing the problem they found out exactly what was wrong and got me back on the water. Obviously business is in business to make money but they stuck their necks out for me and just shows the personnel that they have. Sincere people and great mechanics. read more

Great experience when I was here at Driscoll's for installing new underwater lights and new bow and stern thruster props. Whole job done efficiently overnight and back in the water. Great equipment and service of both the haul out and repairs were top notch. Happy customer. read more

Every few years we haul our sailboat at Driscoll's. It's always easy. We are super busy and can only come on the weekends, they are accommodating and take good care of us. What they repair stays fixed and the bottom paint last years and years. read more

I am a professional Captain and have spent two yard periods at Driscolls. The guys in the yard our professional and friendly. The work exceeded expectations and was completed on time. The project managers and front office were exceedingly helpful and billing was hassle free. They have the resources and skill of a much larger yard, but you don't have to pass through a security gate with a hard hat. Don't let the review of one inexperienced boat owner steer you away. read more

Thank you Driscoll ! They removed and installed a 2000hp MTU block on the 100' AZIMUT that I run. Not an easy performance. We had many complications and some time delay but after all the job was done and without any damage which is amazing!! Having a fixed estimate, they did not overcharged for the removal and re install of a 65kw generator. Driscoll, thank you once again and see you at my next haul out. Captain Laurent Barone read more

Driscoll is a boatyard that honors its promises and stands behind its work. Owning a boat away from home is very difficult. What I treasure more than anything in this situation are companies that I can trust doing what they say they are going to do at the price quoted. I am not always there, so I have to deal with upstanding quality companies. They are hard to find and Driscoll is one of them. I have used Driscoll many times including the repair of the prop shaft, cutless bearing, thru hull replacement and bottom paint. Each time Driscoll has stood behind there work no questions asked. This time again although Driscoll was not the cheapest bid, I chose them because I knew they could be trusted. It is such a pleasure knowing that I can budget and know what to expect read more

They damaged my boat when they hauled it out and tried to tell me the damage was already there when I and my business partner had seen the area a few days before with no damage. To make a long story short they ended up finding a way to make me pay anyway. I was charged $7000 for a job that was bid at $3500 and no one ever called me and told me that the bill doubled until it was time to put the boat back in the water! At that point what could I do? Pay up! I was given an invoice with nothing but another $800 for labor. Never told me what it was or what had to be done for an extra $3000! Most businesses could never operate like this for long. I'll never bring my boat back there again! read more

We only went there once, last year, and it was a HORRIBLE experience. WE had them fix three things on the boat. The mechanics worked 11 hours total (I was there and watching) and billed us for 23.4. They installed low end parts when we asked for high quality parts and lied to us about it, thinking we were so dumb we couldn't read the label to know it wasn't what we asked for. The mechanics were sloppy and forgot to tighten crucial bolts. When we mentioned to the head honcho that we'd complained to an influential person in the boating industry about the work, Driscoll immediately contacted him to tell him that we were nutty and didn't know what we were talking about. Fortunately, the guy was a good friend who knew we weren't nutty. When we complained to our neighbors in the marina about Driscoll, almost all of them had at least one story of another friend who had a nightmare experience, as well. We heard about eight stories of people who got screwed over way worse than we had been. This year, we again had issues with one of the components they had fixed. Another mechanic pointed out that Driscoll had royally botched the work, causing other parts to break, and we had to have that job done all over again. read more

I agree with Eric, I had same issues with billing and worse with their work. Boat returned several times for same issues said to be repaired. Funny thing is everytime I picked up the boat additional issues arose caused by the Driscolls staff and their inexperience to complete task properly. read more

Only went there once because we bought a boat in San Diego. Will never go there again! Shoddy work AND we were overcharged ! Beware !

We are new to San Diego and needed a boat repair. We contacted Driscoll's as they were the boat yard that delivered our 34' Sundancer. They gave us an estimate of cost and time, and proceeded to make the repair. The cost was below what we originally were quoted and the repair was done on time. No hidden surprises, no hidden fees, just a wonderful experience! Thank you Driscoll's! read more

We went to Drsicoll after just checking their website and reading some feedback on their website (big mistake) always check feedback on yelp first, anyhow, we went there to get our bottom boat painted and oil change and coolant flush, we were quoted $1,900 for the bottom paint change which will include everything cleaning and painting and $1,000 for oil, when we got the bill it was twice as much, when I complained about the bill I was told they had to charge more for the bottom paint service as it needed more work , off course they never bother to get any preauthorization , now we are thinking that with the additional extra charges we should have got the best bottom paint possible but 10 days after the paint job our diver found out that the paint is flaking and chipping out in big pieces at least in half dozen places, that was the first problem, also when they did the oil change they left all the dirty rags in the bilge and wasted oil in the 5 gallons buckets on the boat, the first time we took the boat out the port engine we never had any problem with it over heated and after shutting it down we found out that the coolant is completely gone. We called Driscoll and told them about the pain flaking and the engine overheating their mechanic could not figure out how it is leaking but suggested taking the heat exchanger to test it, I was told this a four hours job which with sending the exchanger out to the radiator shop it would be about $800, the heat exchanger tested ok NO leaks , well now the mechanic needs to figure out how the coolant is being lost, it took them three weeks and after at least a dozen of emails to Keith asking for an updates only to tell us that the mechanic pressure tested it now it seems to be fixed but they still don't know how or where it was leaking from. And also the bigger shock is the $2300 bill. IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITH UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNETHICAL BUSINESS AND WANT TO THROW YOUR MONEY FOR MARGINAL THEN DRISCOLL IS YOUR PLACE. read more

Even though my boat is only 28 feet in a yard filled with gold plater's, I was treated wonderfully and so was my boat. Over the past few years Driscolls has LPU'd the top sides and did a couple bottom job's on my boat . They have made an honest yacht out of her.. I would recommend this yard to even the most discriminating boater. read more

After having been to other boat yards in the San Diego area and suffering through the usual litany of poor communications, broken promises on time-lines, inadequate work and the boat being left a mess, I decided to take my boat (46' sedan bridge) to Driscoll for a variety of repairs to the running gear, hull, etc. My experience at Driscoll was just the opposite. Repairs done right, follow-up to ensure that everything is dialed-in as it should be (after they were paid), and the boat left clean by their folks. Keith communicated regularly with me throughout the process, answered all questions, and when the repairs took longer than initially estimated, told me exactly why/where ordered parts were in the shipping process, etc. I'll be happy to take my boat back to Driscoll for future needs. read more

Great experience! By far the highest quality yard in San Diego. I would never trust my boat to any other yard! The place to go for the highest quality work for a reasonable price! read more

I can't offer any opinions on the paperwork side of Driscoll's operation, as I only delivered a boat there for my employer, but I can say that they were punctual, cautious, professional, and friendly while hauling out our 94ft crewboat. Not only did the yard team show up right on time at 0700, one of them even offered to take my bag for me while I climbed off the boat and onto the pier. Plus, they did a great job pressure-washing the hull once the boat was in her slings. One thing to make a note of about Driscoll's is that the water is VERY shallow directly in front of their yard. You may want to check the tide before bringing a sailboat or larger powerboat into their basin! Thanks for good work yesterday, Driscoll. read more