bottom job & epoxy barrier coat. Did a great job. Very professional & friendly staff. Everyone from the front office to the people doing the actual work were great. Highly recommended. Thanks! read more

I had an excellent experience with Mason and the crew at Southern Boatworks. As the previous long review states, Mason is a hands-on owner and is generally found out in the yard actively directing and supervising the work, rather than sitting in the office. He is knowledgeable, courteous and knows what he is doing. He is busy, but attentive to his customers and is quick to return a call. It is clear that he has been working in and around boats most of his life. His attention to detail and level of concern about the quality of work performed is refreshing. My boat needed fiberglass work after she was struck while tied to the dock. Mason prepared an estimate for the damages, communicated with the opposing insurance company to ensure they had the information they needed, arranged a spot for my boat (she is too wide to haul out at his slip), and he ensured the work was performed on-time and on-budget. In addition, I needed a water maker installed, and he made sure that was done on time and on budget as well. To make sure it was completed as promised, he came in on a Saturday and spent most of the day finishing the job himself after one of his crew had called in sick. I have nothing but good things to say about Mason. In addition to Mason, I want to make sure I mention Big Nick and Guillermo. Nick stayed after work to help get work done on the boat, showing his commitment to getting the job done and done well. Guillermo did the fiberglass work, and he is excellent at it. Like Mason, I have nothing but good things to say about Guillermo as well. I know Mason is committed to working with the boating community, and he is currently widening his haul out so he will be able to lift catamarans, which will make his yard the only place in Galveston Bay other than Port Bolivar that can haul out a cat like mine, which is just over 25 feet wide. He is building up his business, and he does good work. Don't hesitate to use his services. Mike Golden read more

For a quick haul, they left the "remove before installation" paper on the rudder zincs. Cut my boat stripe with pressure washer, banged my nibral prop out of balance with a metal scraper, left inlets plugged, and let algae and barnacles under the lifting straps, while f bombing several times with several other unkind words. read more

I had a totally different experience with this yard during the same time frame. They worked well and cooperatively with me. I've never had any professional boat people say a bad word about Southern. Many speak very highly of Mason. They may say it's not the yard they use but then tell you that Southern is still good. This ranges from marine distributors to riggers to charter captains to insurance agents to brokers, etc. Granted, all of these are in the services food chain and will not speak ill of anyone else, but if you ask and then listen long enough you can get the real scoop. Southern Boatworks is not a high-pressure get-in-get-out place. Some may find this somewhat lack-a-dasical. For me it was pleasant and fit well with my schedule. Mason could be more timely communicating with owners but this was easily overcome when I started calling once a week for updates. He is a hands-on owner that spends most of his time in the yard supervising and doing, not sitting at the computer and phoning. Mark is a great resource and responds well. I don't know that I paid the lowest price possible. But I can say that it all looks good and was done at the price quoted (how often does that happen?). I appreciate the work they did. We even had 2 small problems only one of which was due to them and they hauled us and fixed both at no additional expense to us. We found everyone extremely nice, helpful and accommodating. Mason, Mark, and Rodney not to mention Big Nick and Little Nick. Big Nick even came over on off hours (for free) to help us with a problem we were having after the splash. This is not a big yard with a multitude of craftsmen. I suspect that if you have a two week job done in two weeks you need to specify that and pay the extra for an accelerated delivery. For me they responded well to drop-dead dates. After reading the two negative reviews posted previously I can only wonder at the difference. So, would it have been best for the zincs to have been installed properly? Yes. But how onerous was that to be brought to their attention and rectified? Not at all. Also mentioned was about the hull not having been scraped for barnacles. I have hauled out from St. Petersburg FL to Kemah TX and no one has ever sent a diver to scrape the hull before haulout. It is not their job. The condition of the hull prior to haulout is solely the owner's responsibility. In the second review I learned that the workmen did not remove their shoes when coming aboard. I have never been in a Japanese boatyard, so I do not know if that is common practice there. But I do know that in the United States not wearing proper footwear would be a finable OSHA offense. From listening in the yard I did hear a few f-bombs dropped about situations (none directly in front of us customers). This is a boatyard, not church. My personal experience has been that if you are nice, express your reasonable expectations, and treat these people the same way you would wish to be treated they will do a good job for you. David read more

I brought our Beneteau 440 over to the yard on 06/09/2023 to have the bow thruster diagnosed. After 10 days I was told that the motor had seized up and the lower unit had no issued but, the motor would need to be replaced. I was told this my both Mark and Mason multiple times. After 6 days they could not find the Vetus motor. I ask them to quote a new unit thinking that the motor would not turn. After 4 days I was told it would be $5,999.00 to install a new one. I told them that I wanted the old motor back when the boat was put back into the water. While the boat was located in the yard, all of the topsides starboard and port decks, the fore deck, and the saloon deck was covered with over spray & sanding from other boats in the yard. This over spray left a dark gray stain everywhere on the deck that streaked & stained the gelcoat. I spent over 6 hours on Saturday & Sunday trying to remove the stains to no avail. The gelcoat still has a shadow in it were the over spray was located. When I picked the boat on 06/24/2023, the boat was in complete disarray. All of the areas that they worked in were completely torn apart with panels not replaced, hardware laying around, cushions scattered in the main saloon. While they were working on the boat they did not take their shoes off when boarding the boat to work. The oil, dirt, and scum from the boat yard was ground into the gelcoat on the port side where they located the ladder to board. Then stained into the cockpit gelcoat and tracked throughout the saloon. I had requested several times to have the zinc replaced on the prop and had not been replaced. When I got home and looked at the motor the armature spun freely when turning with two fingers. The motor was destroyed by the tech who took it out. The power cables were cut and the diode on the solenoid was broke off. The motor cannot even be tested now. I was told multiple times that motor was the issue that it had froze up. The lower unit was working fine. 06/28 Well this company goes for bad to ridiculously bad. After trying to speak with Andy the "Yard Manager" for three days to follow up on what he stated "We will make this right". Crickets, I left 3 messages for him in the last 3 days with nothing. Today I called for the last time and got Mark, not sure what he does. I ask if Andy was in and he said no, can I help. I introduced who I was and ask if they were planning on going to our boat to clean up their mess. Mark stated no, I ask if they were going to make by Friday he said no. When I ask why Mark stated that due to my reviews and filing a complaint with the BBB, they Southern Beadworks were not going to repair any of the damage that they did to our 440 Beneteau. Certainly not the way most legitimate businesses work. I told Mark that I would see them in court I suppose. Reviews stay in perpetuity on the internet, Google Review, BBB, Marine Services Review Sites, not mention Twitter, LinkedIN, Instagram, Charter Groups, and Facebook. It would have been less costly for Mark and Andy to repair our boat that the cost of lost business from all of these reviews. I will pass my experience on to the other captains around here for their own good. read more

I have used South Texas before for bottom jobs on my previous boat as well as several other issues. I have always been very happy with the work. Our new one is out of the US and had what appeared to be odd instructions for prep and painting the bottom in the owners manual. I called Mark at South Texas and he walked me through how to prep and do the bottom paint job. I really appreciate it. I have and will continue to recommend them to family and friends. read more

Best boat yard - and only full service Yacht yard - in the Kemah/Seabrook area. Great facility and great service run by truly stand up guys. I've got a 36 Catalina and won't take it anywhere else. They will service this boat as long as I own it as well as any boats I ever buy in the future. Highly, highly recommend... read more