Reviews: Deltaville Boatyard

Reviewed by: Brian Clarke , Bay Window, on Jan 8, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

This is one of the finest boat yards on the East Coast. Keith Ruse, the owner, has done something quite extraordinary-built a crew with exceptional credentials. The list of certifications, number of master technicians and years of experience is incredibly impressive. You match their amazing capability with a dedication to service, a commitment to very active and open communication with a level of care that matches the owners and you end up with a truly superb boat yard. Keith, Starr, Amanda and the entire team do it right.

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Reviewed by: Tim & Crystal on Jul 5, 2020
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

We needed motor mounts. Ours were shot. We were at the marina to wait out bad weather and decided to give the yard a try. They always have a 6 to 8 week backlog of work on a variety of boat sizes and issues. I was told that everything starts with a work order online. I completed it on Saturday afternoon. The main scheduler was off on Monday, but the owner Keith came knocking at 9:00 a.m. He said he might be able to squeeze us in within 2 weeks. I received the call a week later that they could start the next day. Bobby the foreman came by that afternoon for an initial assessment. He oversees 20+ employees. He decided he could lift the Caterpillar engine with an iron crossbeam stacked on short railroad ties. At 8:00 a.m. the next morning several men came with the materials. By 8:45 a.m. the crossbeam was ready. Jason began decoupling the propeller shaft. I took a call on my cell phone at 9:00. At 9:30, I came down to find all 4 motor mounts already replaced, and Bobby and Jason were lowering the engine to begin the tuning stage. The book calls for the coupling to match within 4/1000th of an inch. Jason worked it down to 2. They completed the connections, and then assessed an oil problem that was from a recent overfill from the last oil change. They then cleaned the air filter that had excess oil. We closed the hatch and went on a sea trial. There were no vibrations from 700 to 2,850 RPM (WOT). This boat hasn’t sounded this good in many, many years. We were very pleased with the bill since it was 30% lower than the prior motor mount charge with the prior owners 2,000 hours earlier. Bobby’s smart assessment and approach saved us time and money. Finally, I watched this yard for a month. The employees were courteous, professional, and always busy. This is a well-run yard.

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