I took this from Scott's Facebook. I think we all know Scott is a stand up guy...if you don't know...take my word that he is. I don't know the guy who didn't pay but someone here might...if you do please help the guy do the right thing. I can't imagine having a boat built for my kid then not paying for it...then selling the damn thing unused. Someone needs an ethics lesson.
From FB:
Dear internet friends.. Help! I am apparently building and selling my boats now for $580..
Sad that it has to come to this but I am asking for advise and also my boating community friends to lean on a certain individual to pay his bill rather than refuse and reply to my texts with immature retorts and instructed to send my lawyer his number..
I was commissioned to build a mini max for this awesome kid I'd met a drag race event in Peterborough, last Sept. His original boat looked very similar but was rotten beyond any reasonable repair. So I agreed to build a new one at no cost for my time, travel, or financing the build itself.
During the early stages of "Project Pay it Forward" I spoke to Noah's Marine about the build. They agreed to apply a discount to any of the materials used for this non-profit build. In exchange they only asked that there be sponsor type decals applied to the finished hull and some pictures of the completed boat to possibly be used for things like their annual catalogue.
The boat was completed and picked up the Saturday before the long weekend and was to be a surprise for the little dude. He knew his old boat was at my shop, but had no idea he was getting a properly built and way better new boat entirely. Was a bit disappointed not to see the look on his face but I'd have to settle for some pictures at a later date instead.
Dad and Grandpa picked up both the boats and headed home with them. I had a gentleman's agreement with the Dad for the build and didn't feel it was appropriate to discuss the final build cost in front of his family. I now regret that decision very much..
I waited a week for a picture, some feed back. Good/bad, but nothing.. This past Saturday I sent a text to follow up with the remaining build cost and inquire about some pictures and feedback. Nothing...
Build cost came to just over $1200 with the discounts that Noah's Marine applied. I was wired $580 in December to compensate me for my funds tied up to that point. The remaining costs for carbon fibre, multiple litres of East System resin, paint, primer, clear coat, stainless fasteners, brushes, sand paper, etc, etc, etc.. came out to a further. $630
Aware that the carbon was a further estimated $150 alone for the raw material on top of the $580 he'd paid, the Dad gave me the go ahead for the carbon knowing that carbon doesn't apply itself and the boat still needed a lot more resin, sanding, primer, paint and clear coat.
It's currently sitting at a marina for sale and unused in the Kawartha's for hundreds less than it cost me to build. The kid's dad has zero intentions of paying and made threats of cutting it in half. OR I could pay him $580 and take it back. My faith in humanity isn't good right now. Somehow I've been made out to be the bad guy in this whole deal.
All I want is the $630 I have in to the materials, so I can go away on another skateboard trip to Cuba and take a bag of stuff for my Cuban pals next month. Now not sure if I can afford to go now. Why do I try to do nice things for people?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR_o9e1iqfg