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SteelSapphire said..
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.
Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.
Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.
I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.
The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).
We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.
Yep. He was recommended to me. Came up to Pittwater and gave me a quote - which blew out later by $1800 because he forgot to include the self-furler. I steamed my classic timber yacht up to Woolwich for him to do the job. Promised me 3 times he could do it in a week. Pulled the mast after a few days and after getting the **** knocked out of the topsides alongside his ****ty pontoon he said he couldn't start the job so I had to take the vessel across to Rushcutters Bay and pay $300 for a mooring. 3 weeks later he picked the boat up. Frigged around with it for 3 MONTHS. Wouldn't answer phone calls. Doesn't use the net. Ignored a registered letter. Finally got the boat back with all sorts of things either not finished or not done as quoted. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. Just a liar and a conman. Loaded extras on top of the final bill - which I've refused to pay. I kinda hope he sues me. My lawyer will have him on toast. Stay well away. I've spoken to shipwrights in Pittwater after this and one of them laughed and said I was about the sixth person he'd heard a similar tale from. One classic vessel like mine had even had broken ribs from his work boat bashing up against it - apparently. I'm not surprised. They took no care with my vessel whatsoever. I was absolutely furious. Gave him several grand up front in cash too. Made no difference. Just treated me like a mug. He should get out of the game. He's past his used-by date.
Gos2017
> 9 months ago, 31 Jan 2018
