Birchard & Agee Marine Services And Drystack Storage

We bought a 19 foot Fiberform runabout several years ago (2006), to be used as a tender for our retirement project, which is a marine salvage and rescue consultation service.
We ran the boat on Allison’s engine/​outdrive install for about 50 hours, at which time we began hearing a heavy thudding noise coming from the rear of the engine. We had B&A pull the outdrive in order to diagnose the problem.
We were adamant to B&A, specifically to Chris Ackerman who did the work on the boat, that the sound was deep, and solid, and sounded like something in the flywheel/​coupler area. We came back a week later for Chris’s diagnosis, and he announced that he was positive the noise was coming from worn exhaust flappers. These, of course, are little sheet metal plates, installed in the exhaust systems of all or most inboard-​outboards, which in theory prevent water from back-​flowing up into the engine during a hard backing of the boat, or other conditions. They’re generally coated with rubber to keep them quiet, and if that rubber wears away or is eroded, the sound of sheet metal clacking against the insides of the exhaust system can produce an annoying noise. We didn’t think this was the case because, for one thing, the exhaust flappers had been installed new about 65 – 69 hours prior, and the exhaust system had never been overheated or run without water, which can burn off that rubber coating. That meant that there was really no logical reason for the flappers to be making noise. Additionally, it simply didn’t sound like that kind of noise to us. It sounded SOLID, not like sheet metal tapping against aluminum. Chris Ackerman was grilled for some time about this discrepancy, but he swore that he had even removed the starter and had pried this way and that way and every possible way on the flywheel, to be absolutely certain the flywheel and/​or coupler weren’t loose or broken. He was asked about this many times — at least six; perhaps nine. His answer was the same each time: He was positive that the only sound coming from that area was due to worn out exhaust flappers. We simply didn’t buy it, but the diagnosis was on Chris’s head, and we had no choice but to believe him. If he was wrong, we were confidant he’d make it right. He was, we thought, a «nice guy».
The cost of replacing the worn exhaust flappers was prohibitive, since the outdrive and engine must be pulled to replace these $ 20 parts on this particular configuration. Even then, exhaust flappers ARE prone to wear and failure, and we didn’t want to be stuck replacing them every couple of years. We elected to install a complete, new, through-​hull exhaust system. That bypasses the Mercruiser flappers once and for all. Over the next weeks that installation was effected by us at a PARTS cost of $ 1700 and change.
Immediately after installing the new exhaust system, the boat was tested on the launch ramp. Even though the old flappers had been completely bypassed, the exact same, solid clunking was evident from the rear of the engine. Clearly, the problem had not been worn exhaust flappers as Chris Ackerman had so adamantly and insistently diagnosed.
Chris advised us that he was not willing to do the work on the boat «because of its age». We didn’t even bother to argue, but simply picked up the boat and left.
A few days later another mechanic pulled the outdrive and engine. It was discovered that the flappers were in perfect condition. Clearly, Chris Ackerman’s diagnosis was as wrong as wrong can get. And as a result of following his diagnosis, we had needlessly expended an additional $ 1700 in exhaust upgrades. Here’s what the new mechanic said in his initial email to us: We had paid Birchard & Agee Marine Services & Drystack, by their own admission, the sum of $ 275 for 2.5 hours of diagnosis. Obviously Birchard & Agee Marine Services & Drystack DID NOT PERFORM A USEFUL SERVICE. It’s cut and dried. We can find no theory with which to explain Chris Ackerman’s assertion that the flywheel «wouldn’t budge». It was as loose as loose can get without actually falling off, and that’s not an «opinion», it’s a FACT.
On 8−28−09 we wrote an appallingly polite letter to Birchard & Agee Marine Services & Drystack, explaining the situation, and asking for a refund of only $ 275 — the amount they charged us for the work they did not s perform.
Birchard & Agee Marine Services & Drystack has steadfastly refused to reply to us in any way whatsoever.
Had Birchard & Agee Marine Services & Drystack replied to us with reason or logic, or even common human courtesy, and explained their position, as indefensible as it is, we might have been inclined to try to find a way to work with them. The fact that they have simply thrown us under the bus tells us what kind of business they are: the lowest kind.
UPDATE 12-​20-​2010: After nearly two years of trying to forget our losses at the hands of this miserable company, we are suddenly contacted by their «attorney», complaining about this review.

Birchard and Agee was recommended to me by my marina. I’ve only had one experience with them, so take that into consideration as I review.
The Good: The mechanic that worked on my boat really seemed to know his stuff. I was having some noises with my outdrive (OMC King Cobra) and it came back to me quiet as could be. He also took the time to show me the damaged parts when I came to pick up the boat.
The Bad: Getting phone calls returned and reliable time estimates was challenging. I think there might be a tendency to underestimate how long they will take to get to work on your boat.