Excellent Repower @ Niemiec Marine-Cummins 330B Recons!!

[renattayougotta]

I repowered my '95 30' Moppie at Niemiec Marine (New Bedford, MA) this spring with Cummins 330B Recons. It was a great experience!!

Click here for pics and a short video: http://www.niemiecmarine.com/repowering.php

Here are the initial sea trial results from GPS (250gal fuel, 2 persons, no water) 2200rpm=24.5kts, 2400rpm=26.5kts, 2600rpm=29kts, 2900rpm=31.5kts. Cummins 6BTA 330hp Recon_ZF1.5:1_21x25” 3 blade Nibrals no cup. I’m one happy guy!!

Here are the details.......After extensive research on the web, talking with folks, and shopping NY,CT,RI, and MA, I chose www.niemiecmarine.com for my 30’ Bertram Moppie repower. It was an excellent experience and I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE GUYS!! I live in CT and it would have been a lot more convenient to repower with someone closer, but I chose Niemiec because of their fair price, professionalism, and experience. My boat was a project boat that had no engines and was sitting for a couple of years, so there were lots of unknowns. Niemiec had the experience to help me bring the boat back to life, within a reasonable budget. Here are a few key reasons why I chose Niemiec:
1. Brad and Marty Niemiec are professionals. Brad was my main contact and he returns calls and emails the same day. He is available 6 days a week (or more) and he is a smart guy and closely manages all of the projects. When you talk to him he is fully aware of the progress and is eager to discuss the specifics. He is a boat guy, and the passion shows. We spent many hours standing in the cold, talking about engines and boats.
2. Niemiec Marine quotes projects as “Not to Exceed $xxxx.xx”. They take the time to accurately estimate projects and they provide a fair price before work it started. There are no surprises when the bill comes; you pay exactly what you were quoted. And, the project will be done on schedule. No worries there since they have a full crew of mechanics. My boat arrived at Niemiec on January 27th, and we went for a sea trial March 19th.
3. Niemiec Marine is a family business started by Marty Niemiec some 30 years ago out of his truck. Marty is there all of the time and is on top of all of the projects too. Brad has taken a prominent role in the company and the two of them are a very good team. They know what needs to be done now, and what can be put off until later. This is critical when repowering an older boat since it would be easy to blow your budget. There will always be surprises once the project gets moving, that is just the nature of the business. Some of my surprises were: hairline crack in the sea strainer sight glass, thru-hulls that were too long and didn’t fit flush to the hull (ie: leaking,) chafing on fuel lines that we originally thought we would reused, cracked PSST carbon (drip-less shaft seal), leaking steering system, wiring issues, Raycor issues, etc. All of these issues were found because Niemiec took the time to inspect everything as they were doing the job. None of these were obvious, and they could have caused serious problems down the road. I am grateful that these were brought to my attention and fixed properly.
4. Niemiec saved me thousands on the exhaust design because they knew of off the shelf parts that would fit the bill…….Cummins requires 12” above the waterline and my boat only had ~10” from the factory. (no wonder the original engines failed prematurely) Now I have 15+” above the waterline and I don’t have to worry about backflow water killing my new engines.
5. Niemiec’s mechanics are polished and professional. You will be treated with respect when you visit and the job will be done right. They take the time to lay out all the fuel lines, cables, mounts, etc., and put it all together the way it should be. Straight, aligned, clean. Smooth running with no vibrations. The job is factory perfect (or better!)
6. Niemiec marine has a REAL PARTS COUNTER. It is obvious that they cater to demanding customers (lots of commercial guys in New Bedford) that need parts right away. It’s like going to a NAPA for boats.
7. Niemiec moves projects along quickly. I visited several times since December and can tell you that every time I visited there were several different boats inside their large shop. They repowered 8 boats this winter including mine. They do impressive paint work too. The boat “Cotton Club “ a 36’ Pace, was repainted (and repowered) and the paint job was perfect. No orange peel, no drips, straight lines, and an incredible gloss.
8. They sell Cummins, Yanmar, Volvo, Crusader, Universal, Westerbeke, Phasor, VW marine, and more. So, they can give you an honest opinion as to what power is the best option for you.
Call me or send a PM if you have any questions 860 918 5974, I’d be happy to help. -Paul
See you at the canyons!

[Tony Meola]

Paul

Congratulations and good luck. Finding a good honest shop is tough. I am sure you will have many memorable hours on her.

[scot]

Congradulations on a good experience. Enjoy the ride, nice boat. But where is the boat's name? You gotta fix that, it ain't right.