Helmsman Support

I have had my 38E Pilot House for about 3 months now. I’m hull 61. I have, what I’ve been told by Helmsmsn are typical problems. I fully understand that there will be problems with a complex system like a boat. I’m not going to go in to detains at this time.
I’m just curious about the warranty response you have been getting from Helmsman.
I’m on the East Coast, so I’d like to hear honest answers from the East Coast gang. Then, I’ll report my experiences.
Thank you.

Rating 10 on a 10 point scale.

Including support on gear that is not their responsibility.

I don't have one, but I've heard nothing but good reports from several Helmsman owners about Scott and his team. What problems are you having?

I haven’t posted on TF for the past year, but I have been checking in periodically to see what everyone is up to. This post caught my attention, so I wanted to comment.

We have a Helmsman 43 / Hull #4 and took delivery over 7 years ago.

I run the boat weekly, 52 weeks per year, and we spend a considerable amount of our time offshore at the Channel Islands where we are unplugged for several weeks at a time. Our boating is not in protected waters and it has seen a lot of pounding and structurally she has held up amazing well. The single Cummins is a fuel efficient, reliable power plant. The rest of the systems (Domestic, Water, Fuel, etc) have all held up very well.

We chartered a 2022 Trawler this past Spring in the PNW and travelled from Bellingham to P Louisa (BC) over a 10 day period and the experience reminded us how much we like our boat. This is my honest take on how we feel, but that’s enough cheer leading from me. There are some great boats out there (AT, NT, and of course the venerable Nordhavn, KK, and others). As boat owners we all develop an affection towards our boats in appreciation of the adventures they have afforded us.

The original post is soliciting comments from people on the East Coast regarding Helmsman’s service. I am on the West Coast, but 1,300 miles away from their home office in WA. Here is my experience regarding service:

-The Helmsman team has supported me from day one.

-During the commission process, Scott spent all of the time I needed to familiarize myself with the boats systems. They are fairly simple boats system wise, so it didn’t take very long.

-When I needed service on some routine items during the teething period, they fixed them.

-I communicate with a few other H owners of various vintages and they have the same feelings I am expressing above.

-Fast forward to now, the majority of the parts can be sourced in North America and on the rare occasion when I need a one off, Helmsman had it shipped to me. I banged up my water level trim on a rough docking this year and the new piece is hitch hiking over on the new H46 and then they will ship it down to me.

Hope everyone has been well and enjoying their time on the water.

Fletcher.

Fletcher, your post is greatly appreciated. Our Helmsman, a 38E-hull 40, was a pleasure to own and operate cruising year round in the PNW. We had the best after sale service from Helmsman and experienced no major mechanical issues during our cruising, including a trip to SE Alaska. I'm eagerly awaiting my H46, due this month in Seattle, with I guess, your replacement trim, which I'm sure, Helmsman will send it to you promptly.

chanprr said:

Fletcher, your post is greatly appreciated. Our Helmsman, a 38E-hull 40, was a pleasure to own and operate cruising year round in the PNW. We had the best after sale service from Helmsman and experienced no major mechanical issues during our cruising, including a trip to SE Alaska. I'm eagerly awaiting my H46, due this month in Seattle, with I guess, your replacement trim, which I'm sure, Helmsman will send it to you promptly.

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That's awesome! Your 46 isn't even here yet and it's already done a delivery mission!

Jklotz said:

I don't have one, but I've heard nothing but good reports from several Helmsman owners about Scott and his team. What problems are you having?

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To be honest, communication has been a problem. As you know, communication is so very important. I keep reading about how pleased everyone has been in the past. So it makes wonder, why has it been so difficult for me?

I find everyone I’ve interacted with responsive and helpful. During purchase it was Scott and Roger. Post purchase it’s been Van. Zero issues.

amxr39 said:

To be honest, communication has been a problem. As you know, communication is so very important. I keep reading about how pleased everyone has been in the past. So it makes wonder, why has it been so difficult for me?

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I know Scott and his wife were at Trawlerfest showing a boat, then at another marina in Baltimore for a few days afterwards dealing with another 43e. I'm not sure, but I think he was also at another show the following week, so he's been traveling and showing a lot recently. Maybe that explains part of it?

amxr39 said:

To be honest, communication has been a problem. As you know, communication is so very important. I keep reading about how pleased everyone has been in the past. So it makes wonder, why has it been so difficult for me?

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I don’t have any experience with them but I would suggest that since everyone else is pretty much raving about them you should call the owner and have a clear, frank discussion about your perceived problems. Be clear but nice and explain exactly what you are expecting and what you are actually getting. I find that clearing the air in a constructive way goes a long way in fixing the problem. He may not be aware of your issues.

I don’t live on the east coast, I live up on the Tennessee River. This area is more isolated than the east coast. The service marinas here in this particular area of the Tennessee struggle mightily to take care of anything with the exception of a couple of yards. I can tell you after almost two years of working with the guys at Helmsman that when I don’t understand something about the boat, or I have a problem of some type, I have never failed to get a return call (which is rare because I usually get someone right away).

They care, a lot, about the customer experience. More than any other company I have ever dealt with on any consumer product. They have been a complete pleasure to deal with. Just my experience.

Hi Amxr39,

I’m not exactly sure about your specific issues, but I have found the Helmsman team to be very supportive with both warranty and non-warranty questions or concerns.

In my experience over the past three years, I believe you can trust the reports on the TF strings. To put it in perspective, having owned my 16th boat and with over 40 years as a mariner, the Helmsman team has always been available, on call, and typically very reasonable in solving issues and answering questions. Any new vessel will take time to “shakedown” regardless of who builds it.

The only communication issues I’ve had were due to my own inability to explain the problem clearly, which sometimes led them down a rat hole. A high majority of my issues were self-inflicted, such as turning valves the wrong way or not following procedures. Yet, they always found time to walk me through my issues, even if it took me days to gather enough knowledge and information to communicate effectively.

Compared to the rest of the industry, communication, scheduling, and getting work done in the Pacific Northwest from general marine services (not Helmsman folks), whether small or large, is a challenge. I have done several additional modifications, such as ceramic coatings and a haul-out this week, none of which were on time or done correctly. However, I found the Helmsman team to be an exception when they do the work. They are a very busy group, and I understand that some flexibility and patience are needed to work together on solutions. That’s part of a successful business and partnership.

I hope this helps, but feel free to send me a private note if you have specifics or need help. I’m always happy to chat.

Tom

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amxr39 said:

I have had my 38E Pilot House for about 3 months now. I’m hull 61.

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Did you buy the boat from Helmsman? That makes a big difference.