Bay Marine Boatworks, Inc.

BEWARE OF BAY MARINE (MUST READ)!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Bay Marine Chicago caused significant damages to my vessel by failing to fully winterize it, as hired to do;
2. The self identified owner of Bay Marine Chicago (Matt Felhofer) has prioritized creating excuses and blaming ridiculous and inaccurate causes instead of taking responsibility;
3. Bay Marine has broken promises including their agreement to accept a third party evaluation of the causes of damages (by a mechanic they regularly use for such matters);
4. Bay Marine refuses to share the identify of their insurance provider to mediate and facilitate a solution;
5. In my opinion, Bay Marine Chicago should not be trusted to provide services, storage, or sales based on ownership’s consistent lack of integrity.

DETAILS SUPPORTING:
As am a small business owner for over 25 years, I regularly deal directly with the retail public. I understand that mistakes happen and good businesses work to honor their word, written agreements, and protect their reputation. I only write this review after exhausting all options other than pursuing the filing of an expensive lawsuit to get a fair response from Bay Marine Chicago. Bay Marine in my opinion has gone out of their way not to honor their obligations, contracts or word and instead pursue any excuse, no matter how ridiculous.
In 2023 I listed my yacht with Bay Marine Chicago and for the ease of marketing, agreed to store it with them during the winters of 2023 and 2024 outside. I also hired them to winterize all aspects of the vessel (checked every box including air conditioning and heating systems). They started the winterization but came back to me with a large increase in price as they claimed the job was apparently larger than they thought (about $5,000ish). HMMM first warning. I had no choice but to pay them more but felt I had the comfort that they would do everything correctly, right?
The big trouble started around launch time in May 2025. Given the vessel was listed for sale (by Bay Marine), I also paid Bay Marine for a “concierge launch service”. They told me that they would run through all operating systems and make sure everything was operating correctly so I would be off to a clean start for the Spring. Sounded good for about $500ish. They soon advised me that the water pump to the cooling system was broken and two thru-hole water strainers had cracked glass (see pics). Hmmm-what could cause that? They quoted me $1,500ish to fix these two glass parts. As $1500 was ridiculous, I advised them I would buy the parts myself and install them which I did the night before pickup for a few hundred dollars. They had my pickup date/time and I verified with them the night before to make sure they were running on time as I had a busy schedule the day of pickup. I arrived to a vessel with an engine room full of dirt and water. It took me hours to find their on-site mechanic, Miguel, to try and get finished. Four hours later, with a trashed engine room and no working a/c, I left, still unaware what was coming my way. I followed up with a request for a partial rebate from the concierge service as they did not test the a/c system but they never responded.
I hired a friend whose really handy with marine repairs and he immediately advised me he could see that it was not properly winterized. He noted it appeared they had simply unplugged the water supply lines to the chillers for gravity drain. Now the broken glass strainers made sense as it apparently was not properly winterized. I bought a new water pump and paid him to install it but the loop a/c system did not hold pressure (so a/c won’t work). I then noticed that the expansion tank linked to the a/c system had cracked and the end actually broke off (see pic). I again contacted them noting my concerns but was told by Matt Felhofer (said he was the owner at time of my vessel winterization) that they did a “perfect job” and that he reviewed the service record and had pictures that everything was winterized correctly including the a/c loop system. I asked for such documentation but they have yet to provide any backup. This is when the crazy excuses started. Matt claimed he called the manufacturer and a boat of my age (2005) probably had just deteriorated over time. (despite all systems being in good working order when dropped off with no evidence of material deterioration. I had the vessel for multiple years and kept on top of maintenance). BS#1. After some more communication, Matt tried a new tact: the perfect winterization job they did was only good for one year as antifreeze deteriorates past its performance levels that fast (the boat was winterized in winter of 2023 and remained at their yard through spring 2025 (16 winter months). They never suggested a winterization update and the vessel had not been in the water. According to chatgpt: “Marine antifreeze generally needs to be replaced every five years or after 1,000 to 10,000 hours of use, depending on the specific manufacturer's recommendations. Some extended-life antifreezes may last up to five years.” I checked with my marine mechanic who has 20+ years of service (including winterization service) and he never had seen damage from antifreeze breaking down within a few years. He added the anaolgy: how many cars sit outside for multiple winters without changing antifreeze and never have problems? Our vehicles use antifreeze and I don’t know anybody that replaces it annually (or hardly ever) yet does it continue working? YES! BS #2.
Bay Marine were hired to "winterize" my vessel. The work included "a/c and heat systems". Matt again insisted that Bay Marine did everything "perfect". I told him there was no evidence of any antifreeze in the strainers, expansion tank, water pump or evidence the loop system was winterized. Matt told me I was wrong and his "work papers" would prove it. Yet they refused to share said documentation.
After spending over $1,000 for a new pump and another $800ish for labor, I couldn't find the a/c problem. Matt graciously offered to investigate the a/c system if I brought the vessel and left it at Bay Marine’s yard (and he wouldn’t even charge me for the slip time! Haha). But by this time trust was broken. Given their attitude to date, I assumed Bay Marine might just add antifreeze after-the-fact to cover their butt. So I offered and Matt grudgingly agreed that if I would hire one of Bay Marine’s preferred marine mechanics (they use him regularly for winterizations and a/c repairs) to investigate, he would go along with what the mechanic finds. BS#3. The mechanic declared there was no evidence that the loop, water pump, strainers, expansion tank or air handlers (6) were winterized. In fact, as we went through each handler, we discovered ALL 6 HAD FREEZE DAMAGE (see pic) and had leaked all fluids into the boat. All 6 had to be replaced. The mechanic also stated that common sense says that all these systems breaking at the same time clearly points to winterization not being properly completed. Again, all were in good working order upon my delivery to Bay Marine. Instead of Matt honoring his word to back the mechanic’s findings, and after about $30,000+ spent by me, Matt decided to find someone to say the loop system is the Owner’s responsibility. Matt’s new “expert” claimed that the glycol system in the loop was winter-safe down to about -8 degrees Fahrenheit and it is the OWNER’S FAULT if this system freezes! Matt added that it is Bay Marine’s “policy” to only winterize “water systems” and the loop system has glycol in it so it is their policy to not winterize it! Hmmm. So in the Waukegan IL area, per weather statistics, it is likely for the low temperature to go below -8 in January and February (as backed by actual temps during both the winters of 2023 and 2024). So Bay Marine was now apparently saying… we’ll winterize you’re a/c system, but we have a policy (that we didn’t tell you about) not to winterize loop systems and BTW your loop system is likely to freeze because local temperatures regularly drop below -8 degrees in Waukegan IL where we are located. WOW, Brilliant! Ohh and BTW, per the above, Matt now indirectly admitted they did NOT winterize the loop system even though he previously stated his records proved they did. BS#4 (loosing track).
So what is a consumer to do if Bay Marine Chicago does not perform the work per their own written work order and/or the owner won’t honor his word? Contact their insurance, right? Did you know that they will not provide that information? Its is not published. The marina’s I called that gather that information won’t share it. In my opinion, it is dirty and deceitful not to provide your insurance provider’s information when a consumer has a claim.
BTW, Matt next informed me that now he is the owner of the Sales Entity that lists boats for sale and no longer owner of the service business so it really isn’t his responsibility to handle... Would you want Matt to be your representative in selling your boat? Not me, I fired them. And the funniest part of it is that Bay Marine could have used their own mechanics, at their lower cost, to repair everything and then sell my vessel and still come out significantly financially ahead. My strong advise to the boating public is to find someone who will honor their work, their word and cares about their customer instead of someone who will go out of their way to make you responsible for their errors. BEWARE OF BAY MARINE CHICAGO.

Hello,I am grateful for the system in place so that I can hear when we don't meet our target of stellar customer service and exemplary dentistry All our patients should be glad they are here.Over the last days or so there has been difficulty in reaching the patient due to her business travels, and dealing with the financing source has been less than expeditious As of this writing we have successfully achieved new financing for this patient through another source, at a monthly payment she is comfortable with and at an interest rate about half of what she was paying Additionally, because I was not getting the answers I expected from the original financing company, we are immediately terminating further business with them They we evasive and obtuse about their responses to us about their policies, leaving me to believe that it was even more so for the patients.I have extended our apologies to the patient and when she was in the office today to sign the new finance forms she seemed in a better place I'm glad we were able to resolve her valid concern, and that this was brought up to us so that we could correct an inappropriate way our patients were being treated.Please let me know if any other aspects have been overlooked that I need to address, and thank you for your notification

Hello,I am grateful for the system in place so that I can hear when we don't meet our target of stellar customer service and exemplary dentistry.  All our patients should be glad they are here.Over the last 10 days or so there has been difficulty in reaching the patient due to her business...

travels, and dealing with the financing source has been less than expeditious.  As of this writing we have successfully achieved new financing for this patient through another source, at a monthly payment she is comfortable with and at an interest rate about half of what she was paying.  Additionally, because I was not getting the answers I expected from the original financing company, we are immediately terminating further business with them.  They we evasive and obtuse about their responses to us about their policies, leaving me to believe that it was even more so for the patients.I have extended our apologies to the patient and when she was in the office today to sign the new finance forms she seemed in a better place.  I'm glad we were able to resolve her valid concern, and that this was brought up to us so that we could correct an inappropriate way our patients were being treated.Please let me know if any other aspects have been overlooked that I need to address, and thank you for your notification.