Dear Rakna,
First of all, thank you for the endorsement of our fiberglass and painting job. For RAM Marina it was a pleasure to host you and your daughter for some weeks. I saw you working really hard by yourself trying to make the good Atlas ready for sailing again. I can totally understand all your frustration and unhappiness for having too much trouble with your engine.
Putting things in perspective however, you bought a boat for US$3000, that had been sitting on the hard unattended for several years. At the beginning you tried to fix the engine by yourself the same way you did all the rest of the work.
There was a point where you couldn’t start the engine and asked for the mechanic’s help. This happened during the busiest season of the year for us, nevertheless our mechanic helped you out. At that point he found that the fuel filter was broken, so we researched and found a used unit in good condition in a local workshop. Only after installation did he find problems with the corroded fuel lines, which he repaired. During testing we noticed a problem on the governor that you said you could fix yourself, up to this point all was ok!
When our mechanic starting the process of finalizing connections to start the engine he found a problem with a pump and here is where the problems started; Again, we found another used unit with the same workshop in town for $600. You indicated this was too expensive and out of your budget, so following your instructions I returned the part to the seller.
This is when you decided to do things on your own, which created a true conflict of interest, however, you were so concerned with getting the Best Price, you approached our worker with a side deal, bypassing the Marina and our protocol. Here is where RAM Marina’s involvement ends!
You took upon your own responsibility to buy the piece direct from our employee for a reduced price (which we only found out about when you emailed us complaining about it). In accordance with RAM Marina’s compliance you had Zero Respect for the Marina and was willing to place the employee in jeopardy of losing his job, however, that wasn’t your concern, rather get the lowest price with total disregard for the personal income of RAM’s employee. We demoted the employee and placed a one year freeze on his salary, but at less he retained his job!
In the same email you requested a special price to come back to RAM. You are always welcome, but please understand that you can’t do business under the table and then complain that we don’t warranty something we never charged you for!
The part in question do not show in any of our bills or work orders, therefore, how could you possibly want RAM Marina to warranty a product that was never purchased or sold from our business? In retrospect, when you left the Marina, the engine was running, allowing you to travel from Guatemala to Belize.
Again, we reiterate our desire of having the opportunity to serve you again any time you may need, but please let’s be honest and in compliance with good business practices. This approach with eliminate any frustration you might be feeling. Take into consideration that RAM Marina as an excellent name and treats all our customers with respect, honesty and dignity. I truly believe if you would have made a better choice in your selection of purchasing, the outcome would have been 100% in your favor. However, by purchasing under the table you are jeopardizing not only the employee, but your integrity as a consumer.
Sincerely yours,
Karen de Lopez

Looking at heading up the Rio for hurricane season.. going to arrive around the end of June.. question is, does this place fill up or will I be able to find a slip? First time heading to Central America. Thanks.

Posted on behalf of Gail Johnson:
c of the http://www.riodulcechicme.com forum and noticed a want ad for a lancha and outboard motor because one had been stolen. The date of the original post was October 2, 2015. The lancha was recovered but not the outboard.

Only One Fuel Dock carries ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) Diesel = RAM Marina & Yacht Club, also the Only Marina with an Operating Waste Treatment Facility with Free Discharge

Thanks “Iguana Dance” for this recommendation. RAM Marina are indeed listed in our berthing section, however, the extra information you have provided will be useful for others considering their options