Rudder nightmare at sea

[DeepFrz]

I thought you said its a Brothel. Silly me. It is a stinking mess. (must brush up on my French).

[hellosailor]

bluewater, look on the bright side. Maybe the rep got run down by a bus, or by the fork lift carrying your rudder, which would explain quite innocently why he can't return your calls and why the rudder has been impounded and material evidence and can't be shipped out for another couple of days.

See? There's always a perfectly simple explanation why good men of good faith just can't make things happen. (VBG)

Personally, I'm a pessimist. That way it is ALWAYS a pleasant surprise when I'm wrong about these things. :-)

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

bluewater, look on the bright side. Maybe the rep got run down by a bus, or by the fork lift carrying your rudder, which would explain quite innocently why he can't return your calls and why the rudder has been impounded and material evidence and can't be shipped out for another couple of days.

See? There's always a perfectly simple explanation why good men of good faith just can't make things happen. (VBG)

Personally, I'm a pessimist. That way it is ALWAYS a pleasant surprise when I'm wrong about these things. :-)

If only ... dreams are good friends. He has just contacted to say he is on a survey with a customer this afternoon". He won't say when we will get it though.

We shall just hurry up and wait and let the French do their thing.

[JPA Cate]

We shall just hurry up and wait and let the French do their thing.

Oh, Bluewaters,

It is soooo frustrating waiting on other people to do what you want! It's not really "the French", though these particular guys are, it's people anywhere. You want what you want (and if you're cursed like me, you want it yesterday), and they're not expediting like you want. It will, eventuallly, finish sorting itself out, and eventually you'll be able to go play again.

In the meantime, are you yet to the place where the rudder will be installed?
Does the supplier know you're not in place yet? There's still some progress you may be able to make on your own... Keep up the battle, you'll win. Only not in your time frame; that of the mischievous fates applies.

Ann

[Hud3]

Bluewaters,

Count your blessings. You're doing well. The French islands are much more efficient than the other islands. I spent eight years down there. I got to hear "jus now" many times as an answer to the question, "When?". "Jus now" is the eastern Caribbean equivalent of "Manana".

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

bluewaters, there are a number of adhesives that will bond, set, and cure underwater. I think most epoxies will, and 3M's infamous 5200 might as well. Urethane adhesives often actually absorb water and cure faster when it is present, but in all cases I would check with the manufacturer to make sure a specific adhesive was right for such an important (and inaccessible) job.

I'd also mention that "release wax" may not be wax, it may be silicone or PVA or Krytox and what removes wax won't always remove everything else. Any auto body shop will sell something like 3M's "Prepsolve" which is a solvent blend designed to remove ALL of those "waxy" products in preparation for auto painting. I'd rather spend a little more on getting a product designed to do the job, than guess at using simpler solvents. And of course, auto supplies are almost always cheaper than "marine grade" labels. 3M's "fiberglass body work" materials are used on cars, boats, aircraft...all prime quality with outstanding technical support, one phone number gets answers about any of them.

With that and lots of clean (washed thoroughly without any fabric softener or drier sheets) terrycloth rags, or good paper towels, which will pull off whatever is on the fiberglass without contaminating it with anything else.

you made a good point, thanks

[Boat Guy]

Well I hope this all gets sorted soon for you.

I understand the posts to just relax and stay on "Island Time". But, when it comes to safety and boat design, I don't think that applies.

I read a story about "Salty Dogs" being rescued off NC or VA. Apparently they had some rudders break as well.

I'm trying to understand the reasons and why this is acceptable. Maybe I'm missing something. Yet, since my next boat might be a Beneteau, I consider this a big issue.

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by Boat Guy

Well I hope this all gets sorted soon for you.

I understand the posts to just relax and stay on "Island Time". But, when it comes to safety and boat design, I don't think that applies.

I read a story about "Salty Dogs" being rescued off NC or VA. Apparently they had some rudders break as well.

I'm trying to understand the reasons and why this is acceptable. Maybe I'm missing something. Yet, since my next boat might be a Beneteau, I consider this a big issue.

I keep reading of these incidents almost always with boats with rudders of this type and I think I will stick to the old fashioned full keeled ones a bit longer. Beneteau makes some very nice boats, drooled over several myself and resisted buying the last one that hooked me thanks to this thread.

[hellosailor]

"why this is acceptable."
Acceptable to who?
It is acceptable to the sailors, because they're often too naïve to know it could happen. Anyone can buy a boat and get in trouble with it, that's the flip side of freedom.

It is acceptable to the USCG because that's their job, and they signed up for it.

It is acceptable to the boatbuilding industry because everything (everything) is built to a price and the market accepts this as "good enough". After all, it rarely happens to the folks who bought a new boat, and they don't want to pay more for the sake of the fourth buyer down the line.

So, acceptable?

No, it isn't acceptable to the many "prudent mariners" out there, but it is perfectly acceptable to many folks. What the heck, some fools who went out in a boat instead of going bowling get lost or inconvenienced or die every year? That's a rounding error compared to the number of lightning deaths, bathtub drownings, falls on stairs and hard floors (broken hips seem to kill a lot of the elderly) or even the number of folks killed because they never put air in their car tires, and flipped after a blowout because of it.

So what's not to understand?

[colemj]

Once again, I will inject this bit of perspective: the OP's boat previously struck a rock and incurred rudder damage.

Mark

[Bluewaters2812]

Whoohoo, we have our rudder ... sans drilled hole, but it is in our possession, having arrived half an hour ago. Now to start the process of cleaning, sanding, priming and anti-fouling. At least the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel now. "It's like an early Christmas present" said the Admiral, as she watched me unwrap it. So true.

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"why this is acceptable."
Acceptable to who?
It is acceptable to the sailors, because they're often too naïve to know it could happen. Anyone can buy a boat and get in trouble with it, that's the flip side of freedom.

It is acceptable to the USCG because that's their job, and they signed up for it.

It is acceptable to the boatbuilding industry because everything (everything) is built to a price and the market accepts this as "good enough". After all, it rarely happens to the folks who bought a new boat, and they don't want to pay more for the sake of the fourth buyer down the line.

So, acceptable?

No, it isn't acceptable to the many "prudent mariners" out there, but it is perfectly acceptable to many folks. What the heck, some fools who went out in a boat instead of going bowling get lost or inconvenienced or die every year? That's a rounding error compared to the number of lightning deaths, bathtub drownings, falls on stairs and hard floors (broken hips seem to kill a lot of the elderly) or even the number of folks killed because they never put air in their car tires, and flipped after a blowout because of it.

So what's not to understand?

To take this thought one step further we must further qualify your statement with the note that not all are created this way. There were, are, manufacturers that put more into their products than what the price warrents, owners worked towards making the best of the best and often succeeded. These manufacturers often went belly up but there products didn't, they stay in demand for decades, and then some. Boats like westsail, Downeast, etc.
The trick is figuring out who among the flock of current manufacturers that are making the best of the best.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

Whoohoo, we have our rudder ... sans drilled hole, but it is in our possession, having arrived half an hour ago. Now to start the process of cleaning, sanding, priming and anti-fouling. At least the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel now. "It's like an early Christmas present" said the Admiral, as she watched me unwrap it. So true.

i would say that is excellent service from beneteau........still waiting for mine to arrive,and it was ordered in july

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by atoll

i would say that is excellent service from beneteau........still waiting for mine to arrive,and it was ordered in july

Crikey Atoll, is that from the Beneteau factory? That must be terribly frustrating and frankly it isn't acceptable in anyone's standards.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

Crikey Atoll, is that from the Beneteau factory? That must be terribly frustrating and frankly it isn't acceptable in anyone's standards.

from jp3.........and that is only half the story as i have had to turn down other deliveries due to the delay, they quoted 6 weeks in july!