Blue Note repower thread

[jim rosenthal]

Bob, thanks, and yes I am interested very much in the photos. PM me or send me an email and I will give you a private email address if that is easier.

Great name for the boat, by the way; are you a musician?

[krazy8]

Tolchester did my repower as well and could not be happier

[the kuz]

We dropped the boat at Tollchester 3 Jan 04 and took final delivery12 april. When was yours done? I am also very happy with the work and the follow up (no additional cost) support under warranty fixing the little things. Are you also on the Bay? Regards, Bob K

[jim rosenthal]

Thanks for all the info, especially the Tolchester photos, Bob, which were very informative.

Years ago, there was a movie made called "Enormous Changes At The Last Minute". That title is a metaphor of sorts for what happened with this project. I have not posted anything, as changes did occur and are still playing out, but it appears the end is in sight.

After Blue Note was brought to ZMI, they hauled and blocked her and set about the process of "finalizing" the quote. This took a few days, and I'll omit the details, but the end result was a quote of slightly more than three times the high end of the previous estimate!!!. Not surprisingly, ZMI was very embarrassed at all this, volunteered to refund the deposit and not charge me anything, and help with getting the boat elsewhere. So, two good questions: how did this happen, and which elsewhere is the elsewhere of choice?

How this happened: I think that the original estimate was naive, but in good faith. Nothing suggests that this was a "get him down here and raise the cost" kind of deal. ZMI has a good name and frankly I think they still do- they recognized that they had made a mistake, and are doing whatever they can to rectify it. My best guess (I have not wasted a lot of time in asking why this happened as I am not sure they even know) is that they are used to dealing with a different kind of boat, usually a large boat with a small engine, and single-engine in the bargain. Sportfishing convertibles like the 36C have a lot packed into a small space. We think of this as normal- they don't. They do not build planing hulls that will reach thirty knots. By their standards, the engine room of a 36C is tiny, and there is a lot in it.
I do think that a yard which is used to working on boats of this kind would say "what's the big deal", and they would be right. However, if you asked a yard like that to install stabilizers on a fifty-foot trawler- a kind of work that ZMI does regularly- they might be similarly unable to generate a meaningful quote. I suppose it is all in what you're used to.

So, who stepped up to the plate on this? I am grateful to Slane Marine and Tom for offering to see what they could do to help and to quote the job, and refer me to a reliable overland transporter they have used in the past. We are finishing up that process now, and everything points to Blue Note getting a trip overland to her native town. Blue Note would be either the sixth or seventh 36C to go through their shop, so we would go from doing the repower at perhaps the least experienced facility to doing it at the most experienced. And while it isn't driving distance, I can fly down to visit her, offer advice (unwanted), kibitz, and generally get in the way. Maybe it is good that it isn't local.... .

I'll post further details of all this. Today is Boat Show here in Annapolis, so I am going to trudge around and look at all the toys, and maybe pick up a few things. Watch this space for news, as they say- film at eleven.

[34Hatt]

Wow Jim I am sorry to hear that happened but things happen for a reason. Your reason is that Blue note is going to Tom and it will be done right .

[Maynard Rupp]

Jim, I am sorry to hear that ZMI didn't work out. Why can't you take Blue Note to Slane on her bottom??? I am back home now freezing my, well, you know, and would love to have dinner with you again. Only if I can buy though.

[J's Dream]

Maynard, Slane is in High Point, NC...quite a ways from any water.

Jim, I was at Slane Marine in May picking up some parts I had ordered for my boat, and it's amazing what these guys can do. I know it wasn't in your plan to go there, but you won't leave there unhappy. Be sure to check out their facility, but when you see all the molds they have out back, it seems to have made my "wants" list become "needs". They can make anything for you, and make it perfect. Now I "need" a tackle station and "need" a transom livewell!

When I was in there, they had a 50C inside, and had just taken a circular saw to the entire superstructure. From the deck up, it was gone (becoming an express). I was in awe looking at a "shell", with the bow deck held up only with a 2x4 down to the hull! You'll be very happy with them.

Jason

[Boatsb]

I bet they're glad your a doctor and not a lawyer. You honestly dont blame them but 3 x the extimate may not be malicious but it is negligent. Its terrible that we need to worry about stuff like this and it could have been worse. 2 years ago the people who did my bottom added some other work to my job without my permission and charged me accordingly and then some. Choices were simple. Pay them and leave or have a lein on my boat with them holding it until I satisfied the lein. So many thiefs out there we all need to be careful. Even though yours was an "honest mistake" the law is on the side of the service provider and we have few if any rights or recourse.

[egaito]

Dan, when we put the Caterpillars in we installed PSS shaft seals. They have worked fine so far; I will just have them review those and make sure everything is okay.

A few "and"s here: If you go to dripless seals, and they are water cooled as many are, AND your transmissions allow you to free-wheel your props, run a cross-over line so that one either engine is cooling both seals.

I ran home on once once and burned out the seal. I know the tranny was up for it, but forgot about the water cooling....ouch.

-Ed

[34Hatt]

I was going to do that when I did mine but Jim and I both have the PSS and at low speed they can run with out water. So If one motor down well were not going any where fast. So I left the cross over out makes it simpler. Plus I have ZF and I think Jim does also,and ZF wants it clamped down anyway.