13th May 2012
I have decided to document the problems we have had with our new nb so anyone with similar issues can learn from our experience & so that we have this to refer to should any further issues arise .
July 2011 First year teething troubles:
This set of pictures show the drive plate removed from our nb after approx 74hrs cruising!!
After purchasing our nb from new on May 27th 2011, we had moved her from Northwich to Aqueduct Marina at Church Minshull, had a couple of short weekend trips to Barrbridge & back, then in July we embarked on our summer holiday trip taking 2 weeks to go around the Four Counties Ring.
We had noticed a knock/ticking type of sound from the engine getting louder the more we travelled, but as she was a new boat assumed maybe “bedding in” issues or some slight adjustments needed somewhere. The noise was at its loudest yet when we were making our way down Heartbreak Hill on the return leg of our summer trip. We had moored the night at Wheelock after a stressed couple of days in the pouring rain negotiating Heartbreak Hill locks for the first time, all with odd sounds coming from the engine & we had no idea what they may be. but the boat was still running well, no smoke, no cutting out. In the last lock before Wheelock a terrible crunching sound came from the engine as I put her into reverse, put her into forward expecting the worst but she carried on, just a bit more noisily. It was at this point we decided to grab a mooring asap at Wheelock & wait till morning to investigate further. In the cold light of day & the turn of the key…..nothing! We started to make some phone calls, we were told that we must have hit something, this was proven not to be true, as we had already stated, by Neil Coventry the brilliant engineer that came to our rescue. He eventually managed to fit a new drive plate & things have been ok since. However nobody including our boat builder would cover the cost of the replacement so that was an added extra we hadn’t bargained for in the first 6 months of owning a new nb.
Below are copies of the emails sent by us & at the time.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your e-mail. I fully understand your point and will take up your cause with xxxx myself today.
As the first step, I have just phoned xxxxx UK and encouragingly by 9.15 this morning he had already spoken to xxxx xxxxxx’s office and his boss, to discuss what has happened to you. He has promised to come back to me during today to let me know what they can do.
As soon as I know more I will be in touch.
Best regards
Steve.
From: Sue Meades [mailto:brocklts@tesco.net] Sent: 17 August 2011 20:23 To: sales@xxxxx.co.uk Cc: info@xxxxx.co.uk; stephen harral Subject: New MB Boat/xxxxx Engine
F.A.O. xxx at xxxxx UK , xxxxx (KLxxxxx), Stephen Harral, Mick Dalby
Re: MD Boat (That’s D’riculous)
Completion date 16th May 2011, Purchase date 27th May 2011 from Harral Brokerage Northwich.
Owners: Sue Meades & Colin Shearer, Nr Glamis, Angus , Scotland ,
Engine: xxxxx 4.17 Serial No 155179 122459
Warranty valid until 27th February 2012
I am to say the least dissapointed that I have to embark on this email/letter to all those named above.
Firstly let me state that we have contacted our Solicitor & The Consumer Ass, both feel that we have a legitimate claim to be re-embersed for the cost of the neccessary repairs to the above vessel.
When we embarked on our two week holiday aboard her on Sat 30th July we had approx 28hr running time on the clock, in fact we had only moved her from Northwich to Aqueduct Marina upon purchase & some weeks later had an RYA Helmsmans course on 2nd July. The reason for the course was not that we are absolute novices but that the new nb is longer than our original 42ft Mindon nb & obviously of a much higher monetary value therefore we wanted extra tuition in the likes of turning, reversing & difficult marina mooring, as Aqueduct is very tight.
As you can see from the photos taken approx half way through our holiday the vessel is spotless & well looked after. Oil checks to the engine & gear box were done daily, Weed hatch checks were also done daily.
Water levels were checked on a regular basis.
We had no reason to think that anything was wrong with our vessel, we did comment that we thought a new engine should be a bit quieter than our old Mindon boat, however this was the only comparison we had & because the engine seemed to be running fine with adequate power, the gears engaged fine, oil levels were constant we had no real reason to doubt that it was just how all nb engines sounded.
However whilst in Lock no: 65 going north on Heartbreak Hill the gear box sounded like somebody dropping a bag of spanners from a great height when I engaged reverse whilst in the lock, very gingerly I put her into gear upon leaving the lock & she engaged fine & power was ok, noise levels were no higher tha they had been all the previous week, so we carried on to Wheelock & found a suitable mooring, still pondering on the noise in the lock & what the problem may be. The next morning however the vessel would not start, at a loss we decided to contact Stephen Harral & others. After NUMEROUS phone calls to different poeple we managed to secure a visit from Neil Coventry the marine Engineer who had been reccommended, Neil was to say the least, amazed at the problem to hand. The drive plate was “mangled” & all the nylon padding had disintegrated some of which was in the starter motor. (Photo of the drive plate & small remaining piece of nylon padding attached!!).
We have been told that a drive plate even in a hire boat with inexperienced/uncaring crew is expected to last 1,000-2,000 hours ours hadn’t even manged 100 !
Neil Coventry checked the prop for any evidence of the boat being bumped, banged, knocked …..not even a “knick” was to be found on the prop as I expected, I had nursed our new nb around the Four Counties Ring with so much love & care I would be horrified if I had bumped her other than the odd nudge entering a lock.
As you can see from above we have only owned the vessel for barely 3 months & this type of problem is totally unacceptable. I appreciate that Mick Dalby the boat builder may have purchased the engine some time before we purchased the boat therefore warranties may/may not apply, but somebody will have to cover the cost of Neil Coventry’s invoice & be assured I will persue this matter until that happens. Would any of you expect to buy a new car, have a similar problem then be told you had to cover the cost yourselves, no….you would be horrified as are we.
I await a reply from any of the above persons.
Sue Meades
Drive plate photo x 3
Original Message —–
Original Message —–
nb That's D'riculous 
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