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Blacking at Armada Boats Falls Bridge


Motters79

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We have not had blacking done there. We bought a bottle gas there about two years ago. The service we got was so surly and rude that  we will never give them our custom again. If that's an indication of their general attitude to paying customers, you might consider going somewhere else.

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Interesting, I had quite a lot of work carried out by this yard. Always found them to be helpful, friendly and very good at their job. I would and have recommended them to other, now satisfied customers. Perhaps you caught them on a very bad day.  

9 hours ago, Athy said:

We have not had blacking done there. We bought a bottle gas there about two years ago. The service we got was so surly and rude that  we will never give them our custom again. If that's an indication of their general attitude to paying customers, you might consider going somewhere else.

 

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9 hours ago, Athy said:

We bought a bottle gas there about two years ago. The service we got was so surly and rude that  we will never give them our custom again. If that's an indication of their general attitude to paying customers, you might consider going somewhere else.


IIRC it is you that has in the past said you expected a supplying yard to change the gas bottles over for you.

Was that the case at this yard?

If so, perhaps that might explain why you thought they were surly and rude?  ?

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13 hours ago, alan_fincher said:


IIRC it is you that has in the past said you expected a supplying yard to change the gas bottles over for you.

 

?

This is the normal practice.

13 hours ago, alan_fincher said:




If so, perhaps that might explain why you thought they were surly and rude?  ?

No. The man was a curmudgeon, and shouted at Mrs. Athy. Whatever the reason, that is unacceptable behaviour when someone is dealing with the paying public.

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Now, this is third hand gossip. Chatting to a guy at the water point in Rugby about eight months ago. He had just come away from the above place. Said he had the boat blacked. Wasn't happy for some reason or other about the time the boat was out of the water and times between coats. 

 

On the other hand, we, on Nightwatch, called in and wanted a gas bottle and pumpout. Gas bottle all okay, pumpout, we had to pull over into the other side and wait an hour or two to let his pumpout tank drain the fluids away, presumably to a soak away or similar. Got the pumpout, no issues. I now remember we had fuel also, but he wasn't happy with my split cost proposal and we argued to an acceptable % split.

 

Hey ho. Their two Hire boats are attractive and they are always out and about in 'boating season ?'

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There does seem to be a lot of " curmudgeons" about on the canals some even running boat yards if the opinions of some of the posters on this forum are to be believed. Whilst I don't disbelieve most posts on the subject I wouldn't expect anyone to change my gas bottles for me, if that was actually the case.

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15 hours ago, alan_fincher said:


IIRC it is you that has in the past said you expected a supplying yard to change the gas bottles over for you.

Was that the case at this yard?

If so, perhaps that might explain why you thought they were surly and rude?  ?

 

1 hour ago, Athy said:

?

This is the normal practice.

 

This may be your normal practice, but I very much doubt it is for many boaters.

I've never come across it elsewhere.

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50 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

 

This may be your normal practice, but I very much doubt it is for many boaters.

I've never come across it elsewhere.

Perhaps things are different on the Grand Union. I can speak only from experience: we need to change our gas bottle about every 12 to 15 months. Over the last five years or so we've done so at Springwood Haven, from former Dusty (fuel boat), and twice at Cropredy Marina. On every occasion the service has been cheerfully and politely performed. 

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Years ago, an Electrolux engineer worked on a gas fridge in a boat. A couple of weeks later there was a gas explosion on that boat. It was accepted that the explosion was noting to do with the work carried out to the fridge, but as the last person to work on the gas system, he was held liable as he had not,as a competent person, checked the system was safe, and that is why Electrolux would not service any of their products on boats for years after.

 

That's why we (and I suspect most others) won't touch a gas system (even to connect a bottle) unless we do a full soundness test at the end.

 

Likewise, if a member of the boatyard staff is injured (ie slips) whilst lifting a gas bottle onto your boat and is off work for long enough that is a notifiable accident, the Health and Safety come down on all concerned like a ton bricks. It happened here about 10 years ago - the inspector made it quite clear that if the slip had happened on one of our boats she would have closed us down on the spot despite the fact our member of staff was back at work after five days. Fortunately for the private owner, she was lies inclined to go after him but try to pin the issue on our procedures.  Our guy had even risk assessed it - the vicious irony was that his (literal) downfall was a "non-slip" deck mat that slid across the deck underneath his feet as he stepped onto the boat.

 

The profit we made on the gas bottle sale definitely didn't make it all worthwhile......

 

However, I'm probably just another curmudgeonly boat yard owner. ?

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3 minutes ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

..

 

However, I'm probably just another curmudgeonly boat yard owner. ?

Not at all. Curmudgeonliness lies less in what is expressed than in the manner in which is expressed.

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Its just down to arrogance that some boat owners think everything is done for them.  Back to Falls Bridge, I used him one year out of season and was able to negotiate an 80/20 split in line with my diesel consumption but next year he was strictly 60/40.  I've then passed the yard when his 2 boats were in and made positive comments about their smart turn out - got a stare back and I was only at 200rpm going past.

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Thanks everyone for your feedback. It was entertaining aswell as informative ? Personally I would say that everyone one made valid points  points r.e. the definition of a curmudgeon, but safe to say that from now on I shall not be expecting anyone to change my gas bottle for me.... not that I would  anyway ?

 

On the subject of blacking.... it sounds like they probably do a decent job.... its certainly decent value... they quoted in the region of £450 all in.  Still not decided though.... Clifton Cruisers quoted £350 to haul out so I could do it myself... which is my preference but depends if im gonna have time. Costwise, I've noticed that Intertuff is expensive stuff... a quick Google seach indicates thst 20L is around £140 ? Anyone know how much I'd need to do 2 coats on a 55 footer? Where's the best place to buy it? At that price it'll cost more to do it myself.

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Another possibility, further down the Oxford Canal, would be Cropredy Slipway, just North of that village. They charge (or charged,last time we used them) £10 per foot for blacking, which includes the haul-out and the put-in. They do a good job. They have no proper telephone but do have a mobile number: 07790 843865.

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On ‎04‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 09:29, Athy said:

Another possibility, further down the Oxford Canal, would be Cropredy Slipway, just North of that village. They charge (or charged,last time we used them) £10 per foot for blacking, which includes the haul-out and the put-in. They do a good job. They have no proper telephone but do have a mobile number: 07790 843865.

I was out there about 2 weeks ago. £195 in/out, (I think) , 4 nights on slip £160, electric £10, 6 anodes welded £60,  =£425 Additionally power wash and blacking labour £170. I supplied the blacking.

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52 minutes ago, Slim said:

I was out there about 2 weeks ago. £195 in/out, (I think) , 4 nights on slip £160, electric £10, 6 anodes welded £60,  =£425 Additionally power wash and blacking labour £170. I supplied the blacking.

What blacking did you use and what did it cost?

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1 hour ago, Motters79 said:

What blacking did you use and what did it cost?

I used SML Ballistic bitumen. I already had the better part of 10l in the shed and I bought a further 10L some months ago. Think it was about £75. I've used it for the last 3 blackings and wouldn't use anything else

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We used armada to have the boat blacked and a couple of other small jobs last time and had absolutely no issues.

 

I can see how people could have issues with the owner as he does not suffer fools, seems most people either get on with him like a house on fire or can't stand him with not much in between.

 

Like some others we never had anyone else change a gas bottle on our boat, about the only help we have had was someone to pass the empty bottle to as we took it out.

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