Just picked up a boat, engine problems already. Please help!

[Liam]

I used to be a fan of Matty,

 

Until he shouted at me from the dock at Stowe Hil

.. something about a teapot !

 

Liam

[Paul G2]

I used to be a fan of Matty,

 

Until he shouted at me from the dock at Stowe Hil

.. something about a teapot !

 

Liam

 

Just for the sake of clarity, was that because you had one on the roof, or because you didn't?

[Liam]

Jesting aside, it was because I comnented on the teapot thread on here a couple of weeks ago.

 

And, for the record, Ariel will NOT have a teapot on the cabin top!

[Alan Saunders]

It is 20 years since I met TC at Braunston. As a South Londoner I percieved him as "Camp", certainly not posh! He was charming and helpful and we wasted a couple of hours looking at overpriced, poorly fitted boats.

 

Maybe even my Croydon accent is percieved as 'posh' north of Watford? "It ain't"! - you have to say this partially through your nose - no, not like a Yank!

 

Possibly, TC associates himself with other canal restoration pioneers? All well educated, well spoken and much published.

 

Other brokers identified our needs and pointed us to decent boats that could meet our needs within our budget. Oddly, they all wore practical casual clothes, maybe a branded tee shirt or fleece and spoke unaffected 'middle English' with the occasional, pleasant regional accent.

 

Alan

[Boat&Bikes]

I have only had two dealings with Braunston. Both times I found them helpful and efficent. Also why are some here so hung up about Tims accent? Talk about kicking a man when he is down!

 

 

Ian.

[Rickent]

I have also been to Braunston to view boats and found the guy in the office friendly and helpful.

Rick

[MtB]

I have also been to Braunston to view boats and found the guy in the office friendly and helpful.

Rick

 

Helpfulness is a great way of reeling you in and getting you to book a substandard or plain fraudulent engine service...

 

One would imagine the OP also found the guy in the office friendly and helpful

 

 

MtB

Edited September 30, 2014 by Mike the Boilerman

[Boat&Bikes]

 

Helpfulness is a great way of reeling you in and getting you to book a substandard or plain fraudulent engine service...

 

One would imagine the OP also found the guy in the office friendly and helpful

 

 

MtB

Seems to me Mike that most peoples comments so far have been how unhelpful they are! I take as I find and they have been fine with me.

 

Ian.

[Robbo]

We've phoned Braunston and they were very short with us, even insinuating that we've been going too fast; this isnt the case, as newbies we've been going very slow. They aren't able to send anyone out. Our journey has already been delayed due to a faulty lock and this is just incredibly annoying, particularly as we spent £305 on an engine service. I'm dubious as to whether much that was listed in the invoice has actually been done.

 

As you didn't get an engine service, if you payed by credit card, please phone them up and see what they can do.

[Rickent]

 

Helpfulness is a great way of reeling you in and getting you to book a substandard or plain fraudulent engine service...

 

One would imagine the OP also found the guy in the office friendly and helpful

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

I can only speak as I find.

Enough people on here have a bad opinion of him , so it may well be justified. I have only been once so maybe he was having a good day.

Rick

[boatcat]

 

As you didn't get an engine service, if you payed by credit card, please phone them up and see what they can do.

 

Luckily, I did pay by credit card and will be raising a dispute about the transaction.

Edited September 30, 2014 by boatcat

[Hawkmoth]

 

Luckily, I did pay by credit card and will be raising a dispute about the transaction.

Great, do let us on here know the outcome.

Bob

[Emerald Fox]

"They certainly weren't our first choice for servicing, but everyone else I spoke to was booked up for weeks"

 

Then it's about time there were more mechanics/service stations.

I seem to remember suggesting this a few weeks back there there be a proper huge place for narrowboats to drive into - all spare parts available, all types of paint (or anything can be quickly ordered and brought there) - always someone to help, and always bays where you can drive in and do your own blacking/servicing/whatnot. And reasonably priced.

 

This business of having to book weeks in advance is just silly with Britain's 18 million unemployed.

 

So far all the mechanics/marina staff/boatyard folk we have met have been very pleasant and helpful, by the way - apart from (this Summer) the woman in the shop at Rose Narrowboats and the man from the office who came to 'help', we have rarely come across such downright rudeness and they have definitely been put us off troubling to call on them again! (another chap there with whom I spoke on the telling-bone was, however, perfectly nice, but was away when we visited).

[muddywaters]

That is a very good idea, if they have the time, as there is nothing worse for a business than bad publicity, and the more clients they have in their place while they are complaining about the badly done job by them, the more pushed they'll be to cure the problems and get them out of their place.

 

Peter.

But would you want them to, personally I wouldn't trust someone who had done such a bad job to put it right

[Tony Brooks]

"They certainly weren't our first choice for servicing, but everyone else I spoke to was booked up for weeks"

 

Then it's about time there were more mechanics/service stations.

I seem to remember suggesting this a few weeks back there there be a proper huge place for narrowboats to drive into - all spare parts available, all types of paint (or anything can be quickly ordered and brought there) - always someone to help, and always bays where you can drive in and do your own blacking/servicing/whatnot. And reasonably priced.

 

This business of having to book weeks in advance is just silly with Britain's 18 million unemployed.

 

So far all the mechanics/marina staff/boatyard folk we have met have been very pleasant and helpful, by the way - apart from (this Summer) the woman in the shop at Rose Narrowboats and the man from the office who came to 'help', we have rarely come across such downright rudeness and they have definitely been put us off troubling to call on them again! (another chap there with whom I spoke on the telling-bone was, however, perfectly nice, but was away when we visited).

 

Fine - get qualified and EXPERIENCED across the range of equipment, then raise the capital for teh stock and to rent/build this "huge place", and the try to make it pay at typical canal charge out rates.

 

Just to add to the problems you will be competing with a fair number of so called engineers who have no qualifications (as far as I can see) at all and precious little experience. A few years ago we had a chap come on here offering "quality servicing and repair" who within days was asking questions that made it plain that he had no idea about the Lister LH150 gearbox and from what he said may have already cost his customer unnecessary expense.

 

If you want to pay garage main dealer rates be my guest but few others will be so willing.

 

If only a certain government had reformed rather than scrapped the old training boards we may by now have a pool of skilled and qualified labour with an ongoing supply of apprentices rather than the system now where it is almost impossible for someone over about 23 to get properly qualified via the hands on route..

[Athy]

"They certainly weren't our first choice for servicing, but everyone else I spoke to was booked up for weeks"

 

 

Although I have been satisfied with the people at Braunston marina (including King Tim) on the occasions that we have had contact with them, ask yourself this:

- if every other mechanic/builder/ plumber in the area is booked up for weeks, but one of them can start the job in ten minutes' time, what might you infer about that mechanic/ builder/ plumber from that situation?

 

This business of having to book weeks in advance is just silly with Britain's 18 million unemployed.

[quote

 

 

Surely some mistake here?

[MtB]

"They certainly weren't our first choice for servicing, but everyone else I spoke to was booked up for weeks"

 

Then it's about time there were more mechanics/service stations.

I seem to remember suggesting this a few weeks back there there be a proper huge place for narrowboats to drive into - all spare parts available, all types of paint (or anything can be quickly ordered and brought there) - always someone to help, and always bays where you can drive in and do your own blacking/servicing/whatnot. And reasonably priced.

 

This business of having to book weeks in advance is just silly with Britain's 18 million unemployed.

 

As Tony points out, there is nothing stopping YOU raising the money to purchase and develop such a site, then employing and training (at your own expense obviously) some of the 18m unemployed you mention to do the work. £10m of capital should get you off the ground, I reckon.

 

Make sure you keep your charge-out rates reasonably priced though, as us boaters don't like to feel we are being ripped off.

 

MtB

[Alan de Enfield]

 

This business of having to book weeks in advance is just silly with Britain's 18 million unemployed.

 

 

Probably includes those unemployed by reason of being under aged 16 or over 65 (or whatever pensionable age is today) as well as those of working age not actually in work (whether by choice or not)

[Sabcat]

"They certainly weren't our first choice for servicing, but everyone else I spoke to was booked up for weeks"

 

Then it's about time there were more mechanics/service stations.

I seem to remember suggesting this a few weeks back there there be a proper huge place for narrowboats to drive into - all spare parts available, all types of paint (or anything can be quickly ordered and brought there) - always someone to help, and always bays where you can drive in and do your own blacking/servicing/whatnot. And reasonably priced.

 

 

It's a sound idea, but I think you're thinking too small. The canal system is big and boats are slow so we need a few so we're never more than a day or maybe two days cruise from a boat Mecca. There could be beer as well.

[Bobbybass]

I bought my boat from there.

 

Two weeks later...it nearly sank !

 

They had carried out work on the stern gear...and had not put the two nuts and bolts back..that held the stern tube to a cross member. As a result..I reversed and the tube unscrewed itself from the hull leaving a two inch hole with the prop shaft down the middle !!

 

The water poured in..and I had to dive down upside down....find the stern tube..and screw it back into the hole against the flow.

 

They were dismissive of my rather 'irate' phone call...and said the nuts and bolts must have shaken loose.

 

They were amazing nuts and bolts...as after I had drained all of the water....they were never found in the bottom of the bilge !!

 

Must have slipped into some kind of paralle universe !

 

I'd like to add here...without mentioning anything that I could be sued for...that my purchase survey...was handled by Brauston at a cost of over £700 and that it was carried out by a guy 'considered' one of the top surveyors in the area.

He is often mentioned on here.

 

The survey 'threw up' that new engine mounts were needed as well as service...and the 'top' surveyor told me that he would come back and reinspect. I did see him again 'on site' but he said he hadn't checked the work as Braunston would have carried it out properly. He seemed busy surveying another boat.

 

The work entailed realignment of the engine ..as the new mounts were higher...and thus the stern nuts/bolts had been removed.

 

When my boat nearly sank...my first phone call was to 'said' top surveyor..who pointed out that there was 'small print' on his survey report...and the report was only valid 'on the day'.

 

£700 wasted wasn't it !!

 

I had a 'bad feeling ' that the surveyor was being prompted to help Braunston sell boats..but have no proof of that.

[MtB]

 

I'd like to add here...without mentioning anything that I could be sued for...that my purchase survey...was handled by Brauston at a cost of over £700 and that it was carried out by a guy 'considered' one of the top surveyors in the area.

He is often mentioned on here.

 

I love this term. WTF is a 'top surveyor'?

 

I think a 'bottom surveyor' would be a more appropriate sort of person to seek out and use....

 

 

MtB

[Alan de Enfield]

When my boat nearly sank...my first phone call was to 'said' top surveyor..who pointed out that there was 'small print' on his survey report...and the report was only valid 'on the day'.

 

 

Another oft used get out clause.

 

However in your circumstances the work he recommended was undertaken - it was his verbal (worthless) assurances that he would check the work had been done, and he didn't.

 

I think a 'bottom surveyor' would be a more appropriate sort of person to seek out and use....

 

 

Now you are just getting Anal !!!

[bargemast]

But would you want them to, personally I wouldn't trust someone who had done such a bad job to put it right

 

Yes, because I want to receive what I've been billed for, but this time I would stay on my boat and follow every action that their mechanic undertakes.

 

Now that I know they paid their bill with a creditcard, I would try to get my money back, and go elsewhere, or with the help of someone kind enough that knows how to do such an easy job, do it myself.

 

 

Peter.

[Boat&Bikes]

Do we know what the Marina have said about the complaint?

 

Ian.

[MtB]

Do we know if it was the marina itself that did the work, or one of the other firms that just lease a workshop there?

 

 

MtB