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Colinwood Eurocruiser faulty steering danger


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... had to take a different tack....

Just one? That wont hold the steering ram mount on!

 

Glad they have repaired the mount, if not it appears quite to your satisfaction.

 

If you had photos I expect myself and others could make some form of comment, although its hard to inspect a welds interrogatory or do a full analysis of the design from this distance. A number 'over overall' shots as well as some good quality close up full screen photos of the weld would be required to make any comment at all.

 

 

 

Daniel

 

 

 

Daniel

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Well Colingwood sent out a welder & he snotted the mounting back in place......

Not a very professional job but I'm told it will hold....

 

I have a list of items from trims falling off to no header tank being fitted to the engine making the warranty void so anyone buying a new boat from The N&UBC should insist on holding back the final payment for 2 months as trust me you are going to have problems & they will be slow to fix any you may have this is not just my experience but that of others that I have spoken to.....

 

I would have asked for a written claim of them that their new weld will hold and that they'll take the responsability for a possible accident that is likely to happen if the new welds breaks again.

 

If you've given them 140K£ for a boat with jobs done the way the did with the fitting of the steering ram, I hope they made better welds of it's underwater parts, they should keep clients like you happy, as there's no better publicity for a business than happy clients, and nothing worse than unhappy clients.

 

Peter.

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Just one? That wont hold the steering ram mount on!

 

Glad they have repaired the mount, if not it appears quite to your satisfaction.

 

If you had photos I expect myself and others could make some form of comment, although its hard to inspect a welds interrogatory or do a full analysis of the design from this distance. A number 'over overall' shots as well as some good quality close up full screen photos of the weld would be required to make any comment at all.

 

 

 

Daniel

 

 

 

Daniel

I will take some more photo's of the welding job today & a boat next to it that is the same but different.... My boat now looks like a child has had a go at welding & the other boat has massive steel plates with real welding????? When you see the photo's you will understand my disappointment & the quality of N&UBC repairs....

Today I have made my mind up to take the legal road & list ALL defects with this "luxury boat"

I have many pictures & will cut videos into 1 youtube clip & then post this link...... (& yes it can go on N&UBC facebook)

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so photo of tack welds & of re-welded mounting what do you think?

 

 

post-5387-0-92718400-1435940729_thumb.jpg

post-5387-0-81367000-1435940746_thumb.jpg


post-5387-0-22920100-1435940868_thumb.jpg

 

This is the mounting on another boat that looks like to was done by a boat builder not a child on acid......

 

Joke is both boats are Colingwood built boats? & the boats are both Euro Cruisers.....

Edited by Nige123
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I once steered a wide beam trip boat for several miles with a screwdriver, after the swan neck snapped off just above the deck. Believe me, there is going to be some force on those welds; my arms wrecked for days afterwards.

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... both boats are Colingwood built boats & the boats are both Euro Cruisers.....

So they obviously can do it.

 

It will be much harder to do the job 'in the field' as access, getting it clean, getting a good power supply if using arc/mig, etc. However obviously in this case they have let you down, on a part that is highly stressed but also safety critical and should have been right.

 

I think if it was me I would put together a polite letter (maybe email?) with photos as above, plus any other defects you have, and send a copy to both parties politely explaining that your largely very happy with the boat but that the detailed areas fall short and asking them how best you can work with them to resolve the issues, making it clear your willing to co-operate but that the mistakes are theirs and you expect them to make a reasonable effort to correct them on your terms. Or something like that.

 

I'm tired and that's only my own thoughts. Obviously you don't want to bend over backwards for them, but its also likely to be less painful on both sides if it can be done amicably.

 

If that fails, escalate it as appears appropriate.

 

 

Daniel

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If they offer to proof test the weld and it passes - it probably will, I would be equally if not more concerned with fatigue failure given the fluctuating load on the weld from the constant turbulence around the rudder and the steering adjustments you will be making. Fatigue failure could cause a crack right through the plate it is welded on. May take a while before you have steering problems, but in the meantime if it is the top of the fuel tank that has cracked you could end up with diesel vapour in your bilge. Though all this is probably a few years away. Hard to tell from the pictures if I am being realistic or not.

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If they still refuse to put this fault right, you may need to get a marine surveyor to check it out and if he agrees that it is faulty ask him for a report then send a copy to both parties.

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So now the ram has railed due to the heat of the welding....... I could just say "I told you so" but what good would that do?

 

I have now been on a mooring waiting for a man to turn up with some new parts to fix the leaking ram as the seals have melted due to hours of welding with the ram in place....

 

I build hotrods for a hobby & if I paid a lot of cash for say a shock absorber I would maybe tack the mount in place then remove the shock & weld the plate in proper.......

 

But on the up side I did get an apology from Alan McNorton of Colingwood & that was a start that I may have made weeks ago......

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Shame really. When I do any welding I would have tacked, and removed fragile components . Mind I'm an old school welder and still use gas when I can. At the very least I would have shielded and cooled the ram.

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New & Used Boat Co have used a Craftsman Ram not the Vetus one that was fitted to the boat I was shown when they did the sales pitch.....

 

Craftsman steering rams are sold in the uk by 1 outfit & they don't have a spare on the shelf so you should consider this if your in the market for a steering ram as if one can't be had from stock then you have a long wait to get a new one sent to you (if they are still in business when you need one)

 

I have spent 3 days of my holiday in this spot waiting for N&UBC to fix the problem & all I can think is "I'm glad its not winter with the river following fast" I would be in real trouble.......

 

My wife & I have now spent our 2 week holiday trying to get from Henley-on-Thames to Oxford in our new boat that cost around £140K & we have got as far as Shillingford Bridge. A trip that I have done in a day on my old narrow boat a few times...

 

We set off with 3 boats Bournemouth built in the 1930's & a Liverpool boat from the early 2000's & the only boat that has been problems is our brand new Boat co.......

 

I now sit & type & wait for a steering ram that has been taken from another boat that is for sale at N&UBC to be driven down to us & fitted...

 

If your on the Thames & on your way to Oxford & see Doris tied to the bank give us a wave....(You will see the oil slick just follow it to us)

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New & Used Boat Co have used a Craftsman Ram not the Vetus one that was fitted to the boat I was shown when they did the sales pitch.....

 

Craftsman steering rams are sold in the uk by 1 outfit & they don't have a spare on the shelf so you should consider this if your in the market for a steering ram as if one can't be had from stock then you have a long wait to get a new one sent to you (if they are still in business when you need one)

 

I have spent 3 days of my holiday in this spot waiting for N&UBC to fix the problem & all I can think is "I'm glad its not winter with the river following fast" I would be in real trouble.......

 

My wife & I have now spent our 2 week holiday trying to get from Henley-on-Thames to Oxford in our new boat that cost around £140K & we have got as far as Shillingford Bridge. A trip that I have done in a day on my old narrow boat a few times...

 

We set off with 3 boats Bournemouth built in the 1930's & a Liverpool boat from the early 2000's & the only boat that has been problems is our brand new Boat co.......

 

I now sit & type & wait for a steering ram that has been taken from another boat that is for sale at N&UBC to be driven down to us & fitted...

 

If your on the Thames & on your way to Oxford & see Doris tied to the bank give us a wave....(You will see the oil slick just follow it to us)

 

We do have a spare one on the shelf, in fact we have ten on the shelf. Like most suppliers, they change dimensions occasionally, and this is possibly why the engineer didn't fit it.

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We do have a spare one on the shelf, in fact we have ten on the shelf. Like most suppliers, they change dimensions occasionally, and this is possibly why the engineer didn't fit it.

yes you do have 10 on the shelf but non the right size to replace the one fitted to my boat, the one you sent out was in fact larger then mine (mine is part number BL.010.20032)

 

The steering feels vague at low engine rev's but stiff & a real fight at 1/2 throttle full power I think may end in a fail as the one taken off my boat had the rose joint end bent at an angle..... I feel my steering ram would be more at home on a Volvo tale gate then steering my 60ft X 12ft 30ton boat about sorry..........

 

I have been told N&UBC are fitting a vetus ram & other boats I have seen with this set up look more like the real thing being made of brass/bronze & look rebuildable......

 

I use my boat as a boat on the Thames & in fast stream winter flow I would not feel safe with my set up & would go so far as to put money on the steering braking again with fatal results.... My wife now refuses to sale in the boat until this problem is fixed....

 

N&UBC are dry docking the boat Wednesday & fixing it once & for all (I am told) I just find it hard to believe Collingwood boats think this is safe practice & I think it's only because most Euro Cruisers are "Live aboard in a Marina" boats that this problem has not been more serious......

 

& it's not the problem that counts it's how fast it's fixed & if it's fixed right...

I know this from my own work & I have found first step is "I am sorry for the problem" second step "Lets get this fixed for you" & if the second step is done quickly nothing gets to out of hand.......

 

Getting back to Craftsman steering rams I am sure they work very well all I can say is not the way it was fitted to my boat & when it failed I was told none were in the UK so one was taken from another boat to get me going again as I had been stuck on the river bank for 4 days..... & I can see even more on an issue in years to come when it fails due to age & stress....

 

 

Depends whose name is on the invoice for the boat.

 

Is it NBC or Collingwood?

New & used boat company is the place I sent my money to......

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New & used boat company is the place I sent my money to......

 

Not quite what I asked, and the difference is crucial.

 

You will (or should have) have an invoice for the boat. What is the name of the company issuing the invoice?

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