Oops, more new build woes...

[matty40s]

Boat launched a few weeks ago, keeps breaking down and the couple have taken about 8 buckets of water out of the diesel tank.

They have been told..."can't be a hole in the diesel tank, the boat would sink"...and "it's just condensation" by the boat builder.

After breaking down in Blisworth tunnel the unhappy owners came for some advice.

We took the rest of the tanks contents out, 1/3 water and the rest gunge and diesel. 

we tried a non scientific pressure test on the tank....

 

Boat lifted out and welders despatched from boat builder. 

[luggsy]

Fxxk me that's disgusting 

[Phil Ambrose]

Are we to believe this is a new build?

Shocking truly shocking 

Phil 

[dmr]

Water going in is possibly less traumatic than diesel going out!! Looks a little bit like a Colecraft but hard to imagine them making a mistake like that....I believe they pressure test their tanks.

 

................Dave

[Phil.]

Nice tunnel bands.

[matty40s]

Launched 7 weeks ago.  We think the rudder tube has been welded at the bottom but not at the top, the rudder bearing has been welded onto the counter top though. Leak test spray over welds everywhere else has drawn a blank, looking up the tube with a camera sees water drops spinning round when the pressure is put on (out of water)

Every time the tiller is used to steer left or right, water is forced up the tube as normal and enters the tank. This explains the lack of diesel in the canal and the ongoing increase of water in the tank.

Looks like someone forgot to pressure test the tank before it left the factory.

It's not Colecraft - I havn't named the builder as they seem to be pro-active on fixing the issue now......

Edited September 20, 2018 by matty40s

[Alan de Enfield]

Unbelievable - the builder should be reported to the Trading Standards (at a minimum)

It is an RCD requirement that fuel tanks be pressure tested and marked as such.

 

If this is marked then it is fraudulent

If it is not marked then it is not RCD compliant

 

What other shortcuts have been taken.

 

NAME & SHAME 

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Unbelievable - the builder should be reported to the Trading Standards (at a minimum)

It is an RCD requirement that fuel tanks be pressure tested and marked as such.

 

If this is marked then it is fraudulent

If it is not marked then it is not RCD compliant

 

What other shortcuts have been taken.

 

NAME & SHAME 

Got to agree on this one.

 

Leaking windows are careless. 

Leaking fuel tanks are unforgivable.

What is the gas locker like?  Explosive?

[Arthur Marshall]

Shovelling water through the engine for a couple of months won't have done it much good either, will it? 

I had to have mine stripped right down after a relatively short episode of steam engine impersonation. 

[TheBiscuits]

20 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Shovelling water through the engine for a couple of months won't have done it much good either, will it? 

I had to have mine stripped right down after a relatively short episode of steam engine impersonation. 

We did say not to keep adding coal under the engine block ...

53 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

@Athy you said on the other thread that you could identify narrowboats but not widebeams.

 

Name this boatbuilder in 3!

 

[Athy]

7 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

We did say not to keep adding coal under the engine block ...

@Athy you said on the other thread that you could identify narrowboats but not widebeams.

 

Name this boatbuilder in 3!

 

From memory, I said that I took an interest, not that I could spot them all.

The style of the base of the tiller is reminiscent of Liverpool Boats, so I'll guess Collingwood.

[matty40s]

No

[X Alan W]

Looks as though it could use some weak links/ rope in the fender chains or they may achieve what the "holy" fuel tank failed on (sinking the boat) If he fuel tank is such a lot of other bits would be viewed closely if it was mine Independent survey paid for by the builder?

Edited September 21, 2018 by X Alan W

[Nut]

needs naming tbh

some other poor sods might be buying theirs soon OH Wait

[Neil Smith]

They must be named so others can decide to use them or not, they are only cooperating now that you have proved its there faulty/non existent welding.

The crap they tried to imply was a smoke screen as the boat would not sink with a full tank of water/diesel or would you get 8 buckets of condensation 

in such a short time especially in the summer, so come on Matty lets have the name.

 

Neil

[Markinaboat]

My two pennies worth - this is quite possibly a 'one-off' and whilst unacceptable, you state that the builders are 'on it' and hopefully, with a truly apologetic attitude. If so, naming them could show that they do indeed give a level of customer aftersales care that they no doubt proclaim. Given that mistakes can and do happen in all walks of life, is it not possible that by naming them, their quick response, attitude and resolution would offset any negativity that could influence future customers?

[TheBiscuits]

16 minutes ago, Markinaboat said:

My two pennies worth - this is quite possibly a 'one-off' and whilst unacceptable, you state that the builders are 'on it' and hopefully, with a truly apologetic attitude. If so, naming them could show that they do indeed give a level of customer aftersales care that they no doubt proclaim. Given that mistakes can and do happen in all walks of life, is it not possible that by naming them, their quick response, attitude and resolution would offset any negativity that could influence future customers?

You can only really judge a company by how they act when something has gone wrong.

[Markinaboat]

26 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

You can only really judge a company by how they act when something has gone wrong.

exactly!

[Horace42]

Has it been extablished how the water gets in the tank ?  ....and where does it come from.

A leaking welds around the tank body.

Rain water through the breather or filler cap.

and if 'new' have the 'crew' put tap water in the fuel tank by mistake ?

These things happen .... hence mandatory rules about labels for these things,

.....just a thought...

 

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Horace42 said:

Has it been extablished how the water gets in the tank ?  ....and where does it come from.

A leaking welds around the tank body.

Rain water through the breather or filler cap.

and if 'new' have the 'crew' put tap water in the fuel tank by mistake ?

These things happen .... hence mandatory rules about labels for these things,

.....just a thought...

 

Watch the air bubbling out of the tank underwater in the video - that's not a leaking deck fitting!

[alan_fincher]

3 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Watch the air bubbling out of the tank underwater in the video - that's not a leaking deck fitting!

Nor the owners filling the tank with tap water!

Did Horace42 not look at the video?

51 minutes ago, Markinaboat said:

My two pennies worth - this is quite possibly a 'one-off' and whilst unacceptable, you state that the builders are 'on it' and hopefully, with a truly apologetic attitude. If so, naming them could show that they do indeed give a level of customer aftersales care that they no doubt proclaim. Given that mistakes can and do happen in all walks of life, is it not possible that by naming them, their quick response, attitude and resolution would offset any negativity that could influence future customers?

There would appear to be at least 2 mistakes made here, though not one.

1) The tank was not welded up properly.
2) No pressure test can have been done, or it would quickly have been established that the tank was not welded up properly.

One of these mistakes is perhaps excusable, the combination of the two isn't in my view.

[Tanglewood]

16 hours ago, matty40s said:

It's not Colecraft - I havn't named the builder as they seem to be pro-active on fixing the issue now......

Glad to hear it.  When we had our boat built 25 years ago, Sam Cole was asked how he knew it wouldn't let water.  He told us a story............

 

'When we started building boats we borrowed a farmer's field.  One of our first customers came to look at the shell and asked the same question.  I was young enough to tell him I'd prove it if the customer wanted to be sure. Over the next 48 hours I filled the hull, using about 6 hoses coupled together.  Called the customer back. He was satisfied.  After he'd gone I drilled a hole in the bottom...............................'  

 

He had such a twinkle in his eye when he told me that story I've never known whether to believe him, or accept that if I demanded proof the only way would be to end up with a welded up hole in the bottom of my boat. 

[Horace42]

9 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Watch the air bubbling out of the tank underwater in the video - that's not a leaking deck fitting!

Thanks. Video did not open when I first tried. Quite impressive ...

 

[Horace42]

29 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Nor the owners filling the tank with tap water!

Did Horace42 not look at the video?

There would appear to be at least 2 mistakes made here, though not one.

1) The tank was not welded up properly.
2) No pressure test can have been done, or it would quickly have been established that the tank was not welded up properly.

One of these mistakes is perhaps excusable, the combination of the two isn't in my view.

As already said video did not open first time I tried.

Clearly I got the cause wrong. Sorry about that.

But now I wonder how did the fault go unnoticed for so long - surely diesel would have leaked into the canal.

 

[alan_fincher]

4 minutes ago, Horace42 said:

But now I wonder how did the fault go unnoticed for so long - surely diesel would have leaked into the canal.

 

Read Matty's explanation of a possible cause (reproduced below)......   It makes sense to me.  If the rudder tube passes through the diesel tank, but has not been welded at the top, then that is above the level of the diesel, so none will leak into the cut.  But as water is forced up the rudder tube by the propeller it would be more or less guaranteed that much of it ends up in the diesel tank.

It may prove not to be the explanation, but it is certainly a possible one that fits the facts.
 

Quote

 

We think the rudder tube has been welded at the bottom but not at the top, the rudder bearing has been welded onto the counter top though. Leak test spray over welds everywhere else has drawn a blank, looking up the tube with a camera sees water drops spinning round when the pressure is put on (out of water)

Every time the tiller is used to steer left or right, water is forced up the tube as normal and enters the tank. This explains the lack of diesel in the canal and the ongoing increase of water in the tank.