It was not our inattention when we awoke but we ended up not moving from our overnight mooring. We were expecting to be a little late in leaving as Mike had a medical appointment by phone at 9. Events conspired that meant that his missed this call and when he contacted the hospital was advised that they would call again later in the day.
Mike then took the opportunity to research what might be done about the weed hatch plate. (NB the ab ove were taken after the replacement was installed!) A day or so ago we discovered that the bolt that secures the plate in place had worn so much that it was no longer effective. It is not intended to make a seal (unlike the more conventional weed hatches that have an upstand in the engine bay) but provides a smoother flow for the water into the propellor. The main problem when it is not firmly held in place is that the turbulence around the prop cause the place to vibrate and cause a worrying noise.
Mike first called Jonathan Wilson, one of the then partners in the business that manufactured the hull for Stem to Stern (who fitted out the boat for us) He was very helpful and offered to repair it if we could get it to them in Sheffield. But discussing the logistics he then suggested that we might call Tim Tyler (the other half of the then business - they now operate independently) which is based in Stoke on Trent.
A call to Tim was even more helpful and he said that he could deal with it today - but we still needed get the plate to him.Mike realised that taking a train from here to Stoke was the best option for some time and Tim offered to pick Mike up from Stoke station!
The plate is quite heavy but Mike was determined to resolve the issue and Christine offered one of our large shopping bags to help carrying easier. Around 10:45 he set off and caught a train at 11:19 Arriving half an hour later, Tim was just drawing up outside and a short while later we were in their factory unit. Tim and one of his staff measured up and found that a new unit they had in stock was a sufficiently close fit! Back to the station.
A return train was due in 10 minutes (enough time to pick up a sandwich) - it is an hourly service to Wolverhampton and the short walk back to the boat. The new part was fitted and all done and dusted just three hours after setting out!
All congratulations to Tim Tyler for about the best customer support we have ever experienced (actually on a par with one we had a few years back with a trouser press!) So, thanks hugely to them for helping us and we can certainly add to their already strong reputation.
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