Alskade
Well-Known Member
As people may or may not know, I am the rather new owner of a Westerly Chieftain. She's a lovely boat but one in need of a little TLC.
Number one among her tired and worn out fittings is the electrics.
The previous owner recommended a chap who was supposedly the ideal person to advise on the wheres and whys of boating and a great contact to get things done ........... a fixer with local knowledge.
Anyway the electrics were mentioned - namely the fact that there is no mast navigation/running lights, wind vain or working antenna, all other lighting etc worked fine. "Don't worry," says the fixer, "I know someone who can sort it." So I didn't worry ........ but maybe I should have.
Firstly, the fixer and his sparky turn up on the boat and I arrive later to find said sparks using my tools? Then, after he has finished and gone home, I find the switches for items like the depth sounder are different. Working, but different switches.
Then, comes the day when the mast is due to be rewired - sparky is there, Fixer is there and their mast monkey ......... I am assured everything will be sorted - fortunately I'm not there!! As if turns out I'm glad I wasn't as the mast monkey not only couldn't do the work but he also "apparently" drop a hammer and a spanner from the top of the mast onto the deck.
This I found out later - but what I also found later was that the poles to my spray hood on one side were all bent out of shape and the bracket was actually twisted (it would take some force to do this and while no answer was ever forth coming I almost believe someone fell onto the hood causing the buckling) but no one ever admitted it or apologized for it.
So - so far my mast wiring is still not completed (three weeks later) - my interior wiring works but I've had to work out which AUX switch works what? And, most annoying of all, all my external lights (running and stern) that did work before the work started now don't.
I have asked fixer for sparks number so I can ask him if he's left the disconnected for a reason or some such - but fixer will not give me said details??
Has anyone else fallen foul of such people?? Surely I'm not the only one who finds such behavior shocking?
Lastly, as it looks like I am about to start a self taught course called "how to sort out the mess in your wiring left by someone else" can anyone offer advise? Whats the best way to trace out the wires from say the port or starboard running lights and confirm either where they are dis connected or broken?? And before you ask - yes my internal wiring is a mess of old corroded dead wiring, old corroded wiring that works, new(ish) wiring put in by the previous owner - you get the picture.
Thanks in advance
Number one among her tired and worn out fittings is the electrics.
The previous owner recommended a chap who was supposedly the ideal person to advise on the wheres and whys of boating and a great contact to get things done ........... a fixer with local knowledge.
Anyway the electrics were mentioned - namely the fact that there is no mast navigation/running lights, wind vain or working antenna, all other lighting etc worked fine. "Don't worry," says the fixer, "I know someone who can sort it." So I didn't worry ........ but maybe I should have.
Firstly, the fixer and his sparky turn up on the boat and I arrive later to find said sparks using my tools? Then, after he has finished and gone home, I find the switches for items like the depth sounder are different. Working, but different switches.
Then, comes the day when the mast is due to be rewired - sparky is there, Fixer is there and their mast monkey ......... I am assured everything will be sorted - fortunately I'm not there!! As if turns out I'm glad I wasn't as the mast monkey not only couldn't do the work but he also "apparently" drop a hammer and a spanner from the top of the mast onto the deck.
This I found out later - but what I also found later was that the poles to my spray hood on one side were all bent out of shape and the bracket was actually twisted (it would take some force to do this and while no answer was ever forth coming I almost believe someone fell onto the hood causing the buckling) but no one ever admitted it or apologized for it.
So - so far my mast wiring is still not completed (three weeks later) - my interior wiring works but I've had to work out which AUX switch works what? And, most annoying of all, all my external lights (running and stern) that did work before the work started now don't.
I have asked fixer for sparks number so I can ask him if he's left the disconnected for a reason or some such - but fixer will not give me said details??
Has anyone else fallen foul of such people?? Surely I'm not the only one who finds such behavior shocking?
Lastly, as it looks like I am about to start a self taught course called "how to sort out the mess in your wiring left by someone else" can anyone offer advise? Whats the best way to trace out the wires from say the port or starboard running lights and confirm either where they are dis connected or broken?? And before you ask - yes my internal wiring is a mess of old corroded dead wiring, old corroded wiring that works, new(ish) wiring put in by the previous owner - you get the picture.
Thanks in advance
