Hoseclip Horror.

[numenius]

In the March PBO there was an article called Hoseclip Horror where a mechanic at a Belgian yard had refitted old galvanised hoseclips following some work, with the inevitable leaky result. I read the story, but didn't think much more about it - after all, I do all my own work on my boat with the minor exception of last year when since work was being done under an insurance claim (damage done on land by someones vehicle!), I also got a local yard to at the same time fit my outdrive with new water inlet pipe, and exhaust and drive bellows. I knew these had proper stainless steel (as are all the interior ones as well) jubillee clips. For various reasons, the boat never went anywhere off the mooring last year, but I've got her out of the water and am servicing the engine, drive etc ready for next year. Imagine my surprise then to find that not only did the water inlet hose clip come off in my hand before I began to unscrew it, but that the exhaust bellows clip was fitted diagonaly and was holding on by about a quarter inch only.
The picture is here:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/03100.jpg

you can see the groove where the clip "just" was on.

Okay, so maybe I too had a dodgy continental "mechanic" with different standards?.... No, this particular bit of sloppy work was carried out at British a yard which charges the earth, and boasts of being RNLI contractors!!! (maybe touting for work for the RNLI, by keeping them busy?). I guess theres a moral here to check all work - but to view this, I needed the boat out of the water. Also, if we need to check work (which was charged at TOP whack as well I might add) on even basic jobs like this, then surely this defeats the whole point of paying "professionals"? In this particular case, a leak would maybe not have been fatal (though a possible inlet blockage could have resulted due to cooling water bypassing the leg strainer - which has been the end of many a motor boat of course), but it does make you wonder who you can rely on apart from yourself - cost seems to be no guide, and the RNLI contractor bit CERTAINLY made me expect higher standards.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[byron]

Apalling! Any yard worthy of its name should know better.

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[jfkal]

welcome to the club. A lot of so called Marine grade stuff on the market is rubbish.
And chandlers help distributing it:
Examples: Elastic ties supermarket grade 1 Dollar lasts 3 month in the sun. marine grade 15 Dollars lasts one month before disintegrating.

Screws on a cockpit table (West Marine) made from mild steel. Lasted 2 month

Hoseclips (local chandlery) stamped 316 lasted two month.

Seems to be trial and error and a lot of learning money down the drain (literally).

 

[mtb]

Please tell us the yards name, as I'm sure others will end up with the same fate.

One point re this low standard of work, the quality of staff depends on the quality of pay !!! along with that goes poor working conditions.
Although trained and with the bits of paper I could not work for a yard because I had a family to feed, so what your getting in the way of skilled personnel is either down to good luck and the person doing the job is consciences or one who says that will do !!!!!!!
You have to be a perfectionist when working on boats and that means taking your time but ask a marine engineer working for a yard and you'll properly find he is not allowed to do the job as it should be done.

I bet there'll be some one who argues re this opinion but its my opinion and I have got it because of the years of watching and hearing and then going to peoples boats after work has been carried out.
Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v / cheap or swap for tug

 

[brian_neale]

You can try too hard!

Another view on this...

A couple of years back I chartered a boat. Calm evening when we picked it up, so we motored a few miles up the coast and dropped anchor in a sheltered bay. Stopped engine, down below to put the kettle on, and sound of running water from back of boat. Crawl into quarter berth with torch to find water coming in around back of stern gland assembly, where it fitted into the rubber pipe which was itself clipped to the prop shaft tube. Tighten jubilee clips a bit, water stops, and on shore later I called the charter company. "No, no known problems, but I had taken the gland apart for repacking a couple of days ago. Must have forgotten to tighten a clip, although I am very surprised if I was so careless". I was surprised as well, as the guy had struck me as the conscientious sort. No matter, that must be the problem, so off we went the following day. Motoring again, but checking the stern gland at regular intervals. Started leaking once more - could keep it under control by regular tightening, but starting to keep an eye out for a beach in case of a major failure! Electric bilge pump coped, however, until back on charter base mooring. Man comes out to investigate. Problem was simple. When replacing the stern gland he had double-clipped it as per standard practice, even though it had probably only had one clip for the last 20 years! The spigot which went into the hose was actually too short for two clips, and the outer one was just off the end of the spigot. Every time I tightened it, the hose was pulled off a little more! So the fix was to use only one clip, which was actually tied back to the body of the stern gland with a cable tie to prevent any possible further slippage. Result - dry bilges for the rest of the cruise!

Unusual event, probably, but yet another example of how the unexpected can leap out and bite you

 

[Guest]

Sounds like Dickies?

Regards,

Peter
http://www.mistressofmourne.com