"Marine" prices.

Decided to replace the braided fuel lines on my Sole Mini 34. I can't remember the quote from Sole but it was a lot. Took it to my local hydraulics place and they quoted £50 for all four hoses. They used the existing fittings and when I went back to collect them they asked the boss how much to charge and he said "do you need a receipt? No? Give me a tenner". And a much better job than the Sole OEM parts.
 
One of my cousins was visiting with her second husband, who we had not met.

I was having trouble getting Jotun antifoul. He was a Ship Surveyor.

I mentioned my problem, did he know anyone etc.

Two weeks later a five gallon drum appeared.

I struggled to get him to accept a case of his favourite beer and some wine for my cousin.

I found out later it was surplus after a ship had been repaired after having a stop notice issued, so effectively paid for by someone else.

I also had the local fabricator knock up a plotter holder for the Scanstrut box. £20.00 plus a couple of quid for plastic plugs to stop up the open ends. It was clipped to the existing mount using 4x25mm S/S clips - eight quid - which in total made a saving of £348.00 over the Scanstrut price for a clamp and mount. Still there today, working well and looking good.

Scanstrut stuff is excellent but too expensive IMHO.
 
When my expensive and badly designed Lofrans windlass dies, I will be looking at making a replacement.. there is a huge range of cheap 12v winches for all sorts of vehicle and industrial uses, including waterproof ones, they basically just need the gypsy fitting and you're sorted.
 
Stemar said:
A restaurant is a very different thing from a chandlery. You're paying for somewhere to sit, people to prepare the meal, provide dishes & glasses and all the rest that goes towards a good meal out. I knew someone who ran the restaurant in a good hotel once and he said that if the ingredients for a meal cost more than 1/3 the price you're charging, you're going down.

A chandlery is more like an off licence. I expect a bigger markup in the chandlers than in the offie, the market's a fraction of the size, but I don't expect to pay 3 or 4 times the online price.

Equally, I'd expect to pay a bit extra for a coat of green paint and a Volvo sticker - how big is the market for Volvo Penta bits compared with Ford, and just having a part in your database has a cost, before you actually carry stock - but not 3 times the price.
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Agreed with all of that.
Shamrock force 4 is never 4 times the online price like for like. As I said it’s the marine tax not the chandlers that are the problem where I am.
 
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The Webasto duct on my boat was undersized & needed to be replaced with 2.5m of 90mm. 3x .75m Eber/Webasto duct: £80 - £90.
A 2.5m length of flexible aluminium duct from a co. called Armar: £6.39. It’s rigid, smooth inside & even included 2 x hose clamps!
There’s another co. called iSells which I’ve also used who sell similar products.
 
I thought I'dI posted it but can't see it.

We have https://www.harborfreight.com/ here, kind of like Screwfix but cheaper, therir tools are pretty good but at their prices pretty much disposable. That said I have some that are still going well after a lot of use.

I don't know how they manage to make a profit.

W.
 
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Frayed Knot said:
The Webasto duct on my boat was undersized & needed to be replaced with 2.5m of 90mm. 3x .75m Eber/Webasto duct: £80 - £90.
A 2.5m length of flexible aluminium duct from a co. called Armar: £6.39. It’s rigid, smooth inside & even included 2 x hose clamps!
There’s another co. called iSells which I’ve also used who sell similar products.
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Yes, I've done a number of AC installs. Always get the ducting and insulation from other sources. RV sources also have more outlet variety for less money.
 
Boat just down from me always insisted on genuine part (Volvo).
Sucked an air filter into the turbo, shattered it and blew the engine.
Volvo dealer rebuilt the engine at their cost as it was a genuine part.
Same engine blew again, same Genuine air filter.
Volvo rebuilt again.
Cost of using genuine parts?
Saved him upward of 25k?
Fault diagnosed as too high resistance of air filter, reason was those genuine Volvo parts were made in China.
Cost to him of using genuine parts?
Lost 2 seasons boating
 
Lightwave395 said:
1/2" thread Brass lever handle gate valve for water tank - local chandlery £17.00, or 1/2" thread Brass lever handle gate valve from Screwfix £3.79 ?
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Always cross ref. Screw fix against Toolstation and Wickes for price and for serious stuff always check the likes of BES online.
 
Yanmar 1GM10 oil pipe, the one that sits under the liable-to-leak (and therefore rust out) salt water on the front of the engine, seem to remember a huge cost to replace, the first time.

Second time, I took the pipe to a hydraulic pipe company, who used the 2 ends from the old pipe (to ensure a good fit to the engine) and a hot oil resistant flexible pipe that won't rot 'ever' as like as not, instead of mild steel painted!!. £10

Yanmar UK prices seem to be about the same as USA - well the number is the same. BUT their cost is in dollars not £!!
 
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