MBM SC29 Reveiw

jimh

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not so sure that I agree with the comment about potential owners unlikely to drive their boat as 'hard' as the MBM photo crew (this after a rather large side screen shattered on their photo shoot).

This is after all a 40kt(?) sports cruiser and in my veiw will regularly get this sort of treatment. (even if only for the odd 5 or 10 mins) Also, surely getting caught in heavyish sea conditions will cause the same effects.

If I were a prospective buyer, think I would be a little more concerned than maybe their final verdict suggests?
 

DepSol

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I personally think MBM have been very kind to Sealine on this one maybe Hugo got to close o them in his many visits etc and also with them giving away a S25 for a year.

Going to read the review carefully and make my own decisions. I wonder if Carl would have given it 9/10?

Dom
 

D3B

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Does anyone know exact date when MBM did the test. Kim?
My S29 was originally due 1st April, but Sealine delayed the delivery due to a "windsreen" problem. Was my problem the one that was discovered on the test and they held back deliveries? Final delivery was nearly two weeks late. if twas the windscreen and put right i will be happy boy!
If it was, I wish they had said that was the delaying problem.....better to know the whole truth than half the truth.

Anyway just had handover and she looks gorgeous.

Off to Hull Friday so will give her as good a shakedown as possible and report back on Wednesday. SWMBO is having lessons Monday and Tuesday.
 

powerskipper

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Well I do know they where trying to get her air born , props out water the stuff when . it happened and they have since done something to it now, [have not got a clue what] but got one 40+ knotts and airborne with no ill affects. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 

Its_Only_Money

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I was concerned at the comment "until we hear otherwise we will consider it a one-off incident."

I would have thought it better from an engineering and safety/desirability perspective to consider it as prone to happen on all S29's until shown otherwise. Glass normally shatters due to inappropriate stress (assuming no physical impact), being carried through it so probably a small change to the frame or manufactured size of the glass is all that is required to stop the glass being pinched when the moulding or frame flexes - but assuming reasonable manufacturing tolerances and assembly I would have thought better to assume the fault will re-occur until the fix is found an applied....
 

jimh

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Doug - suggest in light of this reveiw you contact Sealine direct. Feedback so far suggest they may already have rectified the problem.

Hope you have a great time with her - do you have any cruises planned?
 

DepSol

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I think the 1st April delivery date was a joke /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I would get sealine to add a clause regarding the shattering of the windscreen just in case. If they have rectified the problem as they say then it would be no problem to sign it off to say so.

Dom
 

Hugo_Andreae

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In response to a few of the questions asked here:

The test was carried out on 4th March. The sidecreen shattered on our very last run of the day after we had previously jumped the wake a good 7 or 8 times with no ill effects. Sealine's own skipper was driving at the time and it didn't appear that this particular landing was harder than the previous ones.

At the time there was no way of telling what caused the glass to shatter, so it would have been wrong and potentially libellous to point the finger in any one direction or make out that it was an ongoing design flaw (it could have been a glitch in the glass, a dropped screw, an unfortunate piece of driving, a fundamental manufacturing flaw etc). We will have to wait for the results of Sealine's internal investigation to find out if they have got to the bottom of it.

By relaying the fact that it happened (I suspect Sealine were hoping I wouldn't even mention it) without attempting to explain why, the onus is on Sealine to ensure it never happens again. If it does happen to a customer's boat, then you, me and the rest of the world will rightly come down on them like a tonne of bricks.

For the record, I was also acutely aware that a positive review of this boat might cause rumblings of suspicion, which is why Mark Turley was also present on the day wearing his most sceptical hat. Unfortunately, he could only concur that it is probably the best mainstream 29ft sportscruiser currently on the market. If you still doubt our findings, I suggest you have a drive in one yourself!

Hugo
 

Its_Only_Money

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[ QUOTE ]
At the time there was no way of telling what caused the glass to shatter, so it would have been wrong and potentially libellous to point the finger in any one direction or make out that it was an ongoing design flaw (it could have been a glitch in the glass, a dropped screw, an unfortunate piece of driving, a fundamental manufacturing flaw etc). We will have to wait for the results of Sealine's internal investigation to find out if they have got to the bottom of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hugo - my point is that with an unknown cause as you say it is optimistic in the extreme to write it off as a one-off prior to any investigation, if Sealine stated they would investigate it might be better to have reported that and truly put the onus on Sealine to come back with confirmation that the problem has been found and fixed....if as you say they are "flying out of the factory" then there might be many worried owners out there....
 

halcyon

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What makes you think that the next boat you buy has not ,or does not suffer a bigger problem with screens. Just because you have not read about it, it does not mean it's not out there.
This means that you should ask for a clause from all manufactures before you buy a boat, then thers's the hull, engine mounts, electrical system, etc etc.
Sometimes wonder how we get up in the morning, with all the problems that face us each day.


Brian
 

D3B

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Hugo

I await with interest the Sealine report and am sure you will publish the result as soon as you have it.

as for: "I suggest you have a drive in one yourself!"
i am tomorrow /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


have to say though i am not wholy content with Sealine at the moment.
a few issues to be clarified

Doug
 

Hugo_Andreae

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I hear what you're saying about assuming it's a one off rather than an ongoing problem, but this way it gives Sealine the chance to either make damn sure there is no problem or, if there is, to put it right immediately. I'd far rather we gave them the benefit of the doubt, in the knowledge that we have alerted customers to a potential problem, than write off an otherwise great boat on the basis of one incident.

And, yes, if I was in the market for a new £110,000 sportscruiser the S29 would be at or near the top of my list.
 
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