Blue Sunray
Well-known member
I can't see any change since I joined them three years ago.
Sea Start
- Thread starter At Sea
- Start date
I can't see any change since I joined them three years ago.
Lloydroberts
Member
Except the pay, of course?
Blue Sunray
Well-known member
I can, of course, only answer that for my own point of view, which is that despite what it appears to have become over recent decades I would rather not have the RNLI called out to me using volunteers' time and charitable funds (and reducing their availability for other taskings) for a Pan, Pan level of mechanical failure and feel that, as it is available, I should pay for this level of support,
kanajobe48
Member
I agree, I think that just because you pay your subscriptions to the rnli does not give you the right to call them out to merchanical fault that could be fixed by sea start membership. The rnli guys and girls give up their personnel family time to do their volentary service, I think over the last few years this has became a little blurred as to what they are there for, as some of the call outs I've heard over vhf are laughable, I know how I would feel being called out on a sunny day away from my family because some joker has not got a spare belt etc.
I have found sea start a brilliant service, no quibbles and the two occasions both Sunday mornings, the engineers have been polite, refused a tip and been genuinely very good. The engineers get paid for that, however if I'd called out the rnli this would have been 3 if not 4 crew to attend and a whole day wrecked for 3 to 4 families. Without pay. I don't think that is fair.
I have found sea start a brilliant service, no quibbles and the two occasions both Sunday mornings, the engineers have been polite, refused a tip and been genuinely very good. The engineers get paid for that, however if I'd called out the rnli this would have been 3 if not 4 crew to attend and a whole day wrecked for 3 to 4 families. Without pay. I don't think that is fair.
Scubadoo
Well-known member
Like others highly recommended, called them out a few times:
-Bracket sheared off the engine stripping all three belts, called SeaStart and turned up within 30minutes on a busy Sunday afternoon outside Yarmouth, engineer fitted my spares and temporarly fixed power steering. Followed me for a while and got back to my marina.
- Prop caught up on a rope floating on the surface between two lobster pots. Despite my best efforts to untangle the prop, in the end called SeaStart, engineer turned up with a diver and removed my duoprops and was soon on my way again.
- outdrive trim failed while in Chichester marina lock, managed to get the boat on its berth with the drive stuck in the full up position. Again called SeaStart and they subcontracted golden arrow who found a faulty relay, charged the normal Volvo part price (no markup) and all was well again.
- at my home berth the oil pressure gauge was displaying a too low/high (can't remember which) reading. Called SeaStart for advice, they sent out an engineer and determined a faulty sender, which I later replaced.
All the above has happened over the last 18 years, you never know what could happen and SeaStart have been outstanding. For less than £150 I can't see why you wouldn't be a member, like the Rac on water, and if you have single engine like me then well worth the peace of mind and in most cases your day isn't ruined.
I treat the rnli as an absolute emergency service and when in danger, not as a break down service. It costs a fortune for the rnli to send out one of their boats, so let's not waste our charitable donations for simple things like breakdown when there are other services available.
Hope that helps.
-Bracket sheared off the engine stripping all three belts, called SeaStart and turned up within 30minutes on a busy Sunday afternoon outside Yarmouth, engineer fitted my spares and temporarly fixed power steering. Followed me for a while and got back to my marina.
- Prop caught up on a rope floating on the surface between two lobster pots. Despite my best efforts to untangle the prop, in the end called SeaStart, engineer turned up with a diver and removed my duoprops and was soon on my way again.
- outdrive trim failed while in Chichester marina lock, managed to get the boat on its berth with the drive stuck in the full up position. Again called SeaStart and they subcontracted golden arrow who found a faulty relay, charged the normal Volvo part price (no markup) and all was well again.
- at my home berth the oil pressure gauge was displaying a too low/high (can't remember which) reading. Called SeaStart for advice, they sent out an engineer and determined a faulty sender, which I later replaced.
All the above has happened over the last 18 years, you never know what could happen and SeaStart have been outstanding. For less than £150 I can't see why you wouldn't be a member, like the Rac on water, and if you have single engine like me then well worth the peace of mind and in most cases your day isn't ruined.
I treat the rnli as an absolute emergency service and when in danger, not as a break down service. It costs a fortune for the rnli to send out one of their boats, so let's not waste our charitable donations for simple things like breakdown when there are other services available.
Hope that helps.
Robin
Well-known member
Everyone told me I was wasting my money joining before delivering our new to us mobo Dartmouth to Solent. we ran out of diesel in one tank/engine 5 miles off needles despite we thought filling brimful before we left, actually only half in the port tank which we thought was full but blew back with a huge air bubble making us think it was full when not. Seastart were on scene in 30 minutes with fuel, bled the sytem and we were off again, even though we ran slow on only the starboard engine in case we had stirred up crap in the recently emptied tank or had made same error in filling both tanks. Seastart followed us to Lymington where we filled up, totally this time, paid for our years subscription in one just 2 days after joining. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
[2068]
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Can I contradict myself ... boaters don't call out the RNLI - the Coastguard decides who comes out.
In my own case, I'd either try and fix it myself or limp home on the other engine - a double engine failure seems unlikely, so the circumstances in which I would call them would be limited.
If you have just broken down and issue a "Pan Pan", the Coastguard will ask you if you are a SeaStart member.
If not, they put out a call to see if other nearby boats can assist.
If not, they then see if "Hayling Rescue" or "Ryde Rescue" or any number of independents could help.
More often than not, the vessel is scooped up by one of the above or some other tow vessel.
The ones where I have heard the lifeboat being scrambled are where there are additional factors: e.g. bad weather, danger of going aground - situations where I'm not sure that SeaStart would have come out anyway.
Having said all of the above, I'd consider membership as the boat gets older - £160 a year isn't megabucks compared to the other running costs.
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Dazzajohm
New member
I've looked at these guys before as I'd feel much happier joining a service like this, but they told me they wont cover Dover (where I keep my boat) so I'm wondering how you managed to get them to come to you!
Unfortuantely doesn't seem like we have anything similar here.
[165042]
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That's really only valid if you have completely separate fuel tanks & systems for each engine. Some do - some don't.
Lower Limit 1909
Active member
Valid points but dangerous in inexperienced hands and containing the 3 myths of self-reliance:
Twin Diesels. It's rarely the engines that cause the problem. It's the supporting infrastructure. Far too many leisure boats tick the 'twin diesel' box while shamelessly leaving the engines to rely on shared infrastructure be that a shared bay that can get flooded, electrics, raw water supplies, fuel, the list goes on.
Own maintenance. With the right skill level always the best. With an inadequate skill level, perhaps still better than a cowboy but possibly worse than doing nothing. However skilled and fastidious the maintenance is though, stuff often just breaks.
Carrying spares. Clearly a top plan. Even if the spare is just an excellent condition belt removed at set service interval despite appearing visually perfect. The reality however is that fixing stuff in a cramped engine bay in even a gentle chop or swell, in crowded seas, while managing anxious family, guests, etc. is often a daunting or high risk task. The spare will most likely be useful in either the hands of a professional who can do the job in 5 mins when it might take us capable amateurs 20 mins (and a very long 20mins in the circumstances) or more likely once towed somewhere safe and sheltered where it can be done safely and all related items properly checked. One failure can easily lead to another or be a symptom not a cause.
Sea Start get a massive thumbs up from me. I'd also highly reccommend one of their RYA Diesel Courses. These folk have both a real genuine desire to help you avoid breakdown as well as a financial incentive to ensure you don't need their services and their RYA Diesel Maintenance course goes well above and beyond the basic syllabus with a real wealth of experience of 'what goes wrong' and 'how to avoid it'.
I simply can't get my head around why anybody in the solent wouldn't have Sea Start membership. In fact I'd argue that giving Sea Start £160 to run their service leaving RNLI resouces free to run their life and vessel saving service for the benefit of 'all in peril' perhaps helps the RNLI more than giving anopther £160 directly to the RNLI.
[2068]
...
Separate tanks and pipework, with crossovers so you can run both off one tank. Normal situation is that each engine is drawing from it’s own tank. Cooling pickups and systems are independent (outdrives). Electrics are partially independant. Different 12v batteries, but some shared wiring.
The main common thing is the steering system. The autopilot could be used as an emergency steering system if there was some fluid left.
All this stuff is in the same engine bay, so if flooded or you sink, then errm, you are sunk.
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[2068]
...
I’ll consider it, but all the problems I have had (since 1999) have either been fixable by myself, or have resulted in limping into the nearest port at 6kts on one engine. I suppose there is some benefit in having someone else get cooked by hot engine parts, bash their head and skin their knuckles in the engine bay whilst you read MBY or PBO at the helm.
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rubberduck
Well-known member
We have been on the east coast & are now in the process of relocating to the Isle of Wight. For the peace of mind alone I would happily pay £250, could have used it once on the crouch, as it was I just had to change underpants. 
Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
Great reminder, I just joined having moved our boat from Eastbourne (which was out of their area) to Chichester. Really friendly on the phone, all sorted for under £150 a year. Hope i never need to call but good to know they are there. Microscopic cost in the overall scheme of things.
rich2925
Member
We have used them twice and fully recommend, both times around Studland and Swanage but they did say that if you are outside their area it will be picked up by someone else
Not sure who though.
Anyway I find the annual premium well worth it,
At Sea
Member
Looks pretty much 100% positive so will sign on the dotted line.
U4
Member
Looks pretty much 100% positive so will sign on the dotted line.
I have been a member for years and have used them a few times, I think they are great and well worth the money.
SlimRick
Member
What a good thread, it's reminded me that since moving our boat to Weymouth, it's in their coverage area so my membership application has just been emailed off to them.
Sneds
Well-known member
When are they coming to the Bristol Channel?
rafiki_
Well-known member
Iain, you already have Phil:encouragement:
