Unwelcoming Owners' websites

[oldbilbo]

I just tried to find out more aabout the Parker 275/285 British-built boats, and the differences. There was little of help on the web, so I tried the Owners' Association website. So I had to register... OK, I did.

So, despite giving all sorts of infor about me, I couldn't post a question... or read more than before.

Sod it.

If you have one or more of them for sale, and it suits me exactly, I don't know about it and can't find out about it. I've now gone elsewhere....

Schmucks!

 

[mrming]

It's not the greatest example of usability in websites but the classifieds are public:

http://www.parkerseal.org.uk/forsale/boats.aspx#parker275

...as are the history bits about the boats:

http://www.parkerseal.org.uk/about/parker27.aspx

I've raced the Super Seal (pre-cursor to the models you mentioned) and it was very quick and fun.

 

[E39mad]

Maybe they think you are a nosy Parker

 

[superheat6k]

I just tried to find out more aabout the Parker 275/285 British-built boats, and the differences. There was little of help on the web, so I tried the Owners' Association website. So I had to register... OK, I did.

So, despite giving all sorts of infor about me, I couldn't post a question... or read more than before.

Sod it.

If you have one or more of them for sale, and it suits me exactly, I don't know about it and can't find out about it. I've now gone elsewhere....

Schmucks!

I would welcome a critique of this one. (see tagline). We do issue a members contact list once someone has joined us, so they can email questions freely. Owners become members and non owners become associate members. All free.

Difficulty I have is soliciting content from members.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The Hunter Association has bizarrely complicated access, including two separate username/password combinations. I've completely given up on it and them as a result.

I think it might be a good idea if there was an "Owner's Associations" section of the forums. Associations would get moderator access for "their" forum and could admit only users who were members.

 

[nigelmercier]

One of the reasons I started the Bavaria Yacht Forum was because the Bavaria Owners Association web site was terrible, I gave them a lot of feedback so it may have improved since. First hurdle: you must register with your boat name as your user name. Seriously?

 

[chinita]

One of the reasons I started the Bavaria Yacht Forum was because the Bavaria Owners Association web site was terrible, I gave them a lot of feedback so it may have improved since. First hurdle: you must register with your boat name as your user name. Seriously?

'Carpe Diem' X 129.

 

[Seajet]

Ours isn't perfect I know, - we're still tweaking this version, new for 2016 but it seems to work for people and give at least the starting info about the boats.

Members get a LOT of info, for example plans to build winter storage trestles, newly made spare mouldings & keels, pics & discussions of modifications etc.

We also have a private chat forum for members, and a facility for boats in nearby locations to contact others, if the others agree.

As the ' Buyer's Guide ' and ' ' For Sale ' bits seem the most important to casual enquirers I'm aiming to make their headings more prominent.

 

[roblpm]

I just tried to find out more aabout the Parker 275/285 British-built boats, and the differences. There was little of help on the web, so I tried the Owners' Association website. So I had to register... OK, I did.

So, despite giving all sorts of infor about me, I couldn't post a question... or read more than before.

Sod it.

If you have one or more of them for sale, and it suits me exactly, I don't know about it and can't find out about it. I've now gone elsewhere....

Schmucks!

I am an owner. Don't give up so easily. Just post on here!!!!

 

[roblpm]

There is one 275 and one 285 on sale on the website. The 285 on the website is a bit of an anomaly as it has a fixed keel. The main point is the lifting keels.

There still seems to be a pretty good market for the second hand boats. Prices have come down quite a bit but they sell pretty quickly.

There isn't much else at that size that sails quickly and has a lifting keel. (Not enough Anderson 26s were produced to compete I think........).

There are 2 275s at my club on the Forth used for club racing and cruising.

 

[Telstar26]

Mea culpa - I'm the webmaster for parkerseal.org.uk.

The registration system we use is that each new registration is reviewed manually before being accepted. This can take a day or so, and I've now processed your registration.

The reason we do this is to prevent spam postings, which really messed up our forum a couple of years ago. But it's clearly not working well... And we don't ask for "all sorts of info", just a username and email address.

Anyway, I can assure you that Parker and Seal owners are a friendly lot (even if the website isn't!) and will be very happy to tell you all you want to know.

PS. I've now changed the registration process so all you need to do is verify your email - no approval needed anymore. Let's hope stopforumspam.com works!

 

[Seajet]

There isn't much else at that size that sails quickly and has a lifting keel. (Not enough Anderson 26s were produced to compete I think........).

I expect that mention was in jest, fair enough !

In fact roughly 16 or so Anderson 26's were made before the company lost their bread & butter MOD contract, and the basic story is in the early 80's that was it...

The Anderson 26 was intended as a heavy weather-capable lift keeler for a small crew, so quite different from Parkers; the A26 is a fast boat - the last PY I saw was ludicrously high, making her a racing bandit esp in strong winds - but that was not the point of the boat at all anyway - she was nothing like a reworked Superseal which would romp away in medium / light winds.

I do try to give as much info on the Anderson 26 as I can on the website in my signature.

One thing I have to mention, I am not being rude just a bit of feedback, I don't know if you are aware but the Parker stand at Boat Shows was famous for being as snotty and unwelcoming as the infamous Oyster stands !

Maybe someone in Sales should have had their transoms kicked as I actually think the boats deserved to do better; Parkers could and should have been a better sailor's option than a Southerly, while not as expensive or life-timed as an Ovni...

 

[Birdseye]

I just tried to find out more aabout the Parker 275/285 British-built boats, and the differences. There was little of help on the web, so I tried the Owners' Association website. So I had to register... OK, I did.

So, despite giving all sorts of infor about me, I couldn't post a question... or read more than before.

Sod it.

If you have one or more of them for sale, and it suits me exactly, I don't know about it and can't find out about it. I've now gone elsewhere....

Schmucks!

You should worry. I asked a question once on the Moody Owners website and I had some pompous prat of an official phone me at home at night and give me a telling off. I was so surprised I didnt even tell him to go away in short jerky movements.

 

[MoodySabre]

You should worry. I asked a question once on the Moody Owners website and I had some pompous prat of an official phone me at home at night and give me a telling off. I was so surprised I didnt even tell him to go away in short jerky movements.

That must be some time ago. Access to the full forum is restricted to members but there is a section for asking questions as a prospective owner that only requires free registration.

 

[roblpm]

I expect that mention was in jest, fair enough !

In fact roughly 16 or so Anderson 26's were made before the company lost their bread & butter MOD contract, and the basic story is in the early 80's that was it...

The Anderson 26 was intended as a heavy weather-capable lift keeler for a small crew, so quite different from Parkers; the A26 is a fast boat - the last PY I saw was ludicrously high, making her a racing bandit esp in strong winds - but that was not the point of the boat at all anyway - she was nothing like a reworked Superseal which would romp away in medium / light winds.

I do try to give as much info on the Anderson 26 as I can on the website in my signature.

One thing I have to mention, I am not being rude just a bit of feedback, I don't know if you are aware but the Parker stand at Boat Shows was famous for being as snotty and unwelcoming as the infamous Oyster stands !

Maybe someone in Sales should have had their transoms kicked as I actually think the boats deserved to do better; Parkers could and should have been a better sailor's option than a Southerly, while not as expensive or life-timed as an Ovni...

Good to hear I am posh!!!!! Glad you got the joke.....

Not the same thing as Parkers are pretty light. Need to be sailed flat. However what I was really pointing out was that there are a couple of hundred Parker 27/275/285s so if someone is after one they come up pretty regularly.

I was out this afternoon with the kids on the Forth in mine. If you squinted it could have been the med. Will probably be the only day this year of 15 knots, sunny and over 20 degrees!!!!!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

You should worry. I asked a question once on the Moody Owners website and I had some pompous prat of an official phone me at home at night and give me a telling off. I was so surprised I didnt even tell him to go away in short jerky movements.

I've had a similarly unhappy experience, I was (maybe still am) considering investing some serious wedge in a big Moody and had a question, the response was, join or we won't answer. I don't care about the joining fee it's trivial at £20 or whatever, it's the principle. Pretty unwelcoming. Sort of closed community

 

[Seajet]

Good to hear I am posh!!!!! Glad you got the joke.....

Not the same thing as Parkers are pretty light. Need to be sailed flat. However what I was really pointing out was that there are a couple of hundred Parker 27/275/285s so if someone is after one they come up pretty regularly.

I was out this afternoon with the kids on the Forth in mine. If you squinted it could have been the med. Will probably be the only day this year of 15 knots, sunny and over 20 degrees!!!!!

I didn't say ' posh ', just the show stands were renowned as rude and unwelcoming, which doesn't do well for impressions of owners either !

 

[oldbilbo]

Maybe we could enjoy a thread on which was the most snooty, unwelcoming Owners' Association website....

.... but I'm not putting my name to that poll.

 

[Seajet]

As for owners associations asking people to register - or even stump up money - for info, surely these dinosaurs are shooting themselves and all their fellow owners in the foot.

It never occurred to me when setting up the A22 site ( in the early days it was by snail mail, cost me a fortune on postage ! ) not to freely and fully give someone interested in the boats all the info' possible.

If you went to buy a car and an owner said ' I'll only let on if you pass me a few quid or all your personal details I can flog on the internet ', what sort of impression would that give you of the car / boat you'd previously been considering ?!

That's why I put a ' Buyer's Guide ' and my contact details to discuss stuff for free on the front of our site, pardon me but I'd thought that the bleeding obvious requirement...

 

[Cantata]

I've had a similarly unhappy experience, I was (maybe still am) considering investing some serious wedge in a big Moody and had a question, the response was, join or we won't answer. I don't care about the joining fee it's trivial at £20 or whatever, it's the principle. Pretty unwelcoming. Sort of closed community

See MoodySabre's answer below. Same thing. Doesn't happen now.