Thursday 14 August 2008

Steering Gear Solution

Post by: J-Too

We’ve had a couple of calls from Boat Sales 24/7 regarding the steering gear issues we had on the Voyage of the Damned.

There’s a solution! It would appear all that’s required is a ‘reversing kit’ needs to be fitted to the steering assembly. But there was a little bit of fun… Well, given our last encounter, you’d expect there to be, wouldn’t you.

J1 took the call and was informed this piece of kit only costs £9. Personally, we didn’t care how much it cost, as we’re not paying for it… After all, when you buy a boat, you kind of expect it steer properly – or am I being unreasonable. We were then presented with 2 options:


  • We could wait until he came back from his holiday (thankfully only a week long, and I have over a week at work before I go on leave again) and he would call out to Jami JJ and fit it for us, or…

  • We could buy the part and fit it ourselves.

Now, I hate to sound petty but the second option just wasn’t palatable. As I said, there’s no way I would be happy paying for a piece of kit he should have bought in the first place; regardless if it is £9, 9p or £90. But moreover, I’m not setting myself up for a fall further down the canal.

Imagine for one moment: a few weeks from now we’re navigating our way down the Navigations and something untoward happened to the steering and I had fitted the reversing kit. Is there a possibility Boat Sales 24/7 could put it down to the way I fitted the kit and absolve themselves of responsibility? An honest and ethical company wouldn’t and I’m sure Boat Sales 24/7 are. But then again, they did sell us a boat with a new and untested steering assembly and were startled when it counter steered.

In which case, I’m unwilling to take the chance.

We were then asked if we could leave the keys to the boat somewhere, so they could get on with the job when it suited them.

Where exactly? On the towpath? In the Pub? Under the third bush to the right of the deadly nightshade plant by the stern?

Suffice to say, we’ve arranged (actually to be fair, J1 arranged) for them to call out to us when we next intend to take Jami JJ down the navigations.

But this weekend, we’re going back to see Jami JJ – and J1 has pulled a blinder, as we have a couple of changes we can make to our new love affair!

The pictures should look quite impressive when we return.

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