clout

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1

Posted by Frank Minelli (myslo@…>)
Alan, thanks for your response. I am aware of the group forming, and yes, that will be good .
I am thinking , however, of sailors, and indeed boat owners in general. We all buy stuff, and we all get taken awsomely at times -and, vice versa, have very good experiences. If there isnt an organization that keeps a data base on such information, by golly, there ought to be one.!

As to specific experiences: If you ever decide its time to replace steering pedestal, or parts thereof, the riser (the very base of the steering pedestal) beware, they (they, being Edson)will sell you a new one, much ¨watered down¨ (1/4¨ casting instead of the old half inch) and what is much worse, they will assure you that it will fit the old holes, alas, it does not, and there is no practical way to make it fit.¨(being down in Venezuela, its kind of hard to return the stuff for credit, and they have yet to offer to take it back)

They will also sell you a ¨corrosion resistant¨ idler plate (the plate to which the sheaves inside the bottom are attached) Turns out, that ¨corrosion restiant plate is mild steel, with no more than one mil of paint on it, no zinc, or any other inhibitive primer, just a thin coat of badly adhering (you can scratch it off with your fingernail) black paint.! The kicker here is, that they do have a plate that is all bronze, but the salesman there had not found it necessary to tell me this, although I had informed him that the old idler plate had corroded to the point where a distaster would surely have occurred had I left it in there unchecked.

On top of it all, after installing the new wheel shaft, with all new bearings, etc, there was considerable play in it (being able to move the shaft up and down, to the point where you could hear the movement and even see it when using a maginifying glass)

Asking them for help and support? Forget it. You get answers that must have been formulated by their legal department.

Even ordering the stuff was a hassle. E mailing them does not much good, since they will respond days later. You have to e mail and follow it up with faxes and or phone calls.

You would think these people are incompetent, the way they act, but I dont think so. I think itis monumental indifference, stemming from the fact that they are so pre eminent in their field. Where else do we go to buy replacement steering gear?
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2

Posted by Lorman, Alvin J. (ajlorman@…>)

It sounds like you had a truly awful experience with Edson, Frank. What is odd is that I’ve had just the opposite experience with them. I once had a small issue and someone promptly responded to my email. I kept his name and emailed him whenever I had another question. He could not have been more helpful, and very little money was involved for them. I find that their preeminence in the filed is more reflected in their prices than anything else.

Al Lorman

-----Original Message-----From: Frank Minelli [mailto:myslo@…] Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:53 AMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] clout
Alan, thanks for your response. I am aware of the group forming, and yes, that will be good .
I am thinking , however, of sailors, and indeed boat owners in general. We all buy stuff, and we all get taken awsomely at times -and, vice versa, have very good experiences. If there isnt an organization that keeps a data base on such information, by golly, there ought to be one.!

As to specific experiences: If you ever decide its time to replace steering pedestal, or parts thereof, the riser (the very base of the steering pedestal) beware, they (they, being Edson)will sell you a new one, much ¨watered down¨ (1/4¨ casting instead of the old half inch) and what is much worse, they will assure you that it will fit the old holes, alas, it does not, and there is no practical way to make it fit.¨(being down in Venezuela, its kind of hard to return the stuff for credit, and they have yet to offer to take it back)

They will also sell you a ¨corrosion resistant¨ idler plate (the plate to which the sheaves inside the bottom are attached) Turns out, that ¨corrosion restiant plate is mild steel, with no more than one mil of paint on it, no zinc, or any other inhibitive primer, just a thin coat of badly adhering (you can scratch it off with your fingernail) black paint.! The kicker here is, that they do have a plate that is all bronze, but the salesman there had not found it necessary to tell me this, although I had informed him that the old idler plate had corroded to the point where a distaster would surely have occurred had I left it in there unchecked.

On top of it all, after installing the new wheel shaft, with all new bearings, etc, there was considerable play in it (being able to move the shaft up and down, to the point where you could hear the movement and even see it when using a maginifying glass)

Asking them for help and support? Forget it. You get answers that must have been formulated by their legal department.

Even ordering the stuff was a hassle. E mailing them does not much good, since they will respond days later. You have to e mail and follow it up with faxes and or phone calls.

You would think these people are incompetent, the way they act, but I dont think so. I think itis monumental indifference, stemming from the fact that they are so pre eminent in their field. Where else do we go to buy replacement steering gear?


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3

Posted by Alan Kusinitz (akusinitz@…>)

Good to know. I have heard of folks using whitlock now lewmar on F-33 steering replacements but that won’t help you now. I even wondered if a direct drive could work.
The one problem I’ve had with my steering is lines dropping through the teak grate and jamming a sheave. (When this happens the emergency tiller is useless unless you disconnect the cable from the quadrant or cut the line and pry it out.) I know have fiberglass screening material stapled to the underside of the grate. Cheap solution that works well.
I think I’ve seen Boat US contact manufacturers on behalf of owners with problems. You could try them.
Alan F-33 Hull #51

----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Minelli
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:53 AM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] clout

Alan, thanks for your response. I am aware of the group forming, and yes, that will be good .
I am thinking , however, of sailors, and indeed boat owners in general. We all buy stuff, and we all get taken awsomely at times -and, vice versa, have very good experiences. If there isnt an organization that keeps a data base on such information, by golly, there ought to be one.!

As to specific experiences: If you ever decide its time to replace steering pedestal, or parts thereof, the riser (the very base of the steering pedestal) beware, they (they, being Edson)will sell you a new one, much ¨watered down¨ (1/4¨ casting instead of the old half inch) and what is much worse, they will assure you that it will fit the old holes, alas, it does not, and there is no practical way to make it fit.¨(being down in Venezuela, its kind of hard to return the stuff for credit, and they have yet to offer to take it back)

They will also sell you a ¨corrosion resistant¨ idler plate (the plate to which the sheaves inside the bottom are attached) Turns out, that ¨corrosion restiant plate is mild steel, with no more than one mil of paint on it, no zinc, or any other inhibitive primer, just a thin coat of badly adhering (you can scratch it off with your fingernail) black paint.! The kicker here is, that they do have a plate that is all bronze, but the salesman there had not found it necessary to tell me this, although I had informed him that the old idler plate had corroded to the point where a distaster would surely have occurred had I left it in there unchecked.

On top of it all, after installing the new wheel shaft, with all new bearings, etc, there was considerable play in it (being able to move the shaft up and down, to the point where you could hear the movement and even see it when using a maginifying glass)

Asking them for help and support? Forget it. You get answers that must have been formulated by their legal department.

Even ordering the stuff was a hassle. E mailing them does not much good, since they will respond days later. You have to e mail and follow it up with faxes and or phone calls.

You would think these people are incompetent, the way they act, but I dont think so. I think itis monumental indifference, stemming from the fact that they are so pre eminent in their field. Where else do we go to buy replacement steering gear?


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4

Posted by Frank Minelli (myslo@…>)
Al,
Your forwarding this to Edson is quite ok with me, in fact, I thank you, as is this way my complaint with them has a far greater impact.

In fact, this is the very thing I am talking about. If manufacturers and suppliers aware that news about their performance, good and bad, gets disseminated quickly and accurately among a huge portion of their entire potential market, they will take notice. In the days of the internet, it would be a simple thing to organize.

The base, however,would need to be much much bigger than just a few hundred Freedom owners. It would take a massive campaign to make all boaters aware of it. Self interest would make the join, most of them, I am sure .

“Lorman, Alvin J.” <ajlorman@…> wrote:

It sounds like you had a truly awful experience with Edson, Frank. What is odd is that I’ve had just the opposite experience with them. I once had a small issue and someone promptly responded to my email. I kept his name and emailed him whenever I had another question. He could not have been more helpful, and very little money was involved for them. I find that their preeminence in the filed is more reflected in their prices than anything else.

Al Lorman

-----Original Message-----From: Frank Minelli [mailto:myslo@…] Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:53 AMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] clout
Alan, thanks for your response. I am aware of the group forming, and yes, that will be good .
I am thinking , however, of sailors, and indeed boat owners in general. We all buy stuff, and we all get taken awsomely at times -and, vice versa, have very good experiences. If there isnt an organization that keeps a data base on such information, by golly, there ought to be one.!

As to specific experiences: If you ever decide its time to replace steering pedestal, or parts thereof, the riser (the very base of the steering pedestal) beware, they (they, being Edson)will sell you a new one, much ¨watered down¨ (1/4¨ casting instead of the old half inch) and what is much worse, they will assure you that it will fit the old holes, alas, it does not, and there is no practical way to make it fit.¨(being down in Venezuela, its kind of hard to return the stuff for credit, and they have yet to offer to take it back)

They will also sell you a ¨corrosion resistant¨ idler plate (the plate to which the sheaves inside the bottom are attached) Turns out, that ¨corrosion restiant plate is mild steel, with no more than one mil of paint on it, no zinc, or any other inhibitive primer, just a thin coat of badly adhering (you can scratch it off with your fingernail) black paint.! The kicker here is, that they do have a plate that is all bronze, but the salesman there had not found it necessary to tell me this, although I had informed him that the old idler plate had corroded to the point where a distaster would surely have occurred had I left it in there unchecked.

On top of it all, after installing the new wheel shaft, with all new bearings, etc, there was considerable play in it (being able to move the shaft up and down, to the point where you could hear the movement and even see it when using a maginifying glass)

Asking them for help and support? Forget it. You get answers that must have been formulated by their legal department.

Even ordering the stuff was a hassle. E mailing them does not much good, since they will respond days later. You have to e mail and follow it up with faxes and or phone calls.

You would think these people are incompetent, the way they act, but I dont think so. I think itis monumental indifference, stemming from the fact that they are so pre eminent in their field. Where else do we go to buy replacement steering gear?


Yahoo! Mail MobileTake Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. __________________________________________________Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com