Hizonner came forth once more to ask: > Mr Millin and all, good day > > I know I will get some grief for this but I am going to ask anyway. > > Presumably Sagar use a particular set up and design and have included same > in the price. I guess Sagar consider they know what they are doing with > their own boat and engine set up, that is why you picked them to build it > for you, so why do you want to do something different? and presumably at > more cost to you? and, I guess again, not covered by any sort of Sagar > warranty in terms of the final handling?. Might you find yourself in a > similar situation to Brunel?
Much of what you say could be correct (returns from having a lie-down after having to make that admission) however: 1. I have knowledge of one Sagar barge that has not had the correct prop specified, although it appears to be an isolated case. 2. Jooren have a good reputation (only heard Adrian's negative comment about their prop sizing) all the rest of the feedback is good. My very experienced contact in France suggests that they have never got it wrong on all the cases that he has dealt with. Jooren are specifying a slightly different prop size to Sagar but only slightly. Jooren props are ready modified to prevent prop singing which the others aren't (although I know how to do the mod so it's not the end of the world to get at any other prop before it is fitted). 3. I'm not keen on the water lubricated, grease-less stern gland and bearing that they fit as standard. It is a water injected one with a constant flow tapped off the raw-water cooled engine and so will be passing filtered silt through the bearing on muddy canals. 4. I've been advised that the prop shaft is right on the limit for diameter and would be better to be an increased diameter, particularly as the prop shaft will be fairly long on my barge and prone to whipping if not adequately supported. I hear what you say about Brunel but that case, in some ways, illustrates my point. I wasn't particularly happy with the underwater design of Brunel (and particularly the rudder) but kept my mouth shut as I thought the boat builder knew best. Little did I realise JUST how bad it would be in the water. I then spent two years and many thousands of euros modifying the boat to get it right. Then, all of my criticisms and suggested mods (or versions of them) were incorporated into an evolving design by the boat builder who got it right by the end of production. It was no consolation to me that the *later* boats were correct using many of my suggestions. What I've learnt is that not all boat builders are the absolute experts that they claim to be (particularly on prop sizing which is a real black art) and this is no criticism of Sagar who are much better than some (and this is one of the very few mods that I am proposing on the technical side). I've now realised that, for my own peace of mind, I should push for what I want and have the confidence to back my own judgement (well researched, of course, not snatched out of the air). Yes, I will have to accept that there is no warranty on them if I get it wrong over this issue but that is a chance I'm prepared to take. Don't forget that this is the fourth new boat we've had built and you learn every time you repeat this exercise. Roger
