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Old 06-09-2020, 11:19   #16
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Defender is a mixed bag. They are usually the price leader, but not always.

Just bought 50’ million f 1-1/2” sanitary hose. West Marine was just abiut DOUBLE the price. A friend works at West and gets an employee discount. His price was about 50% higher than Defenders.

BUT, like Walmart, its killing other vendors.

When in Delaware I would often buy at West Marine. If i online ordered for store pick up, which was on my way to the boat, i would avoid sales tax (I lived in PA), delivery charges, and the threat if having a delivery stolen from my door step.

When i wanted to buy chain I shopped around, one guy sold me some 1’ pieces to check my gypsy and gave me a quote. A while latter he called me and asked about my purchase; had i bought, where, why. It was a heartbreaking conversation. This guy had done everything right by me but his price was significantly higher than Defender. He asked how much I paid and an expletive escaped his lips. He then said “I don't blame you, its money. But I don’t know how they do it. Thats less than what I pay for it.” (Obviously paraphrasing but essentially correct, just not verbatim)

So I use Defender, a lot, but not always.

And i have found that i can sometimes special order stuff from them (and Jamestown) not carried in their catalog.

AND, I needed a gypsy for my Lofrans windlass. At that time the only USA source I could find was Defender. But there were 3 Canadian sources, all a bunch cheaper. So I bought it from a source in BC.

You always need to look around and consider what is valuable to you.
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Old 06-09-2020, 11:29   #17
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Defender are awesome.


UPS suxxxx. I once ordered something from Viet Nam, via UPS and I was in Colombia.
The plane landed at Lexington, the goods had to go to Miami to be placed on a ship and brought to me at San Andres Isla (Duty free zone)

I had to pay import duties in the USA. I am not a USA Citizen, resident, nor was I there.


They refused to release without the duties being paid, and I could not pay them as my CC and Bank are not US based, and I have no address there, etc. Long story, I had to ask a friend to pay the taxes on his CC, and refund by wire. Later he had questions at tax time about the payment as the goods were re-exported to me... Ridiculous.
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Old 06-09-2020, 11:30   #18
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Re: online chandlery reviews

As a Canadian my go tos are:

https://ca.binnacle.com/
https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/

and sometimes:
https://www.blyacht.com/en/

And when I'm in east coast/Newfoundland:
https://mercersmarine.com/
https://stright-mackay.com/
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Old 06-09-2020, 11:34   #19
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Re: online chandlery reviews

All experience with Defender very good. All experience with cross-border charges with UPS, very bad, regardless of the original supplier. Delivery times ok but outrageous fees.

I tend to use Binnacle.ca (they also have an American website with US$ prices). Their prices are good (Defender might be a bit better but after paying cross-border fees, the total cost is worse), offer free shipping for most orders over C$99, and move things along quite quickly.

Sometimes, even Amazon has the right thing at a reasonable price but it is essential to check prices with other sites. The Amazon price can also be very unreasonable. I recently bought solar panels from them and the price was very competitive for the brand and specs that I wanted.
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Old 06-09-2020, 11:53   #20
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Boundlessoutfitters.com get high marks too.
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Old 06-09-2020, 15:14   #21
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Toplicht - excellent +,
SVB - decent,
AC - poor,


b.
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Old 06-09-2020, 17:25   #22
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Re: online chandlery reviews

I've also had good service from Fisheries Supply, and Hodges Marine. They - along with Defnder - are my go-to retailers.
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Old 07-09-2020, 21:42   #23
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Re: online chandlery reviews

West Marine was so customer oriented when they started .. it lasted for 20 years and then started going downhill ... new management .. new ownership .. Fisheries Supplies has been good in my experience!
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Old 07-09-2020, 22:32   #24
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Re: online chandlery reviews

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Originally Posted by Marathon1150 View Post

Sometimes, even Amazon has the right thing at a reasonable price but it is essential to check prices with other sites. The Amazon price can also be very unreasonable. I recently bought solar panels from them and the price was very competitive for the brand and specs that I wanted.

Very risky buying anything of high value via Amazon cross border (or not) because of their third party supplier agreements recovery of money through CC can be impossible if items are not shipped as agreed, delayed indefinitely or lost.



I have always had good experience using Defender. Stopped using Westmarine when they introduce CC payment restrictions for overseas transactions.
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Old 08-09-2020, 05:57   #25
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Hmmm. We$t Marine. What was$ it that I find $o di$couraging about We$t?

Many good ones noted in the posts. I will make myself a list to notes. I’ve used about a quarter of them. No bad experiences. Shockingly wide variation in pricing for identical items even discounting We$t. What is bothersome is that many never show up in a google search for a particular product even if you include their name in the search. Any conspiracy theory on this?

Deep Blue is where I have consistently found the best price on outboard props in SS. Defender for Saniflex hose.

We live aboard in the eastern Caribbean seven months per year. The boat stays there and we fly. In the non-US or French islands the chandlery is Budget Marine. There are few other options. Each store is independent. Prices and stock is highly variable. There are five or more chandlers in LeMarin, Martinique. Prices are pretty good and one of them has chain for half the price of anywhere else and even lower than the US. There is one there with a second hand consignment shop upstairs.

We order most stuff on line delivered to a US address. It’s a big savings to pay a bag fee and guarantee the stuff makes it to the boat. Many islands have a Yacht in Transit policy that waves duty and you avoid an import broker. Make sure you have the proper papers when you leave the country.
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Old 08-09-2020, 06:47   #26
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Re: online chandlery reviews

We use Defender a LOT these days. They often have the best prices. Recently bought a Furuno autopilot and they were helpful in special ordering the tiny hydraulic pump we needed for our toy hydraulic ram that they did not carry but were willing to special order from Furuno at the same great discount as the models they do carry. They were not able to help us with finding the switching solenoid we needed however.

The only real issue I have with them is their website and search engine. If you don't know the name brand and model numbers it can be a frustrating digging down through a lot of seemingly unrelated crap trying to find what you are looking for there.

We used to have access to a platinum WestMarine Pro (port supply) through our old sailing club and was a massive WM fanboy at the time. Everyone at the Chicago store knew me by name and most didn't even ask for my Pro number since they had it memorized. I stopped in on the way home during our 2-year refit and bought supplies and parts 2-3 times a week. We probably spent $25k at WM during that period and used them almost exclusively.

When they effectively stopped price-matching last year we simply stopped shopping there. As full-time cruisers we will only shop there now if there is an emergency need and there is no other place locally to get marine-specific items and we can't wait for mail-order.

I like Jamestown Distributors. Good prices on the more limited items they have. If you need exhaust hose or septic hose they are go-to. Again, website could he better.

Another good choice is Hamilton Marine -best deals around on rope, especially deals on cut ends on clearance. And again, awful website. I don't understand why these internet sellers have such hard to search online inventory. Why make it harder for your customers to find the items they are looking for?

We used to wait for WestMarine to have their huge rope sail a couple times a year, when their New England Ropes partners prices would be slashed to half price sometimes. Then we would order online ship to store for free shipping. But Hamilton Marine is now just as cheap and available all the time.
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Old 08-09-2020, 07:06   #27
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Re: online chandlery reviews

WM still price matches Defender and amazon proper (but not amazon market place - in other words, sold on amazon by amazon and not others). At least this is what I was told a few weeks ago in Stamford CT, and they honored a Defender price. Btw since Defender started charging taxes on shipped purchases to NY, they became less attractive, from the price point of view. But only good things to say about customer experience for both WM and Defender, from my experience.
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Old 09-09-2020, 18:48   #28
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike OReilly View Post
Genco Marine in Toronto:
https://www.gencomarine.com/
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Old 16-09-2020, 15:58   #29
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Re: online chandlery reviews

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Originally Posted by pilott View Post
The couple of times I bought from Defender, I had no problems.
I usually find Hodges Marine has slightly better prices, when delivery is taken into account (no affiliation with them)


Concur on the Hodges Marine.
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Old 13-10-2020, 09:46   #30
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Re: online chandlery reviews

Thanks for the recommendations! We'll try to get the things we need as local as possible due to the cross border costs associated.
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