Why is everything on a boat so expensive?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I know you are correct on this. My office mate of many years restored two Ercoupes. We found the bearing in the landing gear is the identical SKF sealed bearing we buy by the dozens for machines we build. I can assure you that the only difference is the mark the Rabi places on it to make it Kosher - the 20X price increase. If you want to really screw stuff up, let the government run it.

I don't believe that's true. There have been a number of serious aircraft crashes including fatal's that occurred as a result of poor quality duplicate materials. Such as Partnair flight 394. And putting that little mark on it and recording that mark, and ensuring accountability adds cost to ensure safety.

It's not the government that has stuffed things up, it's capitalism that sees the need for ever increasing profit margins.

[cgilley]

Capitalism? face palm. Either the part is the same or it is not. The spec is the spec. Basic engineering. To replace a qualified, specified part with a cheaper but different variant is simply criminal, and capitalism has nothing to do with it.

Don't make the mistake of equating greed with capitalism, it's not the same thing.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I don't believe that's true. There have been a number of serious aircraft crashes including fatal's that occurred as a result of poor quality duplicate materials. Such as Partnair flight 394. And putting that little mark on it and recording that mark, and ensuring accountability adds cost to ensure safety.

It's not the government that has stuffed things up, it's capitalism that sees the need for ever increasing profit margins.

I do understand the one-size-fits-all method here - however:

In the case I noted the numbers on the bearings were identical as was the manufacturer. The only difference is the tracking ID attached to this part's SN, without which, your insurance is void. This is the case even if the part had no contribution to an accident. This provides the means to charge any price for the part. There ought to be a means to use commercially available mass produced parts, especially identical parts. Would you prefer the government & your insurance underwriter force you to buy only Ford or GM parts? How about those oil filters, tires, etc? How about only GM certified oil & antifreeze from the parts desk?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by cgilley

Capitalism? face palm. Either the part is the same or it is not. The spec is the spec. Basic engineering. To replace a qualified, specified part with a cheaper but different variant is simply criminal, and capitalism has nothing to do with it.

Don't make the mistake of equating greed with capitalism, it's not the same thing.

Oh what's the difference

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I do understand the one-size-fits-all method here - however:

In the case I noted the numbers on the bearings were identical as was the manufacturer. The only difference is the tracking ID attached to this part's SN, without which, your insurance is void. This is the case even if the part had no contribution to an accident. This provides the means to charge any price for the part. There ought to be a means to use commercially available mass produced parts, especially identical parts. Would you prefer the government & your insurance underwriter force you to buy only Ford or GM parts? How about those oil filters, tires, etc? How about only GM certified oil & antifreeze from the parts desk?

Not in a car or truck, no

But in a plane, yes. Definitely I want the government to ensure only bonafide parts are used that comply fully with all the manafactures requirements.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Not in a car or truck, no



But in a plane, yes. Definitely I want the government to ensure only bonafide parts are used that comply fully with all the manafactures requirements.

Which countries government would you have the most faith?


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Which countries government would you have the most faith?

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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

Well, it's not really the 'governments' that do this it's the agencies they delegate the responsibility too. The FAA I think the US is and in Australia CASA.

I think I'd trust the FAA more than CASA though.

[jkindredpdx]

I was just tying things down for a bit of breeze tonight and thought how close I am to nature here. The conditions seem more harsh than a house in the burbs, rougher than an RV bouncing down the road. There's a lack of forgiveness when I'm on my boat... like rock climbing, scuba, flying... I'm paying for quality, durability, and reliability. I'm unlikely to pinch pennies when my life or limb may hang in the balance.

I like my limbs and my life and I'm paying for them.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

I was just tying things down for a bit of breeze tonight and thought how close I am to nature here. The conditions seem more harsh than a house in the burbs, rougher than an RV bouncing down the road. There's a lack of forgiveness when I'm on my boat... like rock climbing, scuba, flying... I'm paying for quality, durability, and reliability. I'm unlikely to pinch pennies when my life or limb may hang in the balance.

I like my limbs and my life and I'm paying for them.

You can spend as much as you like if that makes you feel safe, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot to go sailing or cruising safely as many people seem to do.

Some folks just enjoy spending a lot on their boats and that's fine. I spent tons on new racing sails, cam cleats, spin locks, sheets, etc when I raced

I was thinking though yesterday morning that it might be nice to have a handheld waterproof VHF to store in my PFD (which I hadn't put on yet) as a coastal cruising singlehander. It was 0600 (zero dark thirty this time of year) and I had just left my safe anchorage an hour or so earlier to cross the open bay of 18 miles. The tide was coming in strong.

I had shoes on which is rare. I like to go barefoot on the boat for better grip. Going to the mast (around the dodger so I didn't use my tether which I will do next time) under autopilot to lower the main I was thinking it wouldn't be good to fall in because the water temp was 63 degrees (air temp around 50), and it would take me more than an hour to swim in if I could make it. The tide was so strong it would have tried to take me parallel to shore especially as I got close because there is a deep channel there

I was motoring and hoped to get a little help from the main but was dead into the wind at this point. Later I was able to raise it and motor sail then finally sail. At this point the boat is heeled maybe 30 degrees and I had to go get the outboard up which again not a place where you want to slip.

In the middle of all this I was worried about a couple buoys that didn't have lights somewhere ahead. Within 30 minutes damned if I wasn't headed directly at one of them. I could barely make out an object ahead and actually had to adjust the autopilot.

Later I passed 3-4 container ships in two different shipping channels but it was light by then

At this point I was thinking I have a boat I didn't spend much on loaded with the basics so why not get a handheld waterproof VHF, AIS and Radar, ( I could have easily seen that buoy with radar) and better deck shoes............

All this occurred in waters I know. New sailors/boater might consider being in unknown waters which is what I'm reminding myself of here

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I know you are correct on this. My office mate of many years restored two Ercoupes. We found the bearing in the landing gear is the identical SKF sealed bearing we buy by the dozens for machines we build. I can assure you that the only difference is the mark the Rabi places on it to make it Kosher - the 20X price increase. If you want to really screw stuff up, let the government run it.

We buy (COTS), Commercial Off the Shelf equipment all the time, the Master cylinder is off of a 50's Studerbaker truck for example that we get from NAPA. Throttle cables come form a boat cable manufacturer, I can go on and on.
What makes it a legal aircraft part is indoctrinating it into our QC system, the QC stamp is what makes it legal, not testing or anything else.
What makes it so expensive is pure greed, nothing else. You can't explain a 1,000% price increase on a little paperwork. Government has nothing to do with price, although they do complicate things.

Now you wanna talk messed up, look up an Airworthiness Directive. It is the same as an automobile recall, except by law you must comply, and you pay for it, if it's tens of thousands of dollars to buy a part from the manufacturer that screwed up to begin with, you have no other option.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Which countries government would you have the most faith?

Given the performance of most corporations in the social, financial, and environmental responsibility arenas (leaving out that their actual main purpose -profit- comes with its' own built-in corrupting component, especially if viewed, as seems currently in vogue, with short term goals), any country that had a functional system of checks and balances that prohibits the corporations from establishing and enforcing the rules...

[weavis]

Originally Posted by jimbunyard

Given the performance of most corporations in the social, financial, and environmental responsibility arenas (leaving out that their actual main purpose -profit- comes with its' own built-in corrupting component, especially if viewed, as seems currently in vogue, with short term goals), any country that had a functional system of checks and balances that prohibits the corporations from establishing and enforcing the rules...

Ah... you mean ..................er............ one second............. um......... none.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by weavis

Ah... you mean ..................er............ one second............. um......... none.

You're unfortunately probably right, though it does seem to come down to which is the lesser of two evils...

[coastalexplorer]

Why Is this thread still running?
The reason why I am asking is because every answer given is off topic to the original poster's question; (including the first part of mine) If you look at the grammar. it was clear that he was trying to "throw the cat among the pigeons" In post one he said he was a 'lurker on here' living by a freash water lake and not a serious sailor.

in his second post made comments implying that he was trying to consider trying to make money for himself as an Entrepreneur By solving deign problems. with no clear idea's and in subsequent posts virtually admitted he was just having some fun with it.

Now he has some real fun that it has taken off on a life of it's own with arguments over aircraft parts.

would one of you Moderators this one off the site so we can get back to some more serious business???

Just saying

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by coastalexplorer

Why Is this thread still running?
The reason why I am asking is because every answer given is off topic to the original poster's question; (including the first part of mine) If you look at the grammar. it was clear that he was trying to "throw the cat among the pigeons" In post one he said he was a 'lurker on here' living by a freash water lake and not a serious sailor.

in his second post made comments implying that he was trying to consider trying to make money for himself as an Entrepreneur By solving deign problems. with no clear idea's and in subsequent posts virtually admitted he was just having some fun with it.

Now he has some real fun that it has taken off on a life of it's own with arguments over aircraft parts.

would one of you Moderators this one off the site so we can get back to some more serious business???

Just saying

Did you forget how to ignore a thread you don't like?