Legal Redress?
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Fri 29 Jun 2012 07:45
I have shown one detailed email analysis to Romena, the manager at RSYC. She was almost in tears reading it. She said I had two options, immediately make a police report, but the entire process would take about two years from start to finish. The other option is to get another mechanic. The problem with that, for reasons I can fully understand, is any mechanic on hearing the background is going to want to strip both engines down. It would be, however, the obvious solution.
The obvious problem is pennies. There ain't none. This last month has been a 'drip drip drip' process, mainly connected with the engines in terms of oil, transmission oil, suddenly missing bolts and work on the engine mount. My problem has been that to 'gee Martin up' , on the understanding that in fact all was well, I've made a series of part payments based on what happens. You bring the engine to the boat I pay you X, put it in the boat and I pay Y. Final payment when the boat is in the water. I freely admit to being taken for a ride, because after bringing the second engine to the boat and being paid X, the day after I was told about the problems. Yes, clearly fraudulent. My only defense for being soft was I really really really wanted to get back in the water, living in my home.
The club Commodore has also seen the email analysis. He was appalled and I think that Martin's days as a club member, let alone being allowed to work there, may be numbered. We agreed the priority is to get the boat in the water with two working engines if possible. This will horrify the mechanics out there, but Martin is still insisting that he can get the engine running OK. Whilst I know that third world engineering can sometimes surprise the experts by actually working, I'm not at all confident that this will be one of those times.
Henning has also seen the photos and I'm waiting his comment, which will be the same I'm sure but he may have a practical solution to the situation. Firing squad?
Interestingly, talking with John the GRP it's not just me who's been led up the garden path. John also got three different versions of what was wrong with the engine, and he has rebuilt them (wish I knew that before).
I also have to pay John his final installment on Monday, which was accounted for, but we had a couple of plumbing problems (new pipes, skin fitting) that cropped up, so what was I thought a comfortable cash cushion which would see me relatively unworried about finances for a couple of months, ffuttt!! Gone. Great. The electrician now does not answer his phone. he lives a 20 min walk down the road, so tomorrow guess where I'll be headed. I have a boat full of half finished electrical jobs and as far as I'm concerned, with maybe the exception of a bit more wiring, I've paid all the labour charges, at least according to his original quote. Mind you, if I've learnt one thing about Fiji, it's that in general a quote in Fiji can be written in gold ink on a platinum sheet and nailed to the church door. Don't expect to pay anything remotely resembling it. It's not a race thing, they shaft each other as well.
I do not include John the GRP in this, he was within 11% of his original quote and I know exactly where the overruns occurred because he came and talked to me as soon as they became apparent.
So, where we are now is Conker Bollocks is getting pushrods 'sorted' He tells me, when asked, that the valves are OK. I will get him to re-assemble the engine and run both of them before we commit Trouters to the water. If they won't start, then I think it is police time. Actually, one of the guys where I'm staying said 'not police, the military'. I will quietly ask about this option. The other 'project', Abundance, is nearing completion, and to launch her they have to crane a third boat out of the way. This could mean a 3-way cost split, but not until the week after next. Yet more delay, but gives me time to think of a way of raising the crane money. Will it never bloody end.
To end on a more positive note,
John will come in next week and put on the blue line. Although he's away on a contract, apparently he's working 2000 -0500 whilst the mine is shut down, but is coming back. he says he'll put in an hour a day and be here for launch to fit the rudders.
I'm on the penultimate chapter of the eBook project, so this coming week should/might/could see editing and proof reading done and an upload to Amazon for Kindle publication. I can't rush this, I have to get it as good as I can. I owe that to me and to those (if any) who pay good money for the book. Tricky trying to write an amusing tale when feeling distinctly unamused. Won't see any royalties for about four months, if at all of course! Likewise I should be having a magazine article finally published in October or November, so 'Christmas Day in the Workhouse' might not be quite as bleak as it might have been, just have to make it through to Christmas.
WATCH THIS SPACE
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