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Arild Said: Naval architects who design and specify rarely if ever get to work down on the shop floor. How would they know what it's like to struggle with 160 lbs of lead in a box just brimming with acid.
Reply: This is a very important point. Too many boats are designed around consumer requirements with little consideration as to how they affect future service. This goes for much more than just the boat builders. Consider the engine manufacturers and the lack of thought the YANMAR engineer gave to the impeller placement on the 6YL. A component that requires routine maintenance should be easily maintained. On this engine, it's virtually impossible to change the impeller without removing the pump. I was having dinner with Cummins engine engineer, just by chance at one stop along the waterway. He told me that Cummins requires their design engineers to spend time on the production floor and with the service technicians to determine how buildable and maintainable their design was. That explains why my 5.9 Cummins was so easy to service. What a great idea that used to be practiced in many industries. Now it's typically viewed as a practice that adds costs, increases
time to market, and is perceived to be of little value. Right--tell that to the guy laying over his 8D battery that's too heavy to move while he tries to remove and replace his impeller. Oh, that was me :-(
I can recall a mass production "fast" trawler manufacturer's dealer asking why I wanted to look below the decks, only the service guy needs to worry about that area he said. To that I said, at sea and most other times, that guy is me. There are some well thought our boats out there that realize these systems need to be serviced and others that are all about above deck features and curb appeal. Make sure you're buying the right one.
No affilliations, just a previous owner of Yanmar and Cummins powered trawlers and now one with a John Deere.
Gil
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