Where Credit is Due: October 2012

JABSCOWHALE PUMPSINNOVATIVE LIGHTING & EDSONGROCOGARHAUER

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Where Credit is Due: October 2012

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I would like to give credit to Jabsco (www.jabsco.com) for going above and beyond in their customer service. We have three Jabsco 58500 electric toilets on our catamaran. Two of them had the unfortunate habit of flinging their contents around the head.

I sent an email describing the problem to Jabsco, and within an hour, a representative named Bo had called me. He explained that there was a design flaw in models made in early 2011 that sometimes caused this to happen. He offered two replacements to be shipped anywhere in the world. His colleague, Jeff Lander, arranged the shipping and advised on installation.

Within two weeks, we received our replacements in Grenada. We are very happy with the replacements, and with Jabsco’s rapid response and acknowledgement of the problem. True customer service.

Tony Day

On Delay, 2004 Lagoon 470

Aruba / San Francisco, Calif.

Editor’s Note: The Jabsco Deluxe Lite Flush 58500 that Practical Sailor tested for the February 2011 report did not have the “flinging” problem.

I’d like to thank the technical staff at Whale Pumps (www.whalepumps.com), particularly Justin Brennan and Josh Phillips, for helping me with a problem with my manual bilge pump. Recently, the pump diaphragm ripped due to age, and because the pump is old, I could not readily identify the model. An email was quickly answered by Josh and Justin, who, after looking at some pictures, quickly identified the model (Urchin) and provided me with a list of suppliers for a new diaphragm.

It is great when a company supports its older products. I am planning to install an electric pump alongside the current manual one, and when I do, you can bet it will be a Whale.

Mike Fossler

Pana-Sea-A, O’Day 272

Worton, Md

I recently discovered that the suction-cup stern light I use on my dinghy stopped working and I suspected corrosion inside the housing. I contacted the maker, Innovative Lighting (www.innovativelight.com), and customer service technician Alex Allen. I knew—and told Alex—that whatever warranty came with the units had certainly expired by now. Nevertheless, he told me to ship the unit to them. He contacted me promptly to tell me the switch was bad, which he replaced, plus he provided a new corrosion-free housing. For good measure, he also replaced the suction cup.

The entire process took less than two weeks. Total cost: $0. Great product and even better customer service!

I also wanted to second what a reader recently mentioned about great customer service at Edson (www.edsonmarine.com). I, too, snapped off the plastic clip on my Edson wheel mount. I contacted Edson, and they said it happens all the time and they’d send me new ones. After a couple of weeks went by and nothing arrived, I contacted them again. They apologized and sent me three clips, which did arrive in a few days.

Again, good customer service. (However, if these clips do break “all the time,” Edson might want to consider more durable clips.)

Steven Fink

Rondo, Beneteau 423

Marina del Rey, Calif.

We recently had a problem with a Groco ARG-100 bronze strainer. The original bronze screw on the top cap would not tighten. Groco (Gross Mechanical, www.groco.net) explained that the threads were worn down either from years of use or from galvanic corrosion. (The strainer is on a 1996 Beneteau 12-meter, and seems to be the original.)

We purchased a new Groco plastic top to replace the worn bronze version. It appears that the plastic top, which is much thicker and tightens down easily, also pushes down the handle of the plastic strainer basket inside, breaking the handle. After doing this to two new baskets, I called Groco’s chief technical expert.

He sent a new ARG-1000 out to us and only asked that we send back the old ARG-1000 so they could see exactly what was going on.

This is why as marine service professionals, we use Groco products everywhere we can. They not only make long-lasting products, they also stand behind their products, and offer outstanding customer service.

 

Jeffrey Schwartz

President,

JSC Marine Services Division

www.jsc-florida.com

Miami, Fa.

 

This is a kudos for Garhauer Marine’s post sales support. I purchased two genoa cars (model LLC-2) for my boat, but the car track is non-standard, and the cars wouldn’t quite fit.

I called Garhauer (www.garhauermarine.com), and they said to just send the cars in with the needed dimensions and they’d mill them out for me.

My neighbor had a similar problem a few years ago and had the same response from Garhauer.

Frank Tansley

Grace, Hans Christian 41T

Dana Point, Calif.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.