Crews Letter 2011 04  A New Gipsy and a Flabbergasted Phyl and Fred

 

 

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Good morning Crew,

The steering computer problem was judged fixed on the second day.  No sea trial was performed. 

 

The sporadic behavior of the GPS with her new antenna culminated on the morning of the 5th day with, “It cannot be fixed.”  That was Friday.  By the time we decided to buy a replacement late Saturday, it was too late to ship a needed interface from Istanbul until Monday. 

Raytheon Marine Electronics re-branded itself Raymarine about the same time Perception was commissioned.  All of Perception’s original electronics are Raytheon, in other words, Raymarine.

Some considerations before making this buy:

The Raymarine salesman points out that other companies’ products may not interface to existing equipment as a Raymarine GPS will.  Does that force us to consider Raymarine only?

Which Model?

Where will it fit in the NAV Table?        

2011 06 06 050.JPG              2011 06 06 100.JPG

Configuration Before                                                                                         Now

 

Do we really need a GPS?  Interfaced with Auto Helm?

 

The new A70 Chart Plotter, without Fishfinder, was installed Wednesday afternoon.  It told us where we were.  No “No Fix  and No “Lost Fix”. 

Thursday afternoon we took her out for a sea trial.  Gipsy Two worked great.  Otto and Fluxgate had all the same problems.  A call to the salesman brought two techies to the boat.  We took them out for a sea trial.  For this, they had no magic touch.  After three hours of exuberant racing up and down the companionway, diving into the starboard bunk to disturb the computer, connecting, disconnecting and several calls to the in-house guru, they accepted that it did not work.

Computer techs are often accused of having their own language to keep the customer in the dark.  That all of the analysis was conducted by two Turks in Turkish doubled the dark cloud of confusion.  In the computer biz, we both have noted that when confronted with a serious problem lousy techs race around like chickens with their head cut off, good techs slow down and get quiet, great techs stop dead in their tracks, become very methodical and deliver the solution.  The greater the activity and noise, the less the speed and effectiveness of the solution is the general rule.

Unfortunately, many managers, the higher up the more likely, prefer activity and noise, a conspicuous sense of urgency, rather than the quiet, methodical approach.

We docked and the steering computer was taken to the shop.

 

The next morning they were back with Perception’s computer, the shop’s computer and a new fluxgate.  The frantic try this, then that started all over again.  To add to the confusion, the failure became sporadic.  Sometimes and in some directions, it worked and then it did not.  No one was keeping a record of what was changed.  When it worked, the conclusion was whatever we just changed must be the fix.  At one point, they disconnected the old Fluxgate and connected the shop one.  The autopilot worked.  The compass was in the aft end of the starboard cabin. 

“Your old compass is in the wrong place.  We will move it to the cabin’s aft bulkhead.” 

“It was mounted in the locker by Raytheon (re-branded Raymarine) in 2001 and has worked well since. 

    What has changed?   No, you cannot move it.”

He picked up the phone.  We are certain he was calling the guru to have him tell us we must cooperate or they will abandon the effort.  Fortunately at this moment, Otto lost his mind and Perception started to spin in a tight circle. 

After two hours, no improvement.  It is lunch time.  We head for the dock.  Hüseyin, the lead tech, slows down, gathers in some calm and takes on a different attitude.  He retrieves the computer, planning to take it back to the shop.

 

2011 06 06 080 c.jpg              2011 06 06 090 c.jpg

                             The Steering Computer                                                                                                       Hüseyin

 

When they come aboard for the afternoon they reinstall the computer and leave the GPS off.  When we clear the harbor, Hüseyin asks Fred to try the autopilot.  It works….it still works….it is still working.  Hüseyin then turns on the GPS.  Autopilot does not work.

 

Remember the statement and the question:  

Other companies’ products may not interface to existing equipment, as a Raymarine GPS will.  Does that force us to consider Raymarine only?

Disconnect the wind data interface between the computer and the GPS.  It works.  Hüseyin tells us that the only thing we lose is wind direction and speed on the GPS display at the NAV Table.

We are setting waypoints, following a route and everything is working.

Phyl and Fred are thinking, “When do we need wind info at the NAV Table?”

Hüseyin and his partner are enjoying victory, as well they should.

 

We, collectively, declare success and head for the dock.

 

“When do we need wind info at the NAV Table?”

The answer comes to us.  We need them on nights when we anchor and the weather is strong.  We take watches monitoring wind speed, gusts, direction and boat location.  In these situations an anchor can break loose,  You can find your boat in 100 meters of water and only 70 meters of chain to an anchor not touching ground or worse,  the keel is bouncing on the ground.  Changes in wind speed and/or direction break an anchor loose. 

 

We tell Hüseyin about the anchor watch issue and ask, “Can there be a toggle switch to connect wind data when needed?”  Hüseyin will ask.

There it is.

                                      2011 06 06 140 c.jpg

                                          The Wind Data Disconnect

 

Real Downer

Raymarine does not keep database for their technical people to report symptoms, problems and resolution. 

Fred                                        “Will you report this event to Raymarine?” 

The Raymarine manager     “No” 

Fred                                        “Surely other customers have or will have the same problem.  It would make your life easier if there was a database to consult.”

The Raymarine manager     “It could help, but it doesn’t exist”

 

 

 

A tight luff for windward,

Phyl and Fred

 

 

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