CARVER
OWNERS CLUB
|
|
CARVER
OWNERS CLUB
|
|
August/September 2006
|
||||||
|
||||||
Stories |
||||||
|
Towing Services We heard from a member after July's story about TowBoat/US. The member told us that TowBoat/US denied his claim for towing because, "TowBoat/US unlimited towing policy only applies to mechanical failures and soft ungroundings." The member was quite surprised at this interpretation placed on "unlimited" towing. The member contacted TowBoat/US to ask for a copy of the contract he signed where this limitation was defined. The customer service rep at TowBoat/US said that a signed contract did not exist, but the policy limitations were posted on their web site. The TowBoat/US web site says nothing about being limited to mechanical failures, although soft ungroundings are mentioned. A TowBoat/US captain told us that he took a vessel under tow during a major storm. He did not file a claim with TowBoat/US because the boat owner did not have a mechanical failure. The boat owner anchored his boat in a "hurricane hole" to avoid the storm, chafed through the anchor line, and was unable to make way through the storm. The TowBoat/US captain told us that the owner was not covered under these conditions. I will reconsider whether or not to renew my "unlimited" towing service, increase my insurance carrier's towing coverage, or do both to avoid a costly surprise.
|
||||||
|
The Rendezvous is a great place to trade experiences and tips. One member was on a week-long cruise when his forward air conditioner showed an unsafe pressure condition. Not a problem - he had two other, perfectly good air conditioners to keep his boat cool over the July 4th weekend. The next day, he pulled into the next marina, began setting up his air conditioners when the salon air conditioner showed unsafe pressure, then his aft air conditioner. Here he was on the Fourth of July, swelteringly hot, in a marina, with NO air conditioning. He was not happy. The next day brought a mechanic who promptly opened the seacock strainer and saw a piece of plastic sheeting stuck behind the strainer. Despite the mechanic's best effort, the plastic sheeting could not be moved or removed. Time for a short haul out. That was arranged. The boat was hauled, revealing a large, plastic sheet, something like what is used in construction, stuck to the bottom of the boat. The mechanic simply tugged at the plastic and it fell off - problem solved.
|
||||||
|
Cleaning Tips Woolite OxyDeep spray on cleaner, found in most grocery stores, does a great job in removing stains immediately on fabrics, such as carpets, upholstery, curtains, and bedspreads. It removed a nasty rust stain from the back deck Berber carpet very well. Other members report that the Mr. Clean eraser does a nice job of removing dirt and stains from upholstery, especially white.
|
||||||
|
Dave's Silly Tips I keep a pack of clothes pins on board to secure chart pages, small lines, papers, and any number of different things. I keep a few on the bridge and a few below. Of course, one can also use clothes pins to hang up clothes, too.
|
||||||
|
Problems with
Frameless Windows
Another member found that his frameless windows were leaking when he bought the boat from a broker. He had the boatyard make the repairs and did not contact Carver for reimbursement. An expert on windows said that the early windows were not properly installed by Carver as they were learning how to install the windows. The expert went on to say that Carver probably led the industry now in good frameless window installation. |
||||||
|
Newsletter News Robert Janger, a member in Baltimore, is our newest editorial contributor to the newsletter. Most of his articles will focus on the business of boating. His article this month is titled, "Such a Deal" and offers helpful hints to save money while boating. One of Robert's strategies is to buy a new boat each year that is full of fuel. Robert can be reached at pressman@carverownersclub.com. You can read his article by clicking here.
|
||||||
| Featured Boat
This month's featured boat is a boat that has been featured in the Carver owners magazine and on the Club web site. Click here for more information. http://www.carverownersclub.com/boatSales/detail.php?boatAd=196. |
||||||
|
Discounts Available Several members have ordered the cruising guide, Managing the Waterway, and did not receive the offered 20% discount. If you ordered the guide and did not get the discount, contact webdude@carverownersclub.com, along with your emailed receipt and we'll try to get a $5.00 refund. Sorry for the inconvenience.
|
||||||