[Rhodes22-list] bob mellor - some information

[bobmellor]

dave..

thanks for the insight.  as i kind of figured, a somewhat nebulous process
that requires the faith exhibited by current owners on this board. (i must
say it is refreshing to learn there are still craftsmen out there that can
create that knd of following.)
keep me posted on what you may learn as the process moves along....

bob mellor
bethlehem, pa 

  
Woten wrote:
> 
> 
> Bob,
>  
> First, welcome to the Rhodes board.  One of the pluses of being a  Rhodes 
> owner, sailor, or wannabe is this hyperactive board.  My experience  is
> that if 
> you’ve got a question, on virtually anything, many Rhodes  owners/sailors
> out 
> there will have answers and/or opinions.  This  board offers a wealth of 
> information and great comradery.  I think  you’ve already figured that
> out.
>  
> Your questions regarding the refurbishment process and pricing resonate 
> with 
> me, we are trying to get delivery of a refurb boat now.  Elton (Stan’s  
> brother and the guy who does the deliveries) is suffering through his
> second  
> burned out boat trailer bearing somewhere in Ala.  As soon as he gets his 
> trailer 
> fixed and can get back to Edenton to get our boat, we’re next.   >From the 
> beginning of the buying process I’ve had questions as to how this  process
> works, 
> but I’ve pressed ahead given the very high regard people on this  board 
> have 
> for Stan - the unanimous consensus is “trust him, he’ll do the  right
> thing”. 
>   Here's what I think I understand.
>  
> WRT the refurb deal, it starts when Stan buys a boat.   Sometimes he may
> buy 
> a boat because he thinks he can refurb it and resell it  (i.e. no specific 
> customer), other times he may know he’s got one or more  prospective
> customers 
> waiting in the wings.  You’ve got to believe that if  anyone in this world
> can 
> spot a good used boat at a good price, it’s Stan.   I’m sure price he pays
> is 
> a function of the year, condition, and equipment on  the boat, and that
> price, 
> and his markup is a baseline for all that  follows.
>  
> I think Stan also has used boats that he doesn’t refurb - perhaps the
> right  
> client didn’t appear after he'd bought it, or perhaps there's a problem
> with  
> it.  You can buy one of those boats cheaper than a refurb, but with no  
> warranty.
>  
> Additionally, he may know of used boats available somewhere in the 
> country.  
> He may be entitled to a commission for this “brokerage” but he  doesn’t
> own 
> those boats.  Perhaps the owners wanted more $ than he was  willing to
> pay, or 
> perhaps he just didn’t have the clients, etc.  Again,  these boats aren’t 
> refubed - you’re really dealing with the owner, not  Stan.  You can also
> see 
> boats for sale mentioned on this board.
>  
> Regarding the refurbishment process, I’m not quite sure what the GBI 
> refurb 
> process is.  I know that if there is a working system on the boat,  it is
> not 
> replaced.  For example, our boat came with a set of sails that  were
> judged to 
> be OK, and an older GBI roller furler which was  working.  We could
> improve 
> those systems (i.e. new sails) but at a  cost - they amounted to mods.  I
> don't 
> think you automatically get new  sails, or new anything else, unless
> what’s 
> there is judged inadequate or  defective.  
>  
> It’s not clear to me that there is a xx-point check list of things that  
> happen when a boat is refurbed, but from my perspective what we’re buying
> is the  
> piece of mind that comes from presuming the boat has been thoroughly
> inspected 
>  and repaired as necessary and that it has the same warranty as a new
> boat.   
> If our refurb’d boat breaks, I am going to be one ticked off owner - it’s 
> cost a  lot more money to get a refurb than a used boat - but nothing I’ve
> seen 
> or read  has suggested it’s going to break, or that I will be in the least  
> disappointed.  From my perspective going the refurb route buys peace of 
> mind.  
> It's the next best thing to a brand new boat.
>  
> WRT refurb mods: You decide what mods you want and Stan will coordinate 
> with 
> you as to how feasible they are and what they mean.  As examples: 
>  
> - We’re getting an 89 hull and have asked for capt seats.  Stan  pointed
> out 
> that getting seats could be done, but to mount them on the gunwales  it
> would 
> be necessary to put on a new wider stern pulpit in addition to buying  and 
> putting in the seat post mounts - and that would affect the cost.  If  we
> had a 
> later model hull as a baseline, that larger stern pulpit might have  been 
> standard, and we'd only have to pay for the seat installation.  
> Alternatively, it’
> s possible to mount the post holders for the seats on blocks  that intrude 
> into the cockpit and disrupt cockpit seating (it’s an option, but  we
> didn't 
> pursue it and I don't think Stan recommends it).  Stan and his  colleagues
> were 
> very forthright in outlining the consequences of any mod you  request.  
>  
> - We’re getting a 2 battery layout, we didn’t particularly want one, it  
> turned out that way.  If you check the options list for a new boat you’ll 
> see 
> there is a cost for that, but it comes at no additional cost to us because 
> the 
> basic boat that Stan had bought already had 2 batteries.  Of course the 
> basic 
> price Stan paid for that hull notionally included  the depreciated  costs
> for 
> the 2nd battery layout, but this is an example where it would likely  cost
> us 
> $ to cut back to 1 batt.  The basic used boat Stan buys is really  your 
> baseline for any mods - you mod from that.  You may not have to mod at 
> all.
>  
> -  Stan gave us a price for new cushions, we visited Edenton and  decided 
> that some of the existing cushions that came with the boat would be fine 
> - but a 
> few should be added.  So the cushions didn’t cost as much  as they could
> have 
> - but they weren’t free because Stan had to buy a  few.
>  
> My point is, getting the refurb boat modified with the options you want is  
> an iterative process.  It starts with the used/refurb boat you’re getting 
> as 
> the baseline, not a blank sheet of paper.  You can’t just look down the 
> new 
> boat options list and say a specific option is going to cost $xx - it 
> depends 
> on the used boat hull and what’s there.  It’s an iterative process,  but
> Stan 
> and his staff will work with you.
> 
> Dave
>  
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
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> 
> 
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