[Rhodes22-list] Paying Stan (GB) for his knowlege on solarpanels

[Alan Robertson]

Well said Stan!!
Dr. Alan Robertson
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: stan<mailto:stan at rhodes22.com> 
  To: The Rhodes 22 mail list<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 1:31 PM
  Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Paying Stan (GB) for his knowlege on solarpanels


  Michael,

      Your kind words prompt me to take the time to help you a bit further 
  with the Triad issue:

      If you are not in business I suppose I should not find it so hard to see 
  why you feel it is proper for a sub-contractor to be the one to set the 
  retail price instead of the prime contractor.  I just took it for granted 
  that everyone understands that it is the ultimate seller that sets the 
  selling price, not the various suppliers.  If it were otherwise you could 
  have bought a Rhodes from us based on a price set by sub contractor Columbia 
  Fiberglass, also in CT, when they built boats for us.  Why doesn't it work 
  that way in the world of business?   Because the sub-contractor does not 
  know what the ultimate cost really is.  The sub-contractor has covered his 
  cost and profit but has he then also covered the sellers costs: freight, the 
  cost of handling and hoists, assembling, repairing manufacturing faults to 
  say nothing about the costs of creating a market (showing at boat shows, 
  printing promotional materials, mailings, phone calls questions) or 
  promotional discounts already accounted for within package sales pricing?

      But this is just the obvious.  You seem to also raise the question why 
  shouldn't the sub-contractor have the right to also sell the product?    And 
  in fact, Columbia Fiberglass also woke up one morning and unilaterally 
  decide why shouldn't they have the right to also sell our boat direct.  A 
  federal court corrected them.

      Triad did not decide one day to design and build a trailer for Rhodes 
  sailboats and then ask us if we would like to be one of their customers. 
  They did not stand in the water in the middle of the night at the Hollywood, 
  FL boat ramp to work out a new kind of trailer design that would make 
  launching and retrieving a Rhodes easier than was possible with their 
  trailers.  They did not overturn the conventional wisdom of pulling up the 
  center board before getting onto a trailer to lowering the board before 
  going on the trailer and then redesign trailers to accommodate this obverse 
  thinking.   We handed Triad our ideas on a platter as a gift in exchange for 
  their building a trailer to our design at the best price they could.  Triad 
  are not sailors.  Triad has never used a Rhodes trailer.  Triad has no 
  ongoing program that keeps fine tuning the design for things like adjusting 
  the axle location as the weight of the Rhodes has varied over the years - we 
  do that.
      We helped the two Triad founders (now both deceased) get started with 
  our design help and our cash orders.  New management understood our business 
  relationship and followed the policy of simply turning all inquires over to 
  us to process.  An apparently expanded management has, without consultation, 
  decided they would now not only set the price the trailer should be sold for 
  to our buyers but also is now deciding what our profit should be  - all with 
  no knowledge of our long term, immediate or ongoing costs in selling these 
  trailers; an amateurish business decision that now published to our future 
  buyers would force us to sell a product at a price that does not cover our 
  cost.   You would be mad at us for letting such treatment by 
  sub-contractors, close our doors.  We would be labeled poor business people 
  if we did not get off our butt and find other contractors willing to play by 
  business rules.  And, if we did elect to stay with Triad's altered business 
  relationship and calm ourselves by hereinafter considering our selling the 
  Triad trailer as a loss leader, we certainly would no longer be motivated to 
  keep wondering how we can make "their" Rhodes trailers even better.

      Michael, I can go on pointing out many other business element supports 
  for our position but I think you may be beginning to get the idea and it is 
  2 AM and I have other projects to get to that will more directly help meet 
  his week's payroll.

  ss

  PS:  Rose has hit the send button with a vengeance.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Michael D. Weisner" <mweisner at ebsmed.com<mailto:mweisner at ebsmed.com>>
  To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>>
  Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 4:04 PM
  Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Paying Stan (GB) for his knowlege on solar panels


  > While I may at times disagree with Stan regarding certain aspects of
  > business (Triad Trailers), I applaud the 2 posts (reproduced below) by 
  > Stan
  > regarding solar power on your R22.  Please buy your solar panels from GB
  > (and have him install them if possible), in an effort to repay him for 
  > these
  > invaluable gems.
  >
  > For those who have never had to fish wires through the space on top of and
  > around the cabin, the knowledge of removing windows to access the cabin
  > headliner space for wiring is truly worth its weight in gold.  When
  > replacing the windows, don't forget to properly clean and reseal them to 
  > the
  > deck.  In addition, knowing to mount the solar panels on a stainless 
  > plate,
  > off the deck (air below for cooling), will add years of life to your
  > installation.
  >
  > Sometimes, the very small details are the most important, especially those
  > learned through expensive experience.  Thanks again, Stan.
  >
  > Mike
  > s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
  > Nissequogue River, NY
  >
  > From: "stan" stan at rhodes22.com<mailto:stan at rhodes22.com> Monday, July 09, 2007
  >
  > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Solar Panel Wiring
  > take out a side window and you can fish thru the air space between the
  > headliner and cabin wall.
  > ss
  >
  > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Solar Panel size
  > we have 10 watt panels that fit on the cabin tops next to the pt opening -
  > we sell them as a kit with diodes and mounting strips to allow air under 
  > the
  > stainless steel base plate.
  > ss
  >
  >
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