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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:41 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:30 am
Posts: 366
Location: Abq, NM
One thing I will add to this equation is, if you save a few $$$ on the main block and sheet, you might be able to get the 6:1 downhaul. I got the parts from Ebay for less than $60.00 and will say, it is worth way more than that for ease of use. I have many times forgotten to set up the down haul before shoving off and doing it on the water is much nicer with the 6:1.

Have a great day.

Sam

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:44 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:08 am
Posts: 143
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Yup! I've got a ronstan downhaul. Can't wait to use it!

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:45 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:46 pm
Posts: 1457
Location: Santa Cruz
In the Hobie Catalog the price for the correct main block is $217 compared to Mauri which is $209 an $8 difference. Not a huge deal and if you told me their price I would match it. What you may not be calculating in is the shipping costs from several different suppliers. If you're ordering parts from a Hobie dealer anyway, why not have them add another bit, you'd save the $8 it would cost to have it shipped from different sources.

One other thing to think about. What is our expertise worth? We answer questions on-line, via email, help rig boats in the parkinglot and spend countless hours on the phone. That's got to be worth something??

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:15 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:30 am
Posts: 366
Location: Abq, NM
I have no doubt, that I could learn a fair bit from you about hobies and sailing in general. In fact, I probably have learned more than a couple of things from your posts. I am also quite sure I will be learning more from you and others here after I get my H18 in 2 weeks YEAAAAA Team Scratch-N-Sniff. I never did get the 17 I was looking at, but that may be a good thing anyway.

I am also sure that had I never tried a ratchmatic block, I would not know the difference between the setups. The ratchmatic is a great block and well worth the extra $$$ and I believe it is class legal as well. After playing with both rigs(older tripple blocks and mine), I feel mine will sheet tighter (even with the upper snap shackle) and weights a small amount less (Switftcord seems to be very light). Another plus (to me) is not having to switch the ratchet on and off.

Now, looking at the newer catalog, I notice that you are using a 40mm instead of the 57mm that I have, that could make a bit of difference. So, why not go to a 40mm lower and get an even lower profile? Are the load too high?

There have been more than a few times I wish I could walk into a dealers and look around. We are very fortunate to have PreSailed Parts here in Abq. However, he is not a store front. He does make himself available on fairly short notice but does not stock many new parts not that I really need new parts. I have bought several items from him and all get a fair deal.

Being self employed, I do everything I can to keep it local. Sometimes though it just does not make sense.

Just rambling.

Sam

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 6:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:18 am
Posts: 778
Location: Virginia Beach VA
I'm all for supporting your local dealer but until recently my "local" dealer was 60 miles away in North Carolina and would never bother to mail me my parts or even tell me they were received. My previous local dealer carried some stock, was literally right around the corner but never opened in the evenings or weekends for some reason (apparently the reason he chaptered out). My new local dealer also carries no stock. I would have to drive six miles to his "store", place the order, drive six miles home, wait two weeks and then one more round trip to pick up the part. In the Internet age, who in their right mind would put up with any of this? Two or three orders and the season is over! Can't understand why Hobie doesn't join the 21st (or even 20th) century and put their parts catalog online. They could still have their local dealers distribute the parts. Without Murray's I'd still be jetskiing.


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:24 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:00 pm
Posts: 560
Location: Charlottesville, VA
I'm sure you have more experience with him than I do, but that same NC dealer has been great for me. In the last few years I've only done Hobie stuff once per year which is when we go to OBX on vacation. Last year I ended up going down without trap lines because PowderSkiUtah or whoever sold me stuff that he didn't actually have and couldn't deliver before I left. KHWS had the lines in stock, got me a harness the next day from Norfolk, and gave me a life jacket to use. This year I was even less organized and called them from the car on the way there; they placed an overnight order to HC for all sorts of stuff I wanted, called me the next day when it didn't arrive on time, and then offered to eat the shipping cost because I paid for overnight that didn't happen. They also gave me some line for a mainsheet.

I'm in the motorcycle business and there's a lot of back and forth about mom&pop shops vs. megadealers. Each has a potential advantage. KHWS isn't a big place and they aren't an exclusively Hobie place (is anyone?) but they've been really helpful to me in my very limited experience with the Hobie world.

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:18 am
Posts: 778
Location: Virginia Beach VA
All I'm saying is that Hobie seems to have a business model from the seventies. They should have a system like West Marine, Sears or Walmart where you can order parts online and they appear in a reasonable amount of time at your local dealer without a load of shipping charges. I would happily drive to my local Hobie store to pick up parts. If I have to pay $9 shipping and handling for a $7 drain plug though, I want it delivered to my door.


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 6:13 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Quote:
They should have a system like West Marine, Sears or Walmart where you can order parts online and they appear in a reasonable amount of time at your local dealer without a load of shipping charges.


West Marine, Sears, & Walmart are all RETAILERS not MANUFACTURERS. Hobie's job is to build the products - their dealer's job is to sell it. I'm sure Hobie (understandably) doesn't want to deal with mail order retail. Particularly with specialized components like sailboat parts. For example, going online and buying a book from amazon.com is a lot different than buying say an upper rudder gugeon for a Hobie 16. That's the whole reason that they have a dealer network- so Hobie can focus on production and let their dealers handle the retail end of things. Just like if you needed a part for your car, you wouldn't expect to place the order through the car manufacturer's website, you'd go through your local car dealer.

All the Hobie dealers that I've worked with will let me place orders by email or over the phone and in many cases, I've been able to have the parts drop shipped directly to my house.

sm


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:16 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:00 pm
Posts: 560
Location: Charlottesville, VA
sunvista wrote:
All I'm saying is that Hobie seems to have a business model from the seventies. ...


Well, you pointed out some performance of a retailer that you found substandard. Which is fine, I think the existing business model (which is still pretty popular among small companies) can have good dealers and lackluster ones. BMW motorcycles (my field) works that way and we have some dealers who do tons of mail order, some who don't have much of an online presence, some who have great customer service and some who don't. Some have a shop full of good certified techs and some can hardly hang on to employees at all. The well-known ones hold onsite and offsite events, advertise, have great staff, make intelligent inventory decisions, etc. It's good business.

Some of it involves major capitalization, especially once you get big enough that the manufacturer wants you to upgrade the facility to suit their corporate image, but stuff like not returning phone calls can be fixed very inexpensively no matter what level you're operating at.

I guess all I'm saying is that the existing model doesn't preclude great service from a dealer.

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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:17 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:46 pm
Posts: 1457
Location: Santa Cruz
sunvista wrote:
My new local dealer also carries no stock. I would have to drive six miles to his "store", place the order, drive six miles home, wait two weeks and then one more round trip to pick up the part. Without Murray's I'd still be jetskiing.


Why don't you communicate with him and tell him what you need? All Hobie parts that Murays sells come from a Hobie dealer, they don't buy factory direct, so we do ship too, all day long. I would talk to your local guy, tell him what you need and see if he can match it. The marine industry is brutal here in the U.S. as is indicated by your statement that the last guy 'chaptered out'. Why do you think that was?

Quote:
Can't understand why Hobie doesn't join the 21st (or even 20th) century and put their parts catalog online. They could still have their local dealers distribute the parts.


Have your local guy dropship from the factory if he doesn't have items in stock. Easy. Sounds to me like you haven't even expressed this to the guy.

sunvista wrote:
They should have a system like West Marine, Sears or Walmart...


Go into big marine store and ask for an anchor pin and see what happens. Ask them for a drain plug, ask them for anything and see what you get. The people working the registers usually have very limited boating experience. I'm not putting them down, I'm simply illustrating that there are many more complaints toward the WalMart model than there is toward the small distributoship model that Hobie uses. Could we do better? Absolutely! Let us know how. Secondly, Hobie dealers don't do a billion dollars worth of business every day, your suggestion would make the company broke in about 2 days... just like Sears, and West Marine.

Let me tell a little story about a large marine retailer that I used to work for. The reason that a lot of boat parts are so expensive is that the business model for this large marine store early-on was to take out the mom and pops chandelries in order to dominate the market. They did it by buying bulk, paying their workers the absolute minimum, telling the manufacturers what they were willing to pay for products, and off-shoring to China. Once the mom ans pops stores were gone they cranked up the prices, sometimes over %500 percent over retail. I saw it happen with my own eyes. Same way with Starbucks and the small coffee shop and WalMart and the local Grocer. Now with a virtual monopoly in the business, you as the consumer are paying their inflated prices every time you walk into their store, and customer service is almost non existent.

Give the small guy a little love. You hear a lot of talk about giving the small business tax breaks and all of this...No, just shop there. That will help a lot!

J


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:42 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:46 pm
Posts: 1457
Location: Santa Cruz
srm wrote:
Quote:
They should have a system like West Marine, Sears or Walmart where you can order parts online and they appear in a reasonable amount of time at your local dealer without a load of shipping charges.


West Marine, Sears, & Walmart are all RETAILERS not MANUFACTURERS. Hobie's job is to build the products - their dealer's job is to sell it. I'm sure Hobie (understandably) doesn't want to deal with mail order retail. Particularly with specialized components like sailboat parts. For example, going online and buying a book from amazon.com is a lot different than buying say an upper rudder gugeon for a Hobie 16. That's the whole reason that they have a dealer network- so Hobie can focus on production and let their dealers handle the retail end of things. Just like if you needed a part for your car, you wouldn't expect to place the order through the car manufacturer's website, you'd go through your local car dealer.

sm


Brilliant! Thanks SM.

j


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:28 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:18 am
Posts: 778
Location: Virginia Beach VA
Well you guys are right about one thing; I haven't given the new guy a chance mainly because the previous two were dismal failures and I have since made do online with Murray's and eBay. I usually have a long list of stuff created over the winter. If the new guy is still around in the spring maybe I'll test the Hobie waters again... as long as he doesn't tell me everything is "special order" (because he has no inventory) and jack me up with extra handling fees.


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:48 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:46 pm
Posts: 1457
Location: Santa Cruz
Right on!

And just tell him exactly what you said here.

J


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:10 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:35 pm
Posts: 626
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Hey Sunvista, Is the new guy still around?


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 Post subject: Re: Mainsheet block
PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:53 am 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:08 am
Posts: 215
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
My dealer is a four hour drive away and that includes a $40 dollar bridge fare to get off the Island.

However, I have to say that my dealer has been great. His delivery charge for the two boats I have purchased from him were so close to what it would cost me to make the drive, that I consider it more than fair. We also did a parts swap on a sail and we cross shipped via a bus service to keep the price down. I'm pretty happy so far.


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