|
| [KensOtherBlog] Some pictures I thought were pretty interesting |
01/20/2010 |
Greetings all!
I just thought I’d pass along a link to some pictures that I found quite interesting…
During our voyage to Japan, one of the boats, Seabird, noted that their transmission and PTO (the hydraulic pump that is driven by the main engine) seemed to be running warm. Steven Argosy, Seabird’s owner, had the transmission inspected, in Japan, and decided that a rebuild was warranted. I forget how many miles Seabird has run, but it is a huge number.
Steven was able to find a great outfit to do the work, and last week Seabird’s transmission was pulled from the boat. When Steven first mentioned the work, I was surprised by two things: 1) That he was able to get the work done in Japan, without him there, and 2) that a transmission can be replaced without hauling-out the boat.
I enjoyed studying the full sequence of pictures. It is impressive to see how they protected the boat’s interior, and the frame they had to construct to get the transmission out of the boat. To see the pictures (about 30 of them), click this link:
http://www.kensotherblog.com/aspx/m/628740
And, on a different topic…
Trip planning is continuing. As I mentioned in my last update, Roberta and I have failed in our efforts to get our dog approved for entry into Korea, China (Hong Kong) and Taiwan. Instead, out latest plan is to have Shelby (the dog) accompany us on the Japanese portion of our trip, and then stay behind, in Japan, while we continue to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Even this has been tricky. We have a friend (Phil, who some of you may remember as our chef on the Atlantic crossing) who will be going to Japan to watch Shelby for the two months it takes us to finish the trip. We need to find him an apartment in Japan that is furnished, and will accept dogs. We’ll figure it out, but it is being a project.
I also noticed this morning that Japan Airlines filed bankruptcy and is shutting down most of their big planes, in order to focus on short commuter flights. We used Japan Airlines to transport Shelby from Osaka to Hawaii, and this might affect our plans for getting her back to Japan. Argh. I’ll figure it out, but this means another project on my plate…
And, lastly…
We’ll be sending, next week, an entire shipping container to Japan, containing replacement parts for the three GSSR boats. Prior to departing Japan I put together a list of maintenance items for my boat. Sans Souci was in fine condition and could have kept going just fine, but with a boat, there is always something to do. I want to be pro-active and replace all belts, hoses and anything else that might fail. I hadn’t realized how large shipping containers are, and the container will be mostly empty, but there are a few big items. For instance, I’m swapping ALL of the toilets on the boat. The toilets on my boat were a new model and have failed more frequently than they should. I’m also shipping replacement batteries, and also some boat tools, that I thought would be hard to find in Japan. I had also planned to ship a complete set of replacement parts for my Mini Vsat (Internet) system, but hit a surprise with the shipper. Shipping satellite communications equipment is apparently a no-no. Another project to figure out.
That’s it for today. Overall, things are going fine with trip planning, and I’m looking forward to being back on the boat (in April)!
-Ken Williams
N6805, Sans Souci
www.kensblog.com
www.kensotherblog.com
Books: http://www.lulu.com/kenw
|
| |
| < Older Entry |
Newer Entry > |
| |
|
|
|
| Posted by Chris Hallock on Jan 20, 2010, 08:22 PM EST |
Ken,
You would think with the "Worldwide" service that they state all over the website one could get help. Have you had it fixed by KVH already, or are you going to do it? According to the website, which I am sure that you checked already:
KVH Distributor(s) in Area
Kaigai Gijyutsu K.K.
M. Arai
2-5-15, Ogi-cho
Naka-ku
Yokohama
Japan
Phone: +81 45 664 7318
Fax: +81 45 664 7320
Email: ma@kgkjp.com
KVH Representative(s) in Area
KVH Europe A/S
Kokkedal Industripark 2B
Kokkedal DK-2980
Denmark
Phone: +45 45160180
Fax: +45 45 160181
Email: info@kvh.dk
I would think that I would sure press them hard to find a solution, or to at least import the replacement parts into Japan. Surely other ships / vessels have had problems when in Japan and needed to get parts to them. For the amount of money you are spending with them, they should be bending over backwards for you. The plus is that I would also make sure that you don't pay duties on the stuff you are shipping over there, as it will be removed from the country. I would check with your freight importer to make sure that if you have to pay duties, that they can be recovered once you leave. |
| |
| Posted by Ken Williams on Jan 20, 2010, 01:11 PM EST |
Chris:
I tried that, and apparently KVH doesn't have a partner company in Japan. This doesn't make sense to me. KVH did give me numbers for a couple of companies that sell a subset of their products in Japan, but one of the companies was out of business, and the other claimed not to have a relationship with KVH.
The problem with shipping communications gear caught me by surprise. My current plan is to breakdown the parts into those that can be shipped, and those that can't. For instance, there is no restriction on the mechanical parts, like the spare belts. The brain, I'll take with me in a box, and hope that it isn't controversial.
If all else fails, I'll call KVH and push them hard. My guess is that they'll have a solution for me. I haven't contacted them about this since the first problems.
-Ken W |
| |
| Posted by Chris Hallock on Jan 20, 2010, 12:43 PM EST |
Hey Ken,
Could you just purchase “spares” from a KVH office in Japan or dealer there for the vsat, or let KVH handle the exporting / importing into Japan? I am sure they are setup to get parts back and forth with the correct freight forwarder. Just a thought. Normally with proper documentation if the parts leave with you, you won’t be on the hook for import taxes or fees.
Thanks,
Chris |
| |
|
|
|
|
|