Warranty Woes

Woo hoo! Hello icecream! It’s only taken 6 months, but we’ve finally got a working freezer unit back on our catamaran, Sea Goddess. But the path to all manner of frozen goodies was not smooth, as has been our experience thus far its one step forward and two steps back.  

This blog has a bit of background, so for those of you who are unfamiliar with the freezer saga click here http://seagoddessadventures.com/warranty-woes-vitrifrigo-freezers/

Some of you may recall that a replacement thermostat was delivered to us on 17^th January 2020 and we squirreled this safely away while we considered options to divert rainwater from the bimini and helm station toward the port deck. To date when it rained water would flow unchecked from the bimini, into the helm station and either flow down the front of the freezer unit into the cockpit, or onto the locker seat located behind the helm. So, there was really no point in replacing the faulty freezer thermostat and placing the freezer back into its usual position until the rainwater issue was addressed.

We tossed around several ideas and considered the following:

• It had to be safe.
• It couldn’t encroach on ease of movement from the cockpit to the helm station (via pre-existing stairs).
• It had to have some degree of flexibility.
• It had to look good, not ugly or bulky.
• It had to be cost effective.

Initially we thought tempered glass which would sit behind the stairs leading to the bimini, a bit like a splashback. But tempered glass wouldn’t provide the flexibility we needed so we moved to perspex. Then how would we fix it in place? We have a great relationship with the manager at Gateway Marine who suggested we use teak moulding in an L-shape, rout a section out of the top and silicon the perspex into the teak. For the top we re-used the aluminium track previously used to fit a piece of rectangular Sunbrella cloth which spanned the space from above the freezers to the cockpit ceiling. Essentially the perspex, though larger, would in effect replace the shade cloth. 

Gateway Marine supplied and routed the teak moulding, and Peter sourced the perspex from a local business here in Brisbane. We chose a grey colour for the perspex since this married well with the windows of the sliding doors leading into the saloon. The colour will also help reduce sun glare from the helm station into the cockpit as well. Peter spent the weekend fixing the teak moulding, track and Perspex into place.  He also filled, sanded and polished the holes in the fibreglass caused by the removal of the Sunbrella cloth press studs and tracks. It looks awesome, and fits seamlessly with its surrounds, everything we had hoped for.

Then we turned our attention to the freezer and the moment of truth had arrived. Would the replacement thermostat give us the fix we were looking for? Unfortunately, what we discovered was that the wrong thermostat had been delivered to us. UGH! Quite frankly we were so disappointed and annoyed by this. Note to self – check all replacement parts for correctness on delivery, make no assumptions. We immediately emailed the warranty representative at Wind Craft Australia requesting that a correct replacement thermostat be urgently sourced. Initially there was some concern regarding supply since the local distributor did not have a thermostat in stock and was unable to get one from the factory in Italy or from other suppliers in France. Luckily for us he was able to source the correct thermostat via an agent online. 

So, the thermostat arrived which Peter installed, and immediately lights came on and the unit started to hum. Success, yes!! We manouvered and lifted the unit back into position, ensuring that wiring and the water outlet hose were kink free and not impeded in any way. Cleaned and polished the drawers on the inside and outside, then slide them into place. Then it was time to go shopping, and even though our purchases were restricted due to the COVID-19 craziness, we managed to purchase most of the items on our ‘favourites’ list. So happy days, icecream is on the menu once again at Sea Goddess.

Here we go again, another warranty issue and another company ducking and weaving to avoid paying for repairs.

For those of you who are new to our story, we purchased and took possession of a new Lagoon 42 catamaran on 6^th July 2019 in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. Over the ensuing months we sailed the catamaran to Brisbane Australia, arriving on the 14^th December 2019. The issue with the sail-drive first came to light on the 3^rd October 2019 while in Panama. On routine check of the starboard engine Peter noted that the oil was milky indicating ingress of water. (Starboard engine hours at this time were 371.5 hours). In response he pumped out and replaced the oil, and for the remainder of our voyage there was no indication of water ingress into the sail-drive. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the issue.

Following a day sail on Australia Day (26^th January 2020), when conducting a routine engine check, Peter noticed that the oil in the sail-drive had turned milky once again. In response, we initiated a warranty process via email with Wind Craft Australia, the warranty agent for Lagoon in Australia. Wind Craft organised a diver to check the sail drive (underneath the boat) for any fishing line, plastic bags or other debris that may have become entangled around the sail drive. This was a quick process and he was able to confirm that there was no sign of any lines, wire or other debris. 

As the warranty for the engine including the sail drive rested with Yanmar, Wind Craft advised us to contact a marine diesel mechanic and not to use the starboard engine, which meant we were stuck on the dock until the issue was resolved. Not something we wanted to do long term, so we moved forward as quickly as we could. We arranged for Sea Goddess to be hauled out in February 2020, which was necessary in order for the sail-drive issue to be investigated and any repairs conducted. 

The sail-drive was subsequently inspected at that time and the mechanic found no evidence of fishing line or rope ever being wrapped around the propeller, and that the likely cause of the water ingress was due to a calcium build up on the shaft underneath the seal which indicated that water was seeping through the seal. At our request he also checked the seals on the port engine which did not have a water ingress issue, however a similar build-up of calcium was found. (Again, there was no evidence of fishing line or rope having wrapped around the port engine propeller shaft). He then proceeded to polish the shafts of both engines and replace the seals. In terms of identifying and resolving the sail drive problem, so far so good.

However, we hit a glitch regarding our warranty claim for costs associated with the sail drive inspection and repair. Warranty claims are lodged with the Australian Yanmar distributor. In our telephone discussion with the Queensland representative regarding our warranty claim, he stated that there could have been fishing line or rope around the propellers, and as such he would not support our warranty claim. This statement directly contradicted the mechanic’s assessment of the propellers and that of the diver arranged by Wind Craft. When Peter raised this, he changed tack and started talking about engine hours as being the issue. 

In relation to engine hours there is no mention of an hour’s limit on sail-drive usage for the recreational use of the vessel. Section 4 and 5 of the Yanmar Marine Products Limited Warranty Handbook, provided to us at handover of the catamaran, only mentions that the warranty is subject to time. With respect to comments regarding the possibility of fishing line and rope around the propeller, in our view it was unreasonable for the Yanmar representative to arrive at such a conclusion since he had no direct involvement in the investigation or sail-drive repair process.

We considered our options and decided to escalate the warranty claim by lodging a formal written complaint with the Yanmar Asia-Pacific office based in Singapore. Apart from our concerns regarding the management of our warranty claim, we were seeking warranty compensation for the repair to the starboard sail-drive, marina cleaning and environmental levies as well as a contribution to the boat haul out fees, totalling $1,170AUD. The letter of complaint was posted on the 14^th March 2020 with no response as yet. We will keep you posted if and when we receive one. 

Update 16th April 2020

Still no reply from the Yanmar Asia-Pacific office regarding our sail drive repair experience or compensation, so Sandra rang the Singapore office at different times of the day to speak to someone. It was a bit concerning to get a pre-recorded message each time stating that the Customer Service Department was unavailable. Changing tack, she did find the contact email address of an actual person on the Singapore office website, and duly sent off an email with the original letter of complaint attached. Fingers crossed we get a response soon.

Update 18th May 2020

Since our last post, our formal complaint has been escalated to a Customer Service representative at Yanmar Marine International, based in the Netherlands. We have had two emails from this representative requesting all relevant documentation and a detailed chronological account of ‘our story’, both of which we have forwarded.  Since then …… silence. We are not giving up and we are not going away, follow up planned for the end of this month.

Update 10th June 2020

We have recently been notified by Yanmar Marine that our warranty claim will not be upheld because the last engine service was conducted by Peter. To date, Yanmar representatives have provided three different reasons for rejecting our warranty claim as follows:

Initially we were told by an Australian based Yanmar agent representative that the warranty claim would not be upheld as it could not be established that fishing line or the like was the cause of the sail drive issue. When we pointed out that both the diver engaged by Wind Craft Australia, and the mechanic clearly discounted any evidence of such fishing line, plastic etc., the representative, having no direct involvement in the inspection or repair of the sail drive, then moved onto another reason for discounting our warranty claim. The next reason put forward and supported by the mechanic was that the engine had done too many hours, and this was the reason that the warranty claim could not be upheld. We pointed out that there is no reference to ‘engine hours’ as a criterion within the Yanmar warranty information.

Now we have yet another reason why the warranty claim cannot be upheld, that is the previous engine service was not completed by a Yanmar agent/dealer.  We attempted to engage a Yanmar dealer/agent to service the engines in Le Marin (Martinique) and Panama City (Panama). In both instances the agent/dealer did not have capacity to undertake the work in a reasonable time frame i.e. a 2 week wait or longer.  Such a delay would have significantly impacted on our travel schedule. Furthermore, we did not wish to traverse the Panama City to Tahiti sail, our longest passage, without completing a service on both engines so Peter completed this using his knowledge of diesel engines and the required engine oil and parts. We also note that the issue with the sail drive was on the propeller shaft under the front seal, which had a calcium build up, which would have occurred whether the engine was serviced on time or not and by a Yanmar agent or not, as the seals would not normally be replaced when performing a service in the water. We provided Yanmar with this explanation, obviously to no avail. Rather than compensating us for financial costs associated with sail drive repairs ($1,170.70AUD) Yanmar Marine International in conjunction with the Australian distributor have offered to supply a service kit to us as a ‘commercial gesture’. We are currently seeking further advice in relation to this matter, and as such will not be providing any further updates to this post.

Our advice to any yachties out there, and particularly boat owners with equipment under warranty, is to heed the warnings inherent in this post, keep records of any equipment issues even if these issues appear to resolve in the short term, and make sure you understand the criteria and limitations of equipment warranties.

Day 20 another day another equipment failure during our voyage across the Pacific, the Onan generator wouldn’t start. This was a significant issue since the generator was used primarily to charge the batteries which in turn supplied power to all the onboard electronics including navigation, lighting and so on. Peter completed a number of checks but couldn’t identify the source of the problem. Yet another email was logged with The Multihull Group (TMG) and Windcraft (TMG’s warranty arm). In the meantime, we had to run the engines to charge the batteries which increased the running hours of the engines and also impacted on overall fuel consumption. The latter we carefully monitored and we conducted fuel consumption modelling to get an overall picture of fuel usage, and calculate the remaining distance we could travel under power. We ran each engine separately, for around 5 hours each day, to charge the batteries.

As was the usual response from Windcraft, they wanted photos which we sent through via IridiumGo email. Subsequently, Windcraft contacted the Tahiti Crew, http://tahiticrew.com/, who arranged for a technician to look at the generator the day after our arrival in Papeete. The technicians identified that the cable from the battery charger to the battery had not been attached correctly. As a result the battery for the generator was not being charged and over time the battery had discharged below its critical levels and failed. We tested this by using the starboard engine starter battery to successfully start the generator, so we knew the generator wasn’t the problem. Subsequently, we ordered a new battery which arrived the next day and was installed by Peter. 

Our next challenge was the warranty claim, as we had to pay for the technicians and the battery prior to leaving Papeete (Tahiti). We forwarded both the invoices and evidence of payment onto Windcraft for reimbursement, only to be told that Lagoon was querying the claim as it was ‘expensive’.  Yes we know how expensive it was, we were the ones who parted with the money!  Lagoon also asked for photographs to be sent at this time, which was firstly annoying since these had already been sent to Windcraft and secondly a bit late since the issue had already been fixed.  In our view and that of the technicians, the battery charger had not been connected properly when installed in the factory, and this caused the battery to fail.  It is now the end of February 2020, and we have had no further correspondence from Windcraft or Lagoon in relation to this matter or reimbursement of monies paid. It’s now well and truly time to be proactive and get some action happening.  Stay tuned for the next instalment. 

18th May 2020

We are pleased to report that there appears to be some traction on reimbursement of personal monies paid for this warranty issue. No money in the bank as yet but positive dialogue is happening which in our view is a huge step forward.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote the famous poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and in part the poem goes:

‘Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink’.

And so it was on the 15^th October that this became our reality. Seven days after departing Panama City and sailing the Pacific Ocean, on our way to the Marquesas, the water maker stopped working without any prior warning. The water it produced was used for cooking, washing and supplemented the bottled drinking water we had onboard. A serious concern given the distance to our destination.

In some respects, we were extremely lucky that over the years Peter has gained a range of technical knowledge and skills, he’s the consummate ‘all rounder’ and can turn his hand to most things. In this instance he went straight into problem solving mode, first stop was the manual. There was lots of information here regarding installation but in terms of troubleshooting the manual was useless. So working through possible solutions, a manual flush of the unit was the first possible fix but he had no joy there. Next stop the filters.  Peter had cleaned the three intake filters while we were in Panama City but just on the off chance that the filters were the issue, he replaced these with new filters we had purchased as spares. Still no good, the unit was dead as a door nail. He then emailed The Multihull Group warranty division (Windcraft) via IridiumGo, and also emailed the manufacturer via the contact details in the manual. 

At this point we had 280 litres of bottled drinking water onboard and the water tank was ¾ full. Given these circumstances Peter made the call to alter course and divert to the Galapagos Islands to obtain additional water supplies. Water rationing was also instigated, 10 litres of bottled drinking water per day (2.5 litres per person) plus 5 litres of tank water per person every 4 days for personal use. We washed dishes with salt water once a day, and used 1-2 litres of tank water to rinse them off. The water pump was disconnected to ensure rationing was adhered to by all crew, and to the best of our ability all onboard water was conserved. 

We had no response from the manufacturer to our email requesting assistance. Windcraft finally responded stating that they had received a reply from the manufacturer asking us to provide details of the water maker settings, make, serial number and photos of the unit. Following submission of these details the manufacturer requested us to ‘hit’ the robo boost with a wooden or plastic mallet!  The idea being that this may free up a stuck valve (that in normal operations remains open).  Peter did this with some trepidation as we were concerned that in doing so he could create additional problems.  But at the end of the day hitting it did not work. 

The next correspondence we received from Windcraft advised that they would arrange for someone to look at the unit when we arrived in Tahiti. Unfortunately, the agent for the water maker was a no show in Tahiti which meant we had to continue our journey without a functioning water maker and water rationing continued. On the 19^th November over a month since the water maker ceased working we received an email from Windcraft advising that replacement parts had been shipped to Sydney, and the unit would be repaired on return to Australia. Obviously this wasn’t going to solve our immediate problem and whilst we used every opportunity to capture rainwater, we were stuck with limited water for the remainder of our journey which didn’t go down well with our crew who had to forgo showering etc.

Given the length of time this issue had been going on, we anticipated that the water maker would be fixed quite soon after our return to Brisbane. Actually that would be a ‘No’, as it transpired that the Lagoon installation of the water maker was incorrect and Lagoon had been working with the SeaRecovery manufacturer to rectify the installation issue.  So even though the replacement parts were in Australia we had to wait until Lagoon provided the correct installation details and diagrams to resolve the installation problem, just replacing the parts was not going to work as the pump would fail again. As if that wasn’t annoying enough, the ‘installation fix’ required Sea Goddess to be slipped so a new through hull fitting could be installed much further below the water line. To add salt to the wound so to speak, the cost of slipping our catamaran would NOT be covered under warranty!! 

It’s now the end of February, nearly four months since the water maker failed and the new through hull fitting has been installed. (We bit the bullet and paid for slipping). Additionally, an approved technician has installed new piping and a new pump to the original unit. However, the installation instructions were unclear and contradictory as the instructions specified 20mm at one point and then 19mm piping at another point (20mm piping was provided). The technician went ahead and installed the 20mm piping, but the existing fittings on the water maker and filter were too small so he had to use an adaptor to accommodate the 20mm piping. Just to add to this circus of issues, the technician found a label on the water maker unit stating that it was a 24volt unit, when in fact the unit was confirmed to be a 12volt unit. The technician tested the water maker and discovered that the high pressure pump was faulty and required replacement. Honestly, it just goes on and on.

18th May 2020

Would you believe its been over seven months since we had a functional water maker and we are no closer to a resolution. Lagoon, the manufacturer of our yacht has approved the replacement part but we haven’t seen it yet and have no indication as to its arrival or installation. Huge sigh!!

11th June 2020

Woo hoo! Yes! Its been a very long wait, no sight of the replacement part but the water maker has been fixed and we  finally we have a fully functional water maker. This is huge for us, as it means we can begin planning our next long distance cruising adventure, confident that we will have the capability to replenish onboard water supplies. 

23rd October 2020

Aaargh! Three months in and you guessed it, out for a weekend sail in Hervey Bay and the water maker is once more kaput. Peter checked the unit and couldn’t see any obvious malfunction. Tried restarting the unit to no avail. We had reported an Error message to Vesseltec (previously Windcraft) in late September, and it wasn’t until this incident that we received a reply stating that the Australian agent had been contacted.

NB The water maker issue was now critical for us since we had decided to leave Queensland, to cruise and permanently relocate to our hometown of Adelaide (departure date mid- December).

15th November 2020

We returned to RQYS to complete routine maintenance work prior to our departure. During this time, Vesseltec organised technicians to attend and remove water maker components so as to isolate the cause of issues and implement the necessary fix. We were pleased to see some constructive action in relation to the ongoing issues with the water maker and were hopeful of getting a final resolution.

Well that hope was short lived since we received correspondence from Vesseltec informing us that Lagoon and Parker (manufacturer of the SeaRecovery water maker) would not support our warranty claim since the technicians found the unit membranes to be ‘dirty’, suggesting that the unit had been operated in a marina/s. In our reply we noted that:

• Non performance of the water maker began during our Atlantic crossing, less than 3 months since leaving France.
• The water maker has continued to be unreliable, either by not operating at all or taking up to 1.5 hours to start producing water.
• At every marina we have connected and used shore based water, and with the use of a caravan water filter have filled the water tank from the same shore based water supply prior to departing.
• The only time the water maker has been operated in a marina has been for fault finding purposes by technicians authorised by Windcraft or Vesseltec.
• Authorised technicians removed the membranes and tubes from the unit, however we were not given an opportunity to view these on removal or to take photographs.
• Furthermore, during this period of time whilst the water maker has been inoperable the auto flush function has not occurred, so it’s now likely that the unit is irreparable.

Summary

• We paid €11,016 for a water maker which has operated for a total of approximately 4 months in the 2 1/2 years since we took ownership of Sea Goddess. Convert those Euros to Australian $$$’s and it’s a seriously expensive piece of kit.
• Throughout the 2 1/2 years we have consistently communicated our concerns often waiting protracted periods of time to receive a response of any substance. Most commonly responses related to ‘I/We am/are waiting for a response from …….’.
• During the 2 1/2 years, we have not received any form of compensation from either Lagoon, Parker (the manufacturer) or The Multihull Group (Australian dealer) for out of pocket costs associated with the consequences of the non functional water maker including but not limited to: diverting to Galapagos with associated agent and government fees; purchase of multiple 5/10 litre casks/bottles of drinking water; additional marina stops to refill the water tank with mains water.
• Oh, and we have yet to have the unit membranes and tubes returned to us.

So where to now …….

We have taken some time to consider our options and bottom line, we just want a water maker that is fit for purpose i.e. one that actually works; one which we are confident to undertake long haul cruises with, and one that has a reasonable warranty period and a proactive customer warranty process.

Moving forward our research has begun. Part of the lessons learnt is to avoid proprietary systems where we are reliant on replacement parts from a specific manufacturer. Instead we are on the look out for a unit which uses standard parts and fittings which are available in most countries. We will provide an update when we have made our decision, and we’ll also include details of the purchase, installation process and ongoing useability.

Picture this, we are drifting in the Caribbean Sea about two nautical miles off the east coast of Panama.  We are surrounded on each side by vessels of all sizes and types – tankers, cargo ships, cruise liners and fishing trawlers all waiting to enter the port of Colon or begin their journey along the designated shipping channel towards the canal.  We had never seen so many vessels in the one place at the one time, stretching all the way to the horizon and everywhere in between.  Our intended path led from our current position across both inbound and outbound shipping channels to Shelter Bay Marina. 

While we drifted off the coast with the engine in idle, Peter attempted to contact Christabel Signal Station in Colon on Channel 12 to get clearance to enter the channel and head to the marina.  That’s when Major Warranty Issue Number 2 struck, the VHF radio was not working.  When attempting to make the call, the radio just went into reset mode over and over again.  There was no way we could contact the signal station or in fact anyone using this equipment.

Luckily, Peter’s planning and forethought saved the day.  You know how some people have to have two of everything, just in case?  Well that’s Peter, and I (Sandra) have to confess that we had many a ‘discussion’ about this need to have ‘back up’ equipment. In this instance, I was honestly so grateful that he pushed to have a second battery operated VHF radio onboard. Without this we would have been stuck up the creek without a paddle (pardon the pun).  In this instance drifting in a sea which had numerous ships also drifting, anchored or moving in and out of the main shipping channel with no way to communicate with any of them was a disaster waiting to happen. Well that’s not entirely true, as a precaution Peter had brought flags, you know as in semaphore flags.  Seriously, I am so glad we didn’t have to go down that path. Could you imagine it, one of us standing at the bow trying to work out which flag was A and which one was B.  By the time we strung a sentence together, it would be lunchtime. And does anyone actually know how to read these things nowadays?  Actually, the more I think about it the more hilarious the image I get.  Of course our other major concern was that without a working VHF radio we would not be allowed to go through the canal. Anyway if you’ve read our other blog you will know the portable radio worked a treat and and we made it to Shelter Bay marina with no problems.  Check outhttp://seagoddessadventures.com/sailing-martinique-to-panama/. And  there was an all round collective sigh of relief onboard.

Once we were settled into our marina berth, Peter emailed The Multihull Group (TMG) and Windcraft (TMG’s warranty arm) representatives advising them of the VHF radio issue and requesting urgent assistance.  A working integrated VHF radio was an absolute must for us, a critical piece of safety equipment since Sea Goddess does not show up on AIS without the integrated VHF radio working and turned on.  Our electronic chart plotter still captures other vessels who have AIS capability, but without the radio we are essentially invisible to them.  Yes we could rely on other vessels conducting regular visual checks which is part of our own watch keeping protocol, but we are realists and would rather have the AIS working than not.  And we still had a lot of sailing ahead of us, and we wanted this fixed asap. 

We received an email from a Windcraft representative providing the contact information for Narval Marine in Panama City, which we actioned immediately. We received a quick email response from Amarand, the manager of Narval Marine, advising that technicians would be out to check the radio issue on our arrival in Panama City.  In the meantime, as a contingency, he had ordered a replacement radio from the distributor to be forwarded to the Narval Marine office.  Wow, what a totally different response when compared to the freezer debacle, this business was both positive and proactive. Brilliant!

We docked at Flamenco Marina, on the outskirts of Panama City, after safely transiting the canal from east to west and utilising the portable VHF radio we had on board.  We weren’t overly concerned about the AIS issue during the canal crossing as there were physical and electronic eyes on us at all times. The marina was about an hour’s travel time via motor from the canal, so we kept a solid look out and arrived at the marina with no issues. For details of the canal crossing click the following link http://seagoddessadventures.com/panama-canal-crossing/.

We had just got back from a shopping trip on Friday afternoon when two technicians arrived.  The guys ran a number of diagnostic tests which confirmed the problem.  As to the cause, three possibilities were in play – the antenna, the cabling or the radio.  The cabling was checked and got an Okay. The guys then got a portable antenna and connected it up to the radio and tested it, the radio failed. So that left the radio, and the guys via Google Translator told us they, subject to the radio arriving from the distributor, would be back on Monday to install it.  Bright and early on Monday morning the guys arrived, and within 20 minutes the new B&G radio was installed, checked, and paired with the B&G portable handheld radio. 

Given the ongoing saga with the Vitrifrigo dual drawer freezer unit we were so impressed with the response time, standard of workmanship and professionalism of the Narval Marine team.  Two main reasons for this, firstly there was no argy bargy about proving there was a problem or who owned the problem, and secondly Peter took charge of communicating directly with the manager of the relevant company.  That said, we don’t believe it is our responsibility to do the running around associated with equipment that is clearly faulty.  In our view this is a warranty issue, and the warranty team need to take charge and coordinate rectification of such issues.  To date we have been unimpressed with the response by TMG’s warranty arm, Windcraft, and given that we have only had the boat for three months this does not augur well for the future.

Case in point, our warranty woes didn’t end here.  In Warranty Woes Part 3 the watermaker conks out on Day 7 of the Pacific Ocean crossing causing all sorts of angst.  Click here to read about what happened, and the strategies we put in place to mitigate the impact on us and our crew http://seagoddessadventures.com/warranty-woes-watermaker/ .

PS If you need any supplies or maintenance while in Panama City check out Narval Marine, they have a chandlery and office located at Causeway Boulevard Ciudad de Panamá (next to Flamenco Marina) and website http://www.narvalmarine.com

With long ocean crossings planned and four adult crew on board for most of the journey back to Australia we realised early on that we would need to supplement the freezer space aboard Sea Goddess. There is a teensy weensy freezer built into the galley refridgerator supplied by Lagoon.  There is also an optional factory freezer that can be installed but we rejected this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the actual freezer space of the unit is quite small and secondly we would lose a substantial amount of space in one of only two floor level galley cupboards.  To lose this much cupboard space, when storage space was already at a premium was a huge issue.  So we researched available options and decided to purchase a Vitrifrigo dual drawer freezer unit which would provide ample food storage. A fibreglass cupboard in the cockpit would be removed and replaced with the freezer unit.

We placed an order with The Multihull Group (TMG) for the purchase, delivery and installation of the unit months before we arrived in France.  Our order was then passed onto Robin Marine, a company based in Les Sables-d’Olonne, for supply and installation. At the end of the two day boat handover period we informed by the TMG representative that dual refrigerators had mistakenly been shipped by the distributor instead of dual freezers. Furthermore, that the error had not been picked up until installation time.  We were also told that Robin Marine were awaiting delivery of the correct unit, but there was no timeframe for this. Firstly, we were seriously not impressed that this issue had not been picked up by Robin Marine staff on delivery, and secondly that this error would cause us a delay of six days with no offer of compensation from TMG or Robin Marine.  Which meant extra marina fees and other associated costs, and less time for our overall trip.

That said, from the time we finally left Les Sables-d’Olonne until Day 4 of our passage from Martinique to Colon (Panama) the freezers worked exactly as we had hoped. We were able to purchase and maintain a variety of pre-frozen meats, fish and vegetables as well as a range of fresh foods suitable for freezing. Together with some canned and packaged foods we were able to provide a varied and nutritious diet during long passages.  However on the 23rd September that all changed, when it was noted that the thermostat ‘setting’ light/s, normally glowing blue were randomly blinking across the thermostat panel or at times not on at all.  When we checked the food stuff in both freezer drawers it was already partially thawed. Not a good sign.

Peter checked the manual for guidance as to the nature/reason for the problem and any troubleshooting ideas with no joy, the manual was useless.  He and Andreas then moved the unit forward so that they checked out the freezer unit and pulled it free from the locker hoping to find the cause of the issue and a work around.  The consensus was the problem either originated from the thermostat unit or the compressor.  With Peter’s background in electronics he was able to remove the thermostat top cover and found that it was significantly corroded. The freezer unit had not been sealed and as a result water, during periods of rain, gained entry into the top of the freezer where the thermostat was located.

While that was all happening Sandra dealt with the semi-thawed food.  We cooked as much of the meat as possible and placed it in the galley refridgerator, along with what frozen vegetables we could fit in.  But we had a finite space to work with and over the next few days food started to go off and had to be disposed of. It was so disheartening and such a waste to throw food overboard, and with the freezers three quarters full the financial cost was considerable.

Peter immediately emailed the Windcraft representative in Australia (Windcraft is TMG’s warranty arm) via IridiumGo, outlining the issue and probable cause, and requesting a service call during our time in Panama.  Getting this issue fixed before we left Panama, whether in Colon or Panama City, was really important.  The next planned port after Panama City would be the Marquesas, our longest non-stop sail of at least 3 – 4 weeks. On the 29th September some six days later we arrived in Colon, on the Atlantic side of Panama. Since our initial email we had requests for photos, for details of where the leak was originating from, requests for more photos and then a request for a delivery address for a replacement thermostat to be sent.  We provided address details for Flamenco Marina in Panama City, located on the Pacific side of Panama where we planned to stay four nights. Given the timelines thus far there was ample time for the package to arrive. We contacted Flamenco Marina and informed them of the package delivery and they agreed to hold it until we arrived.  We also requested a tracking number from Windcraft, and received no response.

On the 30th September we received another email from a different Windcraft representative with a request for details of the issue, source of the leak, photos and delivery address all of which had been sent previously. But hey we sent it all through once again, anything to get some traction on a fix. Then we received the most bizarre suggestion from this rep – go to a Vitrifrigo dealer in Panama and negotiate with them to give us a thermostat at no cost, and they could have the one that would be sent to Flamenco Marina. Honestly we had never heard anything so absurd, that we as total strangers would walk into a business and request a piece of equipment free of charge on the promise that a replacement part was on its way. All of this with minimal Spanish language skills. Oh, and no we don’t have a tracking number because we haven’t been provided with one. And no we actually don’t know if the part has even left France!

Well having traversed the Panama Canal from east to west, and spending five days at Flamenco Marina in Panama City no parcel arrived, no delivery was made and there was silence from Windcraft.  By this stage we were so frustrated by the lack of communication and action that we wrote to the CEO of The Multihull Group whom we had met personally, asking for his assistance in resolving this issue.  We received no response, not even an acknowledgement of our email.  Hmmm.

On the 16th October we emailed the Windcraft representative requesting that the replacement thermostat be shipped to Papeete (Tahiti), our next port of call.  This email was acknowledged with an assurance that tracking and delivery details would be forwarded once obtained from Robin Marin.  This never eventuated.  Skip to the 31st October and the Windcraft representative noted our arrival in Papeete but had been advised by the manufacturer in France that the required part was out of stock and delivery was at least three weeks away.  A further email was received the next day reaffirming that no parts were available and the original package had been lost in Panama since no one came to collect it!

Almost there folks!  On the 7th November we were notified via email that the ‘other’ thermostat would not make it to Tahiti, but would be shipped to Australia.  The precious part arrived in Sydney on 19th November some two months after TMG and Windcraft were notified of the issue.  And finally, finally – a TMG representative delivered the replacement thermostat to us on Friday 17th January. How many months was that? For one small critical replacement part, starts with A and ends in lot!

So what have we learnt from all of this:

1. Prior to purchase check who/where relevant warranties reside.  We were never told that Robin Marine, a company based in France would be responsible for any warranty claim associated with this freezer unit. We thought that Vitrifrigo, being an international company, any warranty claim would be addressed by the relevant dealer/service centre in the country/city we were in.  
2. Dealing with warranty claims while overseas, and while sailing, is extremely difficult.
3. How to survive on canned and packaged food during long passages. This was extremely challenging particularly with four adults on board.  Honestly, nutritionally the food wasn’t the best, our food choices were limited and from a quantity perspective required careful management.
   

In hindsight would we buy this freezer unit again?  Yes, but only on our return to Australia and we would purchase directly from a Vitrifrigo dealer.

Addendum: Currently, and prior to installing the replacement thermostat controller, we are working with a shipwright to ensure the area where the freezer is located is protected from rain run off and sea spray. We will update everyone with our ‘fix’ once this is completed.

We wanted to begin this section by briefly revisiting how we arrived at this point. Our journey began in early 2017. Peter was very keen to get back into sailing in an big way and options to do so in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland were extremely limited, in fact almost non existent. So he started to look for his own boat by researching used and new boats for sale online.  He also enticed Sandra along, with promises of icecream and chocolate, to the first of several boat expos at Coomera Queensland that year. This was followed by Sanctuary Cove, Sydney and a trip to Perth. As our research progressed so did our knowledge of the market, boat designs, price points and so on. We honed our purchase criteria, continuing to refine this as we chatted to yachties, manufacturers and dealers. In August 2018, almost 18 months on from Peter’s initial ‘idea’ we found what we had been searching for, a boat that almost met all of our purchase criteria.  A Lagoon 42′ catamaran available for European pick up in August 2019. With Sandra planning to retire and Peter due for long service leave we decided to take a huge leap of faith by placing an order for the catamaran, to travel to France and sail our boat from Les Sables-d’Olonne back to Brisbane, Australia.

While we anticipated there would be challenges, in hindsight we both underestimated the enormity of the physical, emotional and financial investment this purchase and the ensuing sailing adventure would require.  For us the financial investment alone was massive, we literally sold everything including our home, cashed in investments and utilised whatever savings we had to purchase the boat along with selected optional extras.  These extras included a watermaker, generator, air conditioning, freezers and Code 0 sail, equipment that would assist our passage, and sustain us and our crew during the long ocean crossings. Then there was the cost of safety equipment and kitting the boat out with a range of day to day gear for the galley, cabins and heads.

There was and continues to be a substantial emotional investment, and it became quite a roller coaster ride, from initial joy and excitement to frustration and despair as equipment failures began to occur, and the impact of these failures began to bite.  It would be fair to say that for us buying this boat at this stage of our life, was and continues to be a big deal.  There was an expectation, not unrealistic in our view, that the boat and the equipment we purchased would be as ordered, installed correctly and fit for purpose.  What our experience has shown thus far is several incidences where there has been an obvious lapse in quality control in a number of areas, instances of poor installation, use of equipment that has a high probability of failure, and a lack of responsiveness on the part of Lagoon, the dealer The Multihull Group (TMG), and Windcraft (TMG’s warranty arm) in regard to addressing these failures in a fair and timely manner.

In this section, titled Warranty Woes, we document the major equipment failures we have encountered and the impact these issues have had on us, our crew and our journey.   In doing so we hope that future and/or current boat owners, irrespective of boat manufacturer, boat size or type will be better informed.