Discussion of parts "not available"?

[Wild Dingo]

Recently Ive decided that I am going to have a crack at building Susan by Murray Peterson at 28ft 6in x 9ft wieghin 6t she seems doable.

However in the contact Ive had with Bill weve discussed numerous things and one thing weve discussed very slightly is the deck harware... seems he has the patterns available yet he states that "None of these fittings are available commercially." so that sorta hits an interesting spot to me... do I pay the extra approx $1800 for him to get them cast there and sent over here and then pay again to have them machined here or forgo them and simply try to work around this hardware issue and purchase something similar or get it cast and machined down here?

What deck hardware can he be talking about that is not available commercially? Surely deck hardware is deck hardware is deck hardware? Unless its silicon broze or some such which must be made special but then surely another material available commercially would be as good? or at least able to be used in place of the ones he would have made up there?

Im not to fussed here as soon as weve moved Im wiring the money through for the plans Im just wondering why such a thing should be...

[paladin]

i would get a list of the parts...and probably have them cast, machined and finished...and shipped to you for much less than that....Chomburi is just up the road a ways.....

[htom]

My guess is that the plans call for things (say a bulwark mounting bracket, Herr #345B 2.5", to make something up) that are not available by ordering them. You might find some of them on EBay or at a garage sale, or ... or you'll have to find a substitute, or make them, or have someone make them.

[John B]

Theres always another way Shane. Boom bail specified.. make a strop instead. gaff saddle.. make jaws ,fairlead? make a wooden spare man .... track for the boom... lace it etc.

[Ross M]

Without a detailed listing, I think it's a bit premature to be concerned about that price.

For all we know, there could be 30 or 40 pieces, all from top grade bronze.

I will say this: If the patterns and foundry have proven to produce good castings in the past, deviation could easily be counterproductive.

YMMV

Ross

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
What everyone else has said. Plus, get prices for local substitutes if any before importing any fittings. (For instance, and for all I know to the contrary, the drawings might call for a particular style deck cleat for which there is indeed no exact replica anywhere -- but for which also dozens of marginally different-looking but perfectly adequate substitutes are available.

Also, while the $US has lost value recently, it's still less expensive to buy Australian fittings from the US than US fittings from here. (Plus you'll have freight costs, import duties, and GST to contend with as well.)

Mike
.

[batory]

Shane,
Do you have any drawings/pictures of Susan?

cheers,
b

[Ross M]

Rod B posted this picture recently (and Rod, I hope you don't mind me linking to it directly):

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid148/p20b740d376e5f8691c71ca607e9c4f99/f609e6cb.jpg

Quite a boat, IMO

Ross