[Rhodes22-list] the war of the rhodeses

Thu Jul 16 13:25:16 EDT 2009

I don't know how far down the road it will be, but there's a boom room in my
future, and there's no chance that I buy it from anyone other than GB
(provided they're still around, of course).

When we wanted to buy a boat, GB provided the lender additional paperwork
that got us a lower interest rate.

When the boat was delivered, Elton stayed for three days making corrections,
because he didn't like a couple of minor things that were non-standard in
the cabin layout.

When Hurricane Katrina rose the waterline to well beyond the top of the boat
+ lines, twisted the mast into a pretzel, ripped off the hatches, and put
her back down sideways (and of course, unsinking) into the water, GB went
through every product on the market that would attempt to remove barnicles.
They restored her to new, and they worked with me to figure out a way to do
it with what my insurance would cover.

After that, GB shipped me a new rudder.  Never made it past Raleigh, and UPS
could never explain why.  So Stan ate the cost of the rudder and gave me
another one.

This group of us is fortunate to have a vendor who has given us his home
phone number, provided free lodging at his facility, and done everything you
could possibly ask.  We will never get the level of service from any company
again that we enjoy from GB right now.  I, for one, won't spend any time
shopping around in order to save a few bucks on parts or toys to add to my
boat.

Ben
R22 Velvet Elvis

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Mary Lou Troy
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:07
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] the war of the rhodeses

We hadn't intended to comment on this exchange but when you step in a 
hornets nest sometimes you are compelled to do things you wouldn't 
ordinarily do.

If and when we decide to get a new pop-top enclosure (or a new to us, 
used pop-top enclosure like our current one - purchased from GB that 
has given us a number of years of service and which I have customized 
to our needs) we plan to look at the available options from General 
Boats and other vendors. We will purchase the item that best fits our 
needs based on features and price point. If we purchase a pop-top 
enclosure from another vendor particularly a vendor that has worked 
with GB in the past, we would make sure that GB gets their commission 
whether it is included in the vendor's price for the product or 
whether we send it directly to General Boats. We would encourage 
other Rhodes 22 owners to do the same.

Mary Lou and Fred
the very pleased owners since 1998
of Fretless, a 1991 Rhodes 22
recycled by General Boats in 1998

At 12:25 PM 7/16/2009, you wrote:
>Dear Rhodies:
>
>Art says we are boring you all with this issue, that it is a private,
>personal matter and not appropriate to discuss in this forum.  He is
>incorrect.  It is a fundamental issue to GB's well being and therefore to
>you, to the extent of your interest in your Rhodes.   We suggest you hear
it
>out until resolved one way or another.
>
>Should you need a new IMF mast or centerboard or rudder blade or endless
>other unique parts that Art or others do not choose to invest in producing
-
>and GB is not here, no one is going to be able to make your boat whole
>again.   There is good reason why most of us would not buy a car that is
out
>of production - there is certainly good reason why the Rhodes is not only
>easy to sell but also demands a premium price over boats no longer being
>built.  The former editor of Practical Sailor, in his book recommending
>trailer sailboats, ends his list by pointing out that the Rhodes is the
only
>suggested choice still in production.
>
>If not for the many private sellers and purchasers going along with the
>voluntary GB loyalty/royalty program (which incidentally, Art, who has
>purchased and sold several Rhodes privately, would not agree to) and not
for
>parts sales such as Pop Top enclosures (which, incidentally, we have
$10,000
>worth of sitting here in inventory), in an economy such as this, where not
a
>single new boat is being sold, GB would have no choice but to abandon this
>ship.
>
>
>OK, you can stop reading here. But for anyone wanting to understand why we
>are so troubled by this particular Parts issue, a little background on an
>agreement that, we now learn from Art's e-mail to the List,  has
>unilaterally "mutually" agreed to have ended:
>Art worked on this project inside the GB plant, used the GB
"not-the-Hilton"
>facilities, displayed the product in hard to get and costly water space
that
>GB worked out during the Annapolis Boat Show and that GB ended up paying
>for, including even an additional day that Art unilaterally elected to
take.
>At the St. Petersburg Show, where after several years of trying, we managed
>a valuable water space, after hearing Art had his boat in FL, we asked if
he
>would like to promote the boom room at this show.  We returned Dr. Fullers'
>beautiful new boat that we had planned to use for demos from this space in
>favor of Art using it with the understanding that we could use his boat for
>an occasional demo for a qualified pending prospect.  When Elton did take a
>prospect to Art's boat he found Art was not honoring the Show hours and the
>boat was chain-locked to the dock.  Art's position, "No one sails my boat".
>When we did mange Art to give a demo sail we explained to him that part of
>the demonstration is that we go in and out of the large harbor under sail
as
>the competition does and that demos are only an hour in case another hot
>prospect comes along.   Art refused to sail and each time went to and from
>the bay under power.  I suppose once sailing he was in his element since he
>stayed away for hours and few demos were done during the show.  Art's
>remarkable position:  He was a volunteer and could therefore make his own
>rules - just like volunteers for the army or the Red Cross.  Elton finally
>blew his top when, after arranging for our hottest prospect to make a long
>trip back to St. Petersburg on Sunday for a demo sail, Art announced that
he
>was leaving the show a day early - after all he was a volunteer and could
>make his own rules from moment to moment.   I certainly felt like an idiot
>not having put Dr. Fuller's boat in that precious dock space.   I do not
>know if Art ever did show the boom room.
>
>
>The deal with Art pertained only to the boom room, with shared income from
>its sales.  It was not for competing with other parts like the Pop Top
>enclosures which we have an inventory investment in.   Of course it is a
>free country and a free market and, of course, we all have seen what
>unregulated "freedom" can do to our economy.   To believe GB has the
freedom
>to keep investing in new ideas and keep investing in promoting the boat and
>taking care of current Rhodies' needs, for the non-rewarding benefit of
>private re-sales and parts sales for others to profit from, is a fantasy.
>It is important for us to have your feedback on these kind of issues.   We
>need the support of our owners if we are to keep worrying and working to
>keep our owners sailing and keep the value of their boats growing.  Or do
we
>just stop being so damn conscientious and say the hell with it and go
>sailing ourselves?  (No need for us to hear Rummy's answer to that last
>question.)
>
>stan/gbi
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "cowie" <ccowie at cowieassociates.com>
>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 6:36 PM
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] the war of the rhodeses
>
>
> >
> > I had the pleasure of deploying my Bimini and pop top enclosure on my
> > recent
> > trip to st Michaels.  Both worked great.  I understand Stan has recently
> > improved the fit of the pop top enclosure and his guys did a great job
on
> > the custom installation.  While I could have ordered certain items
direct
> > I
> > have made a point to go thru general boats.  I think it's neat that I
own
> > a
> > boat that was concieved the same I was and hope to help it keep going
for
> > another fifty.
> >
> > stanleyl wrote:
> >>
> >> OK gang, it looks like Art and I are going to take up the slack left by
> >> the withdrawal of the political junkies.   At first I thought we should
> >> label these upcoming e-mail missives so you can delete before reading.
> >> But on reflection, what is going to be covered gets to the business
> >> basics
> >> of General Boats and its future.
> >>
> >> Art will be a formable opponent in this case, having graduated from the
> >> Academy vs. my not being able to get beyond the "Petty" ranking due to
a
> >> Navy designated overbite.  My protestation that I did not plan to bite
> >> the
> >> enemy fell on deaf ears.  I think being able to hear was not one of the
> >> requirements, as the unraveling facts in this case will bring out.
> >>
> >> In Art's opening remarks he says that the business terms with General
> >> Boats had been voided.  As proof he waves a blank paper that he has in
> >> his
> >> hand about a sale GB nixed but he salvaged.   GB will show a timeline
and
> >> investments that will paint another picture.  The importance of this
> >> small
> >> claims case is seen in Art's 7/12/09 e-mail to Mary Lou - the tip of a
> >> collectively growing ice burg that can sink the Rhodes  You may want to
> >> stay tuned to be informed by GB, Art, and fellow Rhodies, to draw your
> >> own
> >> conclusions.
> >>
> >> stan/general boats
> >>
> >>
> >> __________________________________________________
> >> To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to
> >> http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> >> __________________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> > http://www.nabble.com/the-war-of-the-rhodeses-tp24461657p24470681.html
> > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to
> > http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> > __________________________________________________
>
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