Why CFR's & ABYC etc ?

[Gord May]

Why ABYC, CFR’s, Etc?Let me apologize, in advance, for a personal rant. Many of the topics we discuss can have a significant effect on the welfare of our membership. It been said that the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) “Standards & Recommended Practices” and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR’s) may be primarily intended for the guidance Professional Boatbuilders and Repairers.I believe that anyone, undertaking modifications or repairs to a boat, would want to perform that work in as professional a manner as possible. Your personal safety and the utility & value of your boat depend upon the skill and expertise you bring to the job . I am often dismayed by the amount & degree of (what I believe to be) serious misinformation I sometimes see posted on some boating forums. It’s not always easy, for the novice, to determine the accuracy and truth (= value) of a given opinion. A well-written, but inaccurate (or misleading or incomplete) posting may seem as convincing as a less literate but more accurate one.So how do I winnow the wheat from the chafe? The less I (personally) know about a subject, the more I rely upon expert citations & references. CFR’s & ABYC references have the advantage of force of law, and are based upon a consensus of expertise (panels of “experts” write & review them). Likewise, respected expert authors (Caulder?) can lend some weight to an opinion. I often represent myself as “expert” in a given matter (as do others) - but most of you don’t know me (us) at all, and may have some difficulty in appraising my (our) opinions.Many of the subject we discuss have whole textbooks (or at least chapters) devoted to them. It’s unreasonable to expect anyone to research & compose a lengthy & learned treatise for posting to a free bulletin board. It is, however, quite reasonable to expect authors to avoid incomplete and/or inaccurate statements!The quickest way (I know of) to establish the basis of an opinion, is to cite expert references (ABYC, CFR’s, etc). Even more authority will be confirmed (upon an author), by the detailed explanation of the theory & practice underlying his recommendations. Much may be left unstated, but those simple inclusions (references) provide some measure of the author’s competence (and the veracity of his opinion) on a given subject. There’s a limit to the time & effort I’m willing to devote to authoring FREE consultations (this is my profession); but I always hope to provide enough information for a reader to understand (some of) the important principles underlying the subject; and to judge the value of my stated opinion.Am I long-winded and pedantic? You bet! I'll apologize (mostly for when I was too SHORT-winded), but I'm not ashamed. IMHO & FWIW,Gord"If you didn't have the time/money/skill to do it right in the first place - where will you get the time/money/skill to fix it?"

 

[Dan McGuire]

Gotta Love You

Gord I have the utmost respect for you even though we have been on opposite sides a number of times. I agree with you comments except for the last sentence...."do it right the first time...." The problem there is seldom a clear cut right or wrong way to do things. There are obviously times when shoddy work has been performed and there are obviously times when it has been done by a craftsman. Most work, however, falls in between the two. Time and money is wasted when the job is done in excess of its requirements. I had an employee who always overdid everthing. The problem was that he rarely got all of his tasks done. When I confronted him he said that any job worth doing is worth overdoing. You can't win against logic like that. Like you, I just thought I would get it off my chest.

 

[Daniel Jonas]

Agree

Gord,I couldn't agree more although it is difficult to provide a completely veted response as you indicate. Readers here should be aware that we post opinions and advice. The ultimate decision on what to do requires them to become familiar enough with any work they decide to do themselves to do it safely. I believe that disclaimers are on the site.I have seen many DIY issues that involve safety concerns. I have a career in building and selling homes. The good news with homes is that they don't move and usually you can get out if a DIY repair or improvement becomes a safety hazard. Usually, but not always.I also have flown airplanes for over 30 years. One time my airplane caught on fire in flight from a repair performed by a partner. I'm sure to him that the repair he did made sense, but he obviously did not understand eveything he needed to know. I was lucky, the fire went out when I shut down the heater. We reached an understanding the next morning regarding work on the airplane and what it was going to cost him to buy me out of the partnership. And, just so no one takes these kind of issues to lightly, he crashed the airplane not long after (maintenance problem), and died in another one a few years later. I think that disregard for safety in some people permeates what they do, from maintenance all the way through operation.To me, and I've ranted on this before, boats are a lot like airplanes. When it goes wrong, you are pretty much on your own to save your skin.I think that much of the advice given here is pretty good. If you pay attention for a little while, you will become familiar with those who have the experience. At the same time, telling someone how to install a second battery bank does not, and probably can not, provide all the subtle details that need to be considered regarding the work. Consequently, the board should always be a resource for information, but not the only resource.Thanks Gord, its good to put the reminder out there more clearly every once in awhile.Dan Jonas (S/V Feije II)

 

[Tim Donley]

Thank you,well put!!!

However there is no law against ignorance and it is unfortunate the ignorant will not read or understand your post as they are to smart.I thank you for having stated your post. What you have said is so true, I (we) can only hope those who come to this forum seeking knowledge will bring suitable containers to recieve the information dispensed. (a few live brain cells will sufice and common sense). Suggesting they read all they can on a subject by qualified authors is the best we have to offer.I am a 31 year veteran of the boatbuilding industry and there are so many times you see people fail due to lack of good information or ignoring qualified information they chose not to understand. The industry has more than its share of yes men answering the call to the corporate or public what they want to hear. It has been my position (at times not popular) to tell what needs to be told. There are times I will intervene on this forum and other times I have to think "why bother", but I still answer a post anyway hoping that at least one person will understand the reply or realize the intent of said reply.Lets hope all readers will consider the weight of their suggestions and to qualify the information they recieve.Okay there ya go go ,Yep I feel beter already, thank you all for this opprtunity to bitch a little.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Gord, I know you know this, but,,,,

Those of us who have been floating since the sixties, can tell, you know what you are talking about. I read every word you post!