Anyone order from Dwyer Aluminum Mast Co?

[kchunk]

I understand most of the hardware on our Com-Pacs is from Dwyer, in fact, the toggle I need to replace has "DWYER" stamped on it. I go to their site and lined up the toggle and clevis pin I need, two very small parts mind you. The price is $9.70 for the two pieces of hardware. OK, the pieces are "marine" hardware so normal price X2 is about right. But they want $10.34 for ground shipping? 20 bucks for two small pieces of hardware?!?! I hate being a cheap bastard, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

I think I'd rather just give the business to Hutchins despite the fact they're probably just reselling Dwyer's stuff to me. Besides, I need new companionway drop boards anyway.

--Greg

[kchunk]

Just got off the phone with Gerry Hutchins. It's so cool that every time you call them to order somthing you always get to talk to one of the owners. Anyway, drop boards and hardware are on the way. Hope they don't bend me over on the shipping 

[brackish]

Take it from one who lives in a town where nothing marine is available, the high S & H for online purchases, particularly small purchases, is the norm.  Yesterday, I ordered four trailer hub grease seals.  Total cost of the seals, $8.80, total weight of the seals 1.2 lbs.  Cost of the S & H $9.74.

I spend half my purchasing time trying to bundle orders with suppliers who give free shipping at a certain dollar volume, but not always possible.

Hate to be the predictor of bad outcomes, but I ordered a mast step from Hutchins two months ago.  Cost of the step $21.45 (very reasonable), S & H $17.83 (outrageous). 

[kchunk]

Ha! I replaced my mast step last year too. Never looked what the shipping came to. Oh well...no one said it was easy being cheap.

[Potcake boy]

Greg,

I'm sure they could put your stuff on a boat destined for a dealer in your area, no freight and a chance to meet the local Compac dealer.

Did you acquire that WindRider?

Ron

[Craig Weis]

brackish  "Hate to be the predictor of bad outcomes, but I ordered a mast step from Hutchins two months ago.  Cost of the step $21.45 (very reasonable), S & H $17.83 (outrageous). "

skip looks at this differently. Where else or how else are you going to find anybody willing to 'drive' your order to your house from the shipping point for a mere $17.83?

With insurance, wear and tear on equipment, tolls, registration, consumables [everything that is used up while driving, ie. brake pads, tires, bearing surfaces, ect.], fuel costs [for the first time Yellow Freight's fuel bill exceeded the driver's wage and benefits package on a per mile basis.]

The $17.83 is a bargin, unless you feel that you can drive there and back for less.
skip.

[Bob23]

Hear, hear Skip:
   It's not like they are putting the order in an envelope with a 47 cent stamp on it. It has to be picked, packed, and shipped. I've found over and over again, that with shipping, Defender is still cheaper than going to a West Marine Store and paying retail plus NJ's 7% sales tax. Plus it's on my doorstep in 2 days. Plus they actually have it in stock.
   I hear the same complaint about my hourly rates. Non business people forget about overhead items and the need to figure them into our rates. If one wants to stay in business, that is!
Bob23

[kchunk]

No way ... I totally disagree with you Skip and Bob. First off, there are companies whose sole purpose is to move that package from point A to point B. Gerry Hutchins isn't going to personally hand deliver a mast step to NJ or WI. That said, the cost of wear and tear on equipment, their insurance costs, tolls, registrations, etc, etc, are all factored into the cost of this delivery service. The price they charge (be it FedEX, UPS or USPS) covers these operational expenses. The actual cost of the delivery service to ship two small pieces of hardware from Dwyer to me was no way over 10 bucks!

OK, I'm reasonable guy. I've heard of handling costs (that's the "H" part of S&H...or shipping and handling). Should the retailer be entitled to a handling fee? Of course. They too are providing a service. Granted, this "service" may not be their primary business, in fact, because they were willing to provide this additional service they too are benefiting from it, not just me. For example, I need two small pieces of hardware. Dwyer is a thousand miles from me. Since they are willing to ship it they will make a sale that they wouldn't otherwise make. However, in this case, a shipping cost of more than 100% over what I would consider a usual and customary expense is a deal breaker for me...and them now.

My other point is these two small pieces of hardware cost me about 10 bucks. Is that their manufacturing cost? (...or should I say importing cost?) Of course not. They have things to consider like insurance, wear and tear on equipment, tolls, registration, consumables etc., right? I understand that! And I'm certainly willing to pay these costs, or even overpay since it's "marine" hardware.

I understand the point that both of you are making, but in this discussion it's off base. The tone of the discussion here was that we're willing to pay the inflated costs of the specialty items and I'm not balking at the costs of these products, however, to charge an exorbitant amount for a service that CLEARLY benefits BOTH the consumer AND the retailer is not someting I should be thankful for.

Kinda reminds me of the famous quote from Full Metal Jacket. I'll spare you most of the vulgarity, but these retailers should at least have the common courtesy of a reach around. 

[brackish]

"The $17.83 is a bargin, unless you feel that you can drive there and back for less".
skip.

I got a chuckle out of that one.  Apples and oranges.  However, If I were in the motor freight business and I could make up an LTL load that say filled approximately half my trailer by volume and one fifth by weight and I could get $17.83 per 10" cube @ 2 lbs. each I would get approximately $28K for that load.  I believe I could make it from south fl. to Tupelo, MS, go back empty and still be in motor freight hog heaven.

Fact is this is not an LTL or DTL motor freight shipment so Yellow Freight is not relevant, it is a high service (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) shipment.  Even if I punch in the parameters for UPS quote, it does not come up to $17.83.

Since I bought my boat at the end of June, I've made about 30 purchases requiring S & H.  Most were reasonable.   The worst with regard to the cost vs cube, weight and distance was the mast step.

[nies]

THE FACT WE CAN ORDER ODD BALL PARTS , FOR A BUNCH OF SAILORS , FROM ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. AND HAVE IT ARRIVE IN A RURAL COUNTY IN NORTHERN WI. WITHIN THREE TO FIVE DAYS IS SHAMWOW!!!!!!!!! PRICE IS A CONCERN BUT THE FACT WE HAVE THE WORLD AT OUR DOOR IS A GREAT DEAL. IF YOU DONT LIKE THE S&H, ASK FOR OTHER SHIPPING OPTIONS OR DONT ORDER, A FEW "NO THANK YOU" AND THE SUPPLIER WILL FIND A WAY TO REDUCE COSTS.....NIES

[Craig Weis]

Well guys, I'm gonna get pounded into the ground on this one.
"It costs what it cost".
At 5 mpg motor freight, on a good day and down hill with the wind both ways, and 70 cents a mile for the driver, and all the ancillary cost associated with trucking, and all the 'Bob Tailing' around with empty or no trailer, and waiting for a load, costly safety registration, and safety checks, drivers with CDL's using two logs. One log true, one log for the cops, plus designated truck routes [more miles] shipping is expensive.

My brother-in-law has worked for UPS as a semi truck repair man around the Chicago suburbs since the day he got out of high school in 1973. As a Teamester he makes a pretty good penny. [Tom had back surgery, was off for a year, came back to work for ONE day, and then took his 5 weeks accumulated vaction and comp days. It's a good thing his wife is a dentest.] By the way Tom is the co-inventor of those stringy 'eyebrows' that hang down over the truck duals that help prevent the water spray for coming up onto your windshield when your tailgating the UPS semi. Not that that adds to the cost of shipping. That eye brow idea netted Tom enough bonus for him to purchase his Soft Tail and Fat Boy Harley Davidson murder cycles that he parks in the stone stable behind his house in Wayne, Illinois.

One of skip's college jobs was working for Funk Seed Company International, Bloomington, Illinois in the communication department. Me and two others [shipping costs has to pay for us being at work for Funk Seed] either printed seed bag tags with our off set lithograph presses and 3-M plate making camera or bagging, boxing, enveloping, and labeling promotional materials. Hats, jackets, mugs, corn data note books, pens, ect to the toon of about 300 to 800 pieces a day for a UPS pick up.

A National Public Radio piece recently said UPS had laid-off 60,000 workers in 2009 and handles 700,000 fewer pieces of shipments per day,[254,800,000 a year] . So thank you for that Barney Frank, Freddy Mac, and Fanny Mae. No matter how poor you are, no matter how black you are, no matter how much you don't understand the concept of an adjustable rate mortgage, no matter how many times your mortgage is bundled with others and sold off over and over again for a commission check, THAT'S NO REASON WHY YOU CAN'T OWN A HOME. A sub-prime market.

[kchunk]

Just FYI, I received my order from Hutchins today. Remember I ordered a set of drop boards and two small pieces of hardware. Anyway, it's here. Boards were 75.26 and hardware was 10.00. As for shipping (drum role please) a respectable $13.57!

If anyone's interested, the boards came pre-cut in two pieces with edges beveled and rounded. All it will need a a dozen coats of varnish and I'm set 

[kchunk]

Hi there David!

The boards are teak. Well, I'm no woodpecker, but they appear to be a teak veneer plywood, but that's what was on there originally and lasted almost 20 years, so it's probably a reasonable investment.

Keep us posted on the Bahamas trip. Better yet, plan it for some time in the future and we can get a group to go! One of the most important things about crossing the Gulfstream is keep a wide departure window. If you HAVE to leave on a particlular date and HAVE to return by a particular date, you're quite possibly setting yourself up for a rough trip ... or worse. Here in FL, this time of year when the weather fronts start making it down this far, that window can close for well over a week. We had a front come through last Friday night and since then, the wind has been 10-20 out of the NNW through the N, NE and finally today out of the E. If the wind has any northerly component, the Gulfstream can be a handful...or so I'm told. My advise: yes, our little Com-Pac's may very well be able to handle more than her crew, however, they're definately not smarter than the crew. I've learned that the hard way. 

[brackish]

Greg, you cut a fat hog on the shipping.  Let's see my less than 2 lb. 10" cube, $17.83, your 15-20 lb, much larger cube $13.57.  LOL, did one of those Hutchin's boys drop it off on the way home from work?

I was in Port St. Joe when that front you mentioned came through.  Very dramatic difference.  As an example, guys across the street took a 22' Proline open fisherman out the day before, limited out on king mackerel and had a great time.  Next day after the front came through and they tried to go out on a north wind, couldn't get out the five miles required to get to the mackerel run.  Far too rough.  And those post front seas are deceiving, seas look fairly flat close to shore, but look at the horizon and you can see the seas are six to eight or greater out there.

Group going on a good weather window recommended.  If not, fly over and do a bareboat charter.

Frank