Our Backup Policy
| We will support you right through the process, from design selection through to launching your dream. Most builders need no advice from us because our designs are extensively detailed. Some ask questions occasionally, mainly for reassurance. Very occasionally a builder needs ongoing advice and much time is spent directing them along the right path. Whichever category you fit into, your questions will be answered. However, we do ask that you be fair to us and not use us as an easy way out. Please use the following as a guide. 1) No charge for backup. This service is supplied free of charge, included in the price which you pay for the design. 2) We will answer. We expect to answer all reasonable questions about how to build the boats which we design. Please don't ask us for guidance if you have bought plans from a designer who does not back you up. (We receive such requests all too often.) 3) Learn through reading. Professional boatbuilders have reference libraries to help them with problems and no amateur tackling a reasonable sized boatbuilding project can expect to get by without reference to books. No matter how complete the information contained in a design package, it cannot replace the wealth of information which can and must be gleaned from reading. Don't risk the success of a project costing lots of time and many thousands of dollars for the sake of a hundred or two saved in the cost of some books. 4) Study the package carefully. Our design packages contain much information, in the form of drawings and text. It is easy to be overawed initially, not knowing where to find anything. Please take time to study your package carefully before firing questions which would be answered by studying the design. Make notes, cross reference between drawings and text where it will help you. You will soon start to see where to find which information. If you cannot find what you need, please ask us. 5) Instruction varies with size. It is possible to provide step-by-step instructions for small boats. For larger projects it is a highly impractical desire. For these we provide detailed design drawings and as much guidance as we can in the form of standard details and specifications or building guides. These must be seen as complementary to your reading in reference books. 6) Consult our on-line resources. Please read the relevant portions of our Frequently Asked Questions for additional information. We also have many useful photos and links in our Amateur Projects section and Amateur Projects Web Links page. 7) Ask us, not the guy next to you in the bar. We will give you good advice on most subjects related to your project. If we cannot answer ourselves, we will advise on potential sources to find the answer. 8) Please give us a break. We do our best to respond within 24 hours, however, we must all take a break occasionally. There will be times when the office is closed when we take a vacation or go away on business. At such times we can only ask you to bear with us and we will assist as soon as we are able. 9) Please don't make us the easy way out. It is very easy to zap off an email to ask a question rather than to research the answer yourself. It is not fair on us when you take this lazy route. It may save you a few minutes but overloads Dudley with unneccesary emails that waste design time. If you follow this route you will break the system. Breaking the system will harm all concerned. Please be sure that you cannot find the answer that you need in the drawings and text before you send us an email. 10) Free backup only to first owner. Mountains of email have forced us to limit our free backup service to the first owner of each boat built to our plans. Subsequent owners or people wanting technical advice ahead of buying an existing boat that was built to one of our designs will be charged on a consultancy basis at an hourly rate. Please contact us to ask the applicable rate when you want to make use of this service. 11) Drawings for existing owners. We can supply paper prints or PDF files of drawings to owners of our boats if needed for reference, maintenance, rebuilding etc. There will be a charge of US$15 for each drawing supplied, plus shipping if supplied as paper prints. Free would be nice but this is a business. Email me with your drawing requirements and I will supply a link to pay by credit card. Our boat plans are priced for good value in design standard and backup service. Read our testimonials page for comments of some of those who have gone through the process which you are considering. |
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This page was updated 27 July 2018
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