Seahorse Ferry

[josephbloggs]

6 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

But you are their target market.  An "onboard experience" is for everyone, is it not?  ???? 

 

Sigh.  You must be an incredibly irritating person to live with (that's if anyone lives with you).  This is my last reply to you because you keep labouring the same thing picking on semantics and it is incredibly dull.  I am clearly not their target market because I don't live anywhere near the ferry and I don't want to go to Samui.  

 

Quote

Not negative. 

No, of course not.  Not sure why I thought that at all.  Silly me.

[pontious]

I do not understand. Not unusual. 'Vesselfinder' says the BD is at Sattahip. One minute ago. It should be in Samui having left Sattahip yesterday according to HM,s schedule. Am I missing something.?

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed.

 

[Leaver]

On 11/11/2022 at 7:07 AM, josephbloggs said:

I am clearly not their target market because I don't live anywhere near the ferry and I don't want to go to Samui.  

 

So who is their target market? 

 

How many people that live closer to the ferry want to go to Samui? 

[PoorSucker]

On 11/13/2022 at 10:25 AM, Leaver said:

 

So who is their target market? 

 

How many people that live closer to the ferry want to go to Samui? 

I want to go. 

[moogradod]

20 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

I want to go. 

Me too. Provided they have really this 5* ambiance at food level. It must not be for free but as well not overexaggerated pricewise. But I suspect exactly that to give it some "value" in the eyes of the organizer. Before we took a ferry once from Pattaya to Hua Hin. Not comparable, I know, but this was something special never to be had again.

 

I have heard (or dreamed of) that they wont even start the service ?

[pontious]

Well it is supposed to go to KS today but according to Vesselfinder  it is still in Sattahip. That website says it arrived 30 Oct and has not moved. HM logged on 3 hours ago but no update. Anyone have a clue what is happening.?

[moogradod]

20 hours ago, pontious said:

Well it is supposed to go to KS today but according to Vesselfinder  it is still in Sattahip. That website says it arrived 30 Oct and has not moved. HM logged on 3 hours ago but no update. Anyone have a clue what is happening.?

So there is somewhere a published schedule plus a comprehensable price list for the different types of accomodations plus food/drink and the transport of the car and someone knows where ?

 

Or is this a test run (if it is a run at all) ? Or all has been stopped or postponed indefinitely ?

[banglay]

just went onto there Facebook page to ask via messenger  what are the sailing dates for December and I got this by return 

:- Due to our equipment upgrade, we regret to inform you of our service suspension and should resume our service by the end of the year. If you wish to be informed about our service, please let us know your contact detail. Thank you for interest in our service, we look forward to welcoming you on board in the near future. The Seahorse Ferry

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, banglay said:

just went onto there Facebook page to ask via messenger  what are the sailing dates for December and I got this by return 

:- Due to our equipment upgrade, we regret to inform you of our service suspension and should resume our service by the end of the year. If you wish to be informed about our service, please let us know your contact detail. Thank you for interest in our service, we look forward to welcoming you on board in the near future. The Seahorse Ferry

A strange time of year to stop the service for 'equipment upgrade'.....they sure are having a battle.

Thanks for your post.

[HammerMan]

The ferry experienced a major failure of 2 of its 3 main auxiliary engines and it was discovered that the bed plates had cracked and put the engines offline and out of sync. We then had to make the painful and expensive decision to remove the engines and change the bedplates in the interest of safety.  As these are very large engines and very heavy it takes time to source/ship and install the bed plates. We are well aware of this being the worst possible timing, especially as its peak season, but there was no other option.  Based on the current situation we expect/hope to renew the schedule end December/early January and finally get into a fixed sailing routine. In my 50+ years in the shipping industry I have never seen two engines go at the same time before. We'll be updating later in December once we know precise timing.

[petermik]

One thing after another.....personally I doubt if this will ever be viable...sorry.

[banglay]

3 hours ago, HammerMan said:

The ferry experienced a major failure of 2 of its 3 main auxiliary engines and it was discovered that the bed plates had cracked and put the engines offline and out of sync. We then had to make the painful and expensive decision to remove the engines and change the bedplates in the interest of safety.  As these are very large engines and very heavy it takes time to source/ship and install the bed plates. We are well aware of this being the worst possible timing, especially as its peak season, but there was no other option.  Based on the current situation we expect/hope to renew the schedule end December/early January and finally get into a fixed sailing routine. In my 50+ years in the shipping industry I have never seen two engines go at the same time before. We'll be updating later in December once we know precise timing.

WOW!!  with all that time/years working  in the marine environment did you ever get to meet Captain Cook on your travels? 

But at least those square riggers never had a iron donkey to worry about ????  lol

[HammerMan]

1 hour ago, banglay said:

WOW!!  with all that time/years working  in the marine environment did you ever get to meet Captain Cook on your travels? 

But at least those square riggers never had a iron donkey to worry about ????  lol

Totally ridiculous response, you must be seriously bored.

[HammerMan]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

One thing after another.....personally I doubt if this will ever be viable...sorry.

Agree it feels like a never ending story and its felt impossible at times but we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel..

[Leaver]

On 11/28/2022 at 3:23 AM, HammerMan said:

The ferry experienced a major failure of 2 of its 3 main auxiliary engines and it was discovered that the bed plates had cracked and put the engines offline and out of sync. We then had to make the painful and expensive decision to remove the engines and change the bedplates in the interest of safety.  As these are very large engines and very heavy it takes time to source/ship and install the bed plates. We are well aware of this being the worst possible timing, especially as its peak season, but there was no other option.  Based on the current situation we expect/hope to renew the schedule end December/early January and finally get into a fixed sailing routine. In my 50+ years in the shipping industry I have never seen two engines go at the same time before. We'll be updating later in December once we know precise timing.

 

How long has the company owned this ship?

 

If recently purchased, was it given a full pre sale inspection?

 

If it's been owned for a while, why not regular inspections, maintenance, and upgrades?

[Leaver]

On 11/28/2022 at 4:43 AM, petermik said:

One thing after another.....personally I doubt if this will ever be viable...sorry.

 

As I have said, it's starting to sound like someone's little project to be able to stay in Thailand, at the company's expense. 

 

It's already burned through a lot of money.

 

At what stage does that someone start to look over their shoulder? 

[steve187]

11 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

As I have said, it's starting to sound like someone's little project to be able to stay in Thailand, at the company's expense. 

 

It's already burned through a lot of money.

 

At what stage does that someone start to look over their shoulder? 

not sure how it feels like that to you, that's a ridiculous suggestion, there are far far cheaper options, you have mocked their efforts relentlessly  

[Leaver]

24 minutes ago, steve187 said:

not sure how it feels like that to you, that's a ridiculous suggestion, there are far far cheaper options, you have mocked their efforts relentlessly  

 

I started to become suspicious about "someone's" efforts with the company several posts back.

 

Some members have called it "bad luck" but with a project this size, it should not be about luck, but more to do with proper due diligence.

 

There have been cases of guys skimming off the top of projects here, to fund their stay in Thailand, and also prolonging completion. 

 

My posts on this is not about the mechanical failure, but more to do with the chosen routes, lack of market research, lack of local consultation etc. 

 

steve187, how many more "incidents" of "bad luck" would you have to read about before YOU start to wonder if something more is going on?

 

 

[PJ71]

12 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

How long has the company owned this ship?

 

If recently purchased, was it given a full pre sale inspection?

 

If it's been owned for a while, why not regular inspections, maintenance, and upgrades?

Are you a policeman?

[Leaver]

On 12/5/2022 at 1:01 AM, PJ71 said:

Are you a policeman?

 

No, I am ex SAS. 

[HammerMan]

FYG we are currently on track to resume sailings to/from Sattahip/Samui on or about January 12th 2023, subject to no issues/complications from the customs department for the import of spare parts.

 

[MarcelV]

One day, hopefully soon, there will come a time when you look into the mirror and say to yourself: "I am Captain Steve. What do I want to do in this phase of my life?"

You'll then realize that it may be a better idea to retire and enjoy the latter years of your life in peace and away from any pipe dreams of investment schemes.

[kuma]

On 12/11/2022 at 4:24 PM, HammerMan said:

FYG we are currently on track to resume sailings to/from Sattahip/Samui on or about January 12th 2023, subject to no issues/complications from the customs department for the import of spare parts.

 

Just dropped by here for an update on things as we plan to head south in Jan. Can't believe the news, there sure seems to be a dark cloud hovering over this project, one bad circumstance after another. Sorry to hear that.

Looking at the proposed date of Jan 12, that will be close...we may want to depart sooner thou, so it might mean a miss for the Seahorse, though if all is going well we could always take it from Samui back to Sattahip on the back end of the trip.

These days is proof of vax still a requirement, or has that finally been shelved?

Hope you get back in the water.

 

[HammerMan]

On 12/21/2022 at 1:35 AM, kuma said:

Just dropped by here for an update on things as we plan to head south in Jan. Can't believe the news, there sure seems to be a dark cloud hovering over this project, one bad circumstance after another. Sorry to hear that.

Looking at the proposed date of Jan 12, that will be close...we may want to depart sooner thou, so it might mean a miss for the Seahorse, though if all is going well we could always take it from Samui back to Sattahip on the back end of the trip.

These days is proof of vax still a requirement, or has that finally been shelved?

Hope you get back in the water.

 

It's true we have had a terrible run of luck, but better we discovered the issues whilst in port and not in the open sea with lots of vehicles and passengers on board. The jinx continues as the container of spare parts was off-loaded in Port Klang, thus missing the feeder vessel to Laemchabang. It's now expected to arrive early January and then we have to process customs procedures and transport the parts to the vessel. In light of the recent crazy weather, maritime incidents/tragedies etc.. we will totally repair all the auxiliary engines and test them prior to resuming any service. This will push us into early February. We've also used this downtime to totally overhaul/survey all safety systems on board and spent hours training all the crew aboard on safety procedures/protocol. As for Vax certificates etc.. these are no longer a requirement.  So hope to see you early Feb'23.

[Leaver]

On 12/12/2022 at 6:37 AM, MarcelV said:

One day, hopefully soon, there will come a time when you look into the mirror and say to yourself: "I am Captain Steve. What do I want to do in this phase of my life?"

You'll then realize that it may be a better idea to retire and enjoy the latter years of your life in peace and away from any pipe dreams of investment schemes.

 

There's got to be a lot of unhappy "investors." 

 

At what stage does one who has be "running" this project start to look over their shoulder?  Serious question.   

[HammerMan]

9 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

There's got to be a lot of unhappy "investors." 

 

At what stage does one who has be "running" this project start to look over their shoulder?  Serious question.   

I hear you.. I'd say we've reached make or break time already, although strangely there are some serious investors knocking on the door. Personally I see this as the last chance for this project, which has spanned many years to get this far and a substanial part of my savings.  

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, HammerMan said:

Personally I see this as the last chance for this project, which has spanned many years to get this far and a substanial part of my savings.  

Sorry to hear that... it has been quite a saga on this forum. 

[kinyara]

22 hours ago, HammerMan said:

I hear you.. I'd say we've reached make or break time already, although strangely there are some serious investors knocking on the door. Personally I see this as the last chance for this project, which has spanned many years to get this far and a substanial part of my savings.  

One thing that can't be faulted is your honesty and openness in relaying progress and the problems you've faced, can't have been easy especially against the usual chorus of negativity. Hopefully the New Year brings you better fortunes with the project.

[watthong]

15 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Sorry to hear that... it has been quite a saga on this forum. 

Yeah, this saga has longer legs than Cyd Charisse. I must confess, whenever I run out of the latest crypto intrigue from youtube, I'd check back into this one - never once have I been disappointed...

 

Btw recall seeing a promo clip - linked somewhere earlier on this thread - featuring a street musician (donning the requisite guitar, pony tail and holes at the knee jeans) dutifully performing on his lonesome as the ship "on-board entertainment." As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.