Nautor Customer Care
After 26 years of renovating and repairing 4 S&S Swans I have noticed that Nautor's help has been going downhill fast. I assume that as their business has reduced, they have decided not to help or focus on the older Swan community. I am biased, but I think this is a big mistake for them as they risk damaging the brand in pursuit of quick profits.
My most recent issue has been with the renovation of our 76, Tigris when via Jamestown Boatyard we asked for a copy of the centreboard drawings. They charged me €500 for two poor photocopies and asked for over €3,000 for the rest. No help and advice, just very high charges. I am very grateful that we have had the help of Lars, the professor and Sixten who have been great for the project. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Gavin

After 26 years of renovating and repairing 4 S&S Swans I have noticed that Nautor's help has been going downhill fast. I assume that as their business has reduced, they have decided not to help or focus on the older Swan community. I am biased, but I think this is a big mistake for them as they risk damaging the brand in pursuit of quick profits. My most recent issue has been with the renovation of our 76, Tigris when via Jamestown Boatyard we asked for a copy of the centreboard drawings. They charged me €500 for two poor photocopies and asked for over €3,000 for the rest. No help and advice, just very high charges. I am very grateful that we have had the help of Lars, the professor and Sixten who have been great for the project. Has anyone else had similar experiences? Gavin

Gavin:

I would make a couple of observations - first, you might well be able to get drawings from S&S for major structural items, and while they might charge you, it ought not be so much. Second, it seems you might be right otherwise, and maybe I'm the last lucky guy, as they helped me out quite a bit last winter (business was slow then - they made me a set of toe rails, a new saloon table, a new starboard cockpit hatch cover (the seat) from the original molds, all of which I was happy with, although the goods were far from cheap), but now that I am trying to get their help on a few more smaller things, my luck isn't so good (not even getting return emails beside the automated ones). I agree if it were my business, I would at the least try to offer help and support to dedicated customers of old boats, as these boats are roving advertisements for the yard, and most of us keep them very well. Yet we must remember their goal now isn't to sell one or ten of us each $20,000.00 worth of old support material. They want to sell each of us a $5-25 million dollar mega yacht (which in my view wouldn't be as good a boat as the one you now have), and we've already told them where we stand on that score by buying these older boats in the first place. But in their defense, what other boat or car maker would support forty year old items? None, really, and now that he yard is busy with new boat orders, that's where the manpower has to be directed.

Some of us will be there in July, but it would be nice if we could petition them for at least a position prior to that time. I might wish to do that for my own selfish reasons, but if Matteo was intending to do that on behalf of the association, I would defer to him.

Fair Winds

Geoff
Corazon, 411 #41

Dear Gavin and Geoff,

yes, I am sure Sparkman & Stephens office in USA would be able to supply most of the drawings, and I know they will charge no more than 35/40 USD each, and that is absolutely a reasonable price.

It's a pity Nautor is behaving this way, I don't think they will ask this awful sum of money for a photocopy to a new customer who bought a multi million dollar megaboat, it appears they are still trying to make some money out of us, as they know we are unlikely to buy one of the boats they are building now (and not for a money matter).

Geoff, I am sure if a 1970 Hinkley customer asks the shipyard for a drawing they would supply it for nothing, or for a cheap price.

Anyway I contacted Ettore Mattiello, who is in charge with Nautor PR now and asked if he could help us, I even asked him to read this forum. So, I will let you know what he says, and if he would like to subscribe to the Forum and reply to us officially, he will be very wellcome!

Fair winds!

Matteo (38/067 Only You)

Dear Gavin:
I am re-fitting my 44 Hatha, and must report that my experience with Nautor's customer care has been exemplary.
I began by asking them to quote replacement toe rail, and even though the high price for the whole package combined with conversion to USD made the quote unworkable, they continue to work with me. They have provided my replacement fairleads and spin block inserts, and were perfectly willing to provide the insulating washers for the fasteners had I asked. None of this is high $$ stuff.
In one correspondence I sent them the photo below,which is of the back side of my nav station cabinetry. I promptly received a translation and even a short update on the 2 craftsmen whose signatures appear.
All of my correspondence has been answered promptly, always by the same individual, and to me all signs have pointed to continued pride in the brand. My guess is that any differences in treatment might have to do with the individual you are dealing with, as in any organization.
I hope this continues as it really speaks to the company's pride in its product. As Geoff said "what other boat or car maker would support forty year old items?" Strictly in dollars and cents, our requests can represent only a tiny fraction of their cash flow. The value to them is in their support of the brand.
Best of luck with Tigris
Tonyh 44/04 Hatha

Deat Tonyh,
your experience is conforting! Do you have a reference of the person who was so helpful?
I need to replace the two skene bow chocks (i.e. the fore fairleads) of my boat and they appear to be of an unusual size so I was planning to contact Nautors.
Do other 411 owners have suggestions?

Daniel, 411/004

Hello every one.
May I add a suggestion, and a question to this discussion. I believe that with so many owners represented in the association there is a lot of data available in our own boat files. These data can be easily communicated to Matteo when they are on a standard A4 format, but it is not the case with drawings where formats can be very large obviously.
Should we not enter in a plan of data collection first for A4, but for drawings I don't know what to do.
Suggestion??
Why not bring them at the next Rendez-Vous??
Fair winds.
Philippe 41/022

Deat Tonyh,
your experience is conforting! Do you have a reference of the person who was so helpful?
I need to replace the two skene bow chocks (i.e. the fore fairleads) of my boat and they appear to be of an unusual size so I was planning to contact Nautors.
Do other 411 owners have suggestions?

Daniel, 411/004

Daniele, also need to replace fairlead on my 411. Have found similar kind but with screws 134mm cc instead of original 145 mm cc, ie to replace with those found, need to drill new holes which will try to avoid. If originals are available anywhere,think it would be better, also visually.
Thorbjorn
ps still have a wooden box here with a Neco system in it. To send by mail across Europe, it`s a small fortune but kindly be advised its well stored. Mechanically its okay, electronically there are malfunctions.

Dear Gavin and Members,

I talked to Ettore Mattiello a few days ago, and he promised to send me the official price list for the drawings, as far as he says the prices quoted to Gavin are not correct (and that's a good news), but he was not able to tell me why someone from the shipyard quoted him such wrong and high prices...!

He promised to dig more on this matter and let me know, hope he will, and as soon as he will I will post a message here, so, stay connected!

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Hello mates -

I am happy to report that I received a very nice and complete reply from Nautors to an email I sent just last night, which was a repeat request for a few things I've been needing (my boatyard, who had been dealing with Nautors directly last winter very well, had been asking also, with no luck so far, and I had a note in to them also earlier in the winter with no luck.  

These notes were all going to spareparts@nautors-swan.com which is the address they asked me to use for these requests over a year ago).  Anyway, it was explained to me that there was a reorganization of the customer service group during last summer and fall, which left them shorthanded to take care of our needs consistently.  They further explained that we (the S&S classic Swan owners) are as important to them as any Swan owners, which was very nice just to read.  In the end, they were only able to help me with one of the three things I need, but for those that they couldn't help with, they explained why - so I am feeling a lot better about the whole situation. 

I am sure we can all help ourselves by only going back to the yard when we really need to, and then being as clear as possible in laying out what we need in as few emails as possible, which will keep their end easier to manage, I would think.

Fair winds and following seas,

Geoff, Corazon, 411 #41

Hi all,
I like to add that I contacted the person Tonyh indicated at Nautors Customer Care and I also received a very kind and quick response. Also in my case, unfortunately, Nautors did not stock what I needed which was a very precise part (the bow fairlead replacement) but, notwithstanding, they tried to help me with possible alternatives.
I can confirm that he is a cooperative and nice guy!

Daniel, 411/004