Replacement Westerbeke Sound Enclosure Straps = Epic Fail

[Lake Erie Boater]

When I purchased my boat a year ago, several of the rubber/neoprene straps that hold the sound enclosure tightly together were broken. I decided to order a complete set of 18 replacement straps to the tune of $250.00 with shipping. Yes, we all know that the price for Westerbeke replacement parts is rediculous, but that's covered in other threads here. The problem is in the fact that most of the new straps failed within 2 weeks of my having installed them.

Fast forward the whole summer and I am now on my 4th request for additional replacement straps (currently 14 of 18 again failed). The seller and his distributor have been great to work with and continue to ship me more straps on request along with return postage paid envelopes acknowledging that Westerbeke did have a "problem" with these.

However, since this has been an on going problem all summer now, with little end in sight, I have appealed to the seller to find straps from a production run "after" this discovery as I am getting tired of changing the things out every 3 weeks and shipping back etc. etc. To this inquiry, I was told that that they will gladly continue to send me straps, or a full credit on my original purchase.

This is a quandry as I now have an enclosure that is worse off as far as it staying together. Do I continue down this road and change straps hoping someday that 18 will actually stay together? Or do I get my money back and try ordering straps from another supplier hoping that they would not also be plagued with the same failures?

I also attempted to get directly in touch with Westerbeke to appeal to them. All I got was the vicous cycle back to voicemail, never actually getting in touch with anyone. No, I haven't left a message as of yet.

Thoughts?? Anyone else have issues with their replacement straps failing?

 

[mistercomputerman]

I think you forgot to keep the Red, Right, Returning and made a wrong turn.

This is a Sea Ray forum and you seem to have an Egg Harbor. Most of our boats do not have sound enclosures; the whole engine compartment is soundproofed.

 

[searay40dad]

Speaking on behalf of a boat that does have an enclosure, I have 2-3 broken straps as well but haven't tried to replace them yet. they're on the outboard side all the way back so I'm not even sure I could even get to them if I wanted to replace them. If you find a more reliable replacement, I'd be interested in the name of the vendor.

Only other problem I've had with the enclosure was the sound/heat barrier material on the "lid" basically came apart so I had to order and re-adhere new material to it.

 

[fwebster]

I know the problem, but don't have a solution.........That is a slow moving parts item that Westerbeke sources in bulk. They sit in shelves in warehouses and get dry and hard so they fail quickly when stretched on the sound shield closure. Even if you got the distributor to pull a set off a new sound shield, I don't know if you'd be a lot better off.

Sound shields help the Westerbeke racket and clatter, but I've always felt they are more trouble than they are worth.

How has your first summer with the Egg been?