Marine

Mercury Marine Technical Training Course

In June Autoworld hosted a three day technical and sales training course given by Mercury Marine at the Downtown branch on Kafue Road in Lusaka. Mercury sent two technical experts to conduct the training. Dealer representatives came from Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, as well as Zambia.

 

The Mercury Marine technical training course was conducted by Paul van der Westhuizen (Mercury Marine's Area Sales Manager for Africa) and Georg Nieuwoudt (Mercury Marine's Technical Customer Support Specialist). Both are well known to the Autoworld team.

Mercury Marine technical training at Autoworld

Mercury Marine technical training at Autoworld

The feedback for our hosting of the event was positive. The training sessions were not only enjoyable, they gave the participants better understanding of the Mercury Marine range of boat engines, propellers and other accessories, as well as technical knowledge to help them guide and advise clients.

Castrol, the America's Cup and your engine lubrication needs

The Landrover BAR boat and racing team

The Landrover BAR boat and racing team

Castrol is the world's leading manufacturer of premium lubricating oils not only for the automotive and marine trades but also for applications such as industrial, aviation and oil exploration. The America's Cup is the oldest international sports trophy, originally awarded in 1851. Next year Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR team is seeking to bring this cup back to the UK by winning the challenger Louis Vuitton Cup and then the America's Cup itself.

And what's the America's Cup got to do with Castrol? On January 22 2106 it was announced that Castrol's liquid engineering will flow through Land Rover BAR’s challenge! Castrol lubricants will be used to improve the performance of the boat’s hydraulics and its overall efficiency in its America’s Cup bid.

Whether you’re a boat enthusiast or just someone looking for quality engine oil for your car, you can also experience the benefits of Castrol technology right here in Zambia!

Autoworld is one of the foremost distributors of Castrol lubricants in Zambia. As vehicle experts we have carefully selected engine oil brands and products that withstand the demands of Zambia’s driving environment. So, check your car’s manual for engine oil specifications and visit in-store to discuss what’s best for your vehicle.

And this month Autoworld's offering a 15% discount on Castro lubricants at any of our branches - from 4th - 10th February 2016!

P.S. Get kitted out for the coming fishing season at the Autoworld Downtown branch which specialises in boats. If you're a water sports enthusiast, you'll also find lots to interest you at Autoworld Downtown.

Dialoguing to improve Marine Safety

Marine safety in Zambia A Marine Safety Dialogue Workshop was held on 23rd March 2015 at Sandy's Creations in Lusaka. The workshop was sponsored by Autoworld, who are stockists of an extensive range of automotive, marine and lifestyle products in Zambia. It was promoted by the Zambia Business in Development Facility (ZBiDF) and graced by Hon. Yamfwa Mukanga  representing Zambia’s Vice President, Hon. Inonge Wina. This Marine Safety workshop was organised as a response to the tragedy that happened on Independence Day 2014 when 22 school children and 3 adults drowned in Lake Kariba.

About ZBiDF

ZBiDF (the Zambia Business in Development Facility) is a multi-stakeholder platform comprising of champions from business, government, donors and civil society in Zambia. It is designed to engage business and facilitate dialogue and innovation, as well as directly support public-private partnership action on key business and development challenges. ZBiDF’s mission statement is to “systematically support and catalyse cross-sector partnerships in order to unleash the power and resources of business on poverty reduction and improve development outcomes, while achieving business benefits”.

Sector Representation and Composition

The workshop comprised of a cross sector meeting with representatives from government, business and development agencies:

  1.  Government- Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply & Communication (Marine Department) and the Zambia Police Service (Marine Unit)
  2. Business - Madison General Insurance, Autoworld (Z) Ltd, ZISC General Insurance and Aliboats
  3. Development agencies - the African Management Services Company

Deliberations and Resolutions

The Marine Safety Dialogue Workshop discussed three presentations from different stakeholders as follows:

  • Presentation 1: Safety of Navigation in Zambia - a presentation made by the Maritime Department at the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications (MTWSC). The department reiterated the importance of marine safety in stating that ‘Safety was not a Game of Chance, but an action that required deliberate interventions like the mandatory use of seat belts in our motor vehicles that enhance the safety of road users.’The department highlighted several factors that contribute to marine safety, including the seaworthiness of vessels and the loading capacity of vessels. The department shared that implementations of safety measures are hindered by several challenges such as the inadequacy and weakness of marine regulations and low staff levels which hinder effective water patrols. The Ministry nevertheless has recently contracted Aliboats to supply a number of vessels for monitoring purposes.The need for a nationwide education and awareness raising campaign on marine safety was recognised as one way of ensuring that people adopt safe practices whilst on water. Also pointed out was that the Inland Waters Shipping Act of 1961 (Chapter 466 of the Laws of Zambia, otherwise known as CAP 466) excludes non-motorised vessels such as dugout canoes; and the meeting was informed that many of the marine accidents that occurred on the water bodies are largely from such crafts.
  • Presentation 2: Marine Safety Enforcement initiatives and challenges - A presentation was made by the Zambia Police Marine Police Unit who concurred with the observations made by the Department of Maritime and Inland Waters with regard to the challenges of enforcing marine safety. It also pointed out that in its current form, CAP 466 does not empower the Marine Unit to effectively enforce marine safety in the same way that the Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 empowers the Road Traffic Police Unit and the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) with regard to licensing, penalties and sanctions. The Marine Police Unit stressed the need for investment in radio communication equipment (VHF channels) by both boat owners and government.
  • Presentation 3: Private Sector Proposition - Autoworld Zambia’s marine division presented that the private sector users in areas such as Mongu-Kalabo had adopted a mandatory practice of life jacket use. Contrary to the notion that life jackets are expensive, it stocks a variety of life jackets with the cheapest being K100.However there were other significant factors related to water safety - specifically the state of the boat engines and water crafts, and the presence of bilge pumps, portable horns, paddles, running lights, communication equipment and fuel containers, all in good working order.

Autoworld marine safety presentation

Six point action plan

The stakeholders identified six important issues that needed to be resolved in the short term in order to enhance marine safety:

  • Overhauling CAP 466 - the responsibility of the Department of Maritime & Inland Waters - by end Dec 2015
  • Building a marine safety awareness partnership - the responsibility of ZBiDF - by end March 2015
  • Issuance of a press statement to highlight the meeting and the way forward - the responsibility of ZBiDF - by end March 2015
  • Soliciting for more funding – prepare monthly budgets to motivate for more funding - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end March 2015
  • Increasing the number of marine staff – employ more staff to man harbours, and purchase new boats - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end Dec 2015
  • Increasing marine infrastructure – specifically offices, patrol boats and navigation beacons - the responsibility of MTWSC/MoFnp - by end Dec 2015
  • Enhancing ship to shore communication (radio) - the responsibility of MTWSC/ZICTA - by end Dec 2015

Vice President’s address

Honourable Yamfwa Mukanga, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications welcomed the initiative in a speech he read on behalf of the Vice President, indicating it had come at the right time. She directed that the outcomes of the meeting incorporated the following:

  1. Increased community awareness and education
  2. Better adherence and enforcement of regulations
  3. More affordable access to lifesaving devices and vessels
  4. Enhanced communication and rescue measures

Wrap up by Autoworld’s Chairman

In conclusion, Autoworld Chairman Mr Noble Findlay gave a vote of thanks to the Vice President’s speech and noted that as a business, Autoworld appreciated that government had taken time to join the gathering to deliberate on marine safety. He also encouraged the Minister to consider removing VAT on life jackets as a way of making them even more affordable for the communities that live near water bodies.

In response, the Minister instructed staff from the Maritime and Inland Waterways Department to immediately commence action that would lead to the repealing and replacement of CAP 466 and the removal of VAT on life jackets in the 2016 Budget, as a measure of the government’s commitment to improve marine safety in Zambia.

Mercury Backed by Autoworld

Autoworld website images low res-28 This month we're hearing from Gary & Dustin who have made time from their busy schedules to tell us about their roles at Autoworld being in charge of the Mercury Marine engine division. We asked them some questions and this is what they had to say:

Q. What is your role at Autoworld?

Gary: I'm the Technical Manager at Autoworld. I'm usually based at the Marine Department at Autoworld Downtown in Lusaka and also often go out into the field servicing units for the lodges.

Dustin: I'm a Marine Technician at Autoworld and my role is mainly based out in the field servicing units and helping our Mercury Marine clients' engines remain compliant with engine warranty.

Q. Why is there a need to have mobile marine technicians?

Dustin: Some of our clients are remotely based such as lodges, marine police and Department of Fisheries and their units are often operating at full capacity, which leaves them no time to bring their engines into the Marine Deparment in Lusaka for servicing. In order to comply with the Mercury warranty it is necessary for engines to be serviced at regular intervals and at Autoworld we want to go that extra mile to ensure that we are able to offer this reliable back up service. We're not just interested in selling engines, we want to ensure that our customers have the best possible after service in order to optimise their engine performance.

Q. What areas of the country do your cover?

Gary: Between 3 to 4 times a year we go to the Lower Zambezi, Kafue National Park, Siavonga, Livingstone to Kazungula and Lake Tanganyika. Length of trips vary between 2 days and 5 days depending on demand and travel time.

Dustin: We've also been know to do one off trips when a client has had an emergency. Most of these remote clients of ours are also service based so we understand the importance of their need to offer their clients an exceptional experience.

Q: How do you travel to the remote areas?

Dustin: We tow a fully loaded service boat filled with as many spares and tools as we can carry. We try to cover as many eventualities as we can so we're usually pretty loaded. When traveling to the Lower Zambezi for instance, we tow the boat as far as Chirundu and then launch and motor down the river to the different lodges.

Gary: Lake Tanganyika is the longest and toughest journey that we do which entails about 400km of dirt road and then a 3 hour boat ride from Mpulungu to the lodges.

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Q:  What sort of work do you do?

Dustin: On most visits to lodges we carry out a service on the engine ensuring that the unit is operating as it should be and also advise on care and maintenance.

Q:  What training have you both received to make you a qualified Mercury Marine Technician?

Gary: We have both traveled abroad several times to Dubai and Belgium where Mercury Marine carry out their technician training.  In between international training trips we receive emails from Mercury Marine with the latest developments and ways that dealers have overcome any issues with units to ensure that we constantly stay on top of our game.

Dustin: Occasionally we have representatives from Mercury Marine come to our premises to carry out training as well.

Q:  It sounds like a challenging role, do you have any tales to share?

Gary: Lots! On one occasion we were carrying out 3 installations at Chiawa Camp on the Lower Zambezi and were on our way back to Chirundu when we found one of our clients waiting for us in his boat in the middle of the river.  He wanted us to service one of his engines and was waiting to catch us on our way back to Lusaka.  It was getting dark by the time we finished and started heading back, so we took a short cut behind Kanyemba Island, but hit a sand bank.  About 50 meteres away was the biggest croc I've ever seen and he looked really hungry.  We had no time to waste so with the engine still running my colleague and I jumped out of the boat and managed to lift the boat in record time.  By the time we got back to the vehicle it was 8pm and dark.  Just as we docked the boat the fuel ran out.  That was a close call.

Q: Yikes, that WAS a close call!  Do you have any more?

Gary: We had a new client who had just bought an engine.  I woke up on Sunday morning to find 10 messages on my phone from the client.  His boat wouldn't start and he had clients arriving so he needed us to make an urgent trip to him in the Lower Zambezi.  By the time I got there it was 4pm and the boat was fixed by 6pm and it was pitch dark.  I had to get back to Lusaka that night because I had the keys to open the workshop the next morning.  The client offered us one of his guides to drive us back in the boat to our car.  It had taken us 2.5 hours boat ride to get to the camp and on our way back it took us 1.5 hours - top speed and in the pitch dark, zigzagging between sandbanks from the Zambian side of the river to the Zimbabwean river.  It was the scariest experience of my life!  In the end I sat on the floor of the boat facing backwards in the hope that would keep me safe if we hit a sandbank at top speed.  It was only when we arrived back at the vehicle that I realised we had been driven by one of the most successful poachers who was now a reformed game guide.  That was one journey to remember...

Autoworld website images low res-26

So there you have it. When we say we're committed to offering our clients the best possible after sales service on our Mercury engines you can believe us!

If you are interested in purchasing an engine or want to enquire about our Mercury Marine after sales service please contact Craig on craig@autoworld.co.zm.

Optimise Your Mercury Experience

Last month you heard from our Purchasing Manager, David Findlay, and this month we’d like to introduce you to our marine expert, Craig Eastcroft. Craig is the resident marine expert at Autoworld Downtown and knows everything there is to know about our wide range of boats and engines.  He’ll be sharing some of his expertise and experience in the Marine news category which we are launching today.  On that note, we hand you over to Craig… Autoworld web images - second batch-12

Today I'd like to introduce you to two very important aspects of owning an outboard engine - maintenance and warranty.

Maintenance To get the most out of your Mercury outboard, it is important that your motor receives the periodic checks listed in the Inspection & Maintenance Schedule. This will help extend the life of your motor and give you many hours of trouble free boating. The service interval is every 100 hours or once yearly, whichever occurs first.  So if you're fortunate to clock up many hours on the water you'll need to bring your boat in more frequently - keep your eye on the clock. At Autoworld we only use Quicksilver oils which have been specifically formulated for use in marine engines, ensuring the highest level of protection. Your motor is going to run smoother, cleaner and virtually trouble-free with Quicksilver oil.

In addition to supplying our customers Genuine Parts & Quicksilver Oils at service time, we also provide skilled technicians to carry out the works. Gary & Dustin visit the Mercury training facility annually and are certified at the highest level, so you can be assured your motor is in the best possible hands! We even have a mobile technician for some of our lodge customers who travels to our clients to carry out servicing. Autoworld website images low res-28 Warranty A 5 year warranty is available on all our Mercury engines subject to adhering to the specified service intervals so it's really important to keep your eye on the clock and book your service in time. Mercury is offering its recreational customers the possibility to extend the warranty on their outboard engines up to 5 years and this applies to FourStroke, Verado and Optimax. Conditions apply so please contact us for more details.

So in a nutshell, it's really quite simple - service your engine regularly and it will reward you with reliable performance...

Aside from maintenance and warranty of your engine, you may be interested to know that the government has taken off the 15% duty on engines so you can now purchase an engine from Autoworld duty free.  Added to that, 25% has been knocked off boat duty so if you're thinking of entering the world of boating that's a massive saving!