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[Amel] Thomson Australe Washing machine
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Steve Constantine <svsummerlove@...>
Thank you for the valuable advice. We agree with you that the Thomson is the ideal unit for use aboard a cruising boat. You are correct, the Thomson spins at 1200 rpm, and will wash a 5kg cotton load. Unfortunately, ours has a major leak from corrosion in the drum, which dumps large amounts of water into the underfloor storage compartments. We've considered getting it repaired, but at 10 years old we don't think it would be worth the major cost of open heart surgery (and that's assuming it's only the drum that needs to be replaced)
Your suggestion of replacing it with a new Thomson through Amel in Le Marin is a good one. We'd just assumed that model was no longer available. If we can find one that way, we'll give it a try. We never use the dryer, because it takes too long when running the genset. It's only of value when we are at the dock with access to 220V 50Hz power, and even then it doesn't do a really great job when compared to vented dryers. I suppose that's why Amel didn't use a ventless dryer in the 54'. That said, we haven't needed a dryer in the Caribbean because the outside drying conditions are ideal. We were considering just buying a top loading washer, and foregoing the dryer altogether. Is your Electrolux a combo unit or washer only? If it's a washer only, do you regret not getting the dryer function as well? I do speak a little French from my Canadian high school days. I can read it fairly well, though, so a French-only manual shouldn't present too big a problem. There's always Babylon.com or Google Translator if there's anything too complicated. Regards, Steve and Donna SM340 Summer Love ________________________________ From: john martin <symoondog@...> To: "amelyachtowners@..." <amelyachtowners@...> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 2:15 PM Subject: RE: [Amel] Thomson Australe Washing machine i there, In Martinique we bought an Electrolux Arthur Martin Model AWTS 10120W to replace the original Thomson Australe. It is essentially the same size, and is a top-loading machine. I am very happy with it although it is much more complicated than we need - multiple cycles and an infinte variety of special features. Many of the cycles can take 90 minutes - I have finally found a cycle/feature combo that takes about 45 minutes, uses 40-50 liters of water, and does the job well. The manual is only in French but I know some French so that has not been a big problem. We shopped at the BUT "big box" store in Martinique. You will have an overwhelming number of choices of machines/features/prices with very similar size that should fit in the space available. All in all, we are very happy with it. Advice for buying a new one - delay as long as possible, but, as you know Martinique or Guadaloupe are the only sources on the west side of the Atlantic for a replacement ! The Thomson Australe was a wonderful machine in my opinion. Our Thomson was a wash and dry unit but we never used the dry feature - because the Thomson had such a high spin rpm (I think it was 1200 or 1300 rpm) and thus the clothes were amazingly dry just after a wash cycle, and dried quickly even in cool climates. Back to a new one - buy one with the highest spin speed but the fewest special features. The max wash load weight can vary as well. Our is 5.5 kg which is a pretty good sized load. If you can look at the manual, check how long the cycles take. (I don't recall that they have the manuals on display, so you may not be able to see the manual until after you have purchased the unit and picked it up. ) If you don't speak/read French, try to get one with a manual in English. Be very careful about the total actual height of the unit (including little display knobs etc) as noted below - see yellow text below - measure the space on your boat and then measure your preferred unit in the store to be sure. By the way, when our boat was about 6 years old, the Thomson wouldn't operate and we ordered a new control unit for it, installed it ourselves (very simple), and got another 5 years out of it. As I recall we just happened to be in Guadaloupe at the time and the Amel rep there was very helpful and ordered it for us. I think the Amel rep is now in Le Marin ? Since your boat is several years newer than ours (ours launched Nov 98), this might be an option for you. The logistics of getting the old machine off the boat (and disposing of it) and the new machine on the boat are doable but a bit of a chore. These machines are quite heavy and an awkwardly large size. You must arrange at a marinas to tie up alongside the end of their dock to easily get the machines on/off. You need to figure out how to dispose of the old one (we were told to leave ours by the marina trash dumpsters, so we got lucky that day). You need at least 4 strong adults to manhandle the old one out and get the new one in. You need a dolly to roll the machines up and down the dock. You need a couple large thick pieces of cardboard to make a ramp/slide up the companionway steps to slide the machines in /out of the cabin - the new one may come in a box that can serve this purpose. You must rent a car with a trunk large enough for the new machine to be stowed in the trunk. You may also need some type of dense foam or padding to wedge the new machine in place, as most of them were slightly less wide ( a few inches) than the Thomson. Hope this helps, and good luck ! Ruth Martin MOON DOG SM 248 To: symoondog@...; amelyachtowners@... From: svsummerlove@... Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:05:10 +0000 Subject: Re: [Amel] Thomson Australe Washing machine Hi John and Ruth, I noticed this post from a couple of years ago. We're looking to replace our Thomson Australe too. We're in Grenada and plan to get to up to Martinique this season, so your advice would be very valuable. Which brand and model did you buy in Martinique, and would you buy the same one again if you had it to do over again? If not, which one would you buy this time? Many thanks, Steve and Donna Constantine SM340 Summer Love --- In amelyachtowners@..., john martin wrote: Hi Pen Azen, We have not replaced the bearings but we did replace our Thomson Australe while in Martinique a few months ago. Our washer was on the fritz and we decided it was too old to invest in a repair. We were amazed at the large number of brands and models and features available for top loader washers at the "big box" stores there, all of them almost exactly the size of the Thomson, if not a little bit smaller in width. There were at least 15 models to chose from ! Prices in Martinique started in the mid-300 Euros on up into the 700 Euro price level. If you decide to just buy a new one, I would think that you could find a similarly good selection of choices in France, if we had such in Martinique. If you do buy a new one, the main issue to worry about is the height. Even though their stated height dimension may be exactly the same as the Thomson (850mm) many of the models have buttons and knobs etc on that top control panel area and some are just a tiny bit higher than our Thomsons, and if so, the countertop lid will be propped up by the contact. We were worried this might happen to us, but our new one fit just right. If it hadn't, our plan was to use a dremel tool to just buzz a small hole in the underside of the top where a knob might be hitting it. Also, check out the users manual of your finalist washer before buying. There are some French brands that provided their users manual ONLY in French. The other brands provide their users manuals in multiple languages. Good luck ! Ruth Martin MOON DOG SM #248__._,_.__ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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ianjenkins1946 <ianjudyjenkins@hotmail.com>
Dear Ruth, I trust you didn't pay those four strong adults, as there is an alternative....tie a piece of webbing around the old machine,and having lowered the bimini , attach a loop in the webbing to the shackle on the end of the mizzen masthead halyard, deploy one smart member of the crew ( ok, your wife...) to stand in the cockpit and press the main sheet button whilst the uneducated labour stands at the foot of the companionway to guide the machine up and out. Once in the cockpit, the said uneducated labour deploys to the dockside having attached a guide line to the washing machine to guide it over the rail as the smart labour presses a second time on the winch switch and then gently ( if the uneducated labour has been behaving himself in the previous week) lowers the washingmachine into a marina trolley. Mission accomplished. Retire for a sundowner. Ciao ,ciao, Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Ragusa Sicily.
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To: amelyachtowners@... |
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john martin <symoondog@...>
i there,
In Martinique we bought an Electrolux Arthur Martin Model AWTS 10120W to replace the original Thomson Australe. It is essentially the same size, and is a top-loading machine. I am very happy with it although it is much more complicated than we need - multiple cycles and an infinte variety of special features. Many of the cycles can take 90 minutes - I have finally found a cycle/feature combo that takes about 45 minutes, uses 40-50 liters of water, and does the job well. The manual is only in French but I know some French so that has not been a big problem. We shopped at the BUT "big box" store in Martinique. You will have an overwhelming number of choices of machines/features/prices with very similar size that should fit in the space available. All in all, we are very happy with it. Advice for buying a new one - delay as long as possible, but, as you know Martinique or Guadaloupe are the only sources on the west side of the Atlantic for a replacement ! The Thomson Australe was a wonderful machine in my opinion. Our Thomson was a wash and dry unit but we never used the dry feature - because the Thomson had such a high spin rpm (I think it was 1200 or 1300 rpm) and thus the clothes were amazingly dry just after a wash cycle, and dried quickly even in cool climates. Back to a new one - buy one with the highest spin speed but the fewest special features. The max wash load weight can vary as well. Our is 5.5 kg which is a pretty good sized load. If you can look at the manual, check how long the cycles take. (I don't recall that they have the manuals on display, so you may not be able to see the manual until after you have purchased the unit and picked it up. ) If you don't speak/read French, try to get one with a manual in English. Be very careful about the total actual height of the unit (including little display knobs etc) as noted below - see yellow text below - measure the space on your boat and then measure your preferred unit in the store to be sure. By the way, when our boat was about 6 years old, the Thomson wouldn't operate and we ordered a new control unit for it, installed it ourselves (very simple), and got another 5 years out of it. As I recall we just happened to be in Guadaloupe at the time and the Amel rep there was very helpful and ordered it for us. I think the Amel rep is now in Le Marin ? Since your boat is several years newer than ours (ours launched Nov 98), this might be an option for you. The logistics of getting the old machine off the boat (and disposing of it) and the new machine on the boat are doable but a bit of a chore. These machines are quite heavy and an awkwardly large size. You must arrange at a marinas to tie up alongside the end of their dock to easily get the machines on/off. You need to figure out how to dispose of the old one (we were told to leave ours by the marina trash dumpsters, so we got lucky that day). You need at least 4 strong adults to manhandle the old one out and get the new one in. You need a dolly to roll the machines up and down the dock. You need a couple large thick pieces of cardboard to make a ramp/slide up the companionway steps to slide the machines in /out of the cabin - the new one may come in a box that can serve this purpose. You must rent a car with a trunk large enough for the new machine to be stowed in the trunk. You may also need some type of dense foam or padding to wedge the new machine in place, as most of them were slightly less wide ( a few inches) than the Thomson. Hope this helps, and good luck ! Ruth Martin MOON DOG SM 248 To: symoondog@...; amelyachtowners@... From: svsummerlove@... Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:05:10 +0000 Subject: Re: [Amel] Thomson Australe Washing machine Hi John and Ruth, I noticed this post from a couple of years ago. We're looking to replace our Thomson Australe too. We're in Grenada and plan to get to up to Martinique this season, so your advice would be very valuable. Which brand and model did you buy in Martinique, and would you buy the same one again if you had it to do over again? If not, which one would you buy this time? Many thanks, Steve and Donna Constantine SM340 Summer Love --- In amelyachtowners@..., john martin wrote: Hi Pen Azen, We have not replaced the bearings but we did replace our Thomson Australe while in Martinique a few months ago. Our washer was on the fritz and we decided it was too old to invest in a repair. We were amazed at the large number of brands and models and features available for top loader washers at the "big box" stores there, all of them almost exactly the size of the Thomson, if not a little bit smaller in width. There were at least 15 models to chose from ! Prices in Martinique started in the mid-300 Euros on up into the 700 Euro price level. If you decide to just buy a new one, I would think that you could find a similarly good selection of choices in France, if we had such in Martinique. If you do buy a new one, the main issue to worry about is the height. Even though their stated height dimension may be exactly the same as the Thomson (850mm) many of the models have buttons and knobs etc on that top control panel area and some are just a tiny bit higher than our Thomsons, and if so, the countertop lid will be propped up by the contact. We were worried this might happen to us, but our new one fit just right. If it hadn't, our plan was to use a dremel tool to just buzz a small hole in the underside of the top where a knob might be hitting it. Also, check out the users manual of your finalist washer before buying. There are some French brands that provided their users manual ONLY in French. The other brands provide their users manuals in multiple languages. Good luck ! Ruth Martin MOON DOG SM #248 __._,_.__ |
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svsummerlove <svsummerlove@...>
Hi John and Ruth,
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I noticed this post from a couple of years ago. We're looking to replace our Thomson Australe too. We're in Grenada and plan to get to up to Martinique this season, so your advice would be very valuable. Which brand and model did you buy in Martinique, and would you buy the same one again if you had it to do over again? If not, which one would you buy this time? Many thanks, Steve and Donna Constantine SM340 Summer Love --- In amelyachtowners@..., john martin wrote:
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svsummerlove <svsummerlove@...>
Hi John and Ruth,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I noticed this post from a couple of years ago. We're looking to replace our Thomson Australe too. We're in Grenada and plan to get to up to Martinique this season, so your advice would be very valuable. Which brand and model did you buy in Martinique, and would you buy the same one again if you had it to do over again? If not, which one would you buy this time? Many thanks, Steve and Donna Constantine SM340 Summer Love --- In amelyachtowners@..., john martin wrote:
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