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12-06-2016, 08:35
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#1
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
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Dumb Mistakes
I wonder how many people openly tell people about their dumb mistakes?
Yesterday I replaced my stereo because last week it "died". After I cut all the wires from the old units' wire harness and started identifying wires for the new one I discovered that the wire I always thought was the contrast power memory wasn't. And that I had mistakenly depowered what really was the constant power source to the stereo last week when changing my house battery arrangement. So I spent 4 hours and the purchase price of a new stereo for probably no reason all (but the new stereo does sound better).
What a dumb ass I am!
But - that wasn't even really the dumb ass mistake. The real mistake was something I hadn't even thought about that was related. Turns out the stereo constant power and the bilge pump were powered from the same source and the pump was without power for a week.
Who else whats to come out of the closet and admit a dumb ass mistake?
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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12-06-2016, 08:58
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Port Ludlow Wa
Boat: Makela,Ingrid38,Idora
Posts: 2,050
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Got to agree, bilge pump wires and power source gravitated to the top of my list during an insurance survey...What I found was not my doing but put me in mind that I am the gripping nut on this vessel and should have known. All fixed now but could have been catastrophic...grrrrrrrr. What else is lurking?
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12-06-2016, 09:04
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#3
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Pangaea
Posts: 10,856
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
I make dumbass mistakes all the time. Probably one of more stupid boating mistakes was the time I needed to go under the boat to check the prop while in a Mahon, Menorca marina.
First I tried diving under wearing just a wetsuit and fins, got to the prop, then became stuck with my back to the underside of the boat due to my buoyancy. I rolled out of that one. Not detered, and not owning a weight belt, I had my wife hand me a twelve pound anode that I proply stuffed into my wetsuit an zipped up.... Then sank to the bottom like a rock. Thank goodness I was wearing fins.
Then it took two of us, me and another fellow to haul me out and onto another boats swim platform. It's really hard to get out of the water at a marina by yourself without steps.
Learned a few things that day, but these things come up all the time.
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12-06-2016, 09:10
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wandering the US Gulf Coast
Boat: 78 Pearson323 Four Winds
Posts: 2,212
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Dumb mistakes memories.......... access failure alert.
Systems warning alert.......... memory access valve clogged.
__________________
Life begins at the waters edge.
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12-06-2016, 09:16
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Boat: 2018 Seadoo GTX 230
Posts: 1,059
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
When ever I make a dumb ass mistake I always say it will not be my last.
Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
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12-06-2016, 09:24
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,703
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Stereos are such great things, except...
I broke my leg skiing in 2009 and was away from the boat. Just before the accident, I had installed a new powered subwoofer.
When I finally got back on the boat 3 months later, the subwoofer wouldn't work.
I spent a LOT of time tracing it down.
Almost pulled a sailorboy and ripped it out.
Finally realized I had "brilliantly" wired the subwoofer power to the shower sump breaker, figuring I didn't need the subwoofer on when I was in the cockpit and could, so, turn it off. I simply hadn't finished my wiring diagram and notes before I left the boat, never figuring that I'd be gone for 3 months.
Still it's working great to this day.
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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12-06-2016, 09:32
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Southern California
Boat: Catalina 320
Posts: 1,301
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
I replaced the bilge pump float switch on a new to me boat before discovering that there was a three way switch for the pump on the panel with an "OFF" position, who would want to turn the bilge pump off ?
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12-06-2016, 09:48
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Huron, Ohio
Boat: Albin Coronado 35(1972)
Posts: 640
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Not boat related ... but
last winter, I went to a store to get some stuff.
On return to the car, I saw the keys in the ignition and the car was locked ... si I thought.
I left the window open ... but only open enough for air(couldn't fit my hand in.
Anyway, I spent the next hour devising ways to push in my rocker-button of the lock mechanism ... I spent about half an hour with various things, until I decided to get a long stiff wire from the store.
With this stiff wire, I could push the dash button and open the trunk and see what other goodies I can use to get the car door open.
I finally found a much stronger wire, and since I was having a hard time pushing the button in on the side with the open window ... with this stiffer wire I could "push", to push the button on that door.
After trying for about 10 minutes ... unsuccessfully, I noticed the button on the passenger side looked "different", from the driver's side ... and so, I thought about this difference for a few minutes ... and wondered "why", they were looking different.
After a little more pondering, I went to the driver's side door ... and ... opened it. It was never locked ... I just made an assumption that since I was stupid enough to leave my keys in the ignition, that the door was locked ... and here, I actually spent all that time actually trying to lock an unlocked car.
The mind is a truly wonderous thing
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12-06-2016, 09:59
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#9
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,103
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Quote:
Originally Posted by SURV69
Not boat related ... but
last winter, I went to a store to get some stuff.
On return to the car, I saw the keys in the ignition and the car was locked ... si I thought.
I left the window open ... but only open enough for air(couldn't fit my hand in.
Anyway, I spent the next hour devising ways to push in my rocker-button of the lock mechanism ... I spent about half an hour with various things, until I decided to get a long stiff wire from the store.
With this stiff wire, I could push the dash button and open the trunk and see what other goodies I can use to get the car door open.
I finally found a much stronger wire, and since I was having a hard time pushing the button in on the side with the open window ... with this stiffer wire I could "push", to push the button on that door.
After trying for about 10 minutes ... unsuccessfully, I noticed the button on the passenger side looked "different", from the driver's side ... and so, I thought about this difference for a few minutes ... and wondered "why", they were looking different.
After a little more pondering, I went to the driver's side door ... and ... opened it. It was never locked ... I just made an assumption that since I was stupid enough to leave my keys in the ignition, that the door was locked ... and here, I actually spent all that time actually trying to lock an unlocked car.
The mind is a truly wonderous thing
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LOL. Very good story. Chuckled.
Sounds like a "Solution looking for a Problem."
It is interesting how we can fool ourselves so easily if we jump to conclusions, and once that is done it is hard to get back on track. Human nature.
Thanks for sharing your story, a good one.
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12-06-2016, 10:00
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Lake Belton, TX, USA, Earth: 3rd rock from the Sun
Boat: Vagabond 14
Posts: 421
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calif.Ted
I replaced the bilge pump float switch on a new to me boat before discovering that there was a three way switch for the pump on the panel with an "OFF" position, who would want to turn the bilge pump off ?
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Common on bass boats...
Its to protect the battery while the boat is on the trailer. (Lets protect the $100 battery by letting the hull fill with water and rot out )
It is useful if some debris gets into the bilge and blocks the float switch with the pump running though.
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12-06-2016, 10:28
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,703
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
I ONLY make SMART mistakes?
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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12-06-2016, 11:44
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Boat: 1976 Sabre 28-2
Posts: 7,505
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
How would I learn anything if I didn't have to fix my dumb mistakes.
__________________
Peter O.
'Ae'a, Pearson 35
'Ms American Pie', Sabre 28 Mark II
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12-06-2016, 12:34
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#13
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
I'm like Ken, I make dumb mistakes all the time. Fortunately most of them don't involve expensive or life threatening results, just some of them do.
Probably the worst was when I install a new engine in a boat and hooked up the hoses to the raw water pump backwards. Had to pull the new engine and rebuild it.
By the way, I'll give you $5 for your old, broken stereo.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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12-06-2016, 12:37
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: mi /grt lks
Boat: Laguna, windrose 25
Posts: 110
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Yes total newbe blunder. In such a hurry to get on the water forgot to put up the radio antennae, the wind vane, and the safety pin to the rudder. The only right thing that happened is we got sunburned.
joel
ps I love this forum
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12-06-2016, 12:48
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#15
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
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Re: Dumb Mistakes
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac
I'm like Ken, I make dumb mistakes all the time. Fortunately most of them don't involve expensive or life threatening results, just some of them do.
Probably the worst was when I install a new engine in a boat and hooked up the hoses to the raw water pump backwards. Had to pull the new engine and rebuild it.
By the way, I'll give you $5 for your old, broken stereo.
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Not w you tell me 😬
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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