The Longest Case of Lazy, Harmless, Deferred Maintenance

[Hudson Force]

I'm an advocate of taking care of maintenance needs required for reliable function, but I have let an easy task slide by unattended for about ten years.

I'm wondering if I hold a record with this, - any other contenders?

There was a windless summer day, as I recall on the Chesapeake about a decade past, when Nancie was at the helm and noticed that our rpm's were decreasing and the throttle was slipping back.

I grabbed a rubber band and looped it from the base of the binnacle hand rail with a loop over the throttle knob. This was a perfect temporary solution for the resistance of the throttle cable adjustment. Over years the rubber band would deteriorate and I'd grab another. This use became so common that we eventually named the rubber band the "cruise control".

Never, over ten years, was I motivated to search out the mechanical cure. There was always something more important on my list of projects. It became an issue that I didn't even consider.

So, just this week I was showing my boat to a potential buyer and he asked, "Why the rubber band?" Now the issue is different. Does the "cruise control" represent a negative presentation for my boat? So, today I took a look at the connection from the throttle cable to the lever on the engine. Yes, at the fulcrum of the lever there is a bolt that, with the slightest tightening, adjusts the resistance.

The fix took less time that pulling out the wrench from the toolbox. I told my wife about this fix today and she gave me a playful slap and called me an idiot,- I'm OK with this, but curious.....

Am I a record holder?

[Diesel Bill]

I'm using a rubber band on the Ray Marine auto pilot engagement lever on my wheel steering. I noticed last week it's due for renewal soon. I thought of using a tywrap but the rubber band works so well I don't want to mess with success. Any chance of a patent?

[Jim Cate]

Good story, Hudson, and a good comment about the human (ie yottie) condition.

Dunno about the record. Few folks keep boats as long as you have, so that's an advantage in the record situation, and fewer still do their own maintenance as a regular thing, so you may get into the books!

As for me, I had a display backlight on the wind instrument fail (this was o n our previous boat) and even back then I was too shaky to deal with really small surface mount bits, and the techo I got a quote from wanted at least a hundred bucks to tackle the job... soooo, I mounted a small red LED externally to light it "for the time being".

It was still there, doing a fine job when we sold the boat years later... but I don't remember how many years were involved!

Be interesting to learn if we are unique in our laziness, Hudson! I doubt it...

Jim

[Fence Man]

I think I'll model my future maintenance plans after yours, Hudson. I took down some canvas last Thursday to replace a few grommets that had ripped out. It's been blowing a steady 25 with gusts to 40 ever since. This particular bit of canvas lives about 20' above the waterline, so I've remained sober while waiting on a weather window to get this project done. I'm about to give up on both sobriety and maintenance for the day. Next time it'll be rubber bands instead of new grommets......
Cheers!

[sailorboy1]

That is beyond any record I know of.

back in my Navy submarine days one of the times I noticed was that every once in a while some senior person would show up on the boat and see something we had long accepted as "that is the way it is" and ask the simple question, next thing we knew we fixed it

[Steve Bean]

Haven't we all heard, "This is only temporary, unless it works." Is this from Red Green?

[bailsout]

I think the Brits call it "blodging" and we call it "yankee ingenuity".

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I'm an advocate of taking care of maintenance needs required for reliable function, but I have let an easy task slide by unattended for about ten years.

I'm wondering if I hold a record with this, - any other contenders?

There was a windless summer day, as I recall on the Chesapeake about a decade past, when Nancie was at the helm and noticed that our rpm's were decreasing and the throttle was slipping back.

I grabbed a rubber band and looped it from the base of the binnacle hand rail with a loop over the throttle knob. This was a perfect temporary solution for the resistance of the throttle cable adjustment. Over years the rubber band would deteriorate and I'd grab another. This use became so common that we eventually named the rubber band the "cruise control".

Never, over ten years, was I motivated to search out the mechanical cure. There was always something more important on my list of projects. It became an issue that I didn't even consider.

So, just this week I was showing my boat to a potential buyer and he asked, "Why the rubber band?" Now the issue is different. Does the "cruise control" represent a negative presentation for my boat? So, today I took a look at the connection from the throttle cable to the lever on the engine. Yes, at the fulcrum of the lever there is a bolt that, with the slightest tightening, adjusts the resistance.

The fix took less time that pulling out the wrench from the toolbox. I told my wife about this fix today and she gave me a playful slap and called me an idiot,- I'm OK with this, but curious.....

Am I a record holder?

I don't know about a record but thanks for the hilarious story.

[akprb]

Here's my story, it "fixed" itself a few hudred miles later ;-)

sailingohana

[SV Sailfish]

Thanks for the morning smile Hudson Force.

I too am in this category. But at my age, I am not about to comment on what my rubber band holds together.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes, at the fulcrum of the lever there is a bolt that, with the slightest tightening, adjusts the resistance.

The fix took less time that pulling out the wrench from the toolbox. I told my wife about this fix today and she gave me a playful slap and called me an idiot,- I'm OK with this, but curious.....

Am I a record holder?

And if this was sailnet, this question would come up once a week!!!

We've had our boat for 18 years. I'm sure there are some shortcuts that we have, but they've been in for so long I forget.

Not planning to sell, but you point is well taken. I do, however, have a ToDo list. Some things are still on it from Day One. That's one of the reasons so many of us tell "newbies" to not rush into FixIts until they've had the boat for a while.

[gamayun]

A friend of mine who is anal about boat maintenance always admonishes me with, "there's nothing more permanent than a temporary fix and it will fail at the worst moment!" I had had a leak for months that appeared to be coming from underneath the water pump, but it was just leaking into the bilge, so I let it be. When I finally pulled all the crap out under the sink, loosened the pump, and dried everything so I could figure it out, it was a misaligned hose clamp that took a minute to put right. Argh. At least you have a funny history with your rubber band story and no damage done

[svfinlandia]

Hudson
You have me beat by a couple of years. I bought my boat about nine years ago and the electric windlass died very shortly after I purchased her. It still works fine as a manual windlass so I usually just motor up to the anchor, pull in all the chain by hand and use the windlass to break the anchor free.
My friends keep asking me why I don't fix it and I tell them that, except for raising the main sail, it is about the only exercise that I get on the boat.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by svfinlandia

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My friends keep asking me why I don't fix it and I tell them that, except for raising the main sail, it is about the only exercise that I get on the boat.

Al, I hear ya! I often say: "The ONLY "work" left on my boat is the darned mainsail cover." Now that I have moved from SF to Vancouver Island, without a windlass of ANY kind, I have to add: "Pulling the anchor up." :smile :

[rpjn59]

Ha, that's riot, I have the exact, jury rig on my boat, but its been only 5yrs.