The Things We Cheapskates Do

[White Feather]

Yup, been to Philly and still like Captain Harvey's better. When I was younger I could knock down a whole one and finish what the kids left. Now I have to share with the wife and bird. Old age is .....heck!

Okay Chief, add Captain Harveys to our list of things to do when I get up there. Shultz's Steamed Crabs, Captain Harvey's Cheesesteak, Jack's Corned beef on rye, Oysters and Beer Breakfast downtown, Is Stewart's Rootbeer stand still there with thier Steamburgers out in Rosedale? Yummmm! Dietary Overload!

[White Feather]

Oh yeah Chief, Soft Crabs. Maryland style, none of that New York style batter crap. Butter, Old Bay, dash of vinegar and saute' till the legs are slightly crisp. That's it. I'll anchor over at Eastern Bay and pick up some jumbo soft crabs .

Anjou, I thought it said Chesapeake too.

[Don1500]

I should have been cheap but wasn't and it cost me double. The fule pump started running intermittently. When it would stop you could hit it and it would run again. This pump fit into a hole in the side of the tank.
Not wanting to take the time to investigate further and being rather flush at the time I ordered a new pump. When I got it it took about 15 minutes to install (and it was installed correctly) but it leaked like a sive, I couldn't get it to stop. Drained the fuel and since it was getting dark I left and took both the new and old pump with me. At home I disassembled the old pump (which I should have done before I bought the new one.) This pump was made by Lucas, (The reason they drink warm beer in England is because Lucas makes refrigerators!), They had a very interesting way of connecting to the ground path. They used a piece of braded copper wire soldered across the metal mechanical relay, it looked like shielding off a coax but VERY thin. It broke. I replaced it with... some shielding removed from RG58 coax. That sucker will never break again, period. The fix cost nothing, the new pump was $120.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Don1500

. . .This pump was made by Lucas, (The reason they drink warm beer in England is because Lucas makes refrigerators!), They had a very interesting way of connecting to the ground path. They used a piece of braded copper wire soldered across the metal mechanical relay, it looked like shielding off a coax but VERY thin. It broke. I replaced it with... some shielding removed from RG58 coax. That sucker will never break again, period. The fix cost nothing, the new pump was $120.

Forty years I have been wondering why they drink warm beer - now I finally find out why - - Always learning something.
- - Your story is a great example of how and why learning how to fix things makes a world of a difference between the "minimalist cost (a.k.a $500/mo) cruiser and the $100K/yr cruiser who cannot take things apart and fix them so must hire a "mechanic/engineer" for $100/hour.
- - That fix you did yourself probably saved you around $300 so you got the new pump for "free." That's another way of thinking about it. Also if the original starts acting up again just wave the new pump in front of it and tell the old pump it is about to be trashed as you have a "new" pump. That usually works to get the old part humming along again for awhile. However, I tried that with an old wife and it did not work, cost me a lot more before I could get the new version installed.

[Sharkbreath]

It may seem like a waste of time spending hours repairing an old piece of equipment, but there can be a wisdom to it.
1) you get to know the details of how the thing works and you will never know when that will come in handy.
2) If it's got a lot of years on it, you know it's worth. I've often bought new equipment and found it to be far shoddier and less reliable than what it replaced. If you have a part that lasted 30 years, you know it was well made; new equipment can be a crapshoot.
Repairing stuff- even if it's being cheap - gives one a sense of independence and self sufficiency. I love being cheap.

[zeehag]

i have scottish blood- lol-- i seek bargains-- true bargains ar ethings others think are no twrthy of keeping , yet , a sthe previous owner may be unable to assign wortth to it doesnt mean the solarpanel in th edumpster is a bad one--- take it home and test it-- isnt the panel that deteriorates s much as the connections....uhoh-- now i cant get anymore--i let the damncat outta dabag.LOL
but the facts is--this nation uses a disposable items menatality-- replace rather than repair. lol. i use that to my own advantage with excellent results so far. i find stuff that others donot want because they bought something new to replace it...most of these items were NEVER used. the folks donot sail. they dock queen it. is all good-- use brain-find GOOD stuff--used or reject by someone who doesnt know what they had. is fair game. they give--i will accept.

sharkbreath has it right-- the new made in china stuff suxx--- the old made in germany stuff is killer good. LOL....i will rebuild an old thing before i will buy an new one. makes better sense-- is a better quality!!!
japanese stuff is good also-- some others... not the new stuff-- scary.

[Astrid]

The reason they drink warm beer in England is because Lucas makes refrigerators!)

Ah yes, Jospeh Lucas, prince of darkness.

[Eleven]

WE drink warm beer and keep it in wood because it has no chemicals, is totally natural, cures all known maladies (briefly) and actually has flavour.
Please note: - Lager is not beer. It doesn't matter if it's chilled because you could only taste the chemicals if it was warm.

[zeehag]

at least mgs and healys and such push started well... every 5 feet or so...tinker... tinker... gives folks a good fix on how to fix..LOL...

i got over beer when i stopped working sports car races s a flag team member.and crew person...LOL...

[zopi]

Lucas SUCKS! I have an MG...anybody wanta trade for a leaky dink?

[zeehag]

at this point i will trade a leaky car for a leaky dink in a heartbeat-- even an mg--and my dinks dont leak ,,,much........

or should i have asked---- inflatable or hard dink???? kayak or dink????? patches or none????


i mean, hell, i can push an mg by myself easier than i can keep my beeter glued together!!!!!(literally)

[zopi]

Seee? I knew she'd make it complicated.
Oh well..she's cute.

The old Mg I have was given me by a friend (hmm?) who inherited it from her dad..it was his playtoy..Ever see Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds? He was the stuntman who bought it in the phone booth..
One of these days I might even get the old bugger running..

[Blue Stocking]

Lucas 3-position light switch--off-flicker-broken

[zeehag]

wow--cool--just replace lucas with ANYTHING and is ok..LOL.....
waaay cool zopi-- was a cool flick and was more difficult to do the tricks an such back then.. no puters to liven it all up...LOL....


s o when do you get to leave your grey haze maze??

[zopi]

31 August 2011..a day which will live in obscurity...can't bloody wait.

Planning to have a J.O.B. line up prior to terminal leave..gonna bugger off for a month or so and sail the Chessie..