Do you ever have one of those years?

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dralex

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...where you wonder if it's really worht the expense of boat owning and why does everything break at the same time?

So far I'm up to new forestay, dodgy alternator, toilet not working and back flooding, fat seagull damage to windex,and needing a new prop. They've had to cut the radar cable to get the mast down. Thats before I start the usual routine jobs.

What's been you worst year and what broke?
 
(Apologies if you've heard this before)

On retirement decided to have floors strengthened as keel always worked and had to fill and fair every winter. Obtained spec from reputable surveyor, put it in hands of local yard whose work I had thought satisfactory (JSSC yachts made good-as-new after T-bone collisons etcet.)
But yard did their own thing and surveyor wouldn't pass it so I didn't pay and court proceedings loomed. Then yard went into receivership so once again I was touting around for the best quote.
The job went to Westerley but by the agreed date they'd amalgamated with Victoria Yachts at Warsash who soon sacked the workmen I knew. Victoria did the work including forgetting to winterise the engine which was a write-off by the time they wanted payment. They had done a good job but I counter-claimed so off to court again where their Bundle was thrown out (sorry, legal term, please ask).
At this point the firm was reborn as Victoria Yacht Sales who resurrected court proceedings but not before the Receiver was called in and everything ground to a halt.
Meanwhile I agreed to deliver a friend's boat from Northern Ireland to Gosport and we were dismasted in the Irish Sea drifting engineless for 24 hours before being taken in tow by a fishing boat. Flew home and realised that I had cracked a couple of ribs and loosened some front teeth. The hernia appeared later and I sold the boat for peanuts.
Any comment would be superfluous.
 
I have been sitting here muttering to myself about the day I have had, and then read your post (and the following one). Puts it into perspective a bit better!

I am installing a stereo system and ater much faffing around had at last got the wires under the headlining from the stereo at the aft end of the saloon, to the bulkhead at the fwd end where I was going to put the speakers. The bulkhead is 3/4" ply with 1/4 " of GRP on the fwd side (takes the stress from the mast) so checked the position of one speaker before drilling, no good as it was lined up with the Pt 1 registration plate. Found a better place, checked that there was a similar spot on the port side of the fwd bulkhead, and drilled my holes, looking good, but the bolts were too short for the securing nuts to get a grip, (never mind buy some more tomorrow). So now for the port one, checked, enough space on the other side of the bulkhead, it fited nicely either side of a light fitting , didnt think anymore, so in with the drill, - thats funny there is a bit of a void, why has the light just gone off? - Thats right drilled straight through the cable to the lightfitting. managed to cut out a section of the GRP and there wasnt much damages, just sliced into the casing of a red and black wire, and shorted them out. the fuse did its job. I have repaired the cables, and a quick bit of gelcoat repair and its should be fine!
 
Just soys your not alone. Spent 6 years and £ 15000 "doing up" a motor boat. Got it all "Shipshape" and fancied the "Boat for sale" berthed next to me. Sold mine the next day got a good price just about got purchase + renovation costs back,happy bunny? Not quite, spent £8000 extra to buy "New Boat" back in 2003 ,further £5000 to "get it right" no boating mutch during this period just about sorted now, roll on 2007, boat will be totally sorted then .Going to wear this vessel out. When it,s knackered and I,m knackered told SWMBO + offspring no Funeral. Set HER alight with me in it Viking Funeral and sod the lot of you!!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
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...where you wonder if it's really worht the expense of boat owning and why does everything break at the same time?



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Every year's like that for me!
 
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...dodgy alternator...fat seagull damage to windex..

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Got those two as well and I will raise you terminally ill tender outboard, knackered battery and delaminated plywood locker covers.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Few years back ... had a reliable 4-99 Perk in my boat. Had her lifted for winter.
She stood in yard and I was coming back to UK ...called yard and asked if they could launch boat for me ready to return.

I arrived at yard ... where's boat ? She was on outside berth .... Why I asked ? Answer ... she was so tender and wallowing about in water that guys were worried and tied her up there instead of bring her all way round to "own berth".

Did anyone have a look to see why ? No - not our job - you wanted it launched.

So I go down and open up .................. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING !!!!! Boat was half full of water .....

It took swmbo and 2 days to get her pumped out and emptied. Thewn started the horrible job of cleaning all the diesel and crud out of lockers, underbunks etc. Half the stores etc. in lockers was ruined .... new switch panels etc. etc. ready for fitting that season. The boat stank.

Got yard engineer down to look at engine .. both of us checked oil etc. couldn't see anything wrong.

We got boat cleaned up and did varnishing etc. such that it's now difficult to see effects.

But anyway we went over to Folly inn with the boat ... engine seized that weekend never to ever turn over again.

2 yrs previous I had spent out £3000 replacing bearers, mounts, shaft, coupling etc. etc. etc. - You can imagine I was one hell of a p****d off guy ...............

£1500 later - I had a 4-107 in replacing the old engine ... charges being for engineers etc. needed to change it for me ...

Insurance / Yard ........... basically I was blamed for not ensuring boat didn't collect water during on-shore time ...

So - check your boat before letting yards launch / lift etc. !!!
 
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...dodgy alternator...fat seagull damage to windex..

[/ QUOTE ]

Got those two as well and I will raise you terminally ill tender outboard, knackered battery and delaminated plywood locker covers.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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Alternator now terminal too - £158!!!!
 
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