Let that be a lesson...

[KenMcCulloch]

I inherited a not completely serviceable Avon dinghy when I took over Border Maid, one of the problems being the lack of an o/b bracket. They are about 70 drinking vouchers in the shops so I took advantage of ebay to get one at the bargain price of 35 or so plus a fiver p&p. It was one of the plastic coated ones and the coating a bit broken so remove the wooden bit and it's off to the local shot blasters for cleaning. No problem sir, a tenner to you.

You can see where this is going can't you? It's now cost me £50 plus a fiver for a tin of hammerite to paint it once it's back from the cleaners.

Picked it up yesterday and found that what looked like a bit of superficial rust under the plastic was in effect a plastic tube filled with ferrous oxide for about 30 cms. Over to the nice man at the metal things shop who assures me he can weld a bit of rod in, no problem. 'Does £20 sound OK?' Well I suppose it's at least half an hour's work for someone who knows more about welding than I do so well yes £20 seems fair.

So that'll be £70 not counting the value of my time spent on the whole pantomime and an hour to give it a couple of coats of paint........

Thank god it's Friday.

 

[Salty John]

LOL! Lovely story, and I'm sure there are many amongst us that can identify, and symphathise, with it.

 

[MoodySabre]

Serves you right for being a cheapskate /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Guest]

I'm on my 3rd bracket ! Present one is about 2 yrs old and already paint flaking off .........

Cost me about £75 .... which I think is a rip-off .... But wait till you see the price of the Plastic one ........... which is similar price to the Stainless steel version !

Years ago in PBO a guy made one out of stud bar ... and offcuts of ply .... sadly my old PBO's were consigned to shed by my ex and got wet ! so can't scan and pass on to anyone ... maybe another has the article ?

 

[Bajansailor]

Our O/B Bracket for the Redcrest rusted away a couple of years ago - it was about 12 years old I think - and a welder pal up the road managed to use what was left of it as a reference for making a new one out of mild steel solid round bar (not hollow). The outside diameter is less than the original, hence it is easier to fit it in place (it was always quite a tight fit before).

 

[boguing]

I got the chaps in 'my' workshop to make one up out of 6 and 12 mm rod. Slapped International 2 pack on and it lasted for years. My workshop was a division of British Shipbuilders. Thanks to any taxpayers...

There was a point though. Used to present drawings as 'aptitude tests' for interviews.

Did I tell you the one about the gyro in a box. No. Never mind.

 

[FAITIRA]

I inherited an old one+dinghy, got the bracket galvanised, £5 in Waterford Ireland 1996 and it lasted for many years, the dinghy was clapped out long before the o/b bracket.

 

[mikejames]

About ten years back I bought a stainless bracket for the Redcrest. It was then £55 new. I think it came from a boat jumble trader.

 

[Saddletramp]

[ QUOTE ]
I

So that'll be £70 not counting the value of my time spent on the whole pantomime and an hour to give it a couple of coats of paint........

Thank god it's Friday.

[/ QUOTE ]

Priceless - Being Friday there will be a few of us staring in our own pantomimes over the weekend.

PS swmbo just looked over my shoulder and said why didn't he just buy a new one. They just don't get it do they.

 

[Sy-Revolution]

Ok here's mine.................

Mast went back in today, finally. Last year I noticed that my forestay was a little slack and I was at full adjustment on the backstay. The stringers that the mast (keel stepped) foot plate rests on were wearing away so after repairing them with some biaxial I had the exquisit idea of adding some 22mm ply between the ally foot plate (which had bent a bit) and the stringers. Great, I thought, this would also have the added advantage of pushing the mast up an inch or so, negating the need to shorten the forestay and thus saving me some pennies...........

HOWEVER........ as my mast was being erected this afternoon it transpired that the bottlescrews were now not quite long enough to reach the chainplates. Oh no problem I'll just nip down to Fox's and pick up some toggles (X 4) and we'll be back in business...........

pant, pant pant.... £161.00 (inc vat) for 4 bits of 316!

Wonder how much it would have cost to pull the swageless terminal apart and shave a bit off the forestay?


What was that about length, beem and dept?

Spent the remainder of my £200 on beer! Well it is Friday afterall............

 

[Glyka]

[ QUOTE ]
PS swmbo just looked over my shoulder and said why didn't he just buy a new one. They just don't get it do they.


[/ QUOTE ]
The real fun is when you end up bying a new one too.

BTW is there really a british saying that goes something like "I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things"? If so, how does it go exactly?

 

[KenMcCulloch]

[ QUOTE ]
Serves you right for being a cheapskate /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I am Scottish. In my line of work it's what we would probably call a cultural imperative.

 

[explores]

On my achilles tender it has a wooden engine bracket , very easy to make if you new the dimensions Mine came with the boat.There are pictures on there website.