Interface it to the tiller pilot, Set the alarm, Do the trip at night,
Wake upin the morning half a mile off the French coast, Feeling nice and refreshed for the day ahead.
Got one of those combined tape player radio's with recording facility so that I can record the early morning weather forecast off Radio 4,,,yeahhhh right,,I've recorded everthing on that Bl**dy thing apart from the forecast. I've had radio 2, luxemborg, Radio Moscow, even managed to get radio 4 once, Farming today then just as the annoucer said "and now for the shipping forecast" the bl**dy thing ran out of tape.The batteries have run out, timer set wrong all in all a complete waste of dosh. I now set alarm on the mobile and get up listen to the forecast the turn in again.
After less than 2000 hours / 18 months it was only fit to be a mooring block. During that time it consumed: an exhaust elbow, two temperature senders, two heat exchangers, two remote control panels (without which it could not be started), three water pumps, enough pencil anodes to galvanise a battleship, and an excessive amount of diesel which it sprayed into the bilges. It kept a diesel mechanic and electrician in luxury on the fees we paid to get it fixed every few weeks.
It had a particular cunning - condescending to start when I approached it with a spanner then waiting till I was away on a business trip to fail on my wife. It finaly drove her ashore.
All this despite a cosited life, installed in a spacious engine room (standing headroom no less), oil and filters changed by the book and fed the finest fuel through double filters.
In the meantime the little Honda petrol generator on the foredeck is still running strong after 5 years of neglect and misuse...
One of those transom attached BBQs.
Took ages to get going especially if the wind was above F2. A bugger to clean out, and you lived in fear of burning down the boat, or dropping the steak overboard.
Those floating lights attached to liferings that are meant to come on when they are upright. A good idea if they worked, but they always seem to leak water and corrode. I've bought expensive ones and I've bought cheap ones but they all go the same way. Why can't someone make one that doesn't leak? There's only one thing worse than having no safety equipment, and that's having safety equipment that doesn't work.
This handheld oil extraction pump for which you need four hands: one to keep the output hose in the container, one to hold the pump, one to keep the plunger backwards and one to move the suction hose arouond the bottom of the oil sump.
The mess it makes using only two hands is incredible.
It was a russian jobbie, bought in Bulgaria. Single eye. Two AAA-batteries for IR illumination. Impossible to focus, image to grainy. Found out later that this is typical for generation 1-types. Gen 2 is but a fraction better, I've heard.
Did exactly the same - SWMBO put iron casarole by cmpass - left Hayling in fog on ususal course for Portsmouth - came to sudden halt of Langstone - 6 - 0 in 1 second!
Try McMurdo Commercial lights - they work on ships .... mine has worked for god knows how many years since leaving ships etc. It has a sealed mercury switch and takes 3 D Cells, its a little larger than yer average yottie job - but it works !
those bloody banks outside Langstone are bloody uncomfortable when wind against tide !!!! I thought my B.Keels were going to disintegrate !!
Finally my 'bus-engine' hauled us off leaving two plough furrows !!!!!