Nominations for the worst designed bits of boat gear

[macd]

Engines from which you're required to drain the oil via the dipstick hole. John McEnroe said it all.

 

[mawm]

Uncomfortable cockpits. Surely the designers could have made something that doesn't give one a painful ars, a sore back and a crick in the neck.....while getting wet and blown away.

 

[Puggy]

Honda 2.3hp outboard.

Noisy, messy (oil and/or fuel leaks out of every orifice), hard to start and kicks back and tries to break your wrist, assembled with mild steel fastenings, very temperamental on anything but pristine immaculately fresh super unleaded, impossible to service yourself, stupid design that means you can't fully remove the hood.

 

[Salty John]

Masthead anchor lights.

 

[Puggy]

Masthead anchor lights.

Good point. I would extend to any light at the top of the mast!

 

[johnalison]

Any yet unopened packet of biscuits.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Every MOB recovery device ever invented.

 

[prv]

Good point. I would extend to any light at the top of the mast!

I think a tricolour used under sail is ok out at sea. Arguably it's more visible to ships.

Unless you mean the embuggerance factor of maintaining it, and then I guess you have a point for anything that isn't a robust potted array of LEDs soldered to the supply cable. Guess what I have

Pete

 

[parbuckle]

Anything chrome plated on deck.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The tiller attachment on a Mirror dinghy, which is designed to foul the mainsheet every single flipping time you go about.

 

[Davegriff]

Waterlog water maker details translated from the french:

http://www.waterlog.co.uk/translation.htm

 

[Norman_E]

Every MOB recovery device ever invented.

Right on man. Don't bother buying one. Let the silly buggers drown. It was their fault for falling in!

 

[scottie]

My nominations are

.... morse controls

who the heck thought those up?

QUOTE]

Samuel Morse
you don't have a clue what life was like before them do you?

 

[scottie]

Building boats and then putting the lid on ensuring inability to access service or essential components

 

[michael_w]

Plastic rowlocks. Effin' useless. Along with the toy oars fitted to most inflatable dinghies.

 

[alahol2]

My nominations are

.... morse controls

who the heck thought those up?

QUOTE]

Samuel Morse
you don't have a clue what life was like before them do you?

Must admit, I think they are quite clever and seem to be one of the longer lasting bits of kit.

 

[savageseadog]

Anything made of dead tree on a boat

 

[prv]

you don't have a clue what life was like before them do you?

I reckon Dylan of all people does

The Slug started out with separate gear and throttle controls, then they broke and Dylan replaced them with different-coloured bits of string hanging out of a portlight.

Nearly all his other boats have been engineless or had outboards, so actually it's probably only the most recent which has had a Morse control. And apparently he didn't enjoy the experience, although I can't think why.

Pete

 

[Minchsailor]

Gas cookers - they do not work very well, difficult to clean, and the stainless steel is held together with mild steel screws....

 

[JumbleDuck]

Right on man. Don't bother buying one. Let the silly buggers drown. It was their fault for falling in!

When harness exist, then yes, to some extent you're right.

But just look at the designs of recovery advice which appear with remorseless regularity. The ones which, on trial, just about do the job with four strong people on deck and a conscious and helpful "casualty" in the water. Chances of working when one teenager is faced with the job of getting Dad back at sea? Nil.