THE most horrible job on a boat...

[BlueSkyNick]

... following on from wazza's teak deck issues.

I have a theory that the most horrible job on the boat is the one that you are currently having to undertake or last did, until the next one comes along to take its place.

For example, the first most horrible job on our last boat was taking out the heads waste pipes, cleaning out, putting them back in to find they were still a problem and taking them out again - in 30degsC.

Then, at later date I had to take the cast iron keel back to bare metal, apply primer quick and then antifoul the whole boat. That was the most horrible job on the boat, knocking the heads pipes off the register.

On the new boat, I have cleaned the bilges of grease, old sea water, diesel, other detritus, to the extent that I could eat food off of them. Not easy, when the keel stub is about 2 feet deep. That was the most horrible job to have to do on the boat.

and so it goes on....

 

[Penton Hooker]

Laying up has to be the most horrible of jobs, so don't do it, stay in commission!

 

[alan17]

worst job

I am a car mechanic.

Have often been asked what is the worst job? My reply is the current job because all the others are done!

 

[xyachtdave]

Holding tank, pump out broken, decided to unbolt tank and gaffer tape the outlets to allow me to remove it from the locker and clean out properly.

It was heavy, awkward and leaked over my mouth/face wriggling it out of the locker.......at least I knew where it had come from!

 

[stav]

Holding tank, pump out broken, decided to unbolt tank and gaffer tape the outlets to allow me to remove it from the locker and clean out properly.

It was heavy, awkward and leaked over my mouth/face wriggling it out of the locker.......at least I knew where it had come from!

That sounds a pretty awful job.....

Heads generally gets my vote for potential worst jobs but if the tides wrong and can not go for a sail I find completing a job that improves the boat quite satisfying.

 

[laika]

Holding tank, pump out broken[...].......at least I knew where it had come from!

When I bought my boat I later found it had been put ashore with a full holding tank. No deck fitting. Only one exit: at the bottom to a burned out pump

I didn't know where it came from. That remains the worst to date...somewhat mitigated by the comedy value.

 

[KREW2]

There are horrible jobs.......... dirty jobs................ and frustrating jobs.
Sometimes you get a horrible, dirty frustrating job, they're the worst.

 

[Avocet]

Replacing all the bleedin' gelcoat on the topsides has to rank pretty low (high!) on the list. It's soul-destroying!

 

[William_H]

I am a car mechanic.

Have often been asked what is the worst job? My reply is the current job because all the others are done!

A horrible job. Actually simple job gone very bad. Sorry it was actually on my car but it could have been a boat engine. Near new car I decided to do the first service (oil and filter change) myself. (cheapskate)
The filter is pretty hard to reach but got my hands on it and couldn't move it. I made the mistake then of bashing a large screw driver through it to use as a bar to turn it. It would not loosen. I succeeded in tearing the metal almost all the way round. Car was now immobile but I got a lift to buy a special oil filter wrench.
I got that onto the body but no chance of moving it. I extended the handle on the wrench only to wreck the wrench.
I finally in desperation called the dealer who has a mobile mechanic. He got it loose eventually by using a long screw driver as chisel on the rim. I had tried this myself but obviously only half heartedly.
Finally go it off only to find they had changed the filter design and the one I had bought was the wrong one. (cheap non genuine spares not up to date)
fortunately he had a spare on the truck.
Then the story came out. The correct replacement was actually slightly modified from that fitted to the car in the factory. The original type had a leak problem at the seal. The easy fix in the factory (engine on a bench) was to really tighten that filter. No thought for the next mechanic. Not much hope for the DIY owner. Well done Mr Ford. olewill (Mr thread drift himself)

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

I find the hardest job - it may not be the most horrible - is anti-fouling or at least preparing the hull for same. It maybe the fact that I am less supple than I used to be, but lying underneath a Centaur on a less than soft ground area - even with a board or an old carpet is not great for the old joints. Add to this the fact that I have to do it all again for the application of the A/F and it is not my favourite task.

 

[charles_reed]

IMHO the most horrible job is changing the sea-toilet outlet pipe - despite muriatic and sulphamic acid it needs to be done regularly, if you're a liveaboard.

All else pales into insignificance compared to that one.

 

[fireball]

I have a theory that the most horrible job on the boat is the one that you are currently having to undertake or last did, until the next one comes along to take its place.

Nah ... the worst job for me was having to fix the heads pump when a guest onboard broke it ... the worst bit was unbolting the heads (head just above the pan) then carrying that through the saloon to the companionway - passing the whole unit to F-i-Law who had to empty it over the side (without dropping it).
Then it was easy ... just extract the bar that had fractured and get a new one made up at work ... replace everything and test ...

but working so close to someone elses waste product was just not nice ...

I've since replaced heads outlet pipes and not had any issue at all - because it's been flushed through ...
Oil - that's easy - messy, but easy
Grinding back the keel - messy and hardwork - but not horrible

Don't need to Antifoul now ... ARC did it for me .... it's nicely coppercoated now!

 

[ColinR]

....the time when loo was blocked by excessive use of loo paper (I plead innocent). After trying everything including trying to force the blockage through by pumping extra hard, I gingerly unscrewed the bolts holding the waste pipe on the back of the pump. Pressure released explosively liberally spraying heads compartment and yours truly in guess what.

 

[ukmctc]

taking out old loo's and fitting new ones, seems no-one likes that, so I always get those jobs, hey keeps me working in the winter.

 

[Burnham Bob]

maybe because i worked in advertising for so many years i have no fear of toilets and what i might find. any job that involves access to the rear of the engine on my boat is simply horrible.

it involves getting into the locker and squeezing round. even now i'm a bit lighter i scrub my hips and chest getting in the locker and invariablly when down there get legs twisted with no way to untwist them when i'm down there.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

maybe because i worked in advertising for so many years i have no fear of toilets and what i might find. any job that involves access to the rear of the engine on my boat is simply horrible.

it involves getting into the locker and squeezing round. even now i'm a bit lighter i scrub my hips and chest getting in the locker and invariablly when down there get legs twisted with no way to untwist them when i'm down there.

Hi BB
I fitted a hatch in my cockpit sole to my previous boat due to the same problem that you describe.

My worst job was definatly having to look into the problems causing a dead engine in my last boat. I quickly came to the conclusion that to sell it and buy new was the quickest way out tof the problem as I've lost the will to diy a major engine strip down these days. Seeking out a replacement, paying for it, getting old one out and new one in was not a happy time.
S.

 

[Blueboatman]

There's the ability to kid oneself with all those Once-In-A-Lifetime chores.

And there are the tedious repetitious ones every spring but at least you are working towards that first sail of the year

 

[smth448]

I think the worst I had to do was removing all the old glue from the underside of the decks after removing the old vinyl headlining. Did it with a rotary wire brush on an electric drill. Ended up having to throw all my clothes away and have three long showers before the itching stopped. Shoulders and arms ached for days afterwards too.
After that the next worst was painting it, but someone else did that.

 

[ripvan1]

Laminating strips of glass ------------ overhead

oh and boardsanding

 

[chewi]

Rubbing down before antifouling.

+1.
My first winter, first boat.
Lying on back beneath a small bilge keeler, nose to the hull, arms cold, drenched, and toxic a/f leeching into my armpits & back. 3 days very ill afterwards. Never done it again since.