eastcoastbernie
Well-Known Member
Trigger\'s Broom
Those who remember Only Fools and Horses with affection, will remember Trigger's 'original' broom. He'd had 6 handles and 7 heads, but it was still the original broom.
I think I have the marine instrument equivalent.
After doing many years' duty on a well-known sailing school's Baltic 37, an echo sounder was passed on to me for Beyond Reason.
I don't know how many times it was repaired in its earlier career, but before fitting it on my boat I returned it to NASA to make good the connections which looked a bit dodgy.
To my delight NASA made the repair and returned the instrument promptly for about a tenner.
A year or two later, the little lights that illuminate the display at night-time were found to be duff. Again the instrument was taken out and sent for repair. The repairman phoned to ask where I sailed as the instrument looked so faded he was sure it had spent most of its life in the Caribbean.
The lights were fixed and I coughed up another few quid then fitted the instrument back in the boat.
On the recent trip to Ostend, the little lights failed to work again. Last weekend, took the instrument out and sent it off yesterday to good old, friendly NASA once again.
Had call from repair man today. He's already repaired the lights. Did I want a new front, as the original looks pretty crazed and could break at any minute? OK, says I.
What about the case? It could do with a new case, he suggested. OK, says I.
If you have the case, the new case is slightly different from the old case, so you will need a new cover. OK, says I.
Hang on, says I, this is beginning to sound like a new instrument. He laughed. I won't fit a new back, the back looks fine.
Are the insides OK, or will I need a new instrument soon? Insides look fine, the only thing that was corroded was the LED and I've replaced that. And the repairs and parts will cost a fraction of the cost of a new instrument.
He'll put it in the post tonight. How good is that!!!
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Those who remember Only Fools and Horses with affection, will remember Trigger's 'original' broom. He'd had 6 handles and 7 heads, but it was still the original broom.
I think I have the marine instrument equivalent.
After doing many years' duty on a well-known sailing school's Baltic 37, an echo sounder was passed on to me for Beyond Reason.
I don't know how many times it was repaired in its earlier career, but before fitting it on my boat I returned it to NASA to make good the connections which looked a bit dodgy.
To my delight NASA made the repair and returned the instrument promptly for about a tenner.
A year or two later, the little lights that illuminate the display at night-time were found to be duff. Again the instrument was taken out and sent for repair. The repairman phoned to ask where I sailed as the instrument looked so faded he was sure it had spent most of its life in the Caribbean.
The lights were fixed and I coughed up another few quid then fitted the instrument back in the boat.
On the recent trip to Ostend, the little lights failed to work again. Last weekend, took the instrument out and sent it off yesterday to good old, friendly NASA once again.
Had call from repair man today. He's already repaired the lights. Did I want a new front, as the original looks pretty crazed and could break at any minute? OK, says I.
What about the case? It could do with a new case, he suggested. OK, says I.
If you have the case, the new case is slightly different from the old case, so you will need a new cover. OK, says I.
Hang on, says I, this is beginning to sound like a new instrument. He laughed. I won't fit a new back, the back looks fine.
Are the insides OK, or will I need a new instrument soon? Insides look fine, the only thing that was corroded was the LED and I've replaced that. And the repairs and parts will cost a fraction of the cost of a new instrument.
He'll put it in the post tonight. How good is that!!!
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
