What is the worst sailing or marine invention ever?

[Nostrodamus]

What is the worst sailing or marine invention ever?

I put a few on my website below but I just wondered what your thoughts were?

 

[James_Calvert]

Some candidates:

The gadget I have on the end of a boathook with a line attached. It falls off as soon as it is anywhere near the mooring buoy eye or whatever you are trying to snap it onto. I know there are now better things available ....

Telescopic boathooks. I have the handle ends of two of them to date .... but I've given up buying them.

Those elastic sail tyers with hard plastic knobs on the end of them - if a flying knob doesn't get your eye, it gets your teeth or nose.

 

[Nostrodamus]

The wort marine gadget ever invented is the.... jet ski

 

[skipmac]

The wort marine gadget ever invented is the.... jet ski

Darn, you beat me to it but at least I can second the recommendation.

 

[mrming]

+1 to the telescopic boat hook. I'd also add the completely useless telescopic deck brush to that.

 

[Wandering Star]

Lifejackets?

 

[Sandy]

The electric toilet.

 

[ctva]

Eberspachers (noisy and irritating to all bar the recipients of the heat!)

 

[rwoofer]

Those elastic sail tyers with hard plastic knobs on the end of them - if a flying knob doesn't get your eye, it gets your teeth or nose.

+1

 

[Nostrodamus]

These are even worse

 

[dancrane]

Those elastic sail tyers with hard plastic knobs on the end of them - if a flying knob doesn't get your eye, it gets your teeth or nose.

Thanks for the warning, I've been lucky so far!

How about the powered primary winch? I remember watching totty breathlessly grinding away at each tack...mesmerising. Nowadays they just sit and smirk behind their shades.

 

[skipmac]

+1 to the telescopic boat hook. I'd also add the completely useless telescopic deck brush to that.

Sorry but I beg to differ. I find my telescopic boat hook extremely useful.............

For hanging the bird feeders in my back yard. Haven't lost an end yet!

 

[snowleopard]

+1 for bungees with beads on the end. Lethal.

My vote is for spray hoods that have flexible windows. A few years use or a bit of spray and there's no way you can see through them to steer so you end up either having to lower them and get wet or stand on the side seats to see over the top.

Varnish work above deck. Re-coat twice a year or put up with flaking and black streaks.

Anything assembled using non-stainless screws or bolts.

DSC alarms you can't turn off without turning off the set.

Naval Officers.

Crew with deep pockets and short arms.

 

[Wandering Star]

I think God deserves to take a bit of flak for inventing Seagulls & Starlings.

 

[dancrane]

I think God deserves to take a bit of flak for inventing Seagulls...

Oh my lord, were they a divine creation in disguise? Sent to test our patience, and resistance to pollution?

View attachment 42557

 

[TQA]

Easy

GPS

It would be a whole lot quieter out here without it.

 

[xyachtdave]

Easy

GPS

It would be a whole lot quieter out here without it.

That's assuming you could find 'here' without GPS yourself of course...

 

[skipmac]

Easy

GPS

It would be a whole lot quieter out here without it.

Or it could be a lot noisier without GPS. With all the rescues going on, boats aground right and left, newbies lost as soon as they are out of sight of the dock, it would be a madhouse.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The bad inventions are, by definition really, the ones which weren't commercial successful and which therefore have no real impact on sailing. Unless this is one of those "what modern aspect of sailing do you deplore most?" threads.

 

[dancrane]

Unless this is one of those "what modern aspect of sailing do you deplore most?" threads.

Surely the answer is the same? Jetskis.