What parts on your boat have lasted way past its intended shelf life?

Zing said:
My Avon blew its tubes dramatically at the age of 13. Just old age, no abuse.
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When my Narwhal blew its tubes ... you could hear the 'fart' for miles !!!!! Took it to service agent and he took a look ... shook his head and just said ... by time I sort this out - buy yourself a s/h Avon and do yourself and anyone who rides in it a favour !!
 
The one bit of kit that has surprised me with its longevity is a 5+ year old Spectra Ventura 150 watermaker 12v 6 gallons per hour. It has been on every day for over 5 years and every 5 days makes a automatic fresh water flush. I did have to take the fresh water flush solenoid off and take it apart and put it back because the water flush was a bit weak but there has been no break down or leak or anything. Maybe the fact it is on and working every 5 days helps. I make water about 8 months a year.
 
I inherited my grandfather's leadline, still useful for checking the echo sounder, and even the cotton cord is still with us, along with the leather markers.. Must be almost 100 years old.
 
Avon, of course.
Bought my Splashdown waterproofs in 1984. I have a new top but, being an old git, won't wear it. The C in C (Home Front) thinks my Splashdown is thrown away but it is hid.
Tohatsu 3.5 has done very well.
My Aerogen turned 24/7 for over twenty years, till I put it in semi retirement.
Still have my Raymarine plotter bought secondhand in 2006, used as a backup. Also a Garmin map 96 from a few years earlier.
 
Birds custard powder, Best Before May 1998. Nobody dares open it.

More seriously, I am amazed at how long my solar vent has kept going. Humming away through every daylight hour for the last seven years. Not a long time really but that is a lot of spinning.
 
Spinning things are particularly impressive considering how many spinning things also don't last long.
Old wing turbines and annometers , how many trillions of times have they rotated?
 
Both myself and the Navigator are getting near sell-by date, but replacements not to be found.

The sails on our recently acquired LM are 38 years old, though it has rarely been actually sailed till we got it. Stitching on genoa went when racing and stitching on main went tacking against F6 but both sails repaired and will be fine for moderate weather.

Mind you I then bought a storm trysail, derived a cut down heavy weather main from an old sail from our other boat and am planning to buy a heavy cloth genoa. Moderate weather is great but sometime I need to get home when its blowing a bit.
 
Habebty said:
3 x 110ah AGMs are 16 years old and showing no sign of capacity issues.
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my AGMs are also going strong.. bought in 2005... left abandoned and flat twice for a few years over the intervening 10 years the boat was on the hard (5 + 5)

( the battery manufacturer is gone out of business, but when googling to find replacements all I found was other guys lamenting the inability to buy the same again)

My epirb says replace battery by 2011 still flashes properly to indicate all is well. ( I bought a PLB last year and am going to keep epirb)
 
A seagull engine from 1980s started at 3 pull after 30 years store in a garage. Just cleaned the plug and fuel. Could not beleave it...
 
Vectran mainsail still going strong enough for us slow cruisers at 22 years old.
Thought about replacing it but then wondered whether another half a knot is worth £4,250?!
 
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