What was the strangest thing you found on your boat after buying ?

[Refueler]

So you get your boat and you start emptying the lockers from all the gear previous owners left.
Yep ... got another one now, oooh - wanted one of those, yep know that ... WTF is that ?

So after buying your boat was there anything on there that you couldn't figure out what it was ?

Mine ? I had a load of stainless plates all bundled together. They were about 4" long and had U shaped ends. Another was a chromed handle that was bent 90 degrees at end.

Couldn't work out what they did. Just didn't seem to fit anything. Then out of the blue I suddenly realised.

The stainless plates were own designed bottle screw lock-plates. But of course he must have changed bottle screws at some time as half didn't fit. The U shaped end allowed a pin through the eye of the stay.

The chromed handle, well that worked out to be a machine altered winch handle. Now you'd think that would be easily recognised but which winch ? haven't got one that fits ! Not even the bottom action mast halyard one. And I'd never seen a winch handle of that style anyway !

So what did you find ?

 

[Boomshanka]

A 'Now38' CD /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Eeyore]

I found the deck fuel filler wasn't connected to the tank - and pumped in a hundred and eighty odd litres of diesel......straight into the bilge! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[photodog]

A bottle of LaPiat D'or in the wine rack..... Apparently it had been provided by Opal when the first owner had bought the boat... We have left it in place as a sort of Good luck charm....

 

[Searush]

No weird bits of kit, but the engine controls were set so that the max speed was all of 3kts! Great idea when the tides run faster than that in many places around where she was based. Also, half the saloon lockers had been boarded over, and the alloy toilet bowl had corroded so it could only cope with a pee.

Mind you he had fitted out one locker with an excellent set of holders for spirit bottles of specific shapes so it was possible to work out his favourite tipples.

 

[Pete7]

Selection of 240v light bulbs, but the boat doesn't have any fittings for them to fit. have to admit they are still on board /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Sandyman]

15 partly used instant barbecues, mind you the previous owner was a Swettie Sock /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Twister_Ken]

A carefully shaped and stitched canvas cover for something. Eight years later, I still haven't found out for what.

 

[highandry]

The cutlery drawer in the galley was lined with tatty green baize and under it when I stripped it out I found a Co-op receipt for Bread, milk, Haslett?? (faded) Omo and Craven 'A' cigarettes...16/8d.. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tillergirl]

Not really a bit of kit but the gear lever was kinda odd.

The lever had a cog on the bottom on it on which there was an endless chain to another cog on the gearbox with a cam to an arm. When you first moved the lever and turned the chin, the arm was lifted and this disengaged the clutch. As you continued moving the lever, the sprocket engaged the gear and the final movement disengaged the arm and engaged the clutch again. Now imagine that as you did this slowly it went:

Grundle - click, grundle - clunk, grundle - click. If you did it quickly it went click-bang-click; if you did it really quickly in panic mode boat shuddering explosions and grating was heard.

I changed the engine - eventually!

 

[nimbusgb]

A pair of fake fur covered handcuffs.

Honest!

 

[ITH]

[ QUOTE ]
I found a Co-op receipt for Bread, milk, Haslett?? (faded) Omo and Craven 'A' cigarettes...16/8d..

[/ QUOTE ]
Haslett - finest meat loaf John!

My discovery was a black bag of Dutch porn magazines; Actually they were unearthed by SWMBO, who has ever since been making unflattering comparisons in the duvet department.

 

[Landale]

In a tin, in the heads, a complete set of false teeth - it was a bit of a shock /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Laundryman]

You have to understand that with this being my first year of sailing and boat ownership, everything i found on my boat was very exciting. Most of them, i had no idea what they were. Now 11 months experience later, I asked the owner of my neighbouring boat if she knew what these long thin plastic things were. Sail battens she said. Ooops! Ive been sailing for 11 months without them. Do you think it has made any difference???

 

[halcyon]

[ QUOTE ]
A carefully shaped and stitched canvas cover for something. Eight years later, I still haven't found out for what.

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you like to compare notes, I got one of them as well.

Have a bracket, after 6 years I now think the 10 foot sweep oar fit in it, still cannot find were to put bracket, unless you remove a winch.

Found a plastic tub, full of small change, thought that's lucky, till going throught it I found I needed to be in the USA, West Indies, Azors, or Med. Also found more small change clearing the bilges, not one coin British.

I have lengths of 8 mm rope about 3 foot long with a snap hook on one end, still not found a use for these.

Brian

 

[BAtoo]

Bought a French boat - we found oyster knives, crab claw crushers and picks, wine bottle stoppers (as if a Froggie ever left some wine), 6 large Plastimo polystyrene lifejackets (so 1070's); a storm jib (with noting to rig it on!!!), a selection of Champagne corks for the through hull holes); NOT the outboard on the manifest; an 8-man Ocean life raft with all the kit including 20L of water and preserved fruit cakes (so heavy you needed the main halyard to lift it); an EPIRB (also not on the manifest). /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[00Si00]

Funny that, I found a crusty pair of womens knickers stuffed in one of the pockets in the forward cabin... aaw!

 

[ThereAndBack]

A couple of packets of Drinking Chocolate with a 1999 expiry date. Which is strange as the boat was not built till 2001.

 

[desertqueen]

From the pencil marks on the board the PO went through great trouble to get the radius of the curves and their alignment quite precise. Anybody know what this is?

Priscilla

 

[ShipsWoofy]

[ QUOTE ]
I have lengths of 8 mm rope about 3 foot long with a snap hook on one end, still not found a use for these.

[/ QUOTE ] Fenders?
sail ties?
bimini / cockpit tent guys?
unfinished lifelines?
dinghy cover tie-downs?
dinghy on roof tie-downs?
life raft on roof tie-downs?
winter cockpit cover tie-downs?
guys for lee cloth?
straps to hold galley drawers closed at sea?

I am determined to find out now...