Would you do it again with a new boat?

[oldsalt]

The Good

Lewmar 40 winches - 30 years old and still going strong.
Garmin 12 GPS- abused yet totally reliable
Dubarry boots- will never go back to rubber
Lokata radar detector
Mariner 2hp outboard- 20 years old and still going strong

The Bad

SL loo - constant rebuilds needed
NASA target echo sounder - picks up alternator interference
Navico tiller pilots (on number 3 in a 5 year period) - not designed to be used near water.
Musto/XM/HenriLloyd waterproof jackets - way overpriced. Buy Goretex hill walking jackets for less money, they are more comfortable and last just as long.
Seagull outboards- total junk

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[Birdseye]

the good
jrc 1000 radar - ample performance for leisure sailing, and at a sensible price
lofrans 1000w windlass - beats manual labour every time
water cooled built in fridge from penguin - ice cubes and frozen food (not to mention the occasional frozen bottle of tonic)
alinco dx 70 ham radio set for ssb - £500, small and reliable.
sterling battery charger
the hardtop on my prout cat

the bad
echopilot log that you cannot read in the dark (crap illumination)
XM inflatable danbuoy with flimsy holder and missing fittings
yanmar engine that expired after 12 years to be replaced by new yanmar that had to be re-built after 2

the downright ugly
galvanised shackles made in some third world stinkhole with galv that doesnt last a year
public servants at the ukho who make a fortune for their masters by overcharging for charts based on info aquired years ago.
the black anodised mast that my boat had when i bought it.



and whilst i'm enjoying a winge - the fishermen who leave the sea littered with cast off net, the money grubbers who charge for anchoring in some s coast rivers, the gung ho racing types who expect everyone else to get out of their way, and most of all - wetbikes.

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[vyv_cox]

The good: Most of it.

Sadler 34
B&G Hornet instruments
Eberspacher 3DL heating
Hood sails
Compass Kudos dinghy
Yacht Legs

The outstandingly bad:

RM69 toilet with Sealock. The only type of bog that will fit the boat. When purchased originally the RM69 was elderly and gone beyond, so we fitted an "improved" Sealock type. What a chain of problems this decision has brought in its wake. We are now on our fifth one, three replaced under warranty. I can only say that the very latest version, only three weeks old, has again been completely redesigned. The plastic valve housing is now bolted together instead of screwed and it does seem to be a better thing. Previous one lasted three months, always leaked and was returned when we found a crack in the lower valve housing. The one before that was made from faulty plastic and the first time we removed the screws holding it together all the internal lugs broke off. The one before that broke its handle between Boulogne and Cherbourg and suffered chronic leaking of the piston rod gland, despite replacing the seal several times.

The fairly bad:
Mercury 3.5 outboard. Worst paint system I have known, it began to corrode a couple of weeks after buying it. Threads failed on the fuel tank filler cap. Unreliable starter. Tank cover stickers are unstuck by petrol(!)

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[Magic_Sailor]

By and large I'm OK with purchases.

Good
NASA navtex pro plus - seems reliable (kiss of death)

Raymarine ST1000+ autohelm - used Charlie this weekend - excellent. He might even have been better at it than me!

Bad (ish)
Musto HPX offshore. The collar just is not big or high enough when the hood is inside it. Consequently you can get it up round your face when its a bit taters and not raining. Other than that, it is very comfortable.

Magic

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