Yachting Issues - Gotchas

One big tell this photo essay points out; the Generator system has the greatest impact on our time / money and the second greatesest is the refrigeration system. Some of thes photos were preludes to potential disasters. Others simply a PITA.

Stainless bolt wear on generator
Stainless bolt wear on generator
LeakingWingTank
Leaking Fuel Tank
Replacing the Alternator Bracket
Replacing the Alternator Bracket
4-236 Bleed Screw
Perkins HP Pump Bleed Screw Broken
Aluminium bracket wear on generator
Aluminium bracket wear on generator
group walk
Salt deposits slowly appear after several hours run time
Why does the bolt simply break
Broken SS bolt
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The Bushing simply broke in half
The Aluminium simple pulled out
After 5 minutes overheating the Aluminum Head had no more strength
Replacing the Generator Aluminum Head
Replacing the Generator Aluminum Head
Magnetic Clutch Replacement
Magnetic Clutch Replacement
Always needed to replace impellors
Always needed to replace impellors
Faulty Oil Pressure Switch
Faulty Oil Pressure Switch
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Aquamarine Generator wire soldered. SMH
Broken + Wire on Alternator
Broken + Wire on Alternator
Each year I replace a few of these SS clamps
Each year I replace a few of these SS clamps
DishFootFellOff
Dish Feet Fall off
BustedHoseClamp
Bye Bye Hose Clamp
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Attempted repair of a Caframo Fan
A chafed line
I try to avoid chafing lines, here I failed
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An Old Hose Fan
6 Month Old Croc Shoes
All he rage, but as shoes for cruisers they just don't last
A DC 5000 12v motor armature
Only 4 years motor rebuilt
A melting electrical connection
Heat is not a friend of electrical connections
heat and plastic do not go together
A hot motor is not a friend to plastic
Lock needed to be cut off
A short time outdoors and this lock froze
rarely used and starte to leak
A rarely used faucet from a marine store began to leak
group walk
Forespar pole slides don't last
Nothing in the manual how tight to make bolts on plastic
Nothing in the Lavac manual
Issues occur between SS and AL
Issues occur between SS and AL
Fuse didn't blow, simply melted away
Fuse didn't blow, simply melted away
Mr Gasket pump failure
A fuel pump hose conneciton failure is a dangerous thing
exhaust elbow rusted apart
Exhaust must go outside the boat
exhaust was filling the boat
The engine room filled with smoke and salt water
water path is constricted
Elbow flow was constricted
rusting engine studs
With exhaust leak studs being to rust
Mechanical sender for tach broke
Mechanical sender for tach broke
Mechanical sender for tach broke
Mechanical sender for tach broke
Hose barb broke off
Plastic Hose barb ened up simply breaking off
broken brush spring
Spring holding the brush to the armature failed
Spring on Schaefer block broke in the middle
Spring on Schaefer block broke in the middle
Seadog pitiful plug
This connection is way to small
Seadogs poor 12 v connection
A close up of an inadequate 12v connection
tank pickup tube corrosion
Corrosion at the pickup tube in the tank
hole in copper watr pickup tube
Closup of the corrosion
same number, same mfg, not the same item
Same mfg numbers but the item is not the same
bent stainless steel strut
Bent strut on turning point for Windvane
broken wire on headstay
Two broken wires were discovered on the head stay
broken wire on headstay
Generator cooling water pump broke on the Pacific Crossing
2hp Impellor went bad
2hp Impellor went bad
Aquagen wiring sub par
Aquagen wiring sub par
Wiring harness connection
Wiring harness connection
Groco Anti Siphon needs frequent replacement_tmb
Groco Anti Siphon needs frequent replacement
Perkins Header Tank Bolts
Perkins Header Tank Bolts
Header tank bolt failed to remove
Header tank bolt failed to remove
Yamaha impellor replacement
Yamaha impellor replacement
Sistering a crack in the bow pulpit
Sistering a crack in the bow pulpit
Buggered up Fuel Fill
Buggered up Fuel Fill
Sun worn thread
Sun worn thread
Sun worn thread
Sun worn thread
Broken Bail
Broken Boom Bail
closeup_brokenBail
Closeup of Broken Boom Bail
brokentrackends
Broken Track Ends
crackedAcornNut
Split Acorn Nut
LavacTail
Split inside the Bowl
Melting Fuse
Melted Fuse
Bottom Clean Suction Cup Broke
Suction Cup Broken
Bronze Head Seacock Plumbing Destroyed
Bronze Head Seacock Fitting Destroyed
springs_tmb
Msc Springs Deteriorated
HaynTerminalRing_tmb
Part of Hayn Terminal Ring Snapped
Leaking Batteries Destoryed this.
Leaking Batteries Destroyed this.
FishingDownPlanner_tmb
Fishing Gear Breakage

NFD

Nothing is faster than disaster! (NFD) Many of the items shown were just those of inconvience. Not real disasters. Some, if let go, could have sunk the boat. Others were minor inconviences and a few more so, being discovered in places and times we just did not wish to deal with them.

Cruising is NOT all Margareta's and Sunsets. There are those times and each is wonderful in their own right. And yet the cost of beautiful skies, friends and laughter times are often balanced but the discovery of something breaking, something missing.

We wouldn't trade any of the good times, a few of the NFD's we would have loved to avoid. For Example getting struck by a ship in Suva, Fiji, or the loss of my steering oar on passage from Grenada to Bonaire. For now, each event is a reminder to stay diligent, stay awake and repair, replace every chance we get.