The Accidental Mechanics
Caribbean Sprinkle
Before leaving on our trip last year, Kirstin and I talked to a lot of seasoned cruisers. We heard things like "cruising is just learning to work on your boat in foreign countries". These folks estimated that they spend 2-3 hours a day on "boat projects"...........then basically start drinking.
While cocktail hour appealed to us, we were mystified as to what these boat projects might entail. Three hours per day ? Really ? We smugly chalked it up to the fact that these cruisers must be driving half assed boats. You know, the old scows we see with home-made looking dodgers.........shredded canvas, bent rails. On our Amel (which we modestly regard as the Aston Martin DB3 of the sea), nothing of the kind could happen. Perhaps a bit of polishing here and there.............."Kirstin........I believe I see another water spot on our African mahogany interior.........go hire some workers to remedy this".
We've learned otherwise. The combination of the sea and the intense UV rays are positively lethal to everything on a boat. Everything. Case in point:
Tom- "Hey sweetie, hurry up and get ready so we can go to the beach"
SNAP !!!! (Sound of something breaking)
Kirstin- "Oh, shit.......not again"
Tom- "Get the wire ties"
What happened ? Kirstin's Athleta bikinis all have this metal clasp. Not any more. Seven months of exposure to the sea has corroded and broken nearly every one of them. She now uses wire ties to hold the tops together. And anything with a zipper ? Living on life support at this moment.
Buy a lock for your dinghy. If you forget to hit it with WD-40 regularly.........it will seize up and require bolt cutters to get off after just a few weeks.
Phone won't charge ? Sat phone won't work ? The pins in the connector are corroded from the salt air. Even when it's kept inside the boat.
The same situation holds true all over the boat. Our boat has 11 pumps, 8 heavy duty electric motors, a generator, engine, hot water heater, water maker.........and is jam packed with electronics; speakers, computers, radar, radios, etc. You really do need to know where that wire/hose/cable goes to and what it's for because there's a good chance it will fail at 2:00 AM in heavy seas.
We've become boat mechanics out of necessity. At first, as I was rebuilding a toilet motor in heavy seas I indignantly thought that if our boat was a car.........owners would never tolerate this many breakdowns. Our dear old Mini Cooper is now 7 years old. When I put the key in, it starts. Every time. Windows roll down.......even the convertible top is bullet proof. The difference lies in the environment each inhabits. Our boat is rolling back and forth 24/7. It gets rained on, sprayed by salt water and salty air........and pounded as we sail through big waves. The mini sits in a garage and operates along a fairly flat surface (except on L St. in Washington DC).
One of the most important "tools" on our boat are the 5 cans of Corrosion-X........a kind of WD-40 that is a corrosion inhibitor. It goes on breakers, almost anything metal- it retards corrosion (for a while).
Due to our intimate (if forced) familiarity with our boat, we now do almost 100% of the work on it ourselves. We installed a new water maker (twice), changed several pumps and motors......even put in most of our entertainment system alone. Our advice to cruisers who follow us ? Learn to work on your boat in foreign countries.