Equipment You Hate Most

What piece of equipment do you hate the most on your boat or which is the most unreliable?

For me it is my pressure water pump (non self-priming) which is a horrible nightmare. Closely followed by the grey water sump, the screen of which is always getting clogged by hair.

Both need constant attention. Does anyone have any good solutions or proven equipment for these?

Buy a pressure pump that's self priming (any of the marine 12V water pumps, even if not from a marine dealer like an RV outfit to save a few bucks).

Use a better screen at the shower/tub and a larger sump with larger screen that doesn't clog as fast or some sort of easy access/quick clean prefilter for the gray water.

I just have a standard Jabsco pump on my potable water system. It's mounted below the normal level of the water in the tanks so it doesn't need to be self priming. I went through a couple until I installed an accumulator tank. For the grey water, I'm assuming a shower sump so put a screen on the drain in the shower to catch the hair before it gets into the piping.

Love my fresh water pumps. Hate our two computers (MacBook Pro, iMac).

Makobuildrs, it sounds like your system my not be plumbed correctly. Have you tried putting a check valve between the pump and the tank? If you have one, have you tested it? Water flowing back into the tank is the #1 cause of bad priming, # 2 probably being air locks up stream of the pump.

Havent owned her long, but we had both Jabsco 370 series heads fail in one weekend the same way. Bad seal between inlet and output pump impellers so the nasty stuff just recirculates. I rebuilt both and now carry 2 spare rebuild kits. Yes, the discharge lines and holding tank vent are clear.

My roof top air and my 110volt frig. We want to replace with real marine air and marine frig .Has anyone tried the drawer type marine frig . The area I have is a good size for one .

Watermaker. I have an automatic 12 volt watermaker. Everything is run off a control panel. Push the button, select how long it will run and it does. When it is working. Almost all problems in 10 years have been to do with the sensors that determine when the product water is good, the mechanical system to divert from waste to the tanks, pressure sensors etc. Wish I had bought a straight manual one, with manual testing and manual diversion from waste to tanks.

My old chest type frig is original to the boat, 1981, is only 12 volt, has little insulation and draws down the batteries in just a few hours when on the hook. On top of which my wife has to do hand stands to reach the bottom. Will likely take out the cooktop oven combo and replace with a straight cooktop and a 12/120v fridge below. Never have used the oven anyway.

I hate every piece of machinery that requires me to wiggle/drag/pull my large frame (6'1", 230#) into a space made for a midget, to make some minor adjustment to the whatchamacallit.

My wife and I changed the impellers on both Cats and she changed the impeller on the Westerbeke genset by herself. I could have done that one but it would have taken me 10 minutes to get my butt in there, ten minutes to change it, and another 10 to wiggle my butt out of the tight area.

She was in, changed it and back out in about 15 minutes.

Ya gotta love an Admiral that is willing to get her hands dirty.

GFC said:

Ya gotta love an Admiral that is willing to get her hands dirty.

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How do you get one of these? My port side sea water pump on the CAT needs replacement and my 6' 4" 200# frame won't get in there. Local mechanic thinks he has a guy small enough. But hmmmm, the admiral. NOT!

sum escape said:

How do you get one of these? My port side sea water pump on the CAT needs replacement and my 6' 4" 200# frame won't get in there. Local mechanic thinks he has a guy small enough. But hmmmm, the admiral. NOT!

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With all the genetic manipulation and dolly the sheep you'd think they would create a spider monkey that can learn mechanical principles like 'righty tighty/lefty loosey' and how to use a torque wrench.. But NOOoooo.
Back in the Air Force, hanging down head first into a corner of the aft cockpit trying to do maintenance I wished we had one of these gremlin/mechanics to help out.
The need is there, come on academia, fix this!

Then again, the engineers at McDonnell Douglas could have considered our plight during the design process, but engineers don't have to actually fix the things.

My favorite answer when asking how to fix something that requires a 1/2 size version of me is "All you have to is...."
Argh!

makobuilders said:

What piece of equipment do you hate the most on your boat or which is the most unreliable?

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Anything with an electric circuit.

Does Nordhavn make a pirogue that sleeps 2?

So far NOTHING(Knock on wood), so we're tickled to death.

All the equipment I hated most has been removed or replaced. Things like obsolete stereo, CB, inop hailer, weak alternator, inadequate battery charger, weak washdown pump, old intercom, leaking water heater, inadequate powerwinch/no windlass, inefficient and noisy toilet, inefficient lighting, and obsolete TV.

Now I guess all I can do is relax and enjoy the boat!

FlyWright said:

All the equipment I hated most has been removed or replaced. Things like obsolete stereo, CB, inop hailer, weak alternator, inadequate battery charger, weak washdown pump, old intercom, leaking water heater, inadequate powerwinch/no windlass, inefficient and noisy toilet, inefficient lighting, and obsolete TV.

Now I guess all I can do is relax and enjoy the boat!

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do you also do standup...??? As we speak the next shoe is about to drop.

As for me, vocally outlined on this forum, March air conditioner raw water pumps. Next I suppose is the nasty raritan crap treatment units.

Pack Mule said:

My roof top air and my 110volt frig. We want to replace with real marine air and marine frig .Has anyone tried the drawer type marine frig . The area I have is a good size for one .

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The frig, I fully understand but why the air conditioner? Marine air is a PIA and that being said...I have a HUGE area under my fly bridge shield and have been thinking of putting a RV roof unit in there with forced air ventilation. What are your issues with the RV unit?

My frig constantly runs out of beer.

Giggitoni said:

My frig constantly runs out of beer.

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That's easy. Get a better class of friends.

Did 'ya hear that, Al?

Moonstruck said:

That's easy. Get a better class of friends.

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or have a cover charge at the rail...but like in the movies...there's always some that get in free depending what they are bringing to the party..

Giggitoni said:

Did 'ya hear that, Al?

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I was going to blame it on your friends, too. Don just beat me to it. That damn Coot!!

I have a marine air unit I love. It's 19000 BTU and only draws 1200 watts AC. Cools the boat well and never causes any problems BUT, I back flush it, I oil the pump and blower motor, I change and clean filters all on a regular schedule.

What I hate is my ice maker.

Mule said:

The frig, I fully understand but why the air conditioner? Marine air is a PIA and that being said...I have a HUGE area under my fly bridge shield and have been thinking of putting a RV roof unit in there with forced air ventilation. What are your issues with the RV unit?

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The roof top cools great but it is old and loud . I mean really loud . A new I'm sure would be better . Our's is in the pilot house . We don't have a salon just a (saloon out back) so it is right on top of us . Plus I would like to close up the hole in pilot house roof . The roof tops will freeze you out though .

The inaccessible stuffing boxes. One is under the HWS, the other is under the 8D batteries. When they need adjusting they will be stiff to turn. The body contortions are strictly for the young, flexible, and strong.

BruceK said:

The inaccessible stuffing boxes. One is under the HWS, the other is under the 8D batteries. When they need adjusting they will be stiff to turn. The body contortions are strictly for the young, flexible, and strong.

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Can I get an AMEN?

My roof top air

I took a picture so you will really know why . And my fancy drain pipe is for you guys that are bored and need something to poke at . It works and never gets stopped up .

Mule said:

The frig, I fully understand but why the air conditioner? Marine air is a PIA and that being said...I have a HUGE area under my fly bridge shield and have been thinking of putting a RV roof unit in there with forced air ventilation. What are your issues with the RV unit?

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The March pumps and marine air are your own very personal issues. Kind of like me and the Macs. In my case I forgot to drink the little KoolAid packet that comes with them.

FlyWright said:

... That damn Coot!!

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What??

I've had more than one dinner bought for me because I'm willing to get into those places humans have no business being in such as lazerettes, between the engine and the hull on the "back side", under floorboards, in anchor lockers, under bunks, etc. The fact that I'm a bit smaller and can be dragged out helps too.

Have ratchets, wrenches and wire cutters, plus know how to use 'em.

And I love to fly -- have been to the top of lots of sailboat masts, checking rigging on the way up, taking pictures and fixing whatever needs fixing. It's fun. And sometimes profitable.

Most hated equipment? Whatever is broken at the moment.