How to turn a 5 minute fix into a half a day's work

I've been tackling the punch list from our survey and though I'd knock out an easy one: "generator exhaust hoses must be double clamped". I love crossing things off a list so this was a super easy win right?

Not. So. Fast.

It initially appeared like one of the clamps had "just slipped" down. I soon realized the second clamp on the exhaust elbow didn't slip - it didn't fit. There wasn't enough hose seated on the exhaust elbow outlet for the second clamp to have enough hose to "bite". The hose was just over the barb, almost sitting up on it. I tried to re-seat it but after about 30 minutes of pushing, soap, more pushing. Nothing.

I pulled off the entire hose and quickly figured out someone had installed 1.5" hose (which fits at the water muffler) on a 1.75" elbow. The hose was severely stretched out and starting to show signs of tearing.

After a few trips to the chandlery, a trip home to pick up pipe wrenches and a hack saw I finally had the tools and fittings fittings and hoses I needed to reduce from one side to the other (1.75" barbed fitting into a coupling with a 1.5" barbed fitting on the other side along with new 1.5" and 1.75" wired hoses and 8 new clamps).

I'm realizing quickly how a "5 minute boat fix" turns into half your day.

I don't need anyone's help I have a complete arsenal of 5 minute/half day jobs, including one that took a week. LOL

I have this great mechanic who is more than willing to help me fix things over the phone.

I have learn that each time he says "all you have to do is......" means 4 hours.

So, "All your have to do is........then all you have to do is.......and that gets you to the point that all you have to do is........." means 12 hours of my life.

If he says it more than once I usually have him do it. takes him about 15 minutes.

Also have to bear in mind that a $5 fix is actually a $50 fix!

Just have your paycheck sent directly to Fisheries Supply. It makes life a lot easier.

Not a boat job, but years ago one morning I was dressed in my Brooks Bro suit ready to do some investment banking, when my wife sternly reminded me that I had promised her I would repair the leaking faucet at her bath vanity. I knew it was an older faucet set that had washers. So before I headed out, I reached under the vanity to turn off the water - as I started turning the valve handle I momentarily felt 'soft', and then the valve exploded and water shot out directly onto my Hermes tie and my expensive suit . Had to replace valves, and the faucets were "old" so they had to go, oh, and the countertops were out of date, so they had to go..... So a $.10 washer turned in to a $5,000 vanity/bath renovation, in 1988. Can't wait to re-do the next boat

Toadhall - I might need the name of your mechanic!

porman, kapnd - yeah, this free five minute job turned into about $140 at Fisheries and an afternoon.

FoxtrotCharlie - did you include the cost of dry cleaning the suit?

On the upside, I've knocked out about half of the survey items - most were pretty cheap and easy. Now I'm getting down to the big ones. If I apply the same math going forward then jobs I think might take two weeks are really going to take six months.

Sound about right?

Welcome to boating airstream. You're learning fast.

Hope you are enjoying that blue water.

What's her name?

We named her FORTITUDE. Seemed to fit the boat and our journey to owning her. I actually love this stuff. Maintenance, refits, rebuilds - for me this is part of the reason I wanted an old boat.

In a perfect world we will be having another blue water get together this May or June

Last year we met up at Brownsville. There were 4 of us.

I'll make sure you get in the loop when things start happening.

Look forward to meeting you in person.

Joe

Thanks Joe. We would love to meet other owners and see more Bluewaters.

When it comes to boat jobs I'm always shocked when a 5 minute boat job actually takes five minutes. Almost never happens. I should go out and buy lottery tickets whenever it does.

Yup, a universal experience for those of us who use our hands. Similar, of course, for those who use their wallets.

A recent cracked exhaust elbow on the generator turned into a full two day project with new elbow , hoses and clamps . Last spring I was installing a new hot water heater that required a trip to the emergency room for 8 stitches in a finger, but still it's the best way to learn your boat.

I have to agree with all of you. I'm on my second MV, and had 3 sailboats before that. Whenever a 5-minute task really only takes 5 minutes, I spend another hour checking everything that I just did, just to be sure I didn't leave out a part or a step! I just spent about 3 weeks installing a watermaker. Everything works, but what a pain to find room for each component, within the acceptable distance from each other. 30 gallons per hour - certainly one of my best projects so far.

Cheers, Bill

Three weeks to install a watermaker sounds about right to me. This year I installed a hydronic heating system. Started in February and finished in August, just in time for 95 degree temperatures.

kthoennes said:

When it comes to boat jobs I'm always shocked when a 5 minute boat job actually takes five minutes. Almost never happens...

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It probably happens when some vital step in the job is accidentally omitted.

If a five minute job only takes five minutes, what do you do with all the leftover beer?

kapnd said:

If a five minute job only takes five minutes, what do you do with all the leftover beer?

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or...the rest of the day..? You'd get bored...or have to go home and do 'chores' - real chores I mean. Boat jobs aren't chores, they're challenges, and that's the difference.