Well we have covered about 3000 miles since we left Mexico and as any passage maker can attest, stuff breaks. I was actually kind of surprised by what broke and, by and large, how quickly and easily it was repaired. Most of our damage was small, interior, and caused by our kids. I left a lot of the little stuff off this list because it was already getting long. A few of the breaks were avoidable, and we have learned some good preventative maintenance lessons (like don’t let the sails flog at all). The remainder was either just old boat stuff, or general maintenance.
Thing that broke | Cause | Solution | |
Hanging Locker door handle | Miles tied something on it and pulled | I used a barrel lock that I had in spares | |
Silverware drawer handle | old plastic | still broken | |
Spinnaker | Washed overboard | ordered a new one | |
Main sheet car | Too much flogging | will replace when I find the spare | |
Mascerator | Not quite sure | re-plumbed the whole darn thing | |
Starboard portlight (large) | I broke it while rebedding | will replace in Tahiti | |
Toilet Seat lid (forward) | The kids | probably epoxy, right now it just rests | |
Bilge pump | wiring, obstructions, etc | constant supervision | |
All DC power | found a corroded battery jumper | fixed with some spare 2/0 and lugs that I had in spares, also replaced the terminal bolt | |
SSB/HAM Radio | power button | Vick turned it on | |
Starter Battery | bilge pump directly connected | generator…phew! | |
Countless Plumbing Problems (seriously 2/week) | Fresh water pump too powerful | replumb. reblumb. replumb. repeat. | |
Salt water pump in galley | Miles stepped on it | Used the foot pump I got Vick for Christmas | |
Fresh water faucet in galley | crappy faucet rusted | turned it off and used pressure filter water | |
Topping lift shackle broke | flogging | Dyneema | |
Oar on dingy | no freakin clue | none yet | |
both pot handles | rust or misuse | screwdriver and muscle | |
Stanchions/chainplate covers leaked | caulk failed | rebedded both inner lowers and several stanchions, no leaks so far | |
Boom vang lost 3 bolts | preventer/galvanic corrosion | turns out they stripped their threads, will need to rivet and reconsider preventer system | |
Gooseneck. 2 bolts constantly loosening | preventer | reconsider preventer system | |
Three blades on fan in refrigerator | operator error | if we loose a 4th I will replace the fan from spares. each blade also represents a medium sized gash in an operator’s finger |