Preventative Maintenence that never gets done

[geoffschultz]

Yesterday I had to pull the head Y valve to clean and grease it so that it would turn. The instructions that come with it says that you're supposed to do this yearly. Yeah, right...Does anyone actually do this? If so, I bow in your general direction and wonder "Just how much spare time do you have on your hands?"

-- Geoff

 

[Rich Stidger]

I have a endless list. Each year I add new jobs and cross off tasks completed. In a good year there is no net gain for jobs to be done. I start in the Spring with the best intentions of completing everything, but as time grows short and launch time approaches, only the critical jobs get done.

But I promise myself to do better next year....

AND, I'm retired, so I don't have a lot of really good excuses.

 

[Bad Obsession]

There are tons of projects like that. A lot of us let them go until we see problems. It is like going to the dentist. If you don't go for your normal checkups eventually you will pay by having to go and having to have a lot more done than just a usual cleaning!

 

[geoffschultz]

I understand, but how many of you actually put 'Disassemble and grease head Y valve" on your list?

 

[Rich Stidger]

I don't have a Y-valve, but disassembling (if necessary) and lubing ALL of my seacocks has been on my list forever. I have nine of these valves, and that task would probably take me at least a couple days- and then I have the risk that something will go wrong and I will end up with a leaking valve after launch. I should do a couple each year and see how it goes. It would be great if these valves could be lubed without removal, but all of my attempts have been unsuccessful.

 

[arf145]

I'm on the Chesapeake and I'm never going to switch that Y to the overboard setting. So I admit that one's not on my list--and I've never done it.

 

[geoffschultz]

I'm on the Chesapeake and I'm never going to switch that Y to the overboard setting. So I admit that one's not on my list--and I've never done it.

I'm in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico where, for all intents and purposes, there are no pump-outs.

I applaud your not pumping overboard, but having been been in the Chesapeake several times, you have some of the worst pump outs that I have ever seen. From what I can tell, the marinas were provided with funds to install pump-out stations, but had no interest in actually providing the service, so they installed them in the most inaccessible locations possible. Considering what's going on with the dead zones within the Chesapeake, I consider that criminal. The marinas make their money off of the water, yet they don't protect it.

-- Geoff

 

[Rick D]

I have never, and won't service my Y valve. For the hassle removing it, and because of a pretty obvious pre-failure mode, I'd rather replace it. In your situation, a different approach may be warranted, Y valves not being so easy to come by.

I have a running list of projects and sometimes it gets shorter, sometimes longer. It is kind of a truth list too in that you figure out what your priorities are after staring at the same entry for a year.

BTW, have you ever run into the Morgan 44 "Cuba Libre 2"? Old YC friends. They have way settled into MX.

BTW, Geoff, what are you using for internet connection?

 

[arf145]

I applaud your not pumping overboard, but having been been in the Chesapeake several times, you have some of the worst pump outs that I have ever seen. From what I can tell, the marinas were provided with funds to install pump-out stations, but had no interest in actually providing the service, so they installed them in the most inaccessible locations possible. Considering what's going on with the dead zones within the Chesapeake, I consider that criminal. The marinas make their money off of the water, yet they don't protect it.

-- Geoff

Not my experience, Geoff--the pumpout at my marina is easy enough to get to. Of course you can see why marinas don't make it their most visible feature, eh? I don't know of anyone that directs waste overboard in the Chesapeake or considers this to be OK. That said, even if they did, they wouldn't be the cause of the water problems in the Bay--not when you have municipalities dumping tons, and land waste running in in enourmous quantities.

 

[geoffschultz]

Not my experience, Geoff--the pumpout at my marina is easy enough to get to. Of course you can see why marinas don't make it their most visible feature, eh? I don't know of anyone that directs waste overboard in the Chesapeake or considers this to be OK. That said, even if they did, they wouldn't be the cause of the water problems in the Bay--not when you have municipalities dumping tons, and land waste running in in enourmous quantities.

That isn't what I experienced. Generally I found that the marinas buried the pumpouts in areas hard to get to, especially in a sailboat with limited maneuverability. In addition, the pumpouts were out of service on a regular basis. You would NEVER find this in someplace like FL. I've been in marinas from the Great Lakes through Canada to Key West and into the Gulf of Mexico and now in the Pacific and I considered the Chesapeake to have the worst that I've seen.

I was on a trawler who went out and pumped into the Chesapeake because the couldn't get into pumpout. I was disgusted at that, but there wasn't anything that I could do. Personally I think that there's too much finger pointing and not enough taking ownership.

-- Geoff

 

[geoffschultz]

BTW, have you ever run into the Morgan 44 "Cuba Libre 2"? Old YC friends. They have way settled into MX.

BTW, Geoff, what are you using for internet connection?

Don't think that we've met Cuba Libre 2, but I've met many Cuba Libres that didn't survive the experience...

Right now we're in La Paz for Bay Fest and have great a Internet connection via the Marina Palmira.

-- Geoff

 

[Ducati]

There is never enough time...

"Just how much spare time do you have on your hands?"
-- Geoff[/QUOTE]

Every spring my work wish list gets longer, I'm fussy so I never start another job until the one I'm working on is completed and perfect. Eventually I run out of time or daylight and I never get to do the dreaded hull compound and wax. So I just wash the hull and drop her back in the water and say next year for sure.

Not enough days and life "is" too short.