Since my mast was down, and I have yet to launch, I decided to change the bulbs in the steaming light and the masthead light on my 323. The fun began when I had to drill out the rivets used to attach the Perko steaming light to the mast in order to get at the screws in the back of the fixture. This is the only way to get the lens off and get at the bulb. Went to my original equipment spare box (from Beneteau) got out the light bulbs, still in their boxes, and found that none of them was the proper bulb. Rats!
Then I went to the masthead light, opened the fixture, This time an Aqua Signal fixture, easy out, took the bulb to the spare box, and yup no match!
Went over to my local marine supply store, and they could not match one of the bulbs, and had to order it. Small town, small inventory. Understandable but frustrating. The nearest Worst Marine store is 60 Miles away and it caters to power boaters. The best and nearest Independent marine store that caters to sailers is 90 miles away. With gas at $4.20 a gallon, I don't think I'll make the trip. Meanwhile, I cannot step the mast unless I want to go up Ina bosun's chair later. I'm already late in launching because the weather has been so crappy.
So, back tithe boat to check the rest of the exterior lights. They turned out to be Hellas. Those bulbs are different too!
It makes me wonder about what this does to the manufacturer's inventory control and economy of scale. I personally don't have a preference of one particular brand over another, but the least that could have been done with the spare kit, was to have included the appropriate bulbs. Three different brands of running lights on the same boat seems odd to say the least.
Otherwise, the rest of my day, went fairly well...
Then I went to the masthead light, opened the fixture, This time an Aqua Signal fixture, easy out, took the bulb to the spare box, and yup no match!
Went over to my local marine supply store, and they could not match one of the bulbs, and had to order it. Small town, small inventory. Understandable but frustrating. The nearest Worst Marine store is 60 Miles away and it caters to power boaters. The best and nearest Independent marine store that caters to sailers is 90 miles away. With gas at $4.20 a gallon, I don't think I'll make the trip. Meanwhile, I cannot step the mast unless I want to go up Ina bosun's chair later. I'm already late in launching because the weather has been so crappy.
So, back tithe boat to check the rest of the exterior lights. They turned out to be Hellas. Those bulbs are different too!
It makes me wonder about what this does to the manufacturer's inventory control and economy of scale. I personally don't have a preference of one particular brand over another, but the least that could have been done with the spare kit, was to have included the appropriate bulbs. Three different brands of running lights on the same boat seems odd to say the least.
Otherwise, the rest of my day, went fairly well...
