Mr B had some yacht maintenance work to do and I went along to be the apprentice (lunch box carrier).
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| Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower. |
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| Grim |
Add the sound of frapping halyards, some whistling and howling of wind tearing through rigging, and the clatter of rain battering down on decks and spray hoods and you have the complete day out at Gosport Marina.
Plans to rivet the foil on the forestay were put on hold (for a sailor, Mr B is remarkably averse to getting wet) and he tackled some electrical stuff indoors instead. I sketched in my daily challenge book, drank coffee, and made helpful suggestions on how to get some wiring into inaccessible places.
It never ceases to amaze me that people who build and fit out houses, boats, and vans regularly don't think about how you might fix or maintain in future some things they have now hidden behind glued in panels (or between ceiling and upstairs floor); plumbing and wiring usually.
Aagh yes... so we have found in this old place. It was a very nice conversion job BUT as we have found, all the pipework and other accoutrements are well hidden, beneath floors and behind walls and built-in cupboards. Our recent discovery of the leaking kitchen waste pipe has meant that part of the kitchen units had to be smashed out to access the leak. I still have a gaping hole whilst the dehumidifier tries valiantly to dry out the damp.
ReplyDeleteI have great sympathy for you kitchen issues and am giving extra thought to my house build plans following discussion of this subject.
DeleteI liked it when we were at Gosport Marina - there was always something going on. I had to smile at Mr B being averse to getting wet. I'm sure your helpful suggestions were well received.
ReplyDeleteOh the irony.....
Deleteamen to hiding things that need access, in cars, boats, houses, just about anything. sounds like you make a good assistant. when i suggest things to bob he gets all fired up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not suggesting for a minute that Mr B paid any attention.
DeleteSo much easier to attend to wiring and pipes with an open wall. But later it means sledging the wall, unless you have one of those brilliant trained rats to pull the doings through the cavity.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there is a business opportunity in training rats.
DeleteI remember eldest son fitting new hoses to my 405 estate car...the comment from him that he should have done it the same way as when the car was being built....with the engine on a hoist above the engine bay...
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be nice to have a big workshop and hoists etc.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteHaving just spent the entire week inside The Grey due to hosepipe conditions on the outside, I admire that you went to the marina at all! As for maintenance on weird places - remember the purpose to build in requirement for "professional assistance"!!! B****r that for a game of cricket. YAM xx
It wasn't that wet when we set out and we took a tour of North's Sails on our way. Awesome.
DeleteAnd then you get an electrician or plumber or whatever to visit and they inspect the problem, suck air through their teeth and deliver a rant about how the person who designed the system must have been a complete idiot and this will cost a shed load of ££££ to fix ...
ReplyDelete😆🤣😂 and double it for old houses.
DeletePanels with wing nuts would be useful.
ReplyDeleteThey would but the first rule of boats is 'the wind is always on the nose' and the second rule is 'nothing is ever going to be easy'. Boat fittings are usually in layers so you remove a cupboard to get at a lining that you remove to get at the back of a locker that you drill through to get....frustrated.
DeleteJust had to replace a headlight bulb on daughter's honda jazz. Fiddly, but straightforward.
ReplyDeleteLucky you. Last time I changed an automotive bulb it was in the dark in a queue at Piraeus port and the fitting fell apart in my hands - grrrrr
DeleteI agree with your last paragraph. Sadly, it is so true.
ReplyDeleteWomen should design things that need maintenance.
DeleteHubby and son, both mechanics, always complain about some models of cars. They have bits that are hard to get too making the job much longer and more expensive. One car you nearly have to remove the whole engine to get to bits that need replacing frequently
ReplyDeleteThey blame engineers who never have to actually look under the bonnet and so have no idea about mechanics
That picture of the spinnaker tower brought back memories of when I used to visit Portsmouth to cycle race with my son. And yes, I too have been frustrated by design which seems to assume pipes and wires will never need accessing again. Cars are rather like that too - almost deliberately difficult to get at siple parts. It's as if it is deliberate...mmmm...????
ReplyDeleteYou now have to get a computer to diagnose any fault which develops with our car. Not sure if that's progress or not! Arilx
ReplyDelete