Boat P3ner

May 31st, 2009

Crap Gone, Footrest Installed

Here’s a big shock. I’m currently feeling extremely smug.

But I have a good reason this time. I used tools competently again.

My dad had a problem on his boat. He had a helm chair with a footrest attached to the stanchion with a sliding aluminum collar. The footrest was toast, and the collar refused to come off. I posted about it here earlier.

He wanted to cut it off, but I insisted I had a better idea. I had a bunch of threaded rod and some scrap lumber. I cut a few holes, put it all together and ended up with this (now I have to see if the camera-phone photos worked):

05-31-09-boat-chair-stanchion-tool-01

I’ll bet everyone wants to know where to get a pair of boat shoes like that. I think Dad got the only pair made. You can also bowl in them.

05-31-09-boat-chair-stanchion-tool-02

That’s a better view.

I cut three pieces of threaded rod, attached nuts and washers, ran the rod through three holes in a piece of scrap wood, attached the rods to the collar, and used a wrench to raise the collar. The stupid thing didn’t loosen enough to slide, so I had to keep turning until it was way up the stanchion. Then I used a hammer, banging the underside of the wood. I would say it took 15 minutes, but it didn’t involve much exertion, it didn’t damage anything, and it spared the [admittedly worthless] parts.

Here is the new footrest. I really like Garelick helm seats and footrests. The old ones were Pompanettes. Pompanette makes horrible crap, at Bentley prices.

05-31-09-boat-chair-stanchion-tool-03

I had a better idea for a tool that would let me use an impact driver on a single bolt, but it didn’t occur to me until I was already at the boat, and it would have involved more parts, and it probably would not have raised the collar enough.

Dad was impressed. As if I had perfected cold fusion.

Smugness surrounds me like a warm, fluffly blanket. If you’ve ever worked on a big boat, you know how satisfying it is to defeat it when it tries to make your life hell with an insoluble problem.

His big Garmin GPS has a problem. When you turn it on, you have to hold the power button down to keep the power on. It shuts off as soon as you release it. Garmin suggested a factory reset technique, but it didn’t work. Helpful nerds are encouraged to opine. A repair costs $350 plus shipping.

10 Responses to “Boat P3ner”

  1. jdunmyer Says:

    Have you tried removing the power from the Garmin? As in, unplug it or remove the fuse that feeds the thing. You’re no doubt aware that the “power switch” on such devices mostly don’t actually switch the power off/on.

  2. xc Says:

    My garmin has similar problems and I have finally convinced myself that there is an antenna lose. Long story, but I do not believe the electronics are quite shockproof. So I just have a paperclip handy and reboot mine every once in a while.

    When the 5″ ones drop < $100 I will replace. Until then it’s still a marvel.

    -XC

  3. og Says:

    The on button causes a transistor to latch itself in the on position. Normally they have “anti-bounce” circuitry to allow you to have the button pushed for an indeterminate amount of time. Seems like yours is either not allowing the circuit to stay on, or is turning it back off almost immediately. If you take the face apart and clean the back of the keys/buttons where they touch the membrane you may find it works better. Otherwise you’re no worese off than before.

  4. Virgil Says:

    I carry a handheld GPS regardless because almost every boat I rent bare or charter or buy (currently boatless) half the time ends up with electronics problems at the worst possible moment i.e. with a party boarding with bait and beer and you end up blind when looking for waypoints and reef coordinates.

  5. Tim Says:

    You need to hold a button down? Duct tape. Duh. And you call yourself a Tool Man.

  6. km Says:

    It is always fun when you figure out a neat wat to do something.
    ,
    Smug is a warm, fuzzy feaaling, no?

  7. Steve H. Says:

    I am the King of all Tool Men. I will brook no disagreement or criticism, regardless of how obviously valid it may be.

  8. Pam Says:

    Nice Job!

    I can’t believe it, but I recognize those boat shoes. I have a cousin, some 30 years my senior, who has worn them for as long as I can remember…I think he still pops his Izod collar, too.

    http://www.theshoemart.com/sebago-mens-spinnaker-navy-white-red/pvc-seb-mxscb-b72828_seb_m_spinnaker.html

  9. tondelayo Says:

    Oh, the shoes. Are those the same pair that I remember or did he simply buy all the available stock in his size?

  10. Clancy Says:

    Awesome shoes. Now I want a pair, just to be full on retro.

    I pledge to only wear them (no socks) with white slacks & sport coat, with a teeshrt. My have to look into a ‘flock-of-seagulls’ do for my locks as well…