A Hole in the Water...

Into which, you poor money... I worked on the boat on Saturday. Just a few things that needed to be fixed. The built in depth finder wasn't working and the horns (as usual) weren't working. Of course one thing leads to another which leads to another. When I went to start work on the boat, I found that the No. 1 battery was shot. It lasted a couple years, but would not hold a charge. So up to Walmart to get a new battery. Next I took the dash apart to get to the horn switch and the back of the depth finder. The depth finder was easy (or so I thought), the in-line fuse holder had broke, thus cutting the power to the unit. Easy enough, buy a new fuse holder and be done with it. But, being wiser in my older age, I moved on to the horns before going shopping. My thought with the horns was that they weren't getting enough power to make them work. They were replaced last year, so I figured the horns were good. When I tested the switch I found they were getting plenty of juice, so I pulled my little 12V battery out of my fish finder and ran a straight wire to the horns... Nothing. I was pissed. I have to replace these horns every year, and every year they quit. So up to the store I go, I need a horn and a fuse holder. As I am looking at the horns, the replacements for the trumpets are $120. So I ask the guy at the store, Do these things fail frequently? I have to replace them every year. He looked at me kind of funny and said, Every year? Maybe every few years, but not that often. When I told him that I had finally put them on a quick disconnect he laughed. Needless to say, there is now a plastic $20 horn under the dash like every other boat on the water. So the horn is fixed and the in-line fuse is replaced. Out on the water we go. Only to have the depth finder come on and off continuously during our trip. There must be a loose wire at the connection points. So, there is one more thing that needs to be fixed. There is always something that needs to be fixed, especially when the boat is 18 years old. The good news is (knock on wood) the boat is running, almost everything is working and the water is down far enough that we can enjoy it.