Are You a Secret Dumpster Diver ?

[daddle]

I'm an avid dumpster filler. I use any small excuse to throw stuff out. Like I haven't used it in a year. Or it is too much trouble to sell on eBay. I'm the guy who tosses out all that reasonably good line, parts, electronics, etc... I don't fool myself into thinking I'm going to fix it someday, or might just need it as a spare. Out it goes.

To make your job easier I always leave the treasures in a box next to the dumpster. You can thank me later.

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by daddle

I'm an avid dumpster filler. I use any small excuse to throw stuff out. Like I haven't used it in a year. Or it is too much trouble to sell on eBay. I'm the guy who tosses out all that reasonably good line, parts, electronics, etc... I don't fool myself into thinking I'm going to fix it someday, or might just need it as a spare. Out it goes.

To make your job easier I always leave the treasures in a box next to the dumpster. You can thank me later.

Ebay is amazing. If something ships cheap, I really have no excuse not to list it. i bundled up a bunch of electronics, some ~20 years old, and sold it in one day.. . OK that was Craigslist, but really everyone wins if you can get your old stuff to someone who needs it, rather than the landfill or incinerator.

My pop saved too much stuff, and I have memories of tripping over fittings and rusty bolts. Items that eventually I threw away after he passed. Too much stuff creates it's own nightmare as you try to find what you need from the unsorted mess. My uncle actually obsessively sorted all the stuff he saved. Me made cabinets for it.

[SabreKai]

While I haven't ever been hungry enough to snag food out of a bin, I don't rule it out. I am constantly amazed at the amount of food our affluent society tosses out. If my life goes in the dumpster I will most certainly start grabbing food.

As for marine bits, the last items I salvaged were a Sea-B-Que, only thing wrong with it was the glass on the temp gauge missing, and the grills are rusty as heck. I've also salvaged a few hundred feet of somewhat weathered halliards, a waste tank, various bits of SS cable and other odds n sods.

I figure salvage is part and parcel to owning a boat. I've never had a problem with things not being new or dings n dents. If its serviceable and someone else is squeamish about having it on their boat, so much the better for me.

If you see a pair of feet sticking up out of the dumpster, they are probably mine.

Sabre

[senormechanico]

Back when I worked at the Elliot Bay Marina, I retrieved a couple of folding deck chairs.
West Marine sells then for over $100.

I also retrieved an electric pressure washer back when they cost about $250.

The chairs were perfect (still have them on my front porch) and the pressure washer made a horrible sound due to a bent fan blade.

Cost to fix $0.

Batteries are also frequently found to be in perfect condition, just discharged.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by hummingway

A web search gave this as a possibility Baby Blake

Is this what you're making your lamp of?

Yep--a bronze work of art when all polished up. Clickon/click off switch concealed in pump chamber.
Also built a lamp out an old Meyers reciprocating, piston water pump. Land fill treasure.
Being the artist you are known to be,(followed your guitar discussion with great interest),thought you might pick up on that.

[Cheechako]

Yep, I have donated (time to leave the dock! just set that stuff alongside the dumpster for someone else) and received much from the marina dumpster! One was about 175 feet of 5/8 anchor rode...frayed on one end! Got some nice long mooring lines from that. Also seen quite a few old bronze expensive toilets that just needed rebuilt.... kinda hate picking up an old toilet though!

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yep, I have donated (time to leave the dock! just set that stuff alongside the dumpster for someone else) and received much from the marina dumpster! One was about 175 feet of 5/8 anchor rode...frayed on one end! Got some nice long mooring lines from that. Also seen quite a few old bronze expensive toilets that just needed rebuilt.... kinda hate picking up an old toilet though!

Good for conversation piece lamps--not good or mixing rum swizzle.

[Matt Johnson]

I donated fenders and docklines yesterday to next to my marine. The previous owner slipped the boat in slip with strong current. It seemed the best fix was to line to boat with fenders and dockline. Kept the topside clean, but now my lazarette is full. Why not pass these along to someone else?

[Hillbillyfunk]

I love dumpsters, I eat a lot of food from them too, veggies do not go bad quickly and one only has to cut the bruised part out to make it good. While in KW I used the dumpster from a fast food place on Duvall St to fill my chum bags, then the fish I ate was fresh, the crap they sold in that place wasn't fresh anyway. there was a "scratch and dent" food store near where I was anchored last summer that threw tons of food away everyday, I stocked up on so many dented cans and was feeding several of the live aboards in that anchorage too. There is a national chain that does not use compactors and I always buy food from them when I can to support them and bite my thumb at the compactor users. I have even written about eating the food tossed from a fancy place in Marco Isl in my blog, I ate at least $200 worth of food that was still hot when they tossed the entire make table while I was dumpstering next door, the little dog ate well too.

Those that think the dumpster is no good for edibles are my heroes, more food for me! I have this organ attached to my face that lets me know when things are edible, I call it my nose, and it's pretty darn accurate, after 20+ years of eating things that others have discarded I have never been sickened from dumpster food, but I have been sickened by professionally prepared food that I paid for.

I get a lot of good supplies from the dumpsters and I find lots of good recyclables, since Waltzing Matilda is so small I only take the things I need and set the good scores to the side for other divers. Boot Key Harbor's dumpster is pretty generous with things, occasionally I'll pick up stuff I don't need because I know a person at the next stop that needs what I just scored. One of my rules is never to trade dumpster scores for money, that angers the dumpster gods and the bounty is decreased.

North Americans are so wasteful, and their waste is my bounty, this is one reason I have been cruising on less that $5k a year.

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by Hillbillyfunk

I love dumpsters, I eat a lot of food from them too, veggies do not go bad quickly and one only has to cut the bruised part out to make it good.... One of my rules is never to trade dumpster scores for money, that angers the dumpster gods and the bounty is decreased.

North Americans are so wasteful, and their waste is my bounty, this is one reason I have been cruising on less that $5k a year.

You are single, amiright?

[Hillbillyfunk]

Originally Posted by allanpeda

You are single, amiright?

of course I am, women in this part of the world don't like men that have taken a vow of poverty, it's the "Disney Princess" mentality (not an attractive thing IMHO). the adorable little 4 legged girl that has been my companion thinks that dumpster diving is the best buffet evar

[mjwarner]

Always! I too have participated in the Taylor-trade-off! Also have scored teak, rope, fittings. All kinds of good stuff to be found in boatyard dumpsters too. Always peeking into the dumpsters at the marinas we visit. You never know....
I draw the line at food though, and I won't open black plastic bags, too much mystery, and it could be of the yukky kind! lol

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

If you see a pair of feet sticking up out of the dumpster, they are probably mine.

Or those of the last guy who ticked you off.

[barnakiel]

OMG ;-)

b.

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by Hillbillyfunk

I love dumpsters, I eat a lot of food from them too, veggies do not go bad quickly and one only has to cut the bruised part out to make it good. While in KW I used the dumpster from a fast food place on Duvall St to fill my chum bags, then the fish I ate was fresh, the crap they sold in that place wasn't fresh anyway. there was a "scratch and dent" food store near where I was anchored last summer that threw tons of food away everyday, I stocked up on so many dented cans and was feeding several of the live aboards in that anchorage too. There is a national chain that does not use compactors and I always buy food from them when I can to support them and bite my thumb at the compactor users. I have even written about eating the food tossed from a fancy place in Marco Isl in my blog, I ate at least $200 worth of food that was still hot when they tossed the entire make table while I was dumpstering next door, the little dog ate well too.

Those that think the dumpster is no good for edibles are my heroes, more food for me! I have this organ attached to my face that lets me know when things are edible, I call it my nose, and it's pretty darn accurate, after 20+ years of eating things that others have discarded I have never been sickened from dumpster food, but I have been sickened by professionally prepared food that I paid for.

I get a lot of good supplies from the dumpsters and I find lots of good recyclables, since Waltzing Matilda is so small I only take the things I need and set the good scores to the side for other divers. Boot Key Harbor's dumpster is pretty generous with things, occasionally I'll pick up stuff I don't need because I know a person at the next stop that needs what I just scored. One of my rules is never to trade dumpster scores for money, that angers the dumpster gods and the bounty is decreased.

North Americans are so wasteful, and their waste is my bounty, this is one reason I have been cruising on less that $5k a year.

You should get a hold of Meburma, a member on CF looking to do a documentry on live aboards. I would love to see this on film.