Tackling long to do lists for boat fixes

[Don C L]

I have to echo others here and as for that head... well, I had a similar problem, and I was so sick of the plumbing, the old bowl with a broken base, the tank, the smell... In a moment of weakness I ripped the whole thing out and capped the through-hulls. Now I have more space, no smell and less weight when that tank fills and two fewer through-hulls. On a 27 foot boat you may consider it. I went to a porta-potty ($115 total) which some don't care for but I have no complaints and never regret the choice. (And most importantly, my wife likes it!) Others go for a composting head, or more correctly I guess, dessicating head. I haven't tried that yet. It's way down on the list.
1. If something is not safe, I fix it. 2. If something is going to keep me from sailing I fix it. 3. Cosmetics... one of these days!

[Tessellate]

Originally Posted by zstine

I'm surprised that everyone is so quick to say "safety items first". That's not how we prioritized in the Defense industry when I was building submarines. We based priority on 'Risk' which is a function of both the amount safety is impacted and the likelihood of occurrence. I've definitely done what I felt like or the wife wants, over a safety item if there was low risk and/or a workaround. For example, my anchor light has not worked all season. I spent some time trying to figure it out, but I've also done many other items, like replacing batteries, building cabinets, etc. I still anchor out and I just run some other lights and/or hoist a battery operated light up a halyard, but not always depending on where I am. The risk is low.

This is a good point. Everyone's definition of safety items is different, with different comfort levels of safety / risk. I met someone who ended his summer coastal cruise early because his VHF broke. I would've just bought a cheap handheld at any of the dozens of ports nearby.

Like you I also don't consider the anchor light a major safety item, because we have dozens of other lights that can be used as backup, and are always in marked anchorages anyway (often with moored boats running no lights at all). But it would still be near the top of the list because it's a major convenience item.

Same with running lights or radar - not an automatic P1 to fix because with our cruising style we're never *required* to sail at night or in fog. But some people do consider radar or AIS a safety item.

Having this perspective requires actually going cruising to learn what's important for you and what isn't.

But it's worth noting, the value of the oft-repeated "safety first" maxim is that it's a reminder of the importance of being prepared. Otherwise many people would neglect safety items. They're often the things that don't show their value until they're needed, so it can be easy to underprioritize them.