Here's one I haven't dealt with. A 24vdc Rule 3700 non-automatic under by cockpit will not turn off. I thought it was just the float switch so I replaced it and it still runs continuously. Checked continuity on the new float switch and it's good. All wiring to the pump is very clean but I haven't pulled the connectors apart. Visually, I doubt it's shorted there. I can turn it off at the panel. What am I missing?
Never mind. In the complete idiot category I had bumped the helm manual switch. Trying to be positive. I’ve now got a spare float switch.
We understand law of parsimony very well. We work on boats. Inverted in some dark bilge, ears a ringing and eyes bulging, we grasp the first answer. Standing normal, in a calm; we carry the same bad habit. A nature of mind thing, the first simple answer is usually correct. Our faults include closing that trouble shooting mind for other alternatives and sometimes beating a path in the wrong direction. ,,,To everyone from time to time..
I have spent 30 minutes at 5am trying to work out why the port motor would not crank when i hit the key. Checking connections, batteries, all combinations of battery switches, cursing the boating gods, before we all calmed down and realised, one of us (probably me) had knocked the port throttle just out of the neutral position. In my defence, it was dark and i had not had my first coffee yet.
Coffee is critical. A few years back we re anchored off Staniel and had guest leaving on the morning flight. To play it safe I checked the tender right after I got up and it wouldn't start. No coffee. Spent 30 minutes troubleshooting, called one of the water taxi to schedule a ride to SCYC. Had my coffee went back to the tender to put the engine cover on and right away noticed someone had removed the kill switch!
For those in Rio Linda, please check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_razor BTW, I have lost my mind on outboard kill snaps and clutch neutrals also. Who ever says they have not; is fibbing or just cursed themselves.
I had never heard of it but it's great... there is a reason the word assume start with the letters a, s and s ! I m a big fan of the KISS method and the fact that new stands for Never Ever Worked
We begin making assumptions before getting out of bed in the morning, and continue throughout the day. Intelligence, experience, and education improve our assumptions and chances of success. We hire people who we assume will make better assumptions, based on their resume. Every decision we make is based at least partially on assumption. The better we are at assuming, the more efficient we are at making decisions, and the more successful we are. We should not avoid assumptions, we should strive to get better at them.
For some reason, your story on this subject brings me joy . It's not all bad that I screwed up. It's a real life drill if you think there is a chance the boat is taking water. Wife takes the helm in my case. Smoothest course possible and me into the bilge and engine room. The point being, sometimes it's good to hand everything over for real to make sure everyone is current even though we try to make sure we are all the time. A potential emergency is always a good dry run for a real one.