Tom Döhler
One of the blessings (or is it a curse?) of owning a sailboat is that there is always something to fix. Even though Bon Bini is in an exceptional shape for her age, there are a few little nicknacks that need some handy work done to them.
One of the things that we know we needed to fix was the shore power lead. For some reason the previous owner had decided that it would be a good idea to fit the boat with the much more expensive Marinco system. This system allows the connectors to be screwed together, which makes a watertight environment that takes straining load on the housing instead of the cable, which is nice. The problem however is that this system is not common here in The Netherlands, where virtually all marinas are fitted with the common blue CE plugs found in caravans. This would not have been a problem, as the boat came with an adapter from CE Marinco. This adapter however had seen better days, leading to a very flaky shore power connection.
“Not a problem” I thought, quick trip to the chandler and install a new power connector on the boat. Unfortunately I did not have any tools on the boat, and when I told fellow sailor Dennis about my misery he announced that he has a excellent toolkit in his boat (which is moored about 10 meters from Bon Bini) and that he would be happy to help.
So we met on a sunny Thursday evening in the marina, and Dennis showed his excellent craftsmanship by ripping out the old Marinco connector and replacing it with a shiny new CE connector. We finished the work with the obligatory beer while exchange stories about sailing in Greece and frightening storms on the Markermeer. Thanks for your help Dennis, you are always welcome aboard!
