New product idea: The Button...
 

Yes, I think I have thought of the product that will make its maker very, very wealthy. Hopefully that will be you Don Moyer, or someone on your team...

So here is my idea; its a button that can be placed anywhere on the boat, but preferably close to the engine, as that is where it will be most used.

What does it do? This new button, undoes the last thing you did. Its an undo button.

So when you have things working, and then you think, hmmm, while I am here with this tool in my hand, why don't I just do this one little thing - then you break a bolt head off, cause a leak, displace something else, drop a nut deep into the bilge... with my new invention, your momentary error in judgment can be undone - just press the button!

Save hours of headache, and frustration - save me from myself!!!! Ahhh, the relief...

Then version 2 of the Button, would be the ability to undo multiple steps, not just the last thing, but go back 5 steps - great for the stubborn among us who are slow to acknowledge our mistakes...

Priceless!

Bump.

This nine year old post came to mind yesterday when a friend had his reliable diesel shut down two hours outside of Angel's Gate on his way to Catalina. He sailed back to the harbor entrance and while waiting for the tow boat gave me a call. I asked him, "What's the last thing you did to the engine?" He said he replaced the vacuum gauge on the fuel filter with one from eBay. I said, "When you get back to your slip, start there."

Last night he called saying he replaced the gauge with the old one and the engine was in the middle of a three hour test in the slip running in gear.

Update:
Last night's test was successful enough to depart this morning for Catalina again. The picture is dawn in LA Harbor headed for Angel's Gate. I'm expecting another update in 3 hours, a full hour past yesterday's shutdown.

Update / post sortie debriefing:
My friend's channel crossing was successful, engine never hiccuped even once. He told me according to Racor's instructions he did not need to use sealant on the ¼" pipe threads for the new vacuum gauge (WHAT???). That's where the air entered the fuel system. Reverting back to the old gauge, this time with sealant solved the problem. He intends to remount the new gauge while he's at the island and give it a final test run on the way home in 10 days.

The undo button solves another one.