Pumps

As I contemplated once again the perennial question “Why is there always a pump breaking?” I finally decided to do a casual count of the pumps onboard KJ. When we finished a top-of-the-head rough survey, the number we came up with?

29.
No wonder it seems like there is always one abruptly ending its useful life! Ultimately, they’re all just consumable parts of the boat, destined to wear out with use. There are vacuum pumps, water pumps, hydraulic pumps, bilge pumps, fuel pumps, air pumps, injection pumps…the list goes on and on and on.
Most of them cost $200-300 each. There are a few at each end of the spectrum. Shower sump pumps run us a measly $20-30 – I delight when the news Brock delivers is that a small pump has gone out. I dread the day a $900 injection pump bites the dust.
And I thank the stars every single day that my husband is capable of dealing with all of them. And teaching me as we go. I couldn’t have been luckier than when he tumbled into my life.

No Responses to “Pumps”

  1. rob
    April 19, 2011 at 8:15 pm #

    thats for sure! add to that the mooring fee and the cost of fuel and, and! it sure aint cheap! :o)) Oh! My pump turned out to be simply the connections farther down the line so no major expense there! just the embarrassment of having purchased a pump in case! it was needed, :o(( Anyway, a spare is always a great Idea to have on board, as next time it will probably be the pump itself!

  2. Jamie
    April 17, 2011 at 8:21 pm #

    It's always the pumps, eh? Your timing is funny; I just added up all the maintenance receipts from last year (not a haul out year; we're doing that in a couple of months). Five thousand dollars, give or take a bit. People who say that living on a boat must be cheap don't know the half of it!

  3. rob
    April 14, 2011 at 7:16 am #

    You will never guess what has just happened to me! My engine room bilge pump has Quit! it wouldn`t be a show without punch would it?:o))