Try these simple temporary repairs in emergencies
Issue 37 : Jul/Aug 2004
In an era when electronic development is leaving most of us behind, there are still ways to make small repairs and additions to the electrical system in an emergency. The following are a few:
- If an electrical component has a flushplug that is removed with a special tool (and the tool cannot be found), two small bullet-head nails driven into a wooden batten will do the trick.
- It takes only the smallest drop of water finding its way onto a printed circuit board to fry a part of the circuit. If the board cannot be removed or reached with conventional tools, a hot screwdriver will act as a soldering iron in a confined space. Dollops of solder are “dripped” onto the separated circuit ends, after which a thin copper wire is melted into them.
- In the absence of vigilant attention, battery terminals can fail completely, leaving you with a cable end and a battery pole with no means of reuniting them. A worm clamp will temporarily solve the problem by squeezing the cable end firmly to the pole. Components should be cleaned and coated with petroleum jelly.
- If two wires need to be joined temporarily in the absence of proper fittings, twisting is satisfactory, especially if petroleum jelly is used. Whether the ends are to be taped over or not, they should be staggered to avoid shorting.
- Have a few joiners in the kit for when extra wiring needs to be temporarily tapped into the system.
- Exposed instruments and their wiring behind a bulkhead can be covered using such simple items as a plastic soap box, Tupperware container, and so on. A small fillet of sealant will hold them in place yet allow for easy removal.
- Soldering in awkward places can often be effective using a pair of long-nose pliers with ends heated.
- Carry a few terminal blocks for those times when the electrical system needs to be expanded beyond the potential of single joiners.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
