Every day or so, West Marine sends me an email trying to sell me something and, while I seldom ever buy anything from them, it is a connection I keep an eye on in the hope that, one of these days, they’ll come up with something truly needful.
I’m still waiting on that but my expectations are low.
On the other hand, I do find the constant pressure exerted by marine business concerns for us all to consume more somewhat entertaining in the “Just what are they going to try and sell me today” and “What lame-brained innovation are they going to come up with that will make me want to throw out perfectly good gear because there’s this new thing”.
A reader recently pointed out that the Islander is very much in need of a “NEW” engine because the current Yanmar 3HM is somewhere around forty years old. While I’ll be the first to admit that the motor in question is no spring chicken, it still works and I can’t see replacing it anytime soon. Considering that it’s 40-years old, raw water cooled, and it’s still running when many younger and more expensive engines are not, I’m mostly OK with it. Sure, there’s some much deferred maintenance to contend with but why would I want to replace something that’s working?
Today, I’m hoping to sort out the a back rest on a settee and cut up some plywood in the process. Things go better when working on boats where sawdust is involved.