Useful adages

 

  • Murphy's Law

"If it can stop working it probably will."

To compensate for this, use defensive design by making systems simple and independent of each other. This is especially important for vital functions such as steering, compass, engine controls, fire, bilge and distress equipment. Engines and generators can be independent but are now irretrievably complicated. Also see below.

 

  • Mechanical sympathy

"Being gentle with equipment, by knowing how it works and avoiding abrupt actions that cause unnecessary wear."

Gentleness can be applied to the driving of a boat (manoeuvre with slow gear and thruster changes), using davits and windlass, engine starting/stopping and loading, the closing of doors and hatches, etc.

 

  • Hofstadter's Law

"It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law."

or Norman's Law which also adds "it always costs more...."

These two are very useful for project managers.

 

  • The umbrella effect

"If you have it you will not need it, and vice versa."

I apply this effect to the carrying of spares aboard, and it seems to work. My only explanation is that someone who plans ahead with spares is also likely to plan ahead in general, including preventative maintenance.

 

 

Trivia

Lazarette:

a hospital for persons with infectious diseases, especially leprosy
(from Italian ‘lazaretto’, from ‘lazaro’ = thief)

America:

name given in the honor of the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci (Americus Vespucius in Latin) (1454-1512), who explored both the north and south american continents

Europe:

probably from ancient Phoenician ‘Ereb’, meaning sunset

Asia:

probably from ancient Phoenician ‘Asu’, meaning sunrise

Atlantic:

from the nearby Atlas Mountains, in northwestern Africa

Antilles:

the islands opposite Europe (from: anti = opposite or across; iles = islands)

Starboard:

from Norse ‘styrbord’: the side with the steering oar, from ‘styra’ (to steer); ‘bord’ (side of vessel)

Port:

the side of a vessel that could be docked in port, as it did not have a steering oar

Posh:

elegant and fashionable: the best cabin on the passenger ships going from the UK to the far east: from ‘Port Outbound - Starboard Homebound’

Dead reckoning:

from ‘deduced reckoning’

 

 

 

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