August 6, 2013.

We got a call from a gentleman who just invested a major chunk o' cash in a very large sailing catamaran. Its a couple of years old and on the surface looks to be a pretty sweet ride. Unfortunately for him, spending close to a million dollars on a used boat really doesn't guarantee that the boats actually in very good shape. There’s been more than a few issues but his tender was to be today's area of concern.

He launched the dinghy that came with his new boat and found that it wouldn't start. After arriving I launched the dink and it was true, it didn't start. I figured that I'd check the battery first and see if it was just dead. The battery did in fact hold a surprisingly satisfying charge but as you can see from the photos the wiring left a lil' bit to be desired.

Of the 2 wires hooked to the positive post, the red one is cut off down the line and doesn't actually connect to anything.

The black wire is from the engines starter and had been connected by twisting the wire onto the exposed neck of the red wire. I'm guessing the surveyor didn't really give the dink much of a go over. I thought Helen Keller was dead but evidently she’s still alive and surveying boats.

If that wasn't enough, when I pulled on the wire to pull them apart the cable end popped right off the battery post. Between the loose terminal and the twisted wire this dink really never had a chance. But after a little TLC the dinghy is once again among the living.