Medicine Cabinet Door & Bathroom Ceiling Light

[RobS]

This is kinda funny yet pathetic. Over the winter during my numerous visits to the boat for some freezing solitude and tinkering I was addressing the bathroom ceiling light with the missing lens. The local marine outfitter had a nice waterproof int/ext fixture so I decided to replace the entire fixture and keep the original one as a spare for the main cabin so it would match the others in case one needed replacement. The bathroom one didn’t need to match the others exactly and being waterproof is a good idea since the bathroom is actually a make-shift shower.

The replacement fixture was identical in size, both diameter and height. Job done – simple enough.

During a later visit to the boat I brought my multi-meter with me (same one Ric has from Radio Shack) so I could figure out what is what as far as 12v and switches since I would soon be installing a digital depth gauge so I would label the proper 12v source. I open the medicine cabinet door and “clunk” it hits the lens on the ceiling fixture . I measure the fixture again and double check that it hasn’t grown since I installed it . I check the medicine cabinet door hinges and verify that they are in their original screw holes and have not been moved, and they have not.

Conclusion: Between the dealer delivering the boat, the original owner (who surely paid over $100K) and the 2nd owner, nobody cared enough in 6 or 7 seasons and simply accepted this. 10 minutes of sliding the door down the hinges a quarter of an inch and re-screwing and the problem was history. Pretty pathetic in my opinion.

[RicM]

This is from the thread on windshield wipers, it applies here as well...

Not that it matters now, but that's a classic illustration of isolation of management (Cos Cob CT), the workforce (Portsmouth RI), and the end user (due to general lack of return communication from the first 2 parties). The attitude that the customer was just a PITA was very prevalent mid to late 20th century in US management and workforce, which is one of the reasons why the auto companies, airlines and a lot of other industries have died, are dying, or moved off shore. If Albin had been sold to new owners with a lean mean management team that was looking ahead about 10 years ago I bet it would still be going strong today. It's a relatively "green" (fuel efficient) design, eclectic styling (the Volvo or Saab of the ocean) and plucky personality could have positioned for success when other boat companies would be headed south.

[mhanna]

Maybe the lens was not "missing" maybe that was the way the dealt with the door swing.....pathetic...yes

Matt

[RobS]

Exactly right Matt, that was my point - remove the lense instead of sliding the door a qtr inch down on the hinges. That made it passed the factory, the dealer and 2 owners.... pathetic for sure.