What Is Up With The Gate Latches (Hasp) On Our Macs?

[kmclemore]

....upon boarding my boat, I will be reminded of the many failings of my perfectly straight, stainless steel, chrome plated hatch hasp that, I am now convinced, it has prevented me from planing under sail.

Bob

I hear it also causes dyspepsia, bromhidrosis and painful rectal itch, Bob.

Nothing that a little squirt of XD-100 won't fix

Bob

I support my local industries... I use CRC 6-56 Marine. A little dab'll do ya.

[kmclemore]

Ralph Nader was protecting the public, or protecting the auto industry?

For the record, IMHO, Ralph Nader was, and continues to be, a congenital idiot.

Nader's book - wherein all his 'fame' was founded - had nothing whatsoever to do with the fuel economy or any other workings of the motor or fuel system. He wrote about the rear suspension on the very first Corvairs, wherein the swing-axles would, under very extreme circumstances, tuck under and cause the car to roll. This was corrected by GM long before he published his book (and the Corvair was then a heck of a good handling car with much racing success), but by making a big splash with "Unsafe At Any Speed" and through unseemly amounts of self-promotion he managed to make a big enough stink to end up killing GM's innovative Corvair program. Mind you, Volkswagens, Porsche 356s, Triumph Heralds and Spitfires and numerous other cars had *exactly* the same rear suspension flaw - and continued to do so after he published the book - but they didn't seem to raise his concern, despite their 'safety risk' to the American public. Instead, Nader persecuted and killed what was America's answer to the Volkswagen and other compact cars, and in turn crippled America's future in building economical small cars for over 20 years, leaving our car industry exposed to the aggressive competition of the Japanese and European car makers. And he did this all for his own self-aggrandizement.

Nader is nothing more than a self-promoting clown who caused irreparable harm to America.

[kmclemore]

Your other comment about all the changes I will be making to my Mac (s) in the future, I believe to be untrue.

Are you saying... GHASP... that you won't be removing that terrible, unsafe, cheap Gate Latch (Hasp) On Your Mac?

Say it ain't so, Gary, say it ain't so!

[kitcat]

Seeing as you mentioned Corvairs, it reminded me of the one I owned back in the late '60's/early '70's. Cheap as chips, and it either had only 2 gears or the auto box was up the creek, I never found out, but it was a great car and served me well. I never managed to roll it however hard I tried [you do when your in your early '20's don't you?]

To bring it back on topic, I needed a gate latch on the front luggage compartment lid [hood or trunk??] as it kept popping up onto the saftey latch, but that was another thing I didn't get around to before I sold it.

[bscott]

Turbo'd Corvair Monza-- Was my dream car-and still is

Bob

[Hamin' X]

Seeing as you mentioned Corvairs,... it reminded me of the one I owned back in the late '60's/early '70's. Cheap as chips, and it either had only 2 gears or the auto box was up the creek, I never found out,...

The Corvair used a PowerGlide tranny, which was indeed 2 speeds. Tough as nails too and the early models had a rear pump that allowed you to push start an engine.

~Rich

[kmclemore]

Turbo'd Corvair Monza-- Was my dream car-and still is
Bob

One of my best friends in high school had a Corvair Spyder (180 hp Turbo) with a 4-on-the-floor... what a rocket that was! Loved driving it.

The Corvair - and indeed many 50's and 60's GM cars - had amazing innovations, including the "Greenbrier Sportswagon", the very first 'family mini-van'. And everyone knows about the Corvette being the first mass-production American fiberglass car. But how about their all-aluminum Buick V8 which was even lighter than GM's own 4-cylinder engines? It was so good that Rover bought it and it is *still* in production, over 40 years later. And how many of you remember the 1962 Oldsmobile JetFire that had the very first turbo-charged V8, and which introduced water-injection ("Turbo-Rocket Fluid") to prevent knock, producing 215 HP out of 215 cubic inches. And then there was the 1961-63 Pontiac Tempest, designed by John DeLorean, which had that alloy V8 coupled to a rear trans-axle (just like Ferraris would later be made) which gave a nearly exact 50/50 weight distribution for great handling and an almost flat floor. The 1957 Cadillac had the very first 'memory' power-seats, air suspension, automatically dimming headlights and remote start. And the Buick Rivera, with its front-wheel-drive V8, and the Pontiac Fiero with it's innovative impact-resistant plastic body panels (later used again on the entire Saturn line). The list could go on and on... GM was a pretty amazing innovator.

I miss those days of visionary breakthrough automotive ideas. *sigh*

[aya16]

I miss those days of visionary breakthrough automotive ideas

Yeah, Fred Flinston said the same thing when they dicountinued the retreads for the feet,

[GaryMayo]

Nader has never owned a car, and has never been issued a drivers license, from his own lips in a TV interview several years ago.

The all-aluminum Buick V8 makes a wonderful motorcycle engine as it has so little weight.

My Moms first car was a 1959 Impala. The most beautiful car ever made by Detroit. IMHO.

[GaryMayo]

Haspers Anonymous

Twelve Step Program For Recovering Haspers

1.Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon HA unity.
2.For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—Roger MacGregor as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our Moderators are but trusted servants.
3.The only requirement for HA membership is a desire to stop Hasping.
4.Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or HA as a whole.
5.Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the Hasper who still suffers.
6.An HA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the HA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose which is to lock and unlock ourselves in our own bed at night.
7.Every HA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside locksmiths.
8.Haspers Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers (to remove Hasps).
9.HA, as such, ought never be organized (keyed alike) ; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10.Haspers Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the HA name ought never be drawn into controversies regarding heavier keel boats that do not trailer easily.
11.Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and hardware conventions.
12.Anonymity is the boating foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before common gate latches.

[Québec 1]

My first car was a blue convertible corvair with the in dash push button automatic and push button fm radio. What a hoot!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr38/23152 ... otostream/

Q1

[kmclemore]

I miss those days of visionary breakthrough automotive ideas

Yeah, Fred Flinston said the same thing when they dicountinued the retreads for the feet,

Ugh. That one was corny.

[Ixneigh]

Nader is one of the biggest goofballs EVARRRRR!!
Had he set his sights on the macgregor boats he would have probably hounded
Roger out of business. These boats are definety not idiot proof.
If you forget to fill the water tank or let the keel down properly they can TURN OVER!!
Plus they don't have seatbelts.

Ixniegh

[bscott]

My first car was a blue convertible corvair with the in dash push button automatic and push button fm radio. What a hoot!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr38/23152 ... otostream/

Q1

NICE

Bob

[Octaman]

In 2008 someone broke into my MacM looking for valuables. Another five boats were broken into in the marina that night. The next morning this was discovered was a very shocking and sad morning.



It seems that the intruder bashed the companionway board probably with his boot. It appears that it easily fractured and broke apart allowing for the board to be removed from the side grooves permitting access to the interior of the boat.
Surprisingly the hasp held on well but did not prevent the intruder from getting in.

In repairing the damage I used the same, original hasp by simply bending it back into shape.

And a couple of ideas:
1. If you want to eliminate the possibility of being locked inside, put the padlock on the staple without, of course slipping the slotted part over the staple. This will not allow the hasp to lock.
2. If you want to lock the boat from inside, take your telescopic boat hook, bring it to the appropriate length and wedge it diagonally under the hatch from inside – one end resting against the lip of the sliding hatch, the other on the firm surface of the superstructure. This prevents the hatch from sliding open.

Octaman