Turner Cove Isle Au Haut, Maine

ISLAND MECHANICS

With service facilities being so scarce on the islands, some extra
imagination can be needed to keep a vehicle going. Here are a few
ideas that might help:

The marine emergency brake: Place a yacht anchor in the place where
the rear window used to be. Just cast it out when needed for an
emergency stop. Don't forget to fasten the anchor rode to something
more substantial than the body. Nylon rope is to be preferred to
chain for a more gentle stop.

The reliable parking brake: A wooden lobster buoy is set behind the wheel.
This brake can be applied to the wheel in the best location to hold the
vehicle against rolling. The attached rope is run back to the driver's
side to retrieve the buoy before the vehicle is moved.

The gravity fuel pump: An outboard fuel can is attached to the roof of
the vehicle and connected to the carburetor with flexible hose. A roof
rack is helpful but ropes around the tank and through the open windows
will suffice.

Auxiliary lighting: When all the lights are burned out and the vehicle
needs to be moved at night, a portable, plastic searchlight plugged into
the cigarette lighter will do. To use the cigarette lighter for any
other purpose in the presence of gasoline fumes might be dangerous anyway.

The three wheeler: The axle of the missing wheel is held up with a
come-along which passes over the top of the vehicle to a secure point on
the frame of the opposite side. Rocks may be needed to ballast the diagonally
opposite side of the vehicle. The scheme works best when all turns are made
toward the side where the wheel is missing.

Tiller steering: A missing steering wheel is no problem when a vise-grip
wrench is available. Clamp the vise-grip on the protruding end of the shaft.
It may work best if the wheels are set straight ahead and the wrench is set
at the south position but it's possible to get used to any angle with practice.

Door restraints: If the vehicle has doors and it's felt desirable to keep
one from flying open, a c-clamp can serve. It's a nusiance but just open a
window and tighten the clamp on the door frame. It rattles least when the
clamp is fastened from inside the vehicle.

Emergency repair kit: One roll of duct tape and one spool of stone wire.
Wire cutters are helpful but the wire can be banged between two rocks to cut it.
Use the duct tape on low temperature repairs (sheet metal, upholstery, glass)
and the wire on high temperature repairs (engine, exhaust system.) And don't
discard those safety belts because they make good tow straps.