Date: 31 March 2018. Scorpion Vacuum and Kindle Fire Questions.

© janice142

I realize hearing a woman extol the virtues of a vacuum sounds rather odd on a boating website. That said, my Seaweed gets dirty. A vacuum helps me keep her clean. Over the past ten years I have tried several models. Power sources varied too. Most sucked, and not in a good way. Here is what I've learned.

The Scorpion by Dirt Devil retails for $50 however I found mine on sale for $30 or so. It's worth the price!

The rest of the story...

My first foray into the vacuum world afloat was with a 12-volt version sold for cars. Mine was an obsolete Oreck car vac. I rather liked it. Alas, the unit finally gave up the ghost. Back then I wasn't in the Fix-It mode so it was replaced.

Number Two was bought on eBay. The seller said it "worked great." The seller lied. Like the original, it was a 12-volt model. It wasn't an Oreck and used 10Ah when running. The worst part was that it could not pick up threads from my stitching. Argh.
 

There were a lot off loose threads while I made this quilt. ↓
Each button represents one dose of chemo on my road to recovery.

I got rid of Number Two. That was an appropriately named vacuum. The last thing I need aboard a 23' long boat is something that won't work properly, excluding myself of course. Clutter could quickly overwhelm a vessel this size. Getting rid of items quickly is a mantra of mine.

I did keep the power cord with a cigarette lighter end. Thus the purchase of Number Two wasn't a total loss. I reused that long power supply cord for another project.

It's that things change. What worked once, no longer is best today.

(Above, me and the Grand at Disney last year)

In the olden days and currently at Disneyworld movies were seen at the drive-in.
But times have changed. Nowadays Netflix and DVDs supply our film fix...
 

What was once Best Practice, all too soon becomes obsolete.

When I first bought Seaweed I was on a 12-volt kick. Everything needed to be twelve volts. I chose my drill because it could be adapted to run right off my batteries when the 12-volt rechargeable battery died. The drill didn't last long, but that's another story. Details about one repair can be found in the DeWalt Drill Fix article.

After my 12-volt fiascos, I found a rechargeable Black and Decker vacuum at a thrift store. $2 was a good price. The unit seemed to work too. Alas, every time I tried to use it the battery would be dead. I would have to spend time recharging the vacuum via my inverter. It simply did not hold a charge.

Seaweed with the wind generator ↑ and just one solar panel over the cockpit.
 

Back then I was not as power flush as I am now. An Air-Breeze wind generator plus a single 75 watt solar panel provided all my needs. The inverter was not turned on very often. Mostly my incoming power was used by my netbook via a car adaptor and the anchor light. Refrigeration was not an option back then so I did without.

Of course I wished to Have it All. The budget would not allow that. I knew that a life of decadence was possible. It would take time to save for the accoutrements. That's what I did. Ten years in, I truly have a blessed life aboard my Seaweed. I am incredibly fortunate.
 

In the evenings I would read via candle light. Later I bought an oil lamp.

I read a lot of books at night using this ↑ small lamp. I still read using lantern light. It feels natural.

A Kindle has made a huge difference in my reading. Free eBooks found online have changed my life. Having the ability to re-read old favorites is a true joy. There is no way I could store so many books on Seaweed were it not for the Kindle.

Being able to increase font size on my Paperwhite is a real boon. I've found that books are printed with text much too small nowadays!
 

As usual I've wandered off topic. I have been obsessing over the Fire's since I spotted it in my Amazon Recommendations. With apologies...

So what happened was this: After starting out on Seaweed with 12-volt vacuums I evolved to using a rechargeable Black & Decker. That was not a good choice. Every time I wanted to use the dang thing I would have to charge the battery. That unit might work well for someone that can leave the base plugged into an outlet. For those like me who live off the grid, the Black & Decker was a pain in the transom.

Now I use Dirt Devil's Scorpion model. It's a hand held vacuum. (affiliate ↑ link)

After the fiascos with car vacuums and the rechargeable unit, I knew there had to be a better solution. That's when I started thinking. I realized that what I needed most was a vacuum that could pick up dirt, dust and hair quickly.

Then I went to Amazon and looked for the most powerful hand-held vacuum I could find. I wanted enough suction to pull the fillings out of my teeth. That's exactly what I found!
 

Another requirement was a reusable filter bag. I did not want to have to continually buy dust bags.

This one seems quite stout. The paper can be rinsed. It is thick and seems sturdy.

Aboard Seaweed each purchase is not evaluated merely by usefulness. It also has to have a place to live. I cannot continually bring new items aboard if there is no storage spot for same. With the vacuum, I tied a double loop of 1/8" braided line around the ring by the handle.

A screw and washer tightened within 3/8" of the board gives me a place to hang the Scorpion down in my bilge.

When Seaweed is underway the washer keeps the braided line in place. The vacuum is secure.

You may note the black power cord is tied by a small piece of rope. The coil is shoved into the handle, away from the front of the engine. That cord is really long too.

My Scorpion has a yellow pointer at the front. Push the grey button by the Dirt Devil logo and it folds out/extends.

The yellow nozzle was too big to fit into the slots of my air conditioner vent.
That is when I got out a straw and some blue tape. I made my own smaller extension.

It worked. The straw easily fit into narrow crevices. The straw extends the suction of my vacuum.

After use I wind up and tie the power cord, tuck the cord into the handle then hang the whole thing in my bilge.

This vacuum comes with extension tubes so you could use it to vacuum the floor. I don't have enough floor to use those. Were I in need of a vacuum for carpets and such I would go with a more expensive full-size model. My daughter used a Dyson though now she has a pair of the robot vacuums.
 

The world had changed. Miracles happen. Elon Musk proved that we can do anything.

Elon Musk sent his Tesla Roadster into space. How cool is that?!?
 

As for me, I'm a simple woman. Having a good vacuum aboard Seaweed is a mighty fine thing. This one uses 7Ah when working. If you're going to spend your perfectly good money for a vacuum, I recommend the Dirt Devil's Scorpion. I suggested this for my friend Irene. She bought one and likes it.
 

This is Irene:

Do you have a favorite vacuum?
And, please tell me about your Kindle experiences... do you have the new Fire?

COMMENTS:
 

© 2018

Categories: Books, Characters, Entertainment, Gear, In the Bilges, Recommendations, Unmentionables,

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