€200. Should I have offered more?

[Pugwash1]

I was making some dog scarves the other day and the sewing machine was playing up. I asked a neighbour on another boat to take a look at it as she is an seamstress. She came aboard, had a look, thought it might be the way the spool was being wound on and after trying herself declared the machine to be old and knackered (which it is to be fair!). I thanked her for looking anyway and told her I was buying a new one machine in a couple of weeks when we have a hire car. She insisted on getting her machine despite me saying not to worry. She got her 1 year old, fully electric, all whistles, €400 sewing machine, plugged it in and blew it up. She said she always uses a transformer on her boat, she didn't bring it and the power on our boat (same as hers) was too much for the American sewing machine hence it died. I was mortified and so apologetic and she dismissed it as her fault. Since then (2 days ago) she has been posting pictures on Facebook of the dead sewing shop machine. Every time I see her she says how sad she is about the sewing machine. How everything is "shit" because her sewing machine is dead. She does have another industrial one onboard but I completely get why she is upset. She was having a siesta today when I took over €200 to her DH. He said not to bother but I said I'd feel better for doing it. I left it on the cockpit table so he didn't see exactly how much it was there and then. He thanked us, came up and took it down below. I've since seen her and she hasn't mentioned it at all. I am worried she thinks we should have paid for the whole thing. She is German and we speak in Spanish so some things definitely get lost in translation but not much. We live in a really small community so thought paying half would be a nice gesture and keep life nice and easy. Now I'm wondering if they were expecting the whole amount.
YABU: Stump up for the whole thing you miser.
YANBU: You have paid enough.

[Sally872]

Yanbu. You've made a nice gesture and been very generous.

[MuthaFunka61]

Anyone who uses electricity without checking what voltage you're on is asking for trouble. It was entirely on your neighbour,don't take on any more responsibility for her error.

[Pugwash1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Feel a little better now! I am certain he wouldn't have pocketed the money as they aren't short of a bob or 2!
For those interested the scarves were for a very rotund Retriever called Marcello whose Dad's own one of the harbour restaurants. Our dog has more than enough scarves to keep him going for a while but people have been admiring them and he's become a little bit of a local celebrity because of them. Due to this I have randomly been making and dropping off scarves for dogs whose owners have admired them as and when I get the material. Hence the dead machine.
Never realised living on a boat was a biggy tbh. Imagine living in something smaller than the average living room, you cook on a 2 burner stove and a microwave, your oven is little bigger than a shoe box and you have no place to escape apart from a hammock when you want to kill your other half. Seriously though... You should all do it. It's awesome 👌.

[funnelfanjo]

YANBU. So you're going to end up paying for a new machine for yourself and half of a machine for her? If she's really a seamstress with a 110voltage machine then she was bloody careless in using the tools of her trade without that transformer.

Get yourself a nice handcrank vintage Singer. Lovely machines to use and they don't need electricity! You can get attachments to do zigzag and buttonholes if that's a need.

[EmbarrassedUser]

I really don’t think there was any need to give her money. It was lovely that you did but really she couldn’t assume that your electric setup is the same as hers.

[FlyAwayLikeABird]

I would not have gave her anything, she broke it herself.

[boredtotears11]

This is what I love about mumsnet. The variety of threads.

[LaaLaaLanded]

Me too. Marcello the rotund retriever who has a harbour restaurant. ❤️

And soon a scarf too.

[Azaziel]

Yabvvu for giving her any money at all. Unless the sewing machine was brand new, it wouldn’t have been worth £409 now anyway.

[Mucklowe]

I wouldn't have given the cheeky mare a single cent!

[MissConductUS]

If it was an American machine that used 110V, how did she even plug it in without a converter? An American plug won't go directly into a UK outlet.

[Bobbybobbins]

It was a very nice thing to do and definitely don't consider giving her anymore!!!

[FlamedToACrisp]

Definitely sounds like her DH never passed on the money!

[Branleuse]

id have felt bad for her, but i dont think id have given her that much

[2020meh]

Pleeeease post a picture of your dog in a scarf..

I've had a crap day and not drinking at present, go on, please ?

[InglouriousBasterd]

YANBU and I’m following for more Marcelo details

[NoProblem123]

I need a photo of your boats, dead machine, and mostly these dog scarves!

You were being very nice and it was all her own fault, but she also sounds like a lovely neighbour- can I come and live with you ??

[sonjadog]

What are dog scarves? Can you post a picture? I live in Norway where it gets very cold in winter, but even so I have never seen a dog in a scarf.

Regarding the money, I would mention it to her just in case her husband has pocketed it.

[AuroraBore]

I don't understand how she could have plugged it in without the transformer. The American plugs are completely different to UK mains plugs and they don't fit into the sockets.

[1forAll74]

A lovely post, despite the broken machine. I am now trying to imagine, a harbour, cosy boats, chilled out people, and dogs with colourful scarves on,all sounds lovely to me.

[onalongsabbatical]

OP at the very very least can we have a pic of your dog in a scarf?
You can keep all your other pix private, all the lovely pix you have of your boat and the other dogs and the water and the wonderful bunch of people... but the dog in the scarf is begging to be seen, we are his fan club already!

[Dieu]

You're lovely, and you did a lovely thing

[unchienandalusia]

dog scarves?

[Pugwash1]

Aghhh. Tried to edit it so you would have to PM me if you wanted the details. Sorry! I'm trying to edit it now!