Helpful Tips / Things That Work

[Valkyrie]

Hi Brats,

While at the Lankford Gathering, I saw a number of useful things on other boats that made a lot of sense, leaving me to slap my head and mumble, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I thought it might be productive to share some of them and have others chime in with theirs, as well, making it easier for all of us out on the water.

Tip one: from David on Alma's Only. Getting comfortable while sitting at the dinette. Marcia and I have tried to stuff pillows, sleeping bags and so on behind our backs trying to get comfortable while sitting sideways in the dinette with the table in place, with our feet on the helm seat or galley area. Nothing worked very well.

David's solution: he unsnapped a padded, dinette seatback from the bulkhead and merely stuffed it, sideways, into the area to provide comfortable, padded support. Works great, but I felt dumb for not realizing it myself.

Tip two: from Roger on Fran Sea. To keep the no-see-ums and other tiny livestock from getting through screens, simply spray the screens with insect repellent. Works great!

Tip three: from me. I carry both a ParaTech sea anchor for emergencies and a Fortress as a back-up anchor, but only one extra rode which can be rigged for both. It's a 200 foot long, 1/2 inch anchor line with ten feet of chain with a locking carabiner attached, so it can be instantly snapped onto either the sea anchor or the Fortress. Much faster than a shackle. The rode lives in the port lazerette or could be stowed between the gas tanks for easy access in case of an emergency.

Anyone else have anything to share?

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[Rick from Maine]

Hi Nick,

Good idea for a thread.

My only contribution comes via Moxieabs, Widget.

Problem: The overhead shelf, that Cutter's cuts back to reduce head knocking hazards, is not useful as things can fall off too easily.

Solution: Replace the trim piece on the aft edge with a piece of trim that provides about 1/4" lip on the shelf. Now my binoculars can be stored on the shelf without falling off.

Like you I have a spare anchor rode that can be used on different spare anchors. I'm going to replace the shackle with a carbiner to make it faster to deploy. Thanks for sharing the idea.

Rick from Maine

[Valkyrie]

Hi Rick,

It was great meeting you at Lankford. Check out my album (page 3) and take a look at the teak fiddle that I made to solve the problem that you mentioned with the shelf.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[Rick from Maine]

Hi Nick,

Yeah it was fun playing together. Too bad we didn't get to meet the rest of your crew.

Your shelf solution is elegant.

Rick

[Sea Wolf]

I added two extra cleats alongside the rear cabin bulkhead on the gunnel.

These are great for attaching boat fenders to and for cleating a bowline.

For the bowline, get a rope long enough to tie the middle of to the center cleat on the foredeck. With the middle of this rope tied thusly, you now have two bowlines, one to lead down either side of the boat to the new cleats.

These are very handy to have when coming into a dock. Make them as long as you wish, but short enough they cannot get into the props if they accidently fall overboard.

I also have two stern lines attached to the rear cleats that drop into 5 gallon buckets in the back corners of the cockpit. The lines seem to stay put very nicely in the buckets, which also serve to store all kinds of small objects as need be, from sponges to hand pumps to garbage bags...you name it.

Joe.

[Mighty Bite]

I have a cleat on either side of the rear cabin bulkhead, as does Joe, in addition to Joe's use suggestion my biggest use of them is for running a stringer off the cleats, to bleed fish before punching their residency card for the cooler. Getting rid of that blood pronto is important. Oh yeah, we need both cleats up here to handle the fish. Tough life but, somebody has to do it.

DogOnDan's setup for moving the cooler from the floor to the splash well
is high on my list of great ideas. Simple, inexpensive and very convenient. I copied that idea and love it. To set it up or take it down and store it is under 10 seconds. Better yet the two moveable parts involved store easily and out of the way.

Another favorite of mine is the drawer in the front seat and raising the seat up to better match the table height. Using extension slides the entire storage area is easily and conveniently at your fingertips without displacing the cushion and digging.

There have been a lot of great ideas and innovations emanating from the
fertile minds, vivid imaginations, and skillful hands of this active group and that is really neat!

[ffheap]

Hi Folks,

Built two shelves, one under the table, and one to the right of the helm station. First is used for books, radio, etc. The one by the helm for Field glasses, spot light, load hailer, etc. Makes more room on my forward bunk.

I am also hanging bags around the bunk area to handle things like my "shore kit" which consists of a 25' orange extension cord, extender plug, electric heater, and a clip-on-light. My waterproof boats, USCGAux Opfax stuff. Etc. Each has its own labeled hanging bag.

I always have my lunch hook attached to the port aft cleat and ready to go. It saved my butt one day when my old engine quit and I almost took out a neighbor's boat. Always ready and easy to use.

My daughter's father-in-law made a netting to go over the forward hatch. It had chain attached by sewing a tube using suede around the bottom to hold it down. He then made a piece of canvas fit to tie over the hatch attached to the forward bow rails, and the lower corner of the forward of the cabin. It let the wind in, and the rain out. This is my next project.

I could go on and on, but keep the ideas coming.

Fred