Filling your boat with 'Stuff'

N

Neil

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Apr 2004
Messages
7,518
Location
Ireland
Visit site
I have a small, but delightfully formed and surprisingly nippy, Sadler 25. When I bought it, it was well found, with a brand new engine and associated bits, Furlex and toilet. The rest was minimal; 4 fenders and that was it.

I have since replaced some bits; sails, spray hood, a couple of winches. So far so good.

However, in addition, I bought an inflatable dinghy with oars and an engine to go with it. Both fit in the stern locker and I still have room (just) for fenders. But then add an electric pump for the dinghy, an inverter, a tiller pilot, more pots and pans, a first aid kit, two rods and reels plus fishing tackle box, a whole rake of tools and spares, binoculars, battery vacuum cleaner, a fuel can for the outboard, a 22 litre diesel can, funnels and filters, an extra battery, an extra anchor (complete with sort chain and rope rode), boathook, bucket, oil, assorted lubricants and paints, my old oilies as spares. Probably other things I've forgotten.

I have an image of this process continuing until my little boat is wallowing up to the gunwales, and incapable of making much progress. How do you stop?
 
Neil said:
I have a small, but delightfully formed and surprisingly nippy, Sadler 25. When I bought it, it was well found, with a brand new engine and associated bits, Furlex and toilet. The rest was minimal; 4 fenders and that was it.

I have since replaced some bits; sails, spray hood, a couple of winches. So far so good.

However, in addition, I bought an inflatable dinghy with oars and an engine to go with it. Both fit in the stern locker and I still have room (just) for fenders. But then add an electric pump for the dinghy, an inverter, a tiller pilot, more pots and pans, a first aid kit, two rods and reels plus fishing tackle box, a whole rake of tools and spares, binoculars, battery vacuum cleaner, a fuel can for the outboard, a 22 litre diesel can, funnels and filters, an extra battery, an extra anchor (complete with sort chain and rope rode), boathook, bucket, oil, assorted lubricants and paints, my old oilies as spares. Probably other things I've forgotten.

I have an image of this process continuing until my little boat is wallowing up to the gunwales, and incapable of making much progress. How do you stop?
Click to expand...

It's called self-discipline - remove everything, preferably ashore, that you haven't used the last season. I found that I could quite easily, during 200 days cruising last season do without the dinghy.
Funnily enough spare raw-water pump and alternator were used...

PS when it rains I sail in the nude - but that's in the Med.
 
Neil said:
I have a small, but delightfully formed and surprisingly nippy, Sadler 25. When I bought it, it was well found, with a brand new engine and associated bits, Furlex and toilet. The rest was minimal; 4 fenders and that was it.

I have since replaced some bits; sails, spray hood, a couple of winches. So far so good.

However, in addition, I bought an inflatable dinghy with oars and an engine to go with it. Both fit in the stern locker and I still have room (just) for fenders. But then add an electric pump for the dinghy, an inverter, a tiller pilot, more pots and pans, a first aid kit, two rods and reels plus fishing tackle box, a whole rake of tools and spares, binoculars, battery vacuum cleaner, a fuel can for the outboard, a 22 litre diesel can, funnels and filters, an extra battery, an extra anchor (complete with sort chain and rope rode), boathook, bucket, oil, assorted lubricants and paints, my old oilies as spares. Probably other things I've forgotten.

I have an image of this process continuing until my little boat is wallowing up to the gunwales, and incapable of making much progress. How do you stop?
Click to expand...

Self discipline be damned! I acquired a Renault Master van to keep all of the junk from the boat next to its parking spot when we go sailing. Tools, 25 litre drum of oil, rope, electrical stuff, spares of all shapes and sizes , timber, old cushions ........ the list goes on and on! There used to be enough junk to start a mobile boat jumble sale single handed!

The boat is in Greece however so the van forms a mobile workshop / shed!

:) :)
 
Rope is my downfall. I just can't take it off the boat. I have far to much, including two very long climbing ropes and two 'spare' anchor rodes. I actually use the bow and stern lines I have permemently rigged and a couple of springs.

This season I aquired a 'new' inflatable and ended up with the old one around all summer, hoping to find some impoverished liveaboard I could give it to.
 
When I sold my old boat earlier in the year, I couldn't believe the amount of junk I'd squirrelled away on it. I brought home crates of stuff, leading to a certain amount of domestic friction. Even now, there's a lot of "useful" bits still lurking around.
 
When I declutter the garage, I only end up tidying up and do not throw anything out because I might need it in the future.:encouragement:
 
Slow_boat said:
Rope is my downfall. I just can't take it off the boat. I have far to much, including two very long climbing ropes and two 'spare' anchor rodes. I actually use the bow and stern lines I have permemently rigged and a couple of springs.

This season I aquired a 'new' inflatable and ended up with the old one around all summer, hoping to find some impoverished liveaboard I could give it to.
Click to expand...

Sorry bit of thread drift, what do you use the climbing ropes for? I've got a climbing rope on board as well, I thought it would come in handy for going up the mast, so I replaced my main halyard with the climbing rope, (didn't want to risk damaging my halyard) spent a fortune on ascenders/descenders, and found out I'd bought the wrong type of climbing rope. the rope I have is so stretchy, it's impossible to use the ascenders on, it's like trying to climb up a rubber band. Apparently there is a non stretchy version of climbing rope as well, who knew?
 
pvb said:
When I sold my old boat earlier in the year, I couldn't believe the amount of junk I'd squirrelled away on it. I brought home crates of stuff, leading to a certain amount of domestic friction. Even now, there's a lot of "useful" bits still lurking around.
Click to expand...

+1. I sold my boat last year after 19 years and after refitting a larger boat I still have crates and crates of stuff in my garage. Don't worry about it, it's what you do.
 
Our heavy displacement steel ketch weighed 12 tons but by the time we fitted her out for long distance cruising she weighed 14 tons. This included three spare sails, spare warps, spare halyards, two spares for everything mechanical, and associated tools, dozens of tins of food and bottles of alcohol and beer, 24 water bottles in the front bilge, can, 4 diesel containers and two water containers on deck a second anchor and a monster Fortress storm anchor each with 100 feet of chain and 100 feet of warp etc. The funny thing is when we took the teak decks off the boat she was two inches higher in the water.
 
Neil said:
...continuing until my little boat is wallowing up to the gunwales, and incapable of making much progress. How do you stop?
Click to expand...

Not sure. I see much about this issue - and the one-way street down which ordinary, sprightly sailing cruisers tend to go over the years, gaining weight & sapping performance.

Even if you don't care much about performance, I reckon even the most obtuse sailor must technically object to his boat being grossly overloaded - like dragging a bootload of really heavy stuff around on the road, which can conspicuously affect fuel consumption.

Also, folk who've emptied their boats always seem astonished by the weight of what they've taken off the yacht, when finally they do the boat (and themselves) a favour...

...so the habit of accumulating is insidious; we quickly forget what's stowed safely out of sight...(in fact, it is frequently lost)...leading to the danger of buying more... :eek:

Perhaps cataloguing is the answer? If, without being a snarling quartermaster, we list all that goes aboard/ashore (or is used/devoured/destroyed), we may limit over-equipping?

I've got oars, anchor & 6m of chain on the Osprey. Used the oars once, last year. But I'd kick myself if I'd left them ashore when I needed them. :rolleyes: Then...there's the box of shackles, water bottles, certain sundry tools which rattle about in the fo'c'sle, bottle of rum for rattled passengers...all technically superfluous, but do I unload them? :hopeless:
 
This thread made me laugh.
I too have just bought a boat.
It is clean, tidy and clutter free.
Seems poor form to load it up.
But it is stuff I need such as dinghy, water inlet key, wet weather gear, crabbing lines, washing up liquid.
Years ago I had a Caprice 19 which a swear sailed better fully loaded.
We shall see if the Jag is the same.

Very exciting though.
S
 
Obviously it depends on your type of sailing. If it's hopping from one marina berth to another, you probably don't need the clutter of things carried "just in case".
But if it's more like exploring the Northwest Passage, where you have to be totally independent, you need all your stuff. I do like to be as independent as possible, and prepared for things happening, so I carry lots.
I find a climbing rope, with the addition of some chain, makes an excellent rode for a kedge or second anchor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top