Forumnites' Tips

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Forumnites\' Tips

I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread of peoples' tips...those little things that might seem obvious but make life easier, better, less expensive or safer.

To get the ball rolling......

We keep stainless steel vacuum flasks filled with boiled fresh water on the go whenever we are cruising. When we have shore power (or run our generator) we freshen up the flasks so they are full of boiling water. We use this water to fill the gas kettle which heats up much faster, saving gas (and time). We measure the amount of water needed to put into the kettle in a plastic measuring jug first (which takes no longer than filling the kettle from the tap). Any excess boiling water from the gas kettle goes back into a flask for use again. Works a treat, saving money, time and the hassle of getting new gas cylinders.

Note:- By never putting tea or coffee into the flasks, they never need cleaning.

More tips please!
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

When antifouling, stick a broom handle in the butt of the paint roller. There aren't many areas of the hull that you can't then get to without bending/crouching/kneeling/lying flat on your back. It's also much quicker, because you are always on your feet, so shifting posn takes no time.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

A great way to reduce your boating costs and spend more time on the water -





Sell your boat and sail other peoples'
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Put your two stroke oil into one of those measuring containers that weedkillers often come in. (the type with two caps and a small measuring container built in)

Easier and quicker to measure out the oil. Saves spilling the stuff, it gets everywhere.

At the price they charge for the oil I don't know why these are not used routinely by the manufacturers.
 
Top Tips

Time your car journey to arrive at the boat during evening or night time, never during the morning or afternoon. This way, the boat never appears really grimy and it saves a lot of cleaning.

Save time in planning: Announce your passage plans to anyone who will listen, about where you're going and at what time you plan to leave. Just make up the deaprture time off the top of your head, because it is certain that one or more v helpful boaty types will delight in checking the tides etc and quietly coming back to you 30 minutes later with better advice of exactly when to leave. So no point in you wasting your own time working it out beforehand as well, really.

Don't have "unresolved" mechanical/gear problems - these always niggle at you, and use loads of time worrying about it or trying to fix nearly busted stuff, only to eventually replace it which you should have done in the first place. Dinghy leaking? - get a stanley knife and slash it about a bit so no point in finding leak - you now have the much easier task of buying a replacement. Likewise hurl any tempremental outboard motor, handheld gps/radio into deep water - no more problems with that, ever.

Get allocated the nicest and easiest spots in marinas you visit by announcing on the vhf that you are "novice crew". Even if you have 40 years experience, you're still more novice than some others, really, so it's not a massive lie.

Ensure that your crew are ready for the early morning start by getting up and starting the engine and revving it a lot first thing, before showers or anything else. This gets everyone out of bed and sorting things out in double-quick time. After a few times they may get wise to this, so call their bluff - drop the lines and drive out of marina single-handed, whilst they are all still in bed.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Pick up an off-cut of carpet and a nice carpet tile.

Off-cut for general protection of carpet when doing those jobs that you never lift carpet for - but end up staining something on it !

The carpet tile for stepping on before entering cabin .....

You can even fashion the off-cut to fit specific areas where you board boat etc.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Do you occasional over-run the stop point on your marina berth and touch bow to pontoon ? fasten an old fender horizontally to pontoon edge - then you can "plan" to bow onto it for making fast easier .... single-handed.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Do you have dock-lines that stay on pontton berth fittings ? Then you can connect them all with a light line with sufficient length so that picking up one - gives you them all ... enough slack of course in joining line that each mooring line fits its specified cleat etc. The joining line stays outboard of all on boat .... of course !
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips .... Blimey having a brain-storm here !!

Ever have trouble retrieving something from water ....

Get a wide mouth landing net for fishing ... they even do collapsable ones that fold up .... can be fitted to boat-hook pole etc.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips .... Blimey having a brain-storm here !!

Are you loney? Do you lack friends at the Marina/Yacht Club.
If you leave your car headlights on when you park up people will pop across to tell you and you'll feel involved.
You can even pretend they are your friends.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips .... Blimey having a brain-storm here !!

The right length for a bow line is just too short to get the prop, so if it goes over the side it can't stop the engine for you at that critical moment.

If you close the engine seacock, hang the "ignition" keys on the seacock handle

If you turn the fuel off, hang a sign on the "ignition" - or see above. Jissel's engine will start, warm up and go the full length of Yarmouth harbour and out into the Solent with the fuel turned off, but it won't get me into Pompey afterwards. Now, how do I know that? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

When running, ALWAYS rig a preventer, but set it up so you can release it from the cockpit

If you didn't eat it, it doesn't go in the head. And if you did, count 10 pumps per metre of outlet hose to flush it through.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Change your name by deed poll to match your boat's regisration number, thereby getting one up on those show-offs who have a car registration number matching their initials.

Angus SSR316454.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

[ QUOTE ]
Sell your boat and sail other peoples'

[/ QUOTE ]

Or chop it up with a chainsaw. Apparently Black and Decker do a nice quiet electric one. This is a tip I learned only a few minutes ago.

Angus SSR316454.
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

Remove wheel clamp from trailer before attempting early morning start. Once at destination remove brake wire from tow bar before driving off to the pub. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips

[ QUOTE ]
I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread of peoples' tips...those little things that might seem obvious

[/ QUOTE ]

Where the hell is GC1?????? never around when he's really needed........ /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Forumnites\' Tips .... Blimey having a brain-storm here !!

[ QUOTE ]
The right length for a bow line is just too short to get the prop, so if it goes over the side it can't stop the engine for you at that critical moment.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm guessing you don;t believe in stern lines on that principle /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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