OK - you have the boat .. you later bought an item that far exceeded expectation ?

[Sticky Fingers]

I think the electric WCs with FW flush are the no 1 must have…!

 

[Refueler]

I don’t get it...if you have to fill it with hot water before you go camping...why not just take a thermos of coffee ?

If you like 'capsule' coffee - a thermos coffee is nowhere near as good.

I use a large pump thermos for hot water .. then anyone can make tea or coffee ... or even pot noodle while sailing ...

 

[Refueler]

I think the electric WCs with FW flush are the no 1 must have…!

I'd like to dump the Jabsco I have on the 38 and fit a decent Baby Blake like the one on my 25 ...

 

[Daydream believer]

d must be our Alladin wide base plastic mugs. Non spill, non slip, can also eat one pot food from them. They are moved about the boat in a Cat Litter tray, on a non slip mat.

A Cat Litter tray was chosen for its ideal size plus if anything spills in it, the four inch sides contain it.

Ok, until the cat pees in your coffee, by mistake. Although the way some people make coffee, it would be an improvement

 

[lustyd]

I don’t get it...if you have to fill it with hot water before you go camping...why not just take a thermos of coffee ?

No no no you boil water and fill as needed to pump an espresso. They do ground coffee versions too it’s just an espresso machine with manual pump but it’s very well thought out.

 

[BobnLesley]

Skillet Pans. We'd no oven and I would estimate that upwards of 75% of the meals we cooked during 15 years afloat utilised one or both of those

 

[Baddox]

What a brilliant idea. We chucked the hook out in a peaceful empty bay near Corfu one afternoon and went ashore for food and beers, much later we came back in the pitch black night only to find the once peaceful bay full of yachts, it took us an age to row around looking for our boat.

We have a slight recess along the boom which is just the right width to accommodate reflective tape. Red for port, green to starboard and a length of silvery white under a bunk because I’ve yet to fit it anywhere.

 

[wonkywinch]

We leave a rechargeable battery powered disco light hanging on the boom. Very easy to spot on the way back and continues the dancing on board later. Less than a tenner on Amazon.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Considering that both light and radar are waves, in my unscientific understanding, I would expect the reflective tape to reflect radar waves too.

No, because the wavelengths are vastly different. . Radar has wavelengths of several centimetres; light has wavelengths of 400-700 nanometres. A reflector for light need only be a thousandth of a millimetre across; to be seen by radar a reflector it needs to be around 10-20cm across. To give directional reflection requires structures larger than that, but the point is that reflecting elements that reflect light can't even be seen by radar. And reflective tape works by having thousands of tiny reflective beads, each of which is in the region of tenths to hundredths of mm across. the equivalent refelctor for radar has to be at least tens of cm across.

 

[Refueler]

No, because the wavelengths are vastly different. . Radar has wavelengths of several centimetres; light has wavelengths of 400-700 nanometres. A reflector for light need only be a thousandth of a millimetre across; to be seen by radar a reflector it needs to be around 10-20cm across. To give directional reflection requires structures larger than that, but the point is that reflecting elements that reflect light can't even be seen by radar. And reflective tape works by having thousands of tiny reflective beads, each of which is in the region of tenths to hundredths of mm across. the equivalent refelctor for radar has to be at least tens of cm across.

Arrr yes - but if the reflective tape is same length coverage as the Radar Reflector its stuck to - then who knows if it helps or not ... IMHO it doesn't as surface area is not increased ... but anyway - its a good idea to be able to find your boat !!

 

[Refueler]

OK - just to jivvy things up ... the most useless items ??

I bought a pair of 'roller chart rules' one small - other large. I was a parallel ruler user - dab hand at walking a set across a chart ... but of course on a yacht - you don't have that massive chart bench. I saw a set of roller in a shop one day and thought - give em a try ...

example :

Bloody useless ! OK if boat is rock steady and no movement - but slightest twitch and rollers slip ... so back to two triangles and pair of dividers.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Fender step not mentioned yet.

Are they any good ?
Thinking of buying one.

 

[Refueler]

Fender step not mentioned yet.

Are they any good ?
Thinking of buying one.

I'm in the "don't like -having slipped when using one' ..... basically couldn't get enough foot secure in it .. and the partly rounded shape to put foot on.

If you are going to 'rig' a step to board / depart - then why not a proper hook on folding ladder such as Lalizas do ??

 

[Bouba]

Fender step not mentioned yet.

Are they any good ?
Thinking of buying one.

I have one that’s a three step (I think) fender…and it’s actually very useful. Over the corner of the transom it really helps getting out of the dinghy and getting that first step up to the swim platform in safety. Also as a fender it’s remarkably useful because it protects the same corner (which is a popular place to be attacked by rogue yachtsmen in port)…it’s flat shape and remarkable weight keeps it in the same place…whereas all other fenders move out of the way of the assault

 

[Refueler]

I have one that’s a three step (I think) fender…and it’s actually very useful. Over the corner of the transom it really helps getting out of the dinghy and getting that first step up to the swim platform in safety. Also as a fender it’s remarkably useful because it protects the same corner (which is a popular place to be attacked by rogue yachtsmen in port)…it’s flat shape and remarkable weight keeps it in the same place…whereas all other fenders move out of the way of the assault

I may have to re-appraise ....

I assume there must be good and bad versions .... like most things - they get copied and often something suffers ....

 

[Daydream believer]

Fender step not mentioned yet.

Are they any good ?
Thinking of buying one.

My feet are a 12 & they slip out if the step is against the hull, thus preventing full foot insertion. I consider the 2 types, that I have tried, dangerous. You only have to slip once & catch your knee cap on the gunwale as you go down & that is it.

 

[Daydream believer]

Ridge Monkey. I have the sandwich toaster & the XL. Can do a complete fried breakfast & lots of other meals in the XL. The small version does my burgers & fried eggs etc. Can split them in 2 & have 2 square frying pans which fit the burners efficiently if needs be. Dead easy to clean as well & can be packed away small

 

[Bouba]

My feet are a 12 & they slip out if they are against the hull, thus preventing full foot penetration. I consider the 2 types, that I have tried, dangerous. You only have to slip once & catch your knee cap on the gunwale as you go down & that is it.

Yes, they are akin to a rope ladder…if they rest against the side of the boat that is perfectly upright or leans in, then there is no room for your clown feet…if the side of the board leans out, then there will be air between the steps and boat with room for feet

 

[Stemar]

A cockpit tent.

Raining? Zip up and still sit outside. Dark and getting cool? Same. It effectively doubled our living space. On any boat where you go down into the saloon, it allows you to sit outside, still enjoying the view.

It cost way more than was a sensible investment on our little Snapdragon, but transformed our lives aboard, so well worth it. I'd love to do the same on on our Catalac, but it'd be 4m by 2m and I reckon they'd need a defibrillator handy when they tell me the price

 

[Daydream believer]

Yes, they are akin to a rope ladder…if they rest against the side of the boat that is perfectly upright or leans in, then there is no room for your clown feet…if the side of the board leans out, then there will be air between the steps and boat with room for feet

So what stops it rocking inwards as your C of G pushes against it?