Strange Things You Find On Boats

[Fr J Hackett]

over 1000 Kenyan shillings stuffed right at the back of the chart drawer, the previous owner was an Italian doctor attached to their consulate in Yemen and sailed the boat on the African east coast and Red Sea. I thought they were US dollars when I first fished them out.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Two 1000 Peseta notes. Hidden under a shelf lining.
(Boat was originally commissioned by a Spanish gentleman).

Have you still got them? I walked past the Bank of Spain the other day and they are still exchanging them, there is a cut off date which I can't remember if I go that way tomorrow ill have a look.

Edit: I've just looked and the exchange value today would be £7.16.

 

[HissyFit]

You never know when you're going to run out of loo roll. It's also a good reason to take a copy of the Daily Mail on board.

But the Daily Mail is not absorbent for either reading or wiping.

 

[newtothis]

But the Daily Mail is not absorbent for either reading or wiping.

True, but it has obviously been used for the purpose already, being full of sh*t.

 

[KompetentKrew]

There are a couple of things we found on the boat that we have no idea what they are for. Does that count as strange?

No, as you will discover their purpose shortly after disposing of them.

 

[Adios]

On a 38ft steel motorboat I bought in Holland I found everything. We assumed the previous owner had died as anyone who swallows the anchor would have taken at least a few of the things off. We referred to the previous owner (in a reverential way) as dead guy. "I wonder if dead guy left us a lilo?" Of course he did, aft cabin locker. Folding bicycle? Under the floor. 1/4 UNF nut? In the box of many bits. I forget the extent of it but it got ridiculous and a running gag, dead guy never let us down.

While I had the boat i built a bookcase in the aft cabin which included a hidden compartment, so that might be the strange thing someone will one day find on that boat. (If anyone knows a steal cruiser called Marriage on the Thames let them know)

 

[thalassa]

Rummaging around in one of the cockpit dookits where we keep sunglasses, wrong-sized anodes, padlocks and bits of string, I was surprised to find a dead thrush.

We'd been out the better part of a week and not noticed it before.....

The builder of our boat (Parker) has a shilling embedded in de gelcoat in the bilge, close to the keel. Is this a tradition?

 

[madabouttheboat]

I bought a boat many years ago that came with a history of at least two previous British owners over the previous 8 years. The boat was 11 years old so only it’s first 3years were unknown. It was a US built boat and something about it suggested it may have been imported from the US but I could never put my finger on it. One day I was dismantling a cupboard inside and found a Pearl necklace and a load of US coins. Much later in my ownership, as the gel coat faded, a US registration number appeared on the bow.

 

[mjcoon]

The builder of our boat (Parker) has a shilling embedded in de gelcoat in the bilge, close to the keel. Is this a tradition?

Or a small anode?

 

[thalassa]

Or a small anode?

inside the boat??

 

[Rappey]

The builder of our boat (Parker) has a shilling embedded in de gelcoat in the bilge, close to the keel. Is this a tradition?

It has been tradition to have a coin under the base of the mast but not heard of one in the bilge

 

[Leighb]

A child's shoe under the starboard engine!

 

[Koeketiene]

A box of condoms - the only 'safety' equipment aboard.

 

[mjcoon]

A box of condoms - the only 'safety' equipment aboard.

Ah, so no child's shoe on your boat!

 

[Clancy Moped]

Two 1000 Peseta notes. Hidden under a shelf lining.
(Boat was originally commissioned by a Spanish gentleman).

​

 

[BobnLesley]

No, as you will discover their purpose shortly after disposing of them.

Our last boat had this strange piece of timber with a couple of notches and an upstand on it which continually got in the way for more than three years before I slung it in a boatyard skip; six months later after removing/repairing the anchor windlass I was struggling to fabricate a suitable widget to support it during re-installation when all became clear; I'll bet it would've worked better than my effort did too!

 

[Koeketiene]

Ah, so no child's shoe on your boat!

?
After 13 months of ownership, I still haven't slept in the cabin where I found the condoms.
As I sail mostly singlehanded these days, I find the pilotberth behind the chart table more comfortable/convenient.

 

[25931]

I returned after a night out to find a little blond waiting for me.












I was rather disappointed when I woke up.