Useful Tips

[jakeroyd]

When singlehanded , keep an empty wide mouthed bottle handy in the cockpit for your for gentlemanly needs

 

[Dipper]

To cut and seal rope on board (or even at home) hold a Junior hacksaw blade in mole grips and heat on the gas hob until red hot. Cut through your rope at the desired point.

 

[contessaman]

wide mouthed bottle

now look, theres no need to boast!

 

[alahol2]

When antifouling, start at the keel then work up and out. Took me 30 years of painted hair/hats to twig.

 

[sailorman]

When antifouling, start at the keel then work up and out. Took me 30 years of painted hair/hats to twig.

use a 7" mohair roller on a pole saves the hair problem & far far quicker to do the job

 

[LadyInBed]

To cut and seal rope on board (or even at home) hold a Junior hacksaw blade in mole grips and heat on the gas hob until red hot. Cut through your rope at the desired point.

Wrap rope with scelotape first and cut in the middle.
Leave tape (now welded together) on as a whipping.

 

[Dipper]

Wrap rope with scelotape first and cut in the middle.
Leave tape (now welded together) on as a whipping.

Good point. I forgot to say that I use insulation tape wrapped around the cut point.

 

[Lakesailor]

If you have no friends at the marina/boatyard, leave you headlights on when you leave the car. People will come and tell you and you'll feel popular.

 

[sailorman]

If you have no friends at the marina/boatyard, leave you headlights on when you leave the car. People will come and tell you and you'll feel popular.

wot happens when your Billy no Mates

 

[LadyInBed]

Buy a cheap head-torch and replace the LEDs with red for use on a night passage. Note: this may require a different resistor.

Or coat the LED's with a few layers of red nail varnish

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Or coat the LED's with a few layers of red nail varnish

What happens when SWMBO notices???

 

[MoodySabre]

When you antifoul put the tray inside a large carrier bag (one with no holes!) and pour the AF on the bag. When you finish then put the masking tape, the roller and your disposable gloves on the tray, turn it inside out and bin it. Clean tray, cleaning up done

This also works for painting at home.

 

[Lakesailor]

wot happens when your Billy no Mates

Post on here first to say where you'll be and we'll send someone around.

 

[Daydream believer]

Cillit Bang is great for cleaning your decks.

Can stain the GRP

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

How do you know the level was right to begin with? I have bought new batteries that have had seriously low levels, although still covering the plates. They have obviously never been topped up or charged while in the "Shop".

 

[Daydream believer]

Here's an unproven one, but it seems sensible to me. To avoid losing a signal halyard up the mast, thread a 2oz spherical fishing weight onto it just above the upper inglefield clip (or loop or toggle or whatever you use). This should be enough to counteract the weight of the line on the other side of the block (which normally whips it all the way up as soon as it's allowed to escape part-way) and let you jiggle it back down again, but isn't enough to make a serious wrecking ball. The bottom end of the halyard can be put through the middle of the mast cleat with something on the end to stop it pulling back through (another good thing about using inglefield clips).

Pete

I have a small block attached to the chain plate at the base of the shroud
I tie the 2 ends together & then have a loop
Tie the flag at the join in the cord then just run up the mast when needed

 

[Caladh]

I always have liked the "use a plastic bag underneath, to catch fuel etc when changing filters". Saved me a great deal of spilt grief last year doing a CAV filter.

 

[LadyInBed]

Put a link in your browser to Marine Megastore and edit it to read: Marine Megastore - DO NOT USE

 

[LadyInBed]

How do you know the level was right to begin with?

The same way that you knew it was wrong! By applying a modicum of intelligence.

I have bought new batteries that have had seriously low levels, although still covering the plates. They have obviously never been topped up or charged while in the "Shop".

Buy from a reputable source? Or maybe you have a case for just using sealed batteries.

 

[Seatrout]

On the matter of nail varnish: keep a separate tool box for engine only. Mark the spanners/sockets/drivers etc with different colours of nail varnish and also the bolts/screws etc on engine with the corresponding colour.
This can save vital minutes to effect a repair in an emergency.

Also ensure, when posting a letter you place it in a red pillar box and NOT an old fashioned red telephone box. They look very similar and this may explain why nobody ever replies to my letters.