Here are a few product hacks to help keep your boat organized, bug free and lit properly.
3M COMMAND© VELCRO® STRIPS
If you’re like me and most boat owners, anytime a hole or screw must go in onboard, the level of anxiety goes off the charts! If you share this truth, then these hacks are for you.
When 3M introduced their Command product line, their slogan, “Do No Harm,” resonated and stuck with me—pardon the pun!
All over our cabins, there are a number of things that need a place to call home, but the last thing we want to do is drill or screw anything. That seems like a permanent decision with no going back. Once the screw is in or that hole is drilled, it is permanent. Sure, it can be filled but good luck matching the color and making it look good.
That’s where 3M Command© Velcro® strips make a lot of sense. They can be easily installed and removed without leaving a trace.
Here are a few ways I make them work for us:
- Flexible lighting options. By applying a Velcro strip in various locations, I’m able to move waterproof LED lights where I need them most. This is often the case when working in the engine compartment.
- Solidify a pole to prevent it from slipping and falling.
- Affix frames.
- Securely install our solar controller to the inner hull wall.
- Securely install our carbon monoxide detector.
- Easily remove or relocate any of the above without leaving any damage or traces on the surfaces.
BOUNCE DRYER SHEETS AND SPIDER OUT
My wife hates bugs onboard, from spiders and webs, to all sorts of flying insects, she has a severe fear. So, we do all we can to avoid these undesirables onboard as much as possible, and welcome any tricks and hacks others share with us.
One product we’ve been using for the past 10 years onboard, are Bounce dryer sheets. No other brands have been as effective. We put fresh sheets everywhere onboard. Inside drawers, cupboards, under cushions, inside cubbyholes, etc. We even wipe surfaces with fresh sheets before we hide them. Every spring after launch, we replace them with new sheets. We replace those in the fall after haul out for winter.
Not only do we get a nice smell for a while, but our boat has been relatively bug-free, even after a long winter storage. Before using Bounce sheets, we would find some spiders and webs inside in the spring after removing the winter cover.
During the season, to eliminate and prevent spider webs onboard, I regularly spray Wilson SPIDER OUT all over the place. The mast, rigging, lifelines, fenders, mooring lines, pulpit, etc. SPIDER OUT will not stain or leave any residue. I also use it all around our house. It does last long, but I reapply after each rainfall or after washing the boat.
ANTI-SKID MAT
This is an essential item onboard for anyone tired of things sliding and moving around. Camco Slip Stop liner is an anti-skid mat can be purchased in 12-ft. rolls and comes in a variety of colours. You can cut it to fit any shape.
We have some on every shelf and cupboard onboard and have also cut some as placemats. Now our dinner and drinks stay put even if a rogue wave or wake comes along. Plus, they actually look great and are easy to clean, and cheap to replace.
UNDERWATER POOL LIGHTS
If you’ve ever sailed or navigated at night and a crew member turns a light on in the cabin, then you’ve experienced the blinding effect to your night vision.
The solution is red lights that will not blind the crew in the cockpit, yet provide ample light inside the cabin for those below.
Our solution was to get multi-colored underwater pool lights. We found set of two on Amazon that also include a remote control. Ours use three AAA batteries, while newer ones have USB charging ports. Using the aforementioned 3M Command© Velcro® strips, we have them set just inside the companion way, where we can turn them on easily when going down into the cabin. Since the default colour is red, it is perfect for this application. I also set some Velcro strips in other areas of the boat, like the head and engine compartment. When working on the engine, I change the light to white and can adjust the intensity.
For the romantic in all of us, you can also set them to change colour automatically for effect!
For more detail on night vision lighting see https://www.practical-sailor.com/safety-seamanship/are-chart-lights-steering-us-wrong.
As it turns out, years of research by the Navy and aviation concerns have settled that dim white light gives more useful light with less diminishing of night vision than the traditional red or blue. The problem with red (or any single color) is that it must be much brighter than dim red to be equally useful, largely due to the loss of color perception. As a result, red lights are most often too bright.
What matters is that the light is very, very, very dim, not what color it is. The absolute minimum required for the task, by dark-adapted eyes. Barely a glow.