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Tried-and-True Tips
by Chris Caswell
These onboard problem solvers really work
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Safe Glass Storage
Occasionally, it's too difficult or too time-consuming to transfer the contents of a glass jar or bottle to a safer plastic container for storage aboard your boat, so you're forced to use the glass container on board.
To guard against breakage, I put terry cloth "sweaters" on each glass. These terry cloth sleeves with elastic to hold them in place are sold in dime stores in sets of eight, for use on highball and other cocktail glasses.
The thickness of the terry cloth keeps the glass containers from cracking, even if they roll against other objects, and they won't clink all night long, either.
Because the sweaters are stretchy, they fit bottles and jars of all shapes: mustard, ketchup, peanut butter and even large mayonnaise jars.
Non-Slide Dishes
I wanted dishes that wouldn't slip around on my varnished dinette table, even when the boat was rolling in an anchorage or under way -- but I couldn't find the patterns or colors that I wanted in the non-slip dishes sold in marine stores. Instead, I found a set of ceramic plates that I liked and simply made my own non-slip bottoms.
I started by washing the plates thoroughly and then, using silicone sealant (available in several colors in marine stores), I ran a thin bead around the ridge on the bottom of the plates (Photo A).
As soon as it started to "skin" in a few minutes, I turned the plate over onto a piece of wax paper and gently pressed it level (Photo B). You don't want to push down too hard, because you need to leave a 1/8 to 3/8 inch strip of silicone on the bottom of the plate.
I let the plate sit overnight and, when I peeled the wax paper off, the sealant had created a perfect non-slip plate. In fact, it's so non-slip that I've discovered that the food will slide off before the plate will move.
Now if I could just cook non-slip food...
Electrical Safety
Spring fitting out can be extremely dangerous while working around the water or in the boat yard with a conventional extension cord, since you can get a serious or even fatal shock.
Modern homes now require ground-fault circuit-interrupters (GFCI) in bathrooms and kitchens where electricity and water are likely to mix, but it hasn't been until recently that protection is available for the boater. Designed to shut down power in 1/40th of a second when electrical current leakage is detected, it can prove to be a lifesaver around boats.
Woods Wire Products of Carmel, Indiana now offers the Guardian Outdoor Cord, a husky 14 gauge extension cord with a duplex GFCI outlet box at the end. Available in a variety of lengths, you only need the 6 foot version (about $30), since you can attach it to longer conventional extension cords and still receive full protection.
A spring-loaded weatherproof cover seals the outlet, protecting it from dirt and moisture when it is not in use. It has both test and reset buttons, and a heavy-duty 12 gauge version is available.
Dirt-Striped Topsides
Most boat builders provide drainage notches in the raised gunwale around the deck so that water can run off easily. Unfortunately, it simply runs down the side of your boat and after a short time, that portion of the hull develops an ugly streak of grime from the runoff.
Viking Yachts has a solution that most boat owners can adapt to eliminate the unsightly streak completely.
By unscrewing a section of the rubrail and inserting a thin piece of transparent flexible vinyl -- such as that used in cockpit enclosure windows -- under the rail, you can create an extended lip so that the runoff water falls away from your topsides. It's hard to see from more than a few feet away and because it is flexible, you can bump against pilings or let your fenders roll over it.
You can buy scraps of the material from marine canvas shops, and the lip will last several seasons before it turns chalky and stiffens to the point of tearing. In the meantime, however, you won't have a hull with "racing stripes!"
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This article first appeared in the January 1, 1996 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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