Economical Tips & Tricks?

[CZSteve]

Unless I'm missing it I'm kinda of surprised there is not a 'Sticky' for various tips / tricks people here have come up with.
I've pulled our 24' toon for some maintenance and in the process of moving to a new dock in a few weeks.
I want to get a better hand of logistics / organization of the gear. I'm also on the cheap side (I like to refer to as frugal...)
Suggestions on:
- Storing anchor
- Attaching bumpers to rails with ability to adjust on the fly
- Onboard Tool Box items

I know you can purchase various items such as 'Bumper Buddies' for attaching bumper lines but prefer the ingenious - outside the box - shadetree (ie cheap) ideas that people have come up with.

Thoughts?

Best,
Steve

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

Put the anchor in a milk crate.
Attach the fenders to a line dropped over the rail and secure to the dropped line with prusik knots to adjust easily.
Tame any and all loose line on board by tying with a repeating daisy chain knot.

Any tools on your boat should be of the same quality that you'd use at home. Skimping here will cost you later!

 

[Philster]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

I, too, am generally against buying things that can be avoided if one knew how to tie a line in such a way that it was adjustable.

Fenders/bumpers: Problem is, I don't know the name of the knot that I use that allows me to quick adjust fender heights for use at different docks or raft-ups! Someone will chime in with the name. I just know how to tie it.

Anchors: This depends on how utilitarian you want to be. Depends on the type of bottom you have and your boat. An anchor can be made for five bucks from cement and an eye hook and stored in a old joint-compound bucket you had leftover after a home project (that you did yourself, of course).

For the fishin' vessel, almost any utilitarian approach work. For my shiny boat, I spend on color-matching dock line, etc. To each his own.

 

[Don S]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

Fenders/bumpers: Problem is, I don't know the name of the knot that I use that allows me to quick adjust fender heights for use at different docks or raft-ups!

After looking at knots on customers boats for years, I find the 2 half hitch with a sever tangle to be the most common. :facepalm:

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

After looking at knots on customers boats for years, I find the 2 half hitch with a sever tangle to be the most common. :facepalm:

LOL! So true. You'd think it'd kill some people to learn a proper knot!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

LOL! So true. You'd think it'd kill some people to learn a proper knot!

Learn how to tie a bowline. The knot that I use the most an easiest to untie after it ha been ubder pressure.

 

[Philster]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

I didn't know the name... the name of the knot that I do use.

How could I forget something along the 'lines' of "2 half hitch with a sever tangle"...? One cannot imagine.

I can tie effective knots (40+ years and counting) AND comprehend basic English -- Others not so much.

FACEPALM TO DON S. ET AL. <----- I expect better.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

I didn't know the name... the name of the knot that I do use.

How could I forget something along the 'lines' of "2 half hitch with a sever tangle"...? One cannot imagine.

I can tie effective knots (40+ years and counting) AND comprehend basic English -- Others not so much.

FACEPALM TO DON S. ET AL. <----- I expect better.


View attachment 132600

I wasn't saying you don't, just that I've seen the birds nest that Don was referring to on more than one occasion.

Prusik knot:

 

[Don S]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

I assume you missed the first part of my comment.

After looking at knots on customers boats for years, I find the 2 half hitch with a sever tangle to be the most common.

 

[Philster]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

No, you weren't clear, since you quoted me and facepalmed under my quote.

Regards,

~Phil

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

"if you don't know the knot, tie a lot!" (wrong but typical--drives me crazy when non-boaters wind 10' of line on a dock cleat)

All proper boat knots, such as mentioned for the bowline, can be "unlocked" no matter how tight they get. That's one of the differences between a square knot and a granny.

Back to the OP--as a salt water boater I have to pay a little extra for better quality stuff like pliers for the tool kit or hangers, etc. I avoid cheap metal--for example, I have to have a wooden handled scrub brush/mop and not metal. That being said, there are plenty of products sold at the hardware/grocery store that cost 3x as much at the boat store marked "marine." The trick is knowing when the difference matters--and this site is a good source for that.

There is also a question of how important quality is. I have lots of off-brand socket sets, for example, but often they aren't cut right and just don't work. So I just grab another. but out on the boat, there isn't another to grab. so buy a cheap screwdriver but spend the money on the sockets.

For your toolbox, think about stuff that may need repair underway. You aren't going to rebuild the carbs or replace the head gasket. But you will need to fix a leak in a fuel or water line, jump electrical circuits, replace fuses. Patching a broken bimini, tube harness or fishing pole can be important to the trip. so think about hose clamps, cable ties, short pieces of wire and rope and tubing as items to fix the many things on the boat, but which don't take up room. Think substitutes: I don't need a prop wrench; in the rare case where I need to pull the prop, my water pump pliers work fine--and are good for 100's of other things, unlike the single purpose prop wrench.

Your choice is also driven by circumstances. In tidal water your anchor is your #1 most important safety gear; a concrete block would be highly irresponsible. Not so in a small lake. I seldom use fenders; others use them all the time, so I'm not putting $ into good ones or peripherals. If you are in a popular area, jumper cables are needed, but not as much as when you are by yourself.

There are dozens of posts here about what to put in a tool box. You just have to filter the suggestions. Some say, why have tools if you keep your engine properly maintained? Those are the people Seatow loves.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Economical Tips & Tricks?

After working on boats for over 15 years the best way to untie some lines is a good ol pair of dikes !!!