I do not like the idea of having a gun on board my boat but but I do like to have a little protection on board. Something non lethal, that will discourage an intruder or even the biggest Pirate. 8-)
Pepper spray was my first thought but you have to be close for it to be effective. Bear Repellent, a product that you can spray at a bear will discourage a bear from attacking. It is a Mega Pepper spray that shoots a blast a good distance and like a shot gun a wide area. It will disable a boarder or attacker.
It will work on bears also. 8-) You can get it at Bass Pro or other sporting goods places that sell camping equipment. It is sort of a Prepper safety tool.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Gas sprayed out when I pluged fuel line in! 8-(
I bought a new fuel tank for my dingy...the old one was ... well just old and had seen better days. I got it filled and tank was sitting in the sun while I was getting the boat ready to go. When I plugged the fuel line in I got spayed with gas. 8-(
That never happened with my old tank. I did not think much of it till it happened again. What I found out was that the new tanks all have a EPA required zero-emission vent that will not open till an internal pressure of 5 lbs builds up. It is suppose to prevent volatile gas fumes from escaping into the air. Now what happens is when the tank gets an internal pressure built up, it pushes gas out when you try to plug in the gas line. This happens at either end of the fuel line.
Now it just dumps fuel...when the tank gets hot and pressure builds up. 8-(
What I have to do is open the tank to vent off the fumes before I hook up the fuel lines. So much for EPA right. What the fix for this is to install a fuel-demand valve in the fuel line. You put the new valve in the fuel line between the tank and the primer bulb. A fix for the EPA fix. And the parts to fix the problem is ONLY ABOUT $30.00 if you do not have to get a new fuel line also. Oh Well! It is only money
That never happened with my old tank. I did not think much of it till it happened again. What I found out was that the new tanks all have a EPA required zero-emission vent that will not open till an internal pressure of 5 lbs builds up. It is suppose to prevent volatile gas fumes from escaping into the air. Now what happens is when the tank gets an internal pressure built up, it pushes gas out when you try to plug in the gas line. This happens at either end of the fuel line.
Now it just dumps fuel...when the tank gets hot and pressure builds up. 8-(
What I have to do is open the tank to vent off the fumes before I hook up the fuel lines. So much for EPA right. What the fix for this is to install a fuel-demand valve in the fuel line. You put the new valve in the fuel line between the tank and the primer bulb. A fix for the EPA fix. And the parts to fix the problem is ONLY ABOUT $30.00 if you do not have to get a new fuel line also. Oh Well! It is only money
Thursday, July 16, 2015
AC Voltage on your boat
Having a AC voltage source on your boat is very convenient and also very easy. It lets you bring AC electronics on to your boat to use and just plug them in just like at home. A power inverter is hooked up to your DC batteries and it out puts AC voltage. These units come in different out put sizes to match your needs.
There are two types of power inverters. The less expensive type are the Modified Sine Wave inverters (MSW) and is good to run small motors, lights, fans and such. These can run but should not be used to run hi tech electronics like cell phones, plasma screen TVs, Lap tops. The modifies sine wave output is hard on these.
A True Sine Wave inverter should be use with digital electronics. They are a little more expensive and they will run everything from power tools and high tech electronics with out damaging them.
An example of these are:
The Pro Mariner True Power 400 W Power supply : A MSW unit:
The Xantrex PROwatt SW600 True Sine Wave Inverter: A True Sine Wave Inverter
Both types come in different watt output sizes. Pick a size that meet your need.
These two are good for most needs on a boat but larger sizes are available.
There are two types of power inverters. The less expensive type are the Modified Sine Wave inverters (MSW) and is good to run small motors, lights, fans and such. These can run but should not be used to run hi tech electronics like cell phones, plasma screen TVs, Lap tops. The modifies sine wave output is hard on these.
A True Sine Wave inverter should be use with digital electronics. They are a little more expensive and they will run everything from power tools and high tech electronics with out damaging them.
An example of these are:
The Pro Mariner True Power 400 W Power supply : A MSW unit:
These two are good for most needs on a boat but larger sizes are available.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Line ends...Unraveling ends drive me nuts!!!
It drives me nuts to have rope and line ends that are frayed and unraveling. I like to see lines that have been neatly wrapped with string...they look finished and very nautical. This does take a lot of time but I think it is worth it. Lines that have been cut with a hot knife or heat sealed is the easiest and it dose prevent unraveling. Dipping the ends in a plastic that seals them is also easy, but I have not had good luck with line ends done this way. It is better than nothing at least for a while.
A knot at the end of the line will work but it is NOT VERY CLASSY !!! A knot will not let you fee it through a block though.
Any way...Wipping the end of a line is a good way to enjoy a beer and take care of your lines at the same time. I recommend a good German dark beer...two even works better.
A knot at the end of the line will work but it is NOT VERY CLASSY !!! A knot will not let you fee it through a block though.
Any way...Wipping the end of a line is a good way to enjoy a beer and take care of your lines at the same time. I recommend a good German dark beer...two even works better.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Key Bouy will foat your keys or a tool.
I do not know how many things I have lost over board my boat...tools, glasses, keys. Trying to recover them is often a wast of time and energy. On the river where my boat is, with the soft mud bottom that just sucks anything with a little weight to it, and with water that has a visibility of only a few feet, the river almost always wins.
I found a neat, cheep product that works great. It is a Key Bouy. Check it out by clicking the link. It is a self inflating key ring that can be clipped to most things. If it falls in the water it inflates a 14" tube that brings it back to the surface. If the tube is not big enough to bring it back up, it make it very easy to find if you dive for it. It is a one use bouy. It will float your $100+ glasses if it is clipped to your glasses strap.
One note...you can not go swimming with it or it will activate. When it activates in your swim trunks everyone will take notice! 8-)
I found a neat, cheep product that works great. It is a Key Bouy. Check it out by clicking the link. It is a self inflating key ring that can be clipped to most things. If it falls in the water it inflates a 14" tube that brings it back to the surface. If the tube is not big enough to bring it back up, it make it very easy to find if you dive for it. It is a one use bouy. It will float your $100+ glasses if it is clipped to your glasses strap.
One note...you can not go swimming with it or it will activate. When it activates in your swim trunks everyone will take notice! 8-)
Monday, June 22, 2015
Living on the boat changed my thinking.
Your mind set changes as your environment changes. After moving on to my boat to live I knew I would be giving up a lot of things I always just took for granted. Living out of a cooler size refrigerator was a big change. You can only buy things that will fit in it. A frozen dinner...out, ice cream...out, things that had to stay very cold do not keep and cold beverages. You shop for what you will eat that day. Any frozen things are for the next day, and help keep other things cool over night. If a beverage needs to be kept cool but not with ice in it, they can go in a mesh bag and lowered over the side of the boat down past the thermocline to keep cool (beer). Other things can join the beer to also keep cool. Most things you drink will be cool or warm because you need to conserve your ice.
In my case, I also was limited on what I bought by what I cooked it in. I did get a grill that went on the back boat rail and could cook over the water. I also picked up a cheap and very little microwave. But with it I needed shore power and it took up a chunk of space. It at least could be used to store other stuff in when not in use. The main thing I cooked on was a small propane burner that a pan and a fry pan ws used on. One more thing I used a lot was a small 12 volt powered immersion coil heater I got at a auto parts store. It was great for heating water for coffee or tea or soup.
Dry foods in a box like rice, or noodles stored well without refrigeration. Caned foods are good but storing them is a little harder. Pop top cans are a big plus. I always had a hard time finding my can opener. I found that a concrete block can be used to open a tin can. If you put the top of the tin can down flat on the block and push down on the can and then rub the top of the can hard on the block you will find the seal on the top of the can quickly breaks down ant the top comes off. When you see liquid start to come out you know your there. This really works...try it.
Real fresh foods that do not have much prep is also something you learn to go for. I never grew up with food like this and it was all new to me.
Also taking the trash out was something you do after you wash your dishes. I would cook, eat, do dishes, and take the trash out and walk the dog at the same time. You would not think you would have a ant problem on a boat, but you can...the walk up your mooring lies. Once on board they are a bitch to get rid of!!!!!
I did get a DC converter that would let me run AC things off the boat battery's. These are neat little units and you can get them in a wide range of watt power outputs. The big ones can flatten your battery's quick if under full load. The one I got was good for only things that did not pull much power and I only used it when I was away from the dock and no shore power was available. I used it when there was a power outage after a storm when the marina had no power for a 1/2 day.
How I thought about a lot of things I had just taken for granted really did change when I moved on the boat.
In my case, I also was limited on what I bought by what I cooked it in. I did get a grill that went on the back boat rail and could cook over the water. I also picked up a cheap and very little microwave. But with it I needed shore power and it took up a chunk of space. It at least could be used to store other stuff in when not in use. The main thing I cooked on was a small propane burner that a pan and a fry pan ws used on. One more thing I used a lot was a small 12 volt powered immersion coil heater I got at a auto parts store. It was great for heating water for coffee or tea or soup.
Dry foods in a box like rice, or noodles stored well without refrigeration. Caned foods are good but storing them is a little harder. Pop top cans are a big plus. I always had a hard time finding my can opener. I found that a concrete block can be used to open a tin can. If you put the top of the tin can down flat on the block and push down on the can and then rub the top of the can hard on the block you will find the seal on the top of the can quickly breaks down ant the top comes off. When you see liquid start to come out you know your there. This really works...try it.
Real fresh foods that do not have much prep is also something you learn to go for. I never grew up with food like this and it was all new to me.
Also taking the trash out was something you do after you wash your dishes. I would cook, eat, do dishes, and take the trash out and walk the dog at the same time. You would not think you would have a ant problem on a boat, but you can...the walk up your mooring lies. Once on board they are a bitch to get rid of!!!!!
I did get a DC converter that would let me run AC things off the boat battery's. These are neat little units and you can get them in a wide range of watt power outputs. The big ones can flatten your battery's quick if under full load. The one I got was good for only things that did not pull much power and I only used it when I was away from the dock and no shore power was available. I used it when there was a power outage after a storm when the marina had no power for a 1/2 day.
How I thought about a lot of things I had just taken for granted really did change when I moved on the boat.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
I moved to the boat to live on it.
Money was tight, I was doing OK but I was very unsettled. I had always dreamed of living on a boat and I loved being on the water. When I was told my rent was going to go up about 20% I said OK, Fine, I will move out at the end of the Month. I did not have anything lined up and I figured I would just live on my boat. When I was in the Army I lived out of a foot locker, so I knew I really did not need that much. I checked with the Marina where my boat was at, I knew they had live-abounds there, to see if there would be a problem. The manager said there would be no problem, but he thought a 21' sailboat was a little small to live on. I said that my dog did not mind and I needed very little space. He offered me a spot in the marina that was near the restrooms that had just opened up. He said it was a little more expensive because it was larger and he could put a bigger boat there than mine. I told him that would be great. Being near the bath rooms would be worth it.
I put most of my stuff in storage and the dog and I moved on board. I guess that space wise it was about what a slide in pick up camper is like. I first put everything in storage and then I limited what I was going to take to the boat to what I could put in a army sized footlocker. Only the essentials. After that I was going to see how much room I had on the boat and go from there. I also bought a Dock Box to put on the dock next to the boat to put boat junk in.
The dog and I moved on board. The boat has a small bow bunk and access to it is a bit of a pain. You have to crawl in to it and it is a real bitch to make the bed up. The main cabin has a bunk on each side with storage underneath and small shelf's along side the bunks. A table can be pulled out that goes between the two cabin bunks to eat on or do work on. On one side there is a small nav desk and a small sink and a storage spot for a little propane stove. I decided to use the bow bunk for storage and the dog also claimed it as his. I would sleep on the bunk on the side with out the nav desk and use the storage area under the bunk and the little shelf for my personal stuff and use the other side storage for food and things I would need to use every day. It was a little tight but very workable. The bow bunk was the catch all for most thinks I needed but did not use all the time. I had to get creative on where I stored stuff to make sure the boat did not tilt to one side or the other and stored so that the stuff would not shift when out sailing.
I cooked for the most part out in the cockpit, both to keep the heat and smell out of the inside of the boat. I had one fry pan, one large plate that just fit or nested inside the pan, one smaller plate that nested in the big plate, one large bowl, one smaller bowl and one measuring cup, and one coffee cup and one large glass. These all nested together and took up very little room. One knife, fork and spoon and one sharp knife was all I needed to finish my kitchen stuff. I had 3 dishpans that nested and the other stuff nested in them. I washed dishes in one pan, rinsed them off in the 2nd and the 3rd held them till they dried.
I used a large mouth jug for gray water and when it was full I dumped it in the dock side toilet. I did not want to dump it over the side of the boat. There was fresh water dock side along with electricity so those were no problem. I put a silver tarp over the boom and made a tent over the cockpit. It cut the heat build up in the boat and made it very comfortable. I made a wind scoop that went over the front hatch above the bow cabin and that moved air through the boat nicely. A small fan would move air when there was no breeze. I made a fish net door over the end of the plank that the dog respected. he could easily go over or through it. With it up he stayed on the boat even when I was not there. He also would not let anyone on the boat when I was gone. No locks needed.
When I wanted to go sailing it took about 20 min. to take down the tarps and be under way. 8-)
It really is surprising how much stuff you really do not need. I found I read more and got books on disk. No TV...did not miss it! Internet on my lap top got me my news and weather. I could watch TV at the marina bar if I wanted.
What was really great, was that I went sailing almost every day and I think I used it more than I used my truck.
The one thing I did miss was a refrigerator. I had a cooler that had a small cooling unit in it... it kept things cool not cold. I needed to put Ice in it once a week to help it along.
I put a small sign up that said BYO. You had to byo glass and plate and silverware when you visited. All in all though really did not ruff it very much. And the dog loved it!!!
I put most of my stuff in storage and the dog and I moved on board. I guess that space wise it was about what a slide in pick up camper is like. I first put everything in storage and then I limited what I was going to take to the boat to what I could put in a army sized footlocker. Only the essentials. After that I was going to see how much room I had on the boat and go from there. I also bought a Dock Box to put on the dock next to the boat to put boat junk in.
The dog and I moved on board. The boat has a small bow bunk and access to it is a bit of a pain. You have to crawl in to it and it is a real bitch to make the bed up. The main cabin has a bunk on each side with storage underneath and small shelf's along side the bunks. A table can be pulled out that goes between the two cabin bunks to eat on or do work on. On one side there is a small nav desk and a small sink and a storage spot for a little propane stove. I decided to use the bow bunk for storage and the dog also claimed it as his. I would sleep on the bunk on the side with out the nav desk and use the storage area under the bunk and the little shelf for my personal stuff and use the other side storage for food and things I would need to use every day. It was a little tight but very workable. The bow bunk was the catch all for most thinks I needed but did not use all the time. I had to get creative on where I stored stuff to make sure the boat did not tilt to one side or the other and stored so that the stuff would not shift when out sailing.
I cooked for the most part out in the cockpit, both to keep the heat and smell out of the inside of the boat. I had one fry pan, one large plate that just fit or nested inside the pan, one smaller plate that nested in the big plate, one large bowl, one smaller bowl and one measuring cup, and one coffee cup and one large glass. These all nested together and took up very little room. One knife, fork and spoon and one sharp knife was all I needed to finish my kitchen stuff. I had 3 dishpans that nested and the other stuff nested in them. I washed dishes in one pan, rinsed them off in the 2nd and the 3rd held them till they dried.
I used a large mouth jug for gray water and when it was full I dumped it in the dock side toilet. I did not want to dump it over the side of the boat. There was fresh water dock side along with electricity so those were no problem. I put a silver tarp over the boom and made a tent over the cockpit. It cut the heat build up in the boat and made it very comfortable. I made a wind scoop that went over the front hatch above the bow cabin and that moved air through the boat nicely. A small fan would move air when there was no breeze. I made a fish net door over the end of the plank that the dog respected. he could easily go over or through it. With it up he stayed on the boat even when I was not there. He also would not let anyone on the boat when I was gone. No locks needed.
When I wanted to go sailing it took about 20 min. to take down the tarps and be under way. 8-)
It really is surprising how much stuff you really do not need. I found I read more and got books on disk. No TV...did not miss it! Internet on my lap top got me my news and weather. I could watch TV at the marina bar if I wanted.
What was really great, was that I went sailing almost every day and I think I used it more than I used my truck.
The one thing I did miss was a refrigerator. I had a cooler that had a small cooling unit in it... it kept things cool not cold. I needed to put Ice in it once a week to help it along.
I put a small sign up that said BYO. You had to byo glass and plate and silverware when you visited. All in all though really did not ruff it very much. And the dog loved it!!!
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