Best Luxury Upgrades to Add to a 30 Foot Boat?

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The AIS boat beacon app does NOT make you show up on other AIS receivers/transponders. It only makes you show up on other Internet fed apps.

Thank you for that critical distinction.

[JPA Cate]

If coffee is something you care about, if instant coffee is something you find barely palatable, if at all, then, a hand grinder and a coffee pot to make the kind of coffee you like best *** absolutely a luxury, and can hit the spot not only for you, but for guests as well. And, by golly, most cruisers are happy to have a hand on the grinder, too!

I, personally, would put a dodger and an autopilot on the necessities list, FWIW.

Enjoy.

[Roy M]

So as not to derail this discussion, I am posting a new thread to ask about boat mattresses. Over the years I've replaced several, so now I'd like to have one custom made. The new thread will be on the Portal.

[SmartMove]

The luxuries we added were watermaker, Raritan Elegance electric head, counter top ice maker (small enough to be easily stowed during passages).

Luxury currently on the wish list, a custom memory foam mattress for the v-berth, maybe a beanbag too.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

For coastal & inland cruisers AIS Boat Beacon on your iPad, iPhone or Android gives you quasi-AIS (see and be seen) in busy harbors where you need it most. Requires a data connection. I have it on two devices for redundancy. It is no help 25 miles off the coast. Not quite as advanced as the installed Class B transponder but meeting 90% of the need for 2% of the price can't be ignored.

Install the app and register at Boat US, $10.
Knowing ahead of time that a 100+ foot DEP boat will round the tight, blind corner on the flood at Hell Gate, Priceless.

If this is something that relies on land based AIS receivers and doesn't receive AIS signals directly from boats and ships, it's pretty useless. A fun toy, but if you are in an area with no coverage, you could be in for a big surprise if you are relying on it for safety.

[SecondBase]

I'm not sure I fully understand this utility yet. I try to never rely on any one aid to navigation--yet I've found this immensely helpful and wouldn't uninstall it. I do see lots (all?) of commercial traffic on Boat Beacon. Pick a busy harbor and it 'appears' that commercial shipping AIS signals make their way to boat beacon somehow.

I think the prior poster was correct that Boat Beacon doesn't show me to commercial shipping. I want to know the limitations. Maybe the vendor can comment?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

I'm not sure I fully understand this utility yet. I try to never rely on any one aid to navigation--yet I've found this immensely helpful and wouldn't uninstall it. I do see lots (all?) of commercial traffic on Boat Beacon. Pick a busy harbor and it 'appears' that commercial shipping AIS signals make their way to boat beacon somehow.

I think the prior poster was correct that Boat Beacon doesn't show me to commercial shipping. I want to know the limitations. Maybe the vendor can comment?

Here is the description and test: http://www.panbo.com/archives/2012/0..._or_yike_.html

[Andrew Troup]

Better sails: stronger, lighter, more durable and better shaped.

[s/v Jedi]

When I sailed a 30 footer it had no fridge. It was horrible and it lasted 17 years...

[D&D]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

Would you please provide details, pictures or recommend vendors?

It's depends on what you're looking for, of course, but we find flameless candles as a superb way of adding both luxury and light to a vessel. In addition to great value (when compared to an ordinary candle) they offer some great features that are ideally suited to a boat, e.g. no flame, of course, as well as light that is both dramatic AND it still allows for reasonable night vision outside the vessel. If all that sounds OK for what you're looking for (or perhaps just to see if it might be?) check out our flameless collections at...

ENJOY Flameless Candles, Floating Impressions

...and some extra value 'clearance' flameless candles at...

CANDLE CLEARANCE, Floating Impressions

Fair winds and following seas to you!

[D&D]

This thread may well be 'right up our alley'...or at least if it remains true to its "luxury" aspirations! There are plenty of excellent (and very practical) suggestions here already and while we agree with most and include many on our vessel already, our products are aimed at what we call 'comfort' items...and many of our products would sit comfortably in the luxury category for the enjoyment they can give the user. Some examples include cushions (including custom cushions), linen, art (including an original drawing of your vessel), polycarbonate tableware, flameless candles...and all enjoyed on our vessel so proven for marine use, although also well suited to cruising in comfort/luxury on land as well.

We welcome CF Members to join our crew and enjoy our products, as we do! Email us and mention this thread and we'll offer special further discounts to you...

[Autumns Wind]

My wife and I were chating about this and she commented that a nice luxury for her would be a washer machine

[JPA Cate]

Suggestion: frame it to her as an experiment, there's no right or wrong here, but what actually works in you guys' space. Personally, I think a 30 footer is so small that I'd rather have other comforts, but her mileage might be different.

There are small washers, hand powered, available, and there was a thread about them a while back, might be worth looking at. If you want to go electrically powered, the smallest ones I've seen (in Australia) are way too big for a 30 footer. Plus, there's the water they consume. Think gen-set and water-maker. And those take up room, as well. Let her think it through. Perhaps one of the hand-crank ones would be lots nicer for her than the 3 bucket method. (It will take up more space than 3 nesting buckets.) We used to save up the laundry and do it when we got somewhere with facilities, but then, we had limited water tankage (50 gal. total), and viewed it as dietary rather than for washing. We carried a sun shower for very brief showering. I viewed having a local do it for me as a contribution to their economy, and a good thing for both of us. But, if you wind up doing it by hand, soaking overnight with some detergent really loosens the soil, and washing it out clean isn't too hard at all.

Under the heading of luxury items: the best quality image-stabilized binoculars you can buy. Both of you will use them, and enjoy them, and easy to find room for, too.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Bimini
Dodger
Watermaker (if cruising long range)
Autopilot
Davits (your boat may be too small)
Hot water

Interesting list. On my boat, those are necessities, not luxury items.

[Autumns Wind]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Suggestion: frame it to her as an experiment, there's no right or wrong here, but what actually works in you guys' space. Personally, I think a 30 footer is so small that I'd rather have other comforts, but her mileage might be different.

There are small washers, hand powered, available, and there was a thread about them a while back, might be worth looking at. If you want to go electrically powered, the smallest ones I've seen (in Australia) are way too big for a 30 footer. Plus, there's the water they consume. Think gen-set and water-maker. And those take up room, as well. Let her think it through. Perhaps one of the hand-crank ones would be lots nicer for her than the 3 bucket method. (It will take up more space than 3 nesting buckets.) We used to save up the laundry and do it when we got somewhere with facilities, but then, we had limited water tankage (50 gal. total), and viewed it as dietary rather than for washing. We carried a sun shower for very brief showering. I viewed having a local do it for me as a contribution to their economy, and a good thing for both of us. But, if you wind up doing it by hand, soaking overnight with some detergent really loosens the soil, and washing it out clean isn't too hard at all.

Under the heading of luxury items: the best quality image-stabilized binoculars you can buy. Both of you will use them, and enjoy them, and easy to find room for, too.

Ya well for us its not an option. I dont even have room for an ice maker... I did have the privallage of meeting a man named Bill at the Long Boat Key Marina with a 72ft ketch which had a full size front loading washer and dryer one day I said! Whistling