Do-dads, gizmos, and things that make life aboard easier

[Stu Jackson]

Index cards. I used to use Post-Its but even the big ones became too small, and the sticky stuff, once thought useful, got in the way of storing more than a few at a time.


This is in addition to my log book and separate maintenance log forms.


Used to jot down short term tasks to do that can be checked off and then discarded (pi!).

[Davidhoy]

Endoscopic camera for peeking into those dark holes.
Infrared thermometer.
Headlamp - essential when working on the engine, or in any dark corner.

[wholybee]

I have a cheap hanging shoe "rack" made up of 12 shoe sized pockets hanging by the companionway. The kind meant to hang on a door. It's great for things you would be grabbing on your way in or out. Gloves, headlamps etc. Each crew member gets a couple pockets.

I also found a dish drainer for an RV that fits perfectly in one side of my sink. It keeps my counters dry, saves space, and holds dishes secure while underway.

[DMCantor]

We love our stainless steel, vacuum insulated, French press coffee maker.

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by Smokeys Kitchen

My trusty backscratcher

I concur, might one of the most important tools on the boat. Typically used daily.

[Hudson Force]

I always liked having a turkey baster handy for moving fluids to or from tight locations.

[David B]

Caframo fan in galley, saloon and each cabin
Nespresso machine in galley
Shopping trundler (we noticed the Italians use these a lot, so got one - made in Austria). Shopping is now so much easier. Like a big, tall shopping bag on wheels, and holds a lot!
Front-loading washing machine - would not be without
Legless chairs (another European thing - seat cushion and back cushion with a multi-angle ratcheting hinge between). Great for sitting on the foredeck at sundowner time.
Bravo compressor for the Zodiac
Wire racks inside the heads undersink cupboards - gets rid of the clutter

[sailingchiro]

long kitchen tongs with rubber tips for picking up items in bilge or other dark inaccessible areas
shaker siphon for moving fuel from jerry can to fuel tank
snake inspection camera
dielectric grease for electrical fittings
marine grease for everything

[JCCharles]

I replaced one of my AC outlets with one which had USB built in and wired one into an under cabinet DC light with an 8 USB charging box. So many of the handheld devices we use require USP for recharging, I got tired of hunting down all those little cubes!

[Nicholson58]

Several items.

Manual dasher (in the bucket) for clothes washing. Coin op is expensive and time consuming everywhere. Also note the panty rotisserie for drying.

1 micron fuel polisher. 100% of our fuel is pre-polished ahead of the Racor filters. I haven’t changed a Racor in five years. The polisher is changed annually on the hard.

Sharky dances all day long. Very entertaining.

1 micron crankcase oil cleaner. Greatly extends the regular spin on filter and spaces out oil changes.

Right angle Milwaukee 28 volt lithium winch grinder.

Samlex 300 watt full sine inverter. This tiny inverter is all we need for AC most of the time. It’s small size means lower parasitic losses. For big jobs we have a 3.5 kw inverter.

Four port DC powered 12-30 volts USB charging station. Wow what an improvement. No AC inverter, no wall warts. Very low power use. I installed it with a local power switch and fuse holder.

No photo but we found a mini food processor that can run on the 300 watt inverter.

We have thermos type cookware. Heat your creations on the stove to boiling and slip them into the vacuum insulated container. They stay hot and continue cooking all day without any further heating. Total propane time - 5 to 10 minutes.

[daviddiscenza]

My thanks to all of you who took the time to reply with your great ideas. The first item I'm going to go out and buy: a back scratcher!

[JaaaPeee]

Belt tension jack
A life saver that enables getting the tension correct without a pry-bar. It makes replacing a belt possible while heeled or just moving. Sorry to see that the price went up 300% since I bought mine. There may be more sources.

[Nauti Cat]

flashlight with a head strap
long pinchers to pick up stuff
but mostly a smart phone with apps for drag alarm (does not need a signal), back up navigation, and many other apps.

[EasyMoor Jim]

My friend and I came up with a device for getting a line through a mooring buoy rings called EasyMoor and a device to attach cameras cellphones, cupholders and the like to winches. www.boat-gadgets.com

[FlyingScot]

-SensorPush brand Bluetooth Temp/Humidity sensors. Awesome app and calibratable. I have them all over, engine rooms, fridges, freezer, solar controller compartment, etc.
-A good boat knife to keep in your pocket. Boye knives are amazing!
-Grease pencils. I write on my fuel jugs when I fill them up, stuff like that.
-Lots of flashlights and headlamps. Rechargeable is way better than ones that consume AAA or AA. Batteries are outrageously priced in many places. Here is Bonaire they are $2 per battery. As in $8 per pack of 4. But at least available.
-Dyson V7 Vacuum. Have two, as that's how necessary I feel it is.
-Lots of fans. We use Ridgid Hybrid 18v/120vac ones.
Insulated mugs/cups. No condensation and less ice needed. We use Yeti, but I'm sure others work. I assign people a color to use so they can keep up with it and wash it as often or as little as they like.
-Quick dry towels.
-Good dry bags, small and large.
-3 Quart Instant pot.
-Nets to hang fruit and veggies.
-SS clothes pins.
-GoPro
-Laundry basket strapped outside to hold swim fins and wet gear.
-Good solar setup to make power almost silently. Not a doodad but still amazing.

This is the stuff that comes to mind immediately.