Time to Brag on Your #liveaboard hacks

[ProteusRising]

We have this same rule, which I always had for my land kitchen. A gadget must have more than one use or we don't have it! And @Gregor_the_Red is learning to finally put everything away in its "home."

Originally Posted by Sparx

There should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place. After about a month aboard then seriously evaluate what is stored where. Move stuff to a better storage place. Get rid of stuff that is not needed. The best stuff can serve more than one purpose.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Ospho is likely a brand name for ortho phosphoric acid.
I likely didn't spell it correctly

It is phosphoric acid. It works well on light rust but don't expect miracles with heavy rust. Some elbow grease then Ospho works.

[Simi 60]

We had use and had used many of these "hacks" on previous boats but the best one by far for us was to buy a bigger, more comfortable, but not necessarily more expensive boat.

Almost every "hack" mentioned then became a non issue.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

unless you are a big coffee drinker, the single serving "tea type" bags are worth getting

Or get one of these, Frieling single cup drip. Use your own coffee, no filters to buy. I’d not leave the dock without this.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Or get one of these, Frieling single cup drip. Use your own coffee, no filters to buy. I’d not leave the dock without this.


Attachment 174458

I've mentioned the Smartcafe before in other threads. It's all I use these days.

I'm sitting with one in front of me now.

[atoll]

tubes of sika flex ,5200 ,polysulfide or pu adhesive sealant that have been opened and partially used ,store in the fridge or freezer,will still be usable months later.

un-used portions of 2 pack paint or varnish that has been mixed ,if kept in the freezer will be still useable the next day.

replace the retaining spring in lipseals on the impellor pump with an o ring of similar size and the lipseal will stay sealed many times longer than the spring which will corrode after about a year

always grease threads on bolts when re-assembling outboards if you ever want to get them apart again.

heating with a blow torch stubborn bolts and nuts then applying a few drops of engine oil and letting cool which sucks in the oil as the metal cools is far safer and more effective than penetrating oil that is a lot more inflamable if used in enclosed spaces.

keep your antifouling rollers and brushes in a bucket of water between coats,a few shakes and they are ready to use again for the next coat.

vinegar and a few drops of cooking oil in the head will keep it sweet and lubricated.

decant rice,flour,pasta ,oats etc into plastic storage containers and add a few bay leaves and it will keep indefinitly without bug infestations.

top up jars of pickles,olives,pesto with olive oil once opened to prevent mould forming.

wrap pots of rice,stews ,curries once they have boiled in a a kitchen towel and a blanket or sleeping bag and they will stay warm and continue cooking for hours afterwards

always use a preventer on the mainsail unless it is fully sheeted in, this prevents wear and potential accidents to any one on deck from the boom.

refrain from using the autopilot for the first 24-48 hours on ocean passages and let new crew hand steer this teaches them to steer by compass,relieves seasickness and gets them into good sleep/ watch routine and may be fortuitious if the autopilot packs up in less then optimal conditions later.

red gel plastic material is useful for covering up lights in the saloon to preserve night vision.

oral rehydration solution, added to a liter of water will keep most sever cases of sea sickness hydrated and provide eletrolytes to keep crew functioning even if unable to consume food.

carry seasickness suppositories and offer to insert them...amazingly very few of my crew ever need them.........

[Jim Cate]

Back to cooking crabs: don't boil them, rather steam them. A couple of inches of water in the bottom of the pot, a grill or something to keep the crabs off the bottom, boil only that small amount of water instead of gallons... way less fuel, nicely cooked crab!

Jim