Your favourite small purchase

[sailorboy1]

A $2 toothbrush holder.

[Don C L]

I recently got a little LED waterproof light on Amazon that is pretty handy. And this thread has a few things too...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...al-153058.html

[AZUS]

Another one is the Lucie light. A $10-18 small inflatable light that charges for a full night's use on tiny built-in solar panels. Sells on Amazon.

The most appreciated boat gift we have ever given, about the cost of a bottle of wine.

Several versions - we use one that turns colors or that blinks to aid us in finding Valleycat when dinghying back to a congested anchorage at night. The red setting is great for night watches. One Lucie also provides enough white light to illuminate the cockpit without drawing a single AmpH from the house bank. When done, they deflate and collapse to nothing.

[MamaKube]

The solar charging color changing lanterns are awesome. And for fun, a few old fashioned blow up plastic inner tubes that we string a line to the stern and float away the afternoon. 👍

[Ruffriders]

Originally Posted by fatherchronica

Something we enjoyed and was a little useful was a 12 volt, waterproof, LED light on a 12 foot cord that we put over the side at night. The green lights attract phytoplankton, which inturn attracts bigger things that eat phytoplankton which attracts things that eat those things until sometimes after a half an hour or so big fish, or crabs, or foot long worms. It was always interesting. And we used it a few times for vessel location in an anchorage, but we had those solar lanterns that changed color for that. I imagine that if you were a hard partying Canadian you could use it to locate your boat at a slip in a marina most of the time.

Hard partying Canadian that’s sails in Central America

[Gypsyjon]

I bought 2 of these things.

Barge lights, solar powered, they last about 3 full nights with no charging!

Visible 2 nm, come on automatically and shut off in the morning. I place them on the cabin top as extra bright anchor lights. Take them down in the AM and let them sit in the sun all day, ready to go again.

$84 each.

http://www.esafetylights.com/s8ls-steady-on.html

When I am anchored I don't worry as much about a crabber flying around a bend at 4AM and not seeing me. Boat anchor lights seem inadequate to me, especially those on top of a sail boat mast. Crabbers are generally not looking 60 or more feet up in the air for a light.

[Tingum]

A VERY COLD BEER

[DreaminFred]

Originally Posted by AZUS

Bluetooth headsets that go by the brand name "Marriagesavers" - and they are.

No more yelling or missed hand signals between Admiral and me when docking, anchoring or med mooring. We have found that we often use them on passages, with one of us up front and one of us at the helm, just to chat and experience the passing ships, seas, sealife, islands, etc. together.

We keep them routinely plugged into USB charger between uses. The best small to medium purchase on our boat!

Can you flesh this out a little? What are the headsets paired to? Do you call each other over the cell? Wouldn't work offshore would it?

I'm using cheap FRS radios, but would love a PTT headset that would plug into them.

Fred

[Lodesman]

Push start propane torch on sale for about 10 bucks from harborfreight. Brilliant for starting the coals in the charcoal bar-b-q, and otherwise lived in the galley (sans propane canister) where it was used to light the Force 10 stove. https://www.harborfreight.com/electr...rch-91061.html


Heavy-duty and a good strong piezoelectric spark.

[dduresky]

NuWave hot plate, don't know what I did before, very safe as well!

[Hobiehobie]

Three things we love...More in the light category. Love the Mantus snap on rail light. Perfect for illuminating the cockpit and as an extra anchor light. Charges via mini USB during the day. lasts 12 hrs plus. Can be bright, dim, red or flashing SOS.

https://www.mantusmarine.com/mantus-snap-on-light/

Also in the lighting category but a bit more pricey are the very cool Smart & Green lanterns that are induction charged (pull negligible power) but can create a great glow hanging in the cockpit. Multiple color choices and waterproof and floatable. Can stand or hang.

http://www.lumens.com/vessel-s-led-i...SAGP89023.html

Also Italian made STRONG stainless steel clothes pins. Never have a towel blow off the rail ever again

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Cloth...D8VYFYA2T9G0MR

[redhead]

Originally Posted by AZUS

Bluetooth headsets that go by the brand name "Marriagesavers" - and they are.

No more yelling or missed hand signals between Admiral and me when docking, anchoring or med mooring. We have found that we often use them on passages, with one of us up front and one of us at the helm, just to chat and experience the passing ships, seas, sealife, islands, etc. together.

We keep them routinely plugged into USB charger between uses. The best small to medium purchase on our boat!

We just bought the SENA SPH10 Bluetooth Stereo Headset and Intercom (it's the present day interation of the old "marriage savers") and we paid $380+tax at the Seattle Boat Show. I very much hope they're as good as your review, I thought they were a bit spendy since most electronics we bought had gone down in price. We bought the original ones for about $200 about 10-15 years ago...fingers crossed.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by DreaminFred

Can you flesh this out a little? What are the headsets paired to? Do you call each other over the cell? Wouldn't work offshore would it?



I'm using cheap FRS radios, but would love a PTT headset that would plug into them.



Fred

Mine are made by Simultalk. They are 2.4 GHz radios I think, Bluetooth is very short range, 30 feet?
You also want what is called full duplex, like a telephone, you can both talk and listen simultaneously, just like talking to each other, you don’t want push to talk, cause both hands may be full.
About or close to $200 if I remember. When I bought them, I thought they would be the ticket, but truthfully we have learned to use hand signals and don’t bother with the headsets, they stay in their case.

I bought a better headset as the ones it came with you would always hear wind noise, and of course the wind is usually blowing on a sailboat.

[puffcard]

Luci lights is the greatest. We got four.

[rabbi]

30 Euro: Varta rechargable 3W LED that can be recharged at 12V without adapter. Its not a flashlight but a strong search light. Not for use inside the boat unless your bilge s a few meters deep.

2 Euro: bicycle LED backlight, has multiple flash modes. Hang overboard in a crowded anchorage and find home easily.

2 Euro: A stainless multi tool card, that is a multitool the size of a credit card. I always keep one in the dinghy. I once had to drain the carburator while underway because there was water in the fuel tank.

10-80 Euro: Original Leatherman or similar tools.

5 Euro: Ceramic knife. One lives near the helm for cutting lines in an emergency. Always sharp, no rust.

20-100 Euro: Bluetooth speakers