Tips and tricks

Get a small tub of lanolin (grocery store or pharmacy) and rub it on your zippers occasionally to lubricate them. Works! You can also lubricate snaps with it, but it is messier than the Chap Stick idea.
 
Fenders can squeak and leave marks on the side of your boat. Fender covers can cost $40 or more each. Take a fender to the thrift shop, and pick up some kid's TShirts. For mine, a Toddler size 2 fit perfectly. I added a shoelace inside the neck and bottom hems, and used that to tie them off. They fit nicely, and if you can find a creative TShirt, they are fun too!
 
Keep a “sharps” container in your garage workshop for Any nails, screws, razor blades, anything metal that you throw out.

If those things are just thrown in a garbage pail, they could end up on the garage floor and then in your tire.

I use a Snapple bottle, peanut butter jar......anything with a screw on lid.
 
A tip for those who fish. Keep a few empty bill bottles in your tackle box. When I'm done fishing, I put the lure in the pill bottle and close the top. Keeps the lure from hooking in the carpet, upholstery, etc.
 
Discovered (or rather remembered) this one this past weekend. Every tool on your boat should have a hole in it. The great tool sucking river wants your tool and it wants it bad. Tie a piece of string or fasten a laniard so you don't add to the accumulating junk pile under the docks.
When I use my precious cordless power tools around my boat, each tool has a zip tie attached to it. I have another zip tie loosely attached to my wrist with a carabiner. Allows me to attach the tool whenever I'm working with it close to the water.
 
I got this tip from one of my sailboat neighbors at the marina. Our slip is positioned where we have a significant tailwind. When it gets above 15 knots, the Admiral (aka my wife) has a tough time securing the spring line when we go bow first into the slip. I picked up this 10' piece of tubing at Home Depot and ran an old dock line through it. Tie it off across the slip at the two bow cleats. The line acts a soft stop on those windy days and the Admiral is happy. :D
SeaRay450dock1.jpg

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I got this tip from one my sailboat neighbors at the marina. Our slip is positioned where we have a significant tailwind. When it gets above 15 knots, the Admiral (aka my wife) has a tough time securing the spring line when we go bow first into the slip. I picked up this 10' piece of tubing at Home Depot and ran an old dock line through it. Tie it off across the slip at the two bow cleats. The line acts a soft stop on those windy days and the Admiral is happy. :D

Which leads to the most important tip of all. Keep the Admiral happy.
 
No water goes into my tank unless it goes through this. I get packs of 2 every couple of years.
Prices vary wildly. 12-65 dollars. Do your homework.View attachment 80955
I buy the camco filters at Walmart or Amazon , 2 pk , I use one at the dock side , then another at the boat side so maybe overkill but I double up. I only use the boat water tank so I put a 1/2 cup of bleach ( MUST USE CLOROX) to 75gal of water ,
 
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In the effort of killing time, does anyone have some cool tips, tricks, modifications, inventions, etc, to post up? Maybe something creative you made to just make life on the water easier, or, just something to show off?

Im interested in custom outside the box type stuff, anything that makes boating better really.

Use pvc to plumb in a water hose adaptor into your ac cooling system. Them make an acid deliver/diluter canister out of mostly 3 inch pvc parts. Makes flushing the ac system fast and easy. Oh, and cheap.
 

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add a few extra 110 house out lets. Just wiser them into the current systems and good to go. Get the matching trim pices from Flounder Pounder or MarineMax and it looks factory.
 

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Use WD-40 on your outdoor stainless steel refrigerators, keeps them looking brand new. Indoors too, but not needed as often.
 
Use WD-40 on your outdoor stainless steel refrigerators, keeps them looking brand new. Indoors too, but not needed as often.
Agreed. WD-40 is the best stainless steel cleaner/polish there is for indoor appliances. I use a paper towel to apply it everywhere and to clean it, and then a microfiber cloth to wipe the excess and polish the stainless. It works much better than the commercial stainless polishes/cleaners.
 
> In the effort of killing time, does anyone have some cool tips, tricks, modifications, inventions, etc, to post up? Maybe something creative you made to just make life on the water easier, or, just something to show off?

Since you ask ... a wireless, automatic motion light that clips on to a steel tube on your boat's bimini or enclosure. Automatically goes on when you enter your boat from the dock at night. I think of it like a refrigerator door light for your boat. Saves my shins and lights up the cabin door keyhole.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WIRELESS-M...OP-OR-CAMPER-ENCLOSURE-COVER-LED/193883347952
Nice idea. I bought some inexpensive motion lights from amazon and put them in my cabinets and the main panel in my salon so you can see the stuff in there. The panel light are great to check on things without having to turn on the overheads. I plan on adding a more weatherproof set in my transom locker and under sink storage too.
 

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