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Handy hints, gadgets, products, gizmos & ideas...

Here is something that could be handy and I actually got one through work. It is a Dry pack. We basically put extra clothes, jackets and such and just leave it on the boat just in case. I don't think we have ever had to get in it but it still a great way to keep some extra dry stuff available in you get caught in a downpour or it get's a cold at night. If you just search Flow dry pack or just dry pack there around 20-30$ which is not to bad.


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Dry packs are great for change of clothes, electronics (i.e. cell phone although I still put them inside a ziplock bag first), and make great ditch bags as well.  Some of them you can roll up to create a near-watertight bag.  They'll float as well.
 
The front gate will not open all the way because we have large recline seats up there!  We have a self  deploying Minnkota  electric trolling motor up there!  The door & the trolling motor get in the way so we took the gate off!  


Then we found the the gate blocked the wind when we need to cover a number of miles!


We had a  Sunbrella Bra made!


We we found Steve Bosquette on ebay to make this for us


stevebboats@gmail.com


we Love it!!!

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lakeliving said:
We haven't used our table once in 3 full season, make that 4 seasons as we didn't use it on our last boat either. We have a yellow lab and a 21 month old. The only thing to ever end up in there was an icecube. We only have the L seating area table though so it's a little out of the way compared to some who add the bow tables.


I don't think you really have to worry about it.
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Our new boat doesn't even have a table or a hole for one, and I believe I like it better. So much more room to move about. My wife did buy a folding bamboo table to set up when we need one, but it will be kept snugly away in the storage compartment. 
 
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prd2hnt said:
I did a quick search and didn't find anything like this so I thought I would give it a shot. On another forum I frequent, RV.net, there is a huge topic that folks post handy hints etc. (see title) related to camping, RVing etc.. It's a very popular topic with tons of great ideas.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/17436377.cfm

There are many great topics here specific to ideas/projects but no general "clearing house" kind of topic.

We are still just covering the basics on our new 21 SLX. Ordered Bennington style domed letters. Finishing up the dual battery setup.

We got one of these for Christmas from some friends.

http://www.amazon.com/Tailgaterz-Tailgating-Tavern-Table-Graphite/dp/B00KJNLYFI

We haven't had a chance to use it on the boat yet, 18* here today.

I took the netting thing (technical term) out of the trunk of a buddies GM car and put it inside the changing area to have a place to keep stuff up off the floor and out of the way.

Is it spring yet?
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Where did the order the dome style lettering from?
 
LorenMN said:
Here's something that works good for hanging up towels, swimsuits, etc. from the bimini frame. They Velcro around the square tube, and if they're in the right spot you can leave them on when you fold up the top.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CFWSHW?ref_=pd_ybh_9

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I've been looking a long time for a solution to hanging towels from the Bimini. This is a great idea. Could even use them on the fence rail for garbage bags, etc. I find the outer rails of the Bimini are the best place to hang towels because they stay out of the way. The problem is they are all slanted, and this hook might tend to slide down if used on the slanted rails. And it may scratch, since it's metal.

What if you took a plastic coat hanger, cut the hook off, keep about 2 inches of the "arms" of the hanger on each side of the hook (where your shirt collar would normally be) and Velcro that to the Bimini rail? Use a wide piece of Velcro and punch a hole in the middle to put the hook through. The angle of the 2 inch plastic "arms" from the coat hanger would act as springs keeping the hook tight against a sloped Bimini rail. Might be enough to keep it from moving. And it won't scratch because its plastic. Use a coat hanger the same color as your boat.

Might look a little redneck...

I bought some of these after putting the boat away, so haven't tried them yet. Mine were for square tubing. The link shows round ones. I couldn't find a link to the square ones so I just posted this one. If interested, keep looking. Square ones exist.

https://www.amazon.com/Round-Bimini...rd_wg=wtlCm&psc=1&refRID=DD0QHEFHDJ153KA46CKA
 
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Stowable Table Base Socket Cover (#2100093) is made by the Springfield Marine Company to keep the table socket holes in the floor covered when not in use. Can search online to find multiple suppliers. They are black, plastic, inexpensive, and effective. We like ours.
 
For us, a really handy product has been our clamp-on pontoon mirror system from PTM-Edge Water Sports. It works great, plus it easily folds down to not interfere with our boat cover.
 
Possibly one of the most handy products has been our Edson Marine Pro-Series Stainless Steel steering wheel Power Knob (#969ST-18). It includes a strap for mounting, and GREATLY improves the flexibility, ease, and speed of maneuvering your boat when docking, especially when having to fight shifting winds. High value!
 
I think that we all can agree that "knobs" are the nuts when it comes to not having full power steering. This was $15 or so at Tractor Supply.

Steering Knob

Steering Knob

My solution to handling the wheel quickly without adding electric power steering to my Seastar...
 
Chris Z said:
I think that we all can agree that "knobs" are the nuts when it comes to not having full power steering. This was $15 or so at Tractor Supply.

Steering Knob

Steering Knob

My solution to handling the wheel quickly without adding electric power steering to my Seastar...
Click to expand...
And I have power steering. :)
 
My wife would say, and I'd probably agree, that the best gadget we've seen so far is the Boat Loop. Makes docking easy, low-stress, and the device has multiple other uses. It also makes rafting easier. I met the owner/inventor over the weekend at the sailboat show in Annapolis. Super-nice fellow! I have no affiliation.

http://new.theboatloop.com

It comes in three different sizes. We got the 4'-8', but could likely have done fine with the 3'-6' model.

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I too have a motorhome and use the rv forum and have saved tons of money on self made projects. there is not many videos on benningtons like I thought there would be. I just got mine this week and will be tweeking it for the next month before it is boating season here in Gulf Breeze fl. The dual battery setup is the first thing I am going to do.
 
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