by Laura Snow
Beach bag, duffle bag, tote bag, ditty bag, shopping bag, tool bag, rigging bag or bag of ideas—whatever your bag, you’ll find some good ideas here.
To the rescue
To the rescueCan’t say enough good about Rescue Tape. Yep, that’s what it’s called. Arguably one of the best emergency repair products available, it’s used by the U.S. Army in its BDAR kit (that’s Battle Assessment and Repair kit).
Rescue Tape is self-fusing, creates a permanent airtight, watertight seal, and resists fuels, oils, acids, solvents, salt water and UV rays. Even works on wet, dirty or oily surfaces. Use it to seal leaky hoses, pipes, tubing, lines, fittings; to insulate electrical wiring and connections (it withstands 500 degrees F, 8,000 volts per layer, with 950 PSI tensile strength). You can even use it as an emergency fan belt!
Of course, you can learn all of this and much more on their web site, but if you didn’t know about it you wouldn’t know what to look for. This is a must have on your boat and off; check it out at www.rescuetape.com.
The only glassware you’ll ever have to buy for your boat . . .
Tervis Tumblers. Insulated plastic drinkware keeps your beverages cold, available in different shapes and sizes, and with a huge selection of motifs or plain clear. Many of us already own them, and if you don’t, you should!
What I have found, though, is that those first purchasing Tervis, and even those who already have some, don’t know about the lifetime guarantee. They are virtually indestructible, but if you do happen to break one, or if the motif slips out of position, or if they no longer insulate properly, you can go to their website, grab a return form, throw them in a box, send ’em back, and they will send you new ones. I’ve used this drinkware for years (dare I say decades?) and have had some replaced. There are many knockoffs, but only Tervis does everything it claims.
TIP: Want your lettuce to last longer, stay green and crisp in your boat fridge or icebox, here’s how. Wet a paper towel or towels, wring them out, wrap around your lettuce and place in a plastic bag. You never knew lettuce could last so long so well.
A toast to the host and hostess, no less
Ah, wine. We all enjoy a glass or two now and then, but wine and boats don’t always go together. That’s because the two worst enemies of wine (especially reds) are motion/vibration, and changes in temperature (as in we take bottles of wine to the boat, stow it in the fridge or icebox, subject it to the motion of the ocean, maybe have some left over . . .). A bottle of red wine, warm and still, will fare much better than one that’s “shaken.”
Enter the box. The generic ones, well, not any better than bottles of generic wine. But the varietals in a box are really quite good. They’ve come a long way! The wine, being enclosed in an airtight bag inside the box, with a convenient spigot, is not subject to exposure to air, nor are they susceptible to motion/vibration because they don’t slosh, as in a bottle. Leftovers keep very well. And no chance of broken glass. Try it, you’ll like it!
TIP: If it’s just too darn hot on the boat at night (sometimes even the AC isn’t enough) and you really want to sleep comfortably, just take a few paper towels (okay) or any kind of tech/micro fiber cloth (better) and wet with cool water. Apply to forehead, chest, neck and/or arms, and you will fall asleep with a smile.
The great sock experiment
Sperry Topsiders make some dandy little socks, or shoe liners. What makes them so special? They are non-slip. You know those little shoe liners that don’t show, but they have a nasty habit of sliding down your heel, and then you’re walking on the folds . . . . Sperry has put what looks like some kind of silicone in little rows in the heel, and they do not slip!
The experiment? I thought okay, these are great, but what about all the ones I already own that do slip? Armed with several little tubes of various silicone sealants, I tried different methods of application, thinking that I would then wash them and see what happens. Well, didn’t get as far as washing. I tried applying in a straight line and zig-zagged as are the Sperrys. Tried it to a relaxed socklet, and also stretching it out before applying. What a failure. And now I’m out several pairs of the old slippy kind. Guess I’m gonna get some more of those cool Sperrys!
Quick clot
Please don’t be without it, either on your boat or just about anywhere else. From a child’s bike wreck to hurricane aftermath, car accident or being far away from land on your boat, Quick Clot is something you want.
It’s a mesh pouch filled with hemostatic material that stops bleeding. You open the package, apply the pouch to a wound with pressure until it stops bleeding, wrap the area well and find medical help as quickly as possible. This product is used by the military and first responders.
By the way, that Rescue Tape we discussed earlier: it is also perfect as a wrap for bleeding injuries. The Quick Clot pouch and the Rescue Tape work together to stop bleeding, prevent growth of bacteria and fungi, and seal out dirt. Perfect for wounds to pets, too. It’s a beautiful thing. Cheers!
