Cruising's Little Instruction Book

[belizesailor]

"Only open the deck fill plate with which you are actively working and no other"


For example, never ever, open fuel and water fill plates at the same time. I reminded myself of this little lesson yesterday. Water fill was open because the rain catchment was installed and I went to add some diesel from a jerry jug via the deck plate next to it...spout came off the jerry jug spilling diesel on the deck...some of which slopped into the water tank...guess what I now get to spend a day doing! (...what do you do all day?)

Corollary: deck fill plates of different types (water vs fuel) should never be located close to each other. I've seen boats with them all lined up in a neat little row...this is an accident waiting to happen.

[JanetGroene]

Don't cheat with a woman whose husband's boat has a long bowsprit. (We once looked on as a sloop was rammed amidships with the pointy end of a cuckolded man's yawl). The yawl sailed away.

[belizesailor]

Avoid border crossings on weekends and holidays.

I learned this lesson moving boats around, but reminded myself of it recently driving my Jeep. Tried to cross at a minor border crossing on Sunday and they could not complete the paperwork for my Jeep...now its back across Panama to a major border crossing to try again. Better plan: chill out and wait till Monday.

[David_Old_Jersey]

"no one ever died from having too many buckets onboard".

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

"no one ever died from having too many buckets onboard".

Also, "Never leave the dock without at least one bucket aboard"

When preping boats for deliveries, and discovering no bucket, I will go out and buy a couple.