My Favorite Things Aboard!

[jwidahonurse]

Hud,
You are awsome..thank you for the quick responses.

[Sandero]

The water issue very much depends on the following:

Will you be anchored close enough to docks where you can conveniently take on water? Most of the Caribbean qualifies from my experience.

Are your tanks sufficiently sized to allow you to allow you to use and refill without having to do this "daily" or close to that?

Is anchoring and weighing anchor a chore or a snap? Of course in bad weather you might want to sit it out for a bit, but under normal conditions if you think twice about weighing anchor to top up water or fuel, you need to work on your anchor system / technique.

I use water liberally, did so in the caribbean and paid $.10 a gallon and found affordable (but annoying). I don't see the need for a watermaker THERE, or in the USA if you can afford $.50 - $1.00 a day for using water liberally.

[James S]

I'm still on the dock refitting......my wet-dry AC vacuum is indispensible.

[jwidahonurse]

We will be going from the Mexican coast to New Zealand..so water will be rationed. Our boat is a 27' Norsea...only holds 40 gal of water. We are getting a portable tank that will carry 26 more gallons. But, again it will be along time before we get to a place we can shower and all. Hopefully a few squalls will aid in the showering end of things..but inbetween I would like to clean my hair. So, a water maker would make life more comfortable...but may not be an option.

[Soft Air]

You can use for your hair the same gel they sell for waterless hand cleaning, I tried and it works great. You can also use Joy soap with salt water and then a bit of fresh water to remove the salt.

[Hud3]

jw,

You might want to check with member MarkJ about water use on the Pacific run. He and Nicole did that one last year without a watermaker.

[jwidahonurse]

Thank you again Hud.. I have sent them a message.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Hud3

jw,

You might want to check with member MarkJ about water use on the Pacific run. He and Nicole did that one last year without a watermaker.

It took me a full day to post this and PM it. Oh well, now we sailed to a nice intenrte friendly anchorage! Yippee!


*Our internet connection is very weak as we are in paradise... so these posts are taking ages...*

Hi J

We do sea baths.
We have a black rubber bucket with a lanyard. Get the bucket from a horse riding store or country farmers store etc.

We get a bucket full of seawater and use normal handwashing detergent and then conditioner.

Sounds as simple as it is.

The black rubber bucket warms the water a bit (Nicolle likes hers cold, I like warm)
Sea Water is the best thing for your hair.
The reason why its oily is probably because you have been washing it too much with expensive products!

My hair, and Nicolles, is the best its ever been because we don’t wash it as much.
You will love your ‘new’ hair! J

If its too cold for the sea water to warm just put a saucepan of sea water on the stove J

[harmony80]

Good discussions! I love my Kindle 2.
I love the great ventilation on my boat. I too found narrow baskets with handles AND lids...I love them. I love the bimini and my cockpit full-enclose mosquito screens. It was the only choice after the "Attack of the NJ Hatching Flies" episodes on the shores of the Delaware Bay last spring! Regardless, I would visit Lewes, DE, again in a minute...so different (good) from the famous Cape May. They have a new cruiser-friendly town dock, but you need a reservation well in advance...just go online. Everything you could ever want is within walking, bike, or cheap bus ride distance. The folks are downright friendly. Just make sure you go in on a slack tide (which lasts about 30 min max).

[Red Charlotte]

Originally Posted by nicollej

* Plastic Zip lock bags


* I find cable ties

* My little (cheap) MP3 player

* My oven

* My 3 dust pan and brooms

* We also keep old toothbrushes

I love zip lock bags too! Your ideas for cable ties, a cheap MP3 player, toothbrushes and the 3 sizes of dust pans/brooms are invaluable. Thank you, I'm totally going to follow your lead.

We're not cruising yet, but when we leave I think I'll have to copy you as well with the MP3 player. I'm worried about staying awake on my watches, but I'm sure I'll figure it out

As a dockside liveaboard a few things I find handy on the boat are:

*Our oil lamps. We have one large one in the main cabin and it really heats the boat up and gives everything a romantic glow in the evenings. We also have a small one in the bunk in the V-berth. I want to get his and hers so we can both use them for reading in the evenings.

* My stove/oven is a life saver. It's small, but I just ordered a second rack for it so I should be able to double my baking ability in it. I can make pretty much anything in it. Eric even roasted a Christmas ham one time, so I feel like we can bring the comforts of home with us whereever we go.

* Hammocks. We find hammocks to be huge space savers, and they can hold so much! I'm even going to use them in our storage locker up in the marina to maximize space.

*Organization. A general term, but we've found that following a system helps to keep the boat ship shape and tidy. "A place for everything and everything in its place." We always hang our keys in the same place, we keep all surfaces clear, etc.

I'm sure I'll a LOT more once we start cruising Nicolle, but those are a few things that I love right now.

Happy sailing,
Charlotte

[savvii]

Originally Posted by jwidahonurse

Hello, I am going to change the thread a bit as I need some women's advice on a couple of things.....I have sort of long hair and don't want to cut it...but we are going on a very long cruise without a water maker.. I have oily hair..so what products are out there to clean hair that don't require water?
Also, has anyone used the kindle 2 out side of the USA? And how did it do?

A dusting of talcum powder worked through the hair between washes. Leave in for about an hour to absorb the oil and then lightly brush out. Leaves hair refreshed and smelling fragrant. savvii....

[harmony80]

When you do need to wash your hair - use sea water and Joy, rinse in sea water, then lightly rinse with fresh water.
There are new products on the market that don't require water ... google "dry shampoo" or "hair powder" .
I've never liked the smell of talcum powder, but I've tried baking soda. Just be careful not to get it into your eyes and shake it out with your eyes closed...then comb hair thoroughly with eyes closed. Damp wipe your face after. Check out this website: How to Dry Clean or Wash Hair Without Water | eHow.com

[babykinz]

These are a few of my favorite things....

• Sham-wow...no need for paper towels, sponges or dishtowels. I use them to place under the dog dish and to step onto as I get out of the Marina shower. Plus they are good to absorb water when needed. ...I know they got bad reviews on Amazon but I love mine.
• Magic Bullet ..use it all the time, ALLLL the time.
• Digital Camera...I capture every moment to share with my land lubber family.
• #1 thing tho is my computer...helps me keep in touch with my family who are spewed all over the country.

[glenda2]

I bought a pressure cooker in a thrift store (stainless for $5) and Googled the manufacturer for directions and recipes. I next searched 'pressure cooker recipes' and was delighted at the number I found. I spent our trip to the Bahamas sitting in the companionway as it cooked until I fully trusted it! 'Great fuel saver and entertainment.
Glenda2

[glenda2]

"I'm worried about staying awake on my watches, but I'm sure I'll figure it out "

I take a kitchen timer that will fit in my pocket. I set mine for 8 minutes while on watch. I use a digital timer that repeats (and repeats, and repeats...).
Glenda2