Is it just me or is there something calming about everything being in the correct place? You wouldn’t guess it from looking at my desk at this exact moment, but I function so much better when everything is put away. When I get on a boat, I immediately have to start collecting people’s gear and assignimg it a temporary location. If you’re like me, you understand. Here are some tips to adapt your boat to your lifestyle using my two favorite words: cheap and simple.
Shoes
No one wants to actually wear their shoes onboard. It doesn’t contribute to the free lifestyle when your feet are confined. As the gracious hostess, I don’t require people to take off their shoes before entering, but I definitely let people know they can lose the footwear if they want to. But where do you keep the shoes so they don’t blow out? Yes, you could throw them under the seat, but that’s one more thing you have to dig through. I purchased a hanging shoe rack made of canvas that has a snap loop at the top. I use the horizontal rail on the port side to hang the shoe rack and people can slide their shoes in right as they come onboard. The one that I got is fairly deep with small compartments to keep the shoes snug as you hit your top speeds. At the end of the day, I unsnap it, fold it down to a very compact size and put it under a seat. This way, the shoes are kept nicely organized and out of the way.
Extra Pouches
When we were in Indiana at the Shootout last fall, I was delighted to find that a lot of the manufacturers use high-quality mesh pouches on the back of their helm chairs and in other convenient places. I’m a huge fan of a good, out-of-the-way place to store little things. If you are planning on spending the day on the water with lots of people, you are going to have lots of stuff. When your guests want to swim, you need to offer them a place to put their sunglasses, lotion, magazine, etc. It’s so easy when you have some quick places to put things. In fact I’ve been known to make my own. I buy the pouch and then use my failing 4-H sewing skills to attach it to a circular piece of elastic. Then you can slip them over different headrests on the boat. Trust me, it’s very easy.
Rod Storage
My husband thinks we boat so he can fish. I haven’t had the heart to break it to him, but that’s actually not what the boat was built for. Since we don’t own a fishing model, I have come up with some ways to adapt it. I got two small scraps of 2 by 4 boards and had my husband drill one small quarter-inch hole in the top and then a row of 1-inch holes. Homemade rod storage! Of course, no one is paying thousands of dollars for a new boat and then drilling their own holes into it. The small hole at the top is for a zip tie to attach the wood to the rail. When the boat is used for fishing, I zip tie the wood pieces about 8 feet from each other so the poles are out of the way. At the end of the day, I cut the zip tie and dispose of them in the designated area. The wood pieces are stored in the garage and everything is right with the world for one more day.
Hooks
I love 3M hooks. I love that you can put them up, use them and then pull the tab so they are easily released. At the beginning of summer, I mount the hooks for the season and they leave them until winterization. They are so helpful to keep wet towels, excess clothes and actually a million other things out of the way. Obviously, when the boat is moving they aren’t quite as practical. But when you pull up to the sandbar for the kids to jump out, you can hang up their towels so they know right where to find them. Or you can hang up extra clothes. My hubby also uses them to hang his small fishing tackle organizer. You have to careful: they aren’t permanent fixtures so they aren’t going to hold anything extremely heavy. But for the cost and the small amount of space they take up versus the multitude of things you can use them for, I highly recommend them.
Reevaluate
I’m sure I’m not telling you anything new here, but with the finite storage available on your boat, everything you bring onboard has to be examined. In my experience, the longer you own the boat, the more junk starts collecting in areas that don’t get checked out often. Extra weight can affect the performance of your boat so every spring, empty your boat completely. If, after everything is out, your neighbors start wandering over because they assume you are hosting a garage sale on the front lawn, you have too much stuff onboard. It’s time to reevaluate what is necessary. If you are like me and live in a climate with different seasons, your needs change depending on the month. Designate a shelf in your garage for boat items that are out of season. During the summer, extra windbreakers can be stored, while during the fall, you put your water toys there. It’s a win/win.
Water Tight Containers
Can I just say I’m obsessed with The Container Store? They have stores across the country and a great website (www.containerstore.com). I’m in no way being compensated for saying this; it’s honestly my favorite store. They have a ton of watertight totes in lots of shapes and sizes. The very smallest ones fit perfectly in most under-seat storage compartments. They work perfect for keeping things dry. Keep a deck of cards, a box of crackers, emergency radio equipment and everything else that needs to stay dry. It will be neatly contained, yet completely secure.
Isn’t organizing exciting? I told you it would be fun! If I haven’t sold you on the fun factor yet, let me know. I will gladly send your spouse some email encouragement to help get him or her excited about making the boat as functional as possible. It’s all part of the job.
