Excited but so many questions

[csd0606]

Well my 10th anniversary present actually got some good use this weekend. My hubby and I finally sailed w/o any big scares. We found a young guy that works at West Marine to come help us after many attempt to hire instructors from the sailing club but they never would called us back. This young man was GREAT and very calm with his extremely clueless students!! Loved it but were so exhausted after only an hour and a half...wimps I know.

My questions have to do more with staying on the boat which we have been doing as much as possible (at the dock) to get used to things, organize and get our 2 tiny dogs accustom to it.

1. We are at a lake but cook on the boat when there - I need suggestions on waste & cleaning dishes. Can you throw food in lake? We have lots of trash which I am trying to get cut down as much as possible.

2. We have a stand up AC for survival in NC but need suggestions - cheap - to keep heat out of front windows. Thought about those car front window covers and wrap with something waterproof then bungee but suggestions...

3. Since we need AC in daytime but are constantly going in and out, we keep slats out of companionway door and have tried rigging several things to cover opening it is all annoying and not working well. Teens in & out, hubby and I trying to do work so in & out. We will get doors eventually, hopefully, but any suggestions for this for the time being. Need better batteries first!

4. Last for now, with small dogs (5lb & 9lb), what is the best way/place to secure them while sailing and with us being very new to sailing and maybe not the safest boat to be on.

Sorry for the long post. I will certainly have more questions as we continue on this adventure but thanks in advance for your ideas.

 

[AWalker]

Make a hinged door rig that fits into where the slats go, can be very simply made out of thin plywood and foam board. Get some doggie life vest for when they are topside, even topside at the dock. Don't throw waste into the waster at the dock. Keep a small pail handy for waste and empty it daily.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Don't empty food waste or otherwise into the lake, period ... that's pollution. If you are spending a lot of time anchoring or in a slip, it might be very beneficial to fashion awnings to cover the cockpit and the front hatch to keep the sun off the boat, and funnels the breeze into the boat. You can save the AC for quieter times when folks aren't in and out so much. I'm not convinced the doors are such a good option on a small boat.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

for trash, I put it coolers, or in 5 gal buckets with twist off lids, or small cat litter pails.

prep before you leave home is key to reduce waste.

for a/c cover the boat with awnings.
I've used shower curtains to create cool / cooler zones.


I always recommend learning on a small boat. saves time in the long run.

good luck

 

[Gary_H]

How are you venting your standup AC to the outside? Make a boom tent to cover and shade you companionway. get a Wind scoop to direct any breezes into the hatchway. Get a couple of good 12 volt fans to circulate the air.

 

[csd0606]

Questions

How are you venting your standup AC to the outside? Make a boom tent to cover and shade you companionway. get a Wind scoop to direct any breezes into the hatchway. Get a couple of good 12 volt fans to circulate the air.

We vent our AC thru the front hatch and the AC is on the table that sits right in the middle of the Hunter 26. My hubby built a piece that fits right in the hatch a it is really quiet to everyone outside. We are having a boom tent made as we speak that will connect to the existing bimini since it already has a zipper on it. Hoping that will help some. The front windows are super hot so I am working on something that will cover those while we are not sailing. I cannot sew but am learning that it is something I really need to do.

 

[Brian S]

For the "good 12v fans" you can look at Caframo fans. http://www.caframo.com/marine/marine_products_12voltfans.php They seem well regarded, and have low power draw. Last night I was at my local West Marine, and they had a display set up with the fans, so you could see how much air each fan moves. I was amazed at how much air the Ultimate model moved. http://www.caframo.com/marine/marine_products_12voltfans_ultimate747.php (I'm planning to get one of the Ultimates for my boat, so I was very excited to see one in action.)

As for making shades for windows and hatches to keep the sun out, and cool the interior, I have seen many folks (one of them is from Arizona, where it's really hot) use the silvered foam car windshield shades. They cut out a piece to fit into the frame of the window, port, or hatch, with the shiny side out to reflect the sun and heat. Something like this should get the job done: http://www.amazon.com/Max-Reflector...375883057&sr=8-4&keywords=windshield+sunshade

Learning how to sew can be very valuable. I have made a no-see-um mesh screen for my companionway that attaches with Velcro. I've repaired my sail cover. And I have made a privacy curtain that looks like a rod pocket cafe curtain, with a bungee cord where the rod would go. This curtain stretches across the companionway, and is easily removed. The loops of bungee on each side hook on brass cup hooks screwed into the plywood that is on each side of the interior of the companionway. It's so much easier to go below for a nap or a nature call on the porta-potty and use this curtain than to dig out the plexiglass hatch boards. Now that they've seen my curtain, several of the ladies at the marina have gone and found cafe curtains or tab top curtains to do similar. Of course, I wanted a simple blue ticking stripe pattern, so it was just as easy for me to buy the fabric at the local fabric store and dash it off on the sewing machine, than to try and find a pre-made curtain that matched my upholstery. And it was a good rainy afternoon project. My girlfriend thought she would make some cockpit cushions, but after she saw my boat sewing projects, she decided not to bother because "You sew better than I do..." I have my Grandmother and my Mother to thank for teaching me how to use sewing machines when I was young!

Brian

 

[Gary_H]

I second the Caframo Ultimate fans. I have one and it seems to push twice the air that many larger fans do and draws very little from the batteries.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

On fans, we have three Hella Marine Jet fans and one Camfron Sirocco 807 fan. The Sirocco moves more air than any other 12 volt fan we have found and uses little power. The Hellas are great in spots. We have one over the galley and one on each side of the v-birth so we can each set it how we like. We purchased them from Defender.

On dogs, here is a post I did on my blog (http://svsmitty.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/sailingcruising-with-a-dog/) and here is a good post from the Monkey Fist that has a lot of good dog information (http://themonkeysfist.blogspot.com/2013/05/dogs-on-board.html#more).

Good luck and fair winds,

Jesse

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Don't empty food waste or otherwise into the lake, period ... that's pollution.

No, that is reducing unneeded waste from going into municipal landfills and the more environmentally conscious thing to do. The best thing to do with it is composting but that is difficult for those on the water.

We are not talking about dumping a 55-gallon drum of accumulated waste from months of meals or a restaurant. We are discussing the little bit of scraps left on the plate and unwanted left overs.

You are simply returning those items to the food chain. Bacteria, fish, shellfish, etc. are simply going to consume the food waste as part of the natural cycle of life.

That being said, be considerate. Don't dump out your food waste while others are swimming next to you.

 

[Sailm8]

You might consider a canvas cover with a lead shot bottom hem for over the hatch when you are climbing in and out. I have one here in Florida and it works great to keep in the A/C on the boat.

I made sun shades from the foil rolls you can buy at home depot. This was a bad mistake. I had them too close to the hatch and it melted the lens. Be careful the heat is really high. You might consider a cover on the outside of the hatches and ports.

I would leave the pooches at home until you are comfortable sailing. You have enough on your plate without them too.

 

[Bob S]

No, that is reducing unneeded waste from going into municipal landfills and the more environmentally conscious thing to do. The best thing to do with it is composting but that is difficult for those on the water.

We are not talking about dumping a 55-gallon drum of accumulated waste from months of meals or a restaurant. We are discussing the little bit of scraps left on the plate and unwanted left overs.

You are simply returning those items to the food chain. Bacteria, fish, shellfish, etc. are simply going to consume the food waste as part of the natural cycle of life.

That being said, be considerate. Don't dump out your food waste while others are swimming next to you.

Interesting, the only things I've put overboard are lobster and/or clam shells (steamers). I've always collected any leftovers into a zip lock baggy or plastic trash/shopping bags and disposed it ashore. I always thought it was illegal to dump food waste. Seen a lot of threads on grey water being an issue although most if not all our boats sinks drain directly into the sea/lakes.

 

[Ross]

There are no leftovers from our meals. I cook only enough for each meal so all we have are dirty dishes. Those are wiped clean with a Kleenex and the washed with a minimum of soap and water. As was started some animal foods can be dumped away from the marinas because the marine life will feast on it. Veggie peelings are always a no no.
cooking fats can be saved for baking or thickened with flour to a paste and made into gravy for the dogs or made even thicker and placed in the trash.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Interesting, the only things I've put overboard are lobster and/or clam shells (steamers). I've always collected any leftovers into a zip lock baggy or plastic trash/shopping bags and disposed it ashore. I always thought it was illegal to dump food waste. Seen a lot of threads on grey water being an issue although most if not all our boats sinks drain directly into the sea/lakes.

Search the EPAs site on food waste. They identify it as one of the biggest problems for landfills. More than 1/5th of the waste going to landfills is food. They have a big campaign to stop that and reduce the food waste in landfills.

 

[Ross]

At home all of the bones from any meat that I use I put out for the wild animals, (fox, raccoon, skunk and cat) it is always gone the next day. If I put it out when it is still daylight the crows or a hawk will take it.

 

[csd0606]

Great ideas...thanks. I hope to install fans soon and will visit WM to check these out.

 

[Brian S]

West Marine sale through 7/18

The Caframo Ultimate 747 is on sale at $39.00 through the 18th. I'm kicking myself for not buying it, because I thought Defender had it cheaper. But this is one of the lowest prices I've seen for that fan. Come to think of it, I might just drive back there after work today to get one...

Brian

Great ideas...thanks. I hope to install fans soon and will visit WM to check these out.