Sail it, Stow it or Sell it?
Today's contestant is Howard Rice
Here’s a game we like to call: Sail it, Stow it, or Sell it
We’ll list various boat-related gear. You tell us whether you would Sail it (meaning you like it or would keep it close at hand always) Stow it (maybe keep it somewhere around the boat or shop) or Sell it (don’t like or not needed).
Today’s contestant is boat builder and small-boat adventurer, Howard Rice.
Okay….here we go…
Battery powered nail gun or stapler with both stainless and composite staples
“Sail It. Some folks wire their boats together, some drive screws. For this boat builder few tools are more important and useful than a cordless air strike nail gun. No pesky hose to drag around, you know the one that always seems in the way for certain tasks. No loud air compressor turning on and off. Double duty calls for the belt hanger. Strap this baby on the belt for your next back yard BBQ and be the envy of the neighborhood. Yep this tool is a Sail On!”
Folgers Instant Coffee
“Sell It or better yet toss this one over the nearest fence. I read the words Folgers Instant Coffee and I suffer from equal parts yech and deja gag me brew having suffered through more cups around camp fires supplied by well meaning friends than I can recount. There are few better onboard rituals than a high-quality whole-bean dark brew ground to perfection and sipped with an air of haute elegance. After all we are small-boat yachtsmen and women. Sell It. Better yet just don't buy it!”
An outboard motor
“Stow It. Don't get me started:-) For the most part these smelly creatures often don't start precisely when needed. Many a sailors skill has been diminished through reliance on the iron spinnaker. OK, for some of us an outboard is a necessity or a good back-up. Learn how to warp your boat and how to sail in and out of slips, it's fun and far less noisy, smelly and polluting. Stow It! There is no better bailer than a scared man and a bucket, and no more reliable horsepower than a solid set of oars.”
Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning oil
“Sell it. Stick a fork in me and flip me over to crisp to a golden brown equally on both sides. Sun Screen as in Sun Screen!!!!...............Sell It- Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning oil, harumph, not even good for cooking!”
Knee pads
“Stow It. There are times when aging knees or serious foredeck work call for a bit of padding. I often carry a pair on board certain boats for when the wind pipes up and on all fours is the best way to keep man on boat. Stow It.”
Gourmet Vinegar
“Sail It. Back to the haute elegance of small boat yachting. Given limited space and the desire for tasty foods a tiny container of designer vinegar in the cook kit can make all the difference. No salad as you gag through another freeze dried concoction? After few bites of that cardboard textured chicken cacciatore, take a tiny sip of designer vinegar and voila your mouth is tricked into a hint of salad and your palette cleared as you struggle to get the next bite of cacciatore down the gullet. Sail It!”
Good info, Skipper has tolerated my outboard phase for too long, she never used one on the Drascombe Lugger. Her Dad did tote around a recalcitrant British Seagull for a year or two before trading it for a Christmas tree.**
Now the Folgers Coffee in the can is good for something..buy it, throw the coffee away and use the plastic container and lid to stow items like spare hardware. We've had Folgers cans, first metal and now plastic, in our shop for years :)
**Full disclosure on outboards, we ran a new Suzuki 6hp 4 stroke on the Lugger when were down in Florida. We were on a remote bay, it was Florida sauna hot at times, "air you can wear." If the wind died or we had some other breakdown, a long afternoon could have easily turned into a medical emergency, as there was no one else on the bay and the nearest land could be several miles away. Conversely, back in our Corpus Christi days there was always wind and always other boaters working the bay. Better options here in Virginia as well with local watermen always out there.
I can’t think of a single time I’ve needed a stapler or nail gun on Avemar. However, my Sawzall is always charged up and ready to sail!