Your Tips for Over-nighting on your AS

[T Race]

Hello mates,

    Some of ya'll spend the night on your boats for various reasons, camping on the water, as it were.  I am hoping everyone with some experience with overnighting/cruising for a few days would like to share your best tips, must have items, never do what I did, or any other useful or Woodsy-Good-To-Know idea relative to spending 3 to 6 nights on your boat.  Here are some categories I would be interested in learning from ya'll.
-  Cooking
-  Stowing
-  Sleeping
-  Fishing
-  Provisioning

   Thanks in advance for your consideration and attention !!   Best wishes to you all, T

[RickK]

3-6 nights is a far cry from "overnighting".

Overnighting - don't need a whole bunch (even less if you have a bunch to drink   )

3-6 days
This is what we've added:
Keeping out of sun: full length bimini
Keeping warm or out of rain: Full 360 degree eisenglass zip in panels
Keeping bugs out: Full 360 degree screen zip in panels

Sleeping:
air mattresses with 12 pump
sleeping bags

Cooking:
Magnum 17" party size gas grill with regulator for big tank
Fiberglass 5 gal propane tank

Clean up:
Raw water washdown with dedicated hose and nozzle
Freshwater tank (I have 40gal) with dedicated freshwater washdown pump and hose

Food and drink:
120 qt+ cooler used for dry storage and food that doesn't need cold
120 qt+ cooler used for cold storage

Lots of towels
harbor freight 1" and 2" spring clamps
Use small spring clamps to clip towels to bimini and bimini frame where needed to keep sun out
Use spring clamps to clip open sleeping bags across top of bimini to add insulation and cool area below.

Lots of sunscreen

Honda e2000i generator
2 - 1gal no-spill containers of gas
Window shaker Air Conditioner to put in doorway - build fill in "dam" for rest of doorway - generator will run AC for 7 hours on 1 gal of gas.
18" 12v box fan

Rubber back rugs for cockpit floor.

That's a start.

[flounderpounder225]

T...
For 3-6 nights, this might slow your cruise speed down a bit, but.....





















 :rabbit:

Have a good weekend.
Marc

[wingtime]

Man that looks like a classic Scotty Camper that bubba used to build that party barge.

[T Race]

T...
For 3-6 nights, this might slow your cruise speed down a bit, but.....


 :rabbit:

Have a good weekend.
Marc

Awwwww...... hell no...... that dog just ain't gonna hunt !!!!

Wait... I am now a TRUE BELIEVER in Bennett trim tabs...  I am convinced that if you slammed a set of Sport Tabs on that fun float that lil' sombeech would jump right out the hole !! :compress:

Rick, thanks, that is EXACTLY the type of thing I was after....PERFECT

[seabob4]

T,
Keep in mind, well placed marinas with a comfy hotel/motel/cabin midway through the cruise can do wonders on the Admiral...  

[gran398]

Certainly could. Wonders are good. Like your thinking Bob.

 

"The charm of fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive, but attainable. A perpetual series of occasions for hope."

[T Race]

T,
Keep in mind, well placed marinas with a comfy hotel/motel/cabin midway through the cruise can do wonders on the Admiral...  

Roger that, SB4 ...  

     Actually, those "midway" trips to the hotel for some ice'd Tanqueray/Tonics and a chilly nights sleep in some AC applies more to me than the Admiral:  she is harder than woodpecker lips.  

     I've spent so many nights freezing in an Uncle Sam fartsack or roasting in a filthy sandbox far, far away that I am kind of insistent about "the comforts of Life".....  frosty Tanqueray and clean sheets !  Mmmmm, I'm making myself thirsty !  

     But I like the way you're thinking !!   Best wishes, T

[T Race]

Honda e2000i generator
2 - 1gal no-spill containers of gas
Window shaker Air Conditioner to put in doorway - build fill in "dam" for rest of doorway - generator will run AC for 7 hours on 1 gal of gas.
18" 12v box fan

Rick,

     Can you tell me more about this AC unit?  Is the manufacturer called Window Shaker? Where did you buy it?  Does it work well?

    Thanks for all your help and advise, you're a good ship mate, T

[GoneFission]

Rick,

     Can you tell me more about this AC unit?  Is the manufacturer called Window Shaker? Where did you buy it?  Does it work well?

    Thanks for all your help and advise, you're a good ship mate, T

Actually, something like this works pretty well on a smaller boat (less than 30 feet).  You just duct the hot air out through an open port.  Some boats have ports that almost match the duct size...  These usually draw  around 12 amps, so they will run on a 2000 watt generator, but you won't be running much else...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/KuulAire-12-0 ... r/16621164

[Circle Hooked]

T Rick has a cool little setup using a fairly cheap window ac unit,hopefully he has some pics.

[RickK]

Sorry, no pics.
I went to H/D and bought a $69 window mount AC unit (hence Window shaker).  It's about 2 1/2 " too narrow for the cabin door so I bought some foam to fill the gap.
I found some plastic "u" channel "track" and screwed it down the sides of the cabin doorway and ended it where the AC top is - this is for a piece of plywood that I slide down from the top to fill the upper void in the doorway.  I cut a hole for a plexi window in the plywood so we can see out - watching for those somalian pirates, don't cha know.  The cabin door "lid" closes snuggly on the plywood.  I have some leftover fake wood (synthetic planking I used to cradle the fresh water tank) that I use underneath it on the cockpit side for support and it is just the right height to to let the AC unit drain onto the cockpit sole instead of in the cabin.
We have a a CO detector in the cabin, the generator is at the very back of the boat, exhaust pointing over the transom.  It is very comfortable in the cabin - you need a sheet or light blanket to stay comfy though.  The Honda runs it for 7 hrs on a gal of gas.  
The honda is very quiet or a least quite reasonable.  The last gathering I ran it for a members breathing machine and when I shut it off the next morning it had only used about half a tank - plus people said they kinda missed the hum when they were sleeping.  I thought they were being facetious but they said "no, really".  It's really quiet.

[RickK]

Actually, something like this works pretty well on a smaller boat (less than 30 feet).  You just duct the hot air out through an open port.  Some boats have ports that almost match the duct size...  These usually draw  around 12 amps, so they will run on a 2000 watt generator, but you won't be running much else...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/KuulAire-12-0 ... r/16621164

GF, I have one of those still in the box that I bought right after a major hurricane came through here in '04.  I have a friend that used one in his house during that time and it kept one room cool while there was no power.  So now I'm ready for the next one - have a 3 gennys at the house.
Too big for my boat though.

[Circle Hooked]

- plus people said they kinda missed the hum when they were sleeping

That was me and i did miss it,good memory Rick.

[vonkamp]

I would like to do some overnighting but it will have to be cool weather. The cabin of my boat has been named the "Hell Hole" thanks to the Florida sun and a pathetic Hella fan.

As far as tips, lots of carabiners and bungee cords...