What's the most useful thing on your narrowboat?

[Guest Quo Vadis]

So far, the most useful thing on my boat has been a spare water pump.

 

It has got water out of all sorts of places it shouldn't have been, and I've just used it, by coupling it's inlet to the boat pump's outlet pipe, to suck all the water out of my calorifier, and to drain every last drop from the water tank.

 

 

[alan_fincher]

It has to be the "other half" - no question about it, and often far more use than I am!

[Guest]

Hand held VHF for warning of the approach of these big uns...

 

[journeyperson]

The engine. I wouldn't get far without it and it has the added benefit of light, power and hot water provision.

[AlanM6]

The hull and the roof they help to keep the water out

[calamity507]

Me.!!!!!

[system 4-50]

A small pocket radio for the weather forecast. (I don't have a TV.)

[FadeToScarlet]

Anything but the cat.....

[mattlad]

The hull and the roof they help to keep the water out

 

 

Yup, the hull, see how far you get without it!

[Travis]

This....

 

 

[Roxy]

Bottle opener

 

On a serious note, my ropes, engine and TV, without them I wouldnt be able to moor up safely, have no electric or hot water be able to cruise anywhere and I would be bored stiff...

[Tiggers]

Water absorbent mats :s

 

I was going to say bottle opener but Roxy beat me to it!

Edited December 11, 2011 by Tiggers

[Guest Quo Vadis]

Now Then ... Now Then ... some of you are being very silly

OK I'll rephrase the question ....

Apart from

The Spouse (optional)

The Hull

The Engine

The Prop

The Roof

The Windows

The Rudder

The Loo (any kind)

The Bed

The Telly

The Radio

The Shower

The Heating

.... phew ... deep breath!

What's the most useful thing on your boat?

[Guest]

Now Then ... Now Then ... some of you are being very silly

OK I'll rephrase the question ....

Apart from

The Spouse (optional)

The Hull

The Engine

The Prop

The Roof

The Windows

The Rudder

The Loo (any kind)

The Bed

The Telly

The Radio

The Shower

The Heating

.... phew ... deep breath!

What's the most useful thing on your boat?

My Leatherman knife thingy,head torch a close second.

Edited December 11, 2011 by Guest

[Athy]

The centre rope comes in useful pretty often.

[Guest Quo Vadis]

My Leatherman knife thingy, head torch a close second.

That's the idea CW ... what I'm really after is a Christmas List for canalboaters .

Got the head torch .... but the Leatherman ..... mmmmmmmm.

[AlanM6]

Iv,e got a old wet and dry vax that i find very handy also i keep a incense burner on the roof in the summer it keeps the midges away

[i love my narrowboat]

My husband, to empty the boo boo box :-) (cassette)

[RLWP]

Kettle

[Québec]

In no particular order...but have made our boating life SO much easier/pleasant

 

Wet/Dry vax....has come into its own on many occasions

 

Two way radio....for actual normal volume conversations when OH is up front and I'm steering (or vice versa) and especially useful at locks.

 

Bellows (obvious use)

 

LED torches (head ones and magnetic ones)

 

King size mattress topper (what a difference!)

 

Decent set of tools in a single case.

 

Wifi

 

MP3 player/ipod with decent music and a decent sound system to play it through.

 

Daylight craft light

Edited December 11, 2011 by Québec

[system 4-50]

On my xmas wishlist:

 

A pair of smallish binoculars, waterproof and knockproof, for looking at the next lock. Preferably ones that can see around corners,

An extra Tilley hat. A boating essential.

A simple BBQ stand that folds completely flat for use with disposable BBQ thingies.

A spanner for my diesel tank cap, 2.25" between the jaws.

A clock, but one that is both visible in the dark, silent (no ticking), and battery operated. OK 3 things...

A small flat clock that I can stick on my control panel so that I can manage the maximum 20mins waiting mooring spots.

A not-yet-invented gadget that stops me knocking paint off my bow.

A replacement set of fire irons that don't come unscrewed when I try to use them. The MC guy warned me they were carp when I bought them and he was so right.

A pair of insulated arms-length nitrile gloves for when I need to play weed-hatch games in Winter.

Another Harris sash & window paint pad for painting under the rails. They work very well and are very hard to find.

A Fein Multimaster (spelling unknown) toolset for doing absolutely everything.

And something that will make my (unfinished) boat infinitely attractive to women.

 

And the list is not yet closed.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Kitchen Roll. However did we manage without it?

[Bob18]

combined bottle/can/cork thing...

[Alan de Enfield]

.......A replacement set of fire irons that don't come unscrewed when I try to use them. The MC guy warned me they were carp when I bought them and he was so right.

.

 

Always listen to a salesman - they (usually - sometimes) know what they are talking about.

I would have thought the difference between a carp and a set of fire irons would have been fairly obvious - but - if its any help I could 'post a picture' of each to save you any embarrassment in the future.

 

Fish do have their place on / in the canals but I would have thought them to be fairly reluctant when you try to 'poke' the fire or use them to remove the ashes (even when said ashes are cold)

 

 

Anyway - to add to the original question - "A boaty-multi-tool" a flat piece of steel with various holes, lugs and flanges that can open diesel filler caps, water filler caps, is several sizes of screwdriver and has several octaganol holes that act as spanners

 

Similar in principle to this one - but bigger and with more 'holes and prongs' on it.

 

[Dog]

 

 

Bellows (obvious use)

 

 

Intigued?