Keeping It Handy on a Boat - The Boat Galley

Does the lack of space to lay down recipes, instructions and other info drive you nuts on the boat? So many times, I’ve ended up with papers sliding away just as I needed them — whether cooking or doing maintenance and repair.

Ray Johnson, a reader and Facebook fan of TBG, sent me this photo a few days ago with a note that it could work just as well on a boat. Yep! I agree. A few days ago, I wrote about my daughter-in-law’s idea for using clip hangers for drying clothes and towels. Here’s another use for those same clip hangers.

Now, I realize that most boats don’t have door knobs located right where you’d want to hang info for a project. But you can put up a suction cup hanger or — for a semi-permanent hook — use one with a Command strip (they hold very securely, yet can be removed without leaving a mark or residue). In the galley, you could screw in a cup hook quite inconspicuously . . . or hang it from a port hatch.

I particularly like it for keeping a booklet open to the page that you’re on. Even if you don’t want to hang the directions, it’d be great just as a hold-open device.

Dave just looked over my shoulder and saw this. His immediate comment was how well it would have worked in the lazarette when replacing a bilge pump and there was no convenient place to put the installation info where he could see it easily — he kept losing it, and then would get “gunk” on it as he’d have to flip it around to the right side again and again. But there were plenty of places he could have hung a hanger from.

Thanks for passing this on, Ray!

About the Author: Carolyn Shearlock

Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.

Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.

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