How do you hang up decorations on a boat? Or even towels, dish rags or pot holders? How about photos on the wall? If you’re like me, it hurts to even think of making holes in that beautiful wood.
Hanging Options on Boats
Aboard Que Tal, we used a variety of solutions. Lots of screw-in cup hooks, left by the previous owner — plus a few we added in “hidden” spots. Industrial strength Velcro for the laptop and things on the nav station, which was very hard to remove (I was afraid it was going to peel the Formica off the wood under it). For photos, we used tape, which fell off in hot weather, or poster putty which also would slowly soften and release the pictures in hot weather.
Command Strips
Enter Command Strip products (Amazon) These weren’t available — or at least I wasn’t aware of them — when we moved aboard Que Tal and I never saw them in Mexico. But now that I’ve discovered them, I’ve come to the conclusion that they were just made for boats!
Basically, there are four great things about Command Strip products:
- They leave no mark, hole, residue or anything else when you remove them.
- Installation is dead simple.
- They have a lot of holding power compared to many other options.
- There’s one designed for almost every application you can think of.
And they’re not too expensive, either. You can buy them at almost any big box store or hardware.
The only complaints I’ve heard from fellow cruisers that that they can damage thin veneer. So keep that in mind if you’re not working with solid wood or thicker veneer.
Uses for Command Strips
Ideas for using them on the boat, galley and otherwise:
Hooks
Hooks (Amazon) are perfect for hanging almost everything — towels, hot pads, dish rags, an apron, a bag of clothes pins, keys, grocery bags, shower bag . . . whatever. And since there’s no damage to beautiful woodwork, you can put them wherever it’s convenient.
Another idea is to turn them horizontally and run a bungee cord between two for a paper towel holder (see more on this idea).
Depending on the size — they go from mini to large — hooks will hold up to about 5 pounds. Option for heavy duty options if you have any doubts.
Picture Strips
Command Picture Strips (Amazon) will handle almost everything else. Believe it or not, some can support as much as 20 pounds!
They are great for pictures, in frames or plastic sleeves (we got some of the clear plastic “picture holders” designed to go on a refrigerator with a magnet and used them on the walls so that the photos would be protected). You could use them to mount a spice rack in the galley . . . or attach a divider in a locker.
They remind me of very strong Velcro — and they’re great for keeping electronics in place, too. Laptops, chargers and other things that you want to keep in place (no guarantees in particularly rough seas — all boats differ, so use your own judgment as to what is sufficient).
In the cockpit, we used Velcro to keep the autopilot control in one place, and also on our SSB/ham/stereo speakers (they weren’t built in). It was a real pain to remove the Velcro when it came time . . . these would have held better than the Velcro and been easier to remove — a definite win/win.
One quick note on using the picture strips — the first ones I used, I aligned with the outside edge of a picture frame. As you can see in the picture, it’s definitely visible from the side. Now, the nice thing is that I can easily remove the strip and place it further from the edge . . . but think about this as you’re hanging items!
Spring Clips
As I began researching all the Command Strip varieties, one that really appealed to me for the galley are the spring clips (Amazon)..
Put them on the wall to hold lists, recipes, meal plans and more. They’d also be handy at the nav station or helm for keeping info that you want instantly at hand. And one would be perfect for a laminated sheet with emergency info and radio frequencies right next to the radio.
Cord Organizers
There are also cord organizers — great for running wiring anywhere, either through lockers or in an exposed location. They also offer “bundlers” (Amazon) that are perfect for keeping excess cord out of the way.
We use lots of all these types on Barefoot Gal! And hopefully now you have a new way to hang up decorations on a boat–without creating holes.
Related Posts
Your VHF can do so much! Learn how to use ALL its features for just $39:
And check out our other courses and products
Carolyn Shearlock says
MaryJo — I’ve used them on varnished wood — teak, oak and maple that I know of — and they’ve worked perfectly. I’ve also used them on cheap laminates with no problem. Painted wood, walls and bathroom tile have all been fine. I’mgoing to guess that rough wood would NOT work, however.
MaryJo Boyle says
They really do work on wood. I’ve got them all over the boat now! =0)
Carolyn Shearlock says
If paint or varnish is not in good condition, yes, they can pull it up . . . but then, even Scotch tape will pull peeling paint off.
Connie Downs says
The difference is that when you try to take the Velcro strips off later, they tend to destroy the surface. The Command Strips are designed so that when you go to remove them, you don’t just peel off, you s-t-r-e-t-c-h the material and it comes off without damaging the surface. Brilliant!! I did not get the concept originally, and peeled some paint off my classroom wall the first time, thinking, “Wait a minute! This wasn’t supposed to ruin my wall!” Then, I actually read the instructions on the package, and have never gone back.
Carolyn Shearlock says
You can use the sticky-back Velcro on the side going to the wall, and the sew-on type on the fabric. One side hooks and the other loops.
Cheri Hanes says
Perfect!
Carolyn Shearlock says
I know well how hot it gets in Baja — cruised there six years full time (yes, including the summer). Didn’t use these then (weren’t available) but have now in southern FL over the summer. The ones inside were fine — had a couple on windows that dried out and “unstuck.” So it seems to be that temp alone is fine, but right in the window with harsh summer sun (it was holding silver film to the window so lots of extra heat and reflected light) was bad.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’ve had that happen and I was able to kind of reach under most of them with a pair of tweezers and grab a tiny bit and pull out. On the others, I had to pull hard and it finally stretched out and I could grab it.
barbara says
Carolyn you are so determined and resourceful, always honing to make things work better. I loved your details on the fridge thermometer. Even tho I am a landlubber I use many of your hints. You are a doll!
Carolyn Shearlock says
Thanks!
Joshua Hockman says
Oh, HA! I should have read the article….
The Boat Galley says
The Command Strips won’t leave a mark or hole if you switch things around in the future . . .
The Boat Galley says
😉
Mell says
I had the problem on a boat we recently bought. Some of command strips were old and the glue part would just broke instead of stretching and coming off. I googled it and they recommended using dental floss or fishing line to cut behind the hook, then rolling off any residual glue. It worked perfectly!
Anna Klosterman says
So god the bathroom versions hold up to heat and humidity? I have tried these on our boat and the Texas weather didn’t keep them holding
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’m in the Florida Keys and Bahamas — really humid — and mine haven’t come off as long as I clean the surface well (and make sure it’s dry) before attaching the strip and wait the prescribed length of time before mounting anything on it, and also don’t exceed the recommended weight. The times I’ve had a problem have been due to operator error and once I re-did things correctly, no problems. Admittedly, I haven’t tried to put up anything real heavy.
William Kelly says
I’m in Canada, yes they are Canadian Tire, Home Depot and even Walmart.
Yvonne McTeer says
William Kelly thanks .. I will pick up some and take to the boat this winter
Carolyn Shearlock says
If it’s sufficiently flat, it will. If the texture is really spiky, no. And it depends on the weight of what you put on it.