SOMETHING NEW ON THE BUCKET LIST

I use a few of the five gallon buckets or pails on board BIANKA. They come in handy for all kinds of things. From holding cleaning solution for washing down the decks to storage of some of my dive equipment. I use one in the sleeping cabin as a storage bucket and  foot rest for tying shoes. I even use a cover from one of these buckets to cover the opening of the mast partner area over the winter.

I've also used a bucket hung from the main halyard to scare birds away when they seemed to have taken to roosting on the boom:

But, the most useful thing I use the buckets for is a quick wash down after a swim. I keep one of these five gallon buckets filled with fresh water in the corner of the stern and use a small container for a quick freshwater rinse after a swim. So I find these buckets very useful on board. They are pretty durable but, eventually one might crack or I lose the cover and it has to be replaced.  So earlier this spring I went online to look for a replacement cover for one of the buckets and I found a few things that improve my use of these ubiquitous buckets on board. First I discovered the Hydrofarm HG5G 5-Gallon Black Bucket. It is not so much an improvement as a change of color but, the ramifications are that the black color warms the water up faster for that after swim rinse.

The next bucket item I found which was a real improvement was Custom LeatherCraft 1140 EasySeat Lightweight Plastic Bucket Seat for 3 1/2- 5 Gallon Buckets:

This allows one to use the bucket as a seat and works very well for that function as well as a cover for the bucket. It also has a very light coefficient of friction so you can sit on it and spin around on the bucket. Very useful when working down low and needing to turn and reach for a tool. The cover is also has grooves so that it drains off any water that falls on it unlike the usual bucket cover.  It also has a very convenient tab on the side that was probably put there so these covers could be hung up for an in store display:

 But, I found it very useful to tie a lanyard to the tab and the bucket so the cover could not be separated and fall over the side. Which could easily happen with the generic bucket cover:

 I like how this cover worked so well I bought a second one to use on a bucket I have inside the cabin. One would think it's hard to improve on the basic five gallon bucket but, in my opinion someone has.

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUCKET LIST

Buckets of rain

Buckets of tears

Got all them buckets coming out of my ears

Buckets of moonbeams in my hand

You got all the love honey baby

I can stand.

                                                                                              -Bob Dylan

 

Well, Capt. Mikes sojourn to the U.S. and Spanish Virgin Islands is over and it's time to get back on board and do what needs to be done. Most of the boats in BIANKA's harbor are pulled and winterized and that means it's time for Capt. Mike to check and renew BIANKA's stock of buckets. Buckets are useful things on board a boat.

The above photo shows the collection I carry on board BIANKA. 

On the left is the ubiquitous five gallon bucket. I have several of these on board. One holds much of my diving gear, another is located on the starboard quarter and holds fresh water for rinse downs after a swim. They can also be useful in making a bird diverter.  Another is located in the Captains cabin where it serves as a small hassock/seat and holds extra canned provisions under it's lid. They stack easily and I am delighted when I find one floating in BIANKA's path while underway or on a beach combing walk.  I will always pick them up and find a use for them on board.

The middle bucket was an emergency purchase made from a Mattituck hardware store when the Wilcox Critterdon head had one of it's all to frequent breakdowns. Since I changed to a LAVAC head it has not had to be put into service but. remains on board just in case.

The bucket on the right is also one of my favorites because it is free! Capt. Mike thinks free is good especially when dealing with a boat's needs. I usually make these buckets from recycled anti freeze containers which in the fall are found in the boatyard by the hundreds:

Cutting off the top of an gallon jug makes for an excellent bucket with many useful purposes. NOTE: The top can also be used as a funnel. Punch a hole on each side and fit some 1/4" line with a figure eight knot on each end and you have a handle. Attach another lanyard to the handle and it becomes a very useful wash bucket in the cockpit. One that will last for years.

I also have a few around that I use to put tools and parts in when I work on projects down below. Like this bucket which is made out of an empty Simple Green container:

The bucket keeps everything in one spot and not rolling around the hull when I'm working.  Because the sides are very flexible they make great bailing buckets for the dingy or bilge too! Even if it does not last years (most of mine do) you can't beat the price and it's easy enough to make another one. Better still you are keeping another piece of plastic out of a landfill. I know it may be just (wait for it) "a drop in the bucket"  but, every little bit helps the environment and since it is useful on board the boat too that's not a bad thing!