# Indulgences on board?



## eryka

Seems like a natural companion thread to "must-haves on board."

So. What do you have that really isn't necessary, but ups your standard of living on the boat? 

Here's an example: A friend is changing the (perfectly serviceable) upholstery of the boat they bought a year ago. It's not her style and not her color, though. Part of making it "their" home instead of "a" home.

I'm having trouble thinking of my own indulgences, we've been so busy spending time/money/energy on necessities getting our boat ready for cruising - new sails, solar panels, standing rigging, etc. But I will ...


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## zz4gta

toilet paper.  Love me some 2 ply.


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## CalypsoP35

*stereo*

I would love to upgrade to decent sound system with speakers in the cockpit. I have a few other projects to complete before that, such as re-doing my non-skid and new cockpit cushions.


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## AjariBonten

Ice. lots of nice Ice


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## Giulietta

Cigars and wine...

and many bags with sails..I have a box full of blocks and lines...I love blocks and shackles..


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## tommays

When i am really feeling spendy i buy a bag of ice :laugher


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## frankdrebin

Gps.


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## TSOJOURNER

I am having a full battened main built this year. The admiral may want airconditioning this year as this summer we are sailing to Chicago and it will be warm there (for her). As for the Ol' Irwin, every thing has been provided for. Just need April. I did buy a new VHF.

Mark


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## PBzeer

A motor for the dink. A generator so I can use more juice than I need to. 3 kinds of tea I really like instead of something cheaper.


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## sailortjk1

Why are you "Guys" in "Her Sailnet". For some reason I don't think that is what Eryka had in mind. It reminds me of the time that Sailingdog was giving advise to the ladies about "Feminine Issues."


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## AlanBrown

Hmmm, ice, toilet paper, sound, and cigars. All the comforts of home and only one small mention of booze. My thoughts:

How about a good light in the cockpit so I still read after the sun goes down.

Or, screens that can actually keep the no-see-ums from eating me alive all night.

I'd love a place in the salon where I could sit back and cogitate, when the weather's bad and I'm stuck below decks, that's as comfortable as my easy chair back home.

Finally, I'd love a berth that's easy to get in and out of, without having to crawl over my honey, when I have to pull anchor watch all night long.

Grant me these few pleasures and I can learn to drink my rum & tonics warm.


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## Giulietta

sailortjk1 said:


> Why are you "Guys" in "Her Sailnet". For some reason I don't think that is what Eryka had in mind. It reminds me of the time that Sailingdog was giving advise to the ladies about "Feminine Issues."


And what are YOU doing here too?? takes a queer to see a queer you know.....:laugher :laugher

Hey..I remeber that..SD was telling the woman how to use a tampon or something...

Tim, can you find that thread??? that one was Hillarious....:laugher :laugher :laugher he was all serious about it , too!!!


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## aquavit

We have glass wine glasses and champagne flutes on board, wrapped in socks to prevent breakage. We always carry champagne to drink once we get to the Bahamas. I also have various holiday napkins on board for the appropriate holidays (ie Easter, Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day.)


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## ADMTROX

Ceramic dishes and wine glasses made of glass!


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## Melrna

Indulgence on my boat is me just owning one to begin with. But I have to say I did put some "Female" touches on her with new curtains, throw pillows and one of my paintings. Since I single hand though, my main indulgence was to make her fit for me to take her in and out myself. I had a friend of mine make me some special hooks that grasp my lines in my dock so I can get the boat in and out without hitting my neighbors. My other upgrade was putting music on the boat using my IPOD.
Galleywise - nesting SS cooking pots. I loves these. Tumblers for my rum drinks.


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## Giulietta

Melrna said:


> new curtains, throw pillows and one of my paintings.


*Bwahahahahahaha*

:laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher

that is so typical....:laugher :laugher :laugher

why do you girls need to have 15 pillows on the beds??

Everynight I go to bed, I spend 1/2 hour piling pillows on the floor...

:laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher

You know how to see if a man is married or gay??

Count the pillows...straight singles have a rag for pillows....married and gay man, have 9 pillows...


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## camaraderie

Ha! Sorry to hijack a bit Eryka...but right now in our master bathroom...not our guest bathroom...there are 11 towels. No joke...11 towels. I am not allowed to use ANY of these 11 towels...they are for decoration. The towels I am allowed to use are outside the bathroom in a closet. What's up with that!!   

Anyway...my luxury is a queen sized mattress with innersprings an the aft cabin. Back on topic unless you care to explain the towel Mel!!


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## eryka

zz4gta said:


> toilet paper.  Love me some 2 ply.


Darn! Several people warned me to stock up on paper goods before we leave the U.S. ... but that was the locker I'd planned to use for BEER!


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## eryka

Giu - we've got lots of pillows on board, but except for the 3 on the V-berth, they're just covers stuffed with off-season clothing and spare bedding. Does that count?


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## eryka

Good-color lighting? Right now we use halogen for general cabin lighting when plugged in at the dock, and warm-white LEDs at anchor. Their power usage is great <.5 amp, and bright enough, but the color is less than wonderful. We're considering "indulging" in this rather pricey light: Home which some friends swear by, color is very nice and only uses .8 amp on high - has anyone else used them and what do you think?

I know candles and oil lamps use zero power but it just won't work for our space.


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## doubleeboy

Last summer I spent a couple hours on board an Ericson 37 that had the Alpenglow lighting. Very nice, I spent 2 hours reading the boat's log using the lights and my eyes were not tired or bothered. I really dislike most of the LED lighting I have been around but not the Alpenglow. The folks who owned the boat also raved about the lighting.

michael


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## Cruisingdad

eryka said:


> Good-color lighting? Right now we use halogen for general cabin lighting when plugged in at the dock, and warm-white LEDs at anchor. Their power usage is great <.5 amp, and bright enough, but the color is less than wonderful. We're considering "indulging" in this rather pricey light: Home which some friends swear by, color is very nice and only uses .8 amp on high - has anyone else used them and what do you think?
> 
> I know candles and oil lamps use zero power but it just won't work for our space.


I honestly found that we enjoy having regular old lamps aboard. You can get bulbs everywhere, the lamps make you feel like home, and they put out a good "color" light.

I will assume that Eryka wanted men responses too, so I will add those along with my wife's:

Bread machine. She thinks it is a mandatory, I think if she can find space for it, fine. Of course, she says the same about my tools.

Definietly an IPOD. I really put this more into the absolute's. For those that have not gone that route, you will look back and thank me (much like the nesting pots/pans).

Toys, toys, toys... etc. But we have kids.

I could probably live without half the elctronics I own... but they sure make life nice.

I do NOT find solar a luxury item. I cannot imagine not having them. Same with bbq (sorry, Eryka... but fish is awesome on the barbie too). Right now you are in an area where heat is not a big deal. It will be when you head south. If you can pick up a cheap BBQ, you will thank me. Get the magma that you can take to the beach. You will have a lot of beach parties with other cruisers. Believe me... you will (given your personality many will want you around). Those little grills aren't enough to cook more than a couple of peoples food on. It also gives you a backup to the stove for when you forget to get the tank filled or run out in teh middle of a Tuna Steak!! Don't ask me how I know.

Here is a really nice indulgence: walkie-talkies. It is espcially nice when one of you is out fishing or exploring and the other is boat-side. You can use your handheld VHF (although technically illegal if someone is shoreside). However, there is soooo much traffic on them it becomes irritating. Also difficult to have a private or long conversation. We love ours and they are not expensive in $$ or power. We use the 5 mile motorolas. Geting the FCC license is a piece of cake. You could use the 2 miles if you want. They just seem to not really get anywhere near the 2 mile limit.

Davits. You can get by without them. I wouldn't.

Dodger and bimini. One of our best investments.

Beer and alcohol. We really like beer every once in a while, but it truly a convenience and indulgence on a boat. It has to stay cold and takes up lots of space in the fridge, dry storage, AND holding tank.

A portable, 12 v fan. Really nice when in large seas for some reason... or the hot duldrums at anchor. We got the Calmari (sp???) (white with high/low switch on back). Best fans yet... but relatively expensive. They come with either a suction cup mount or hard mount for direct wiring. Make sure you have minimum 1-2 12v plugs in the cockpit in addition to those down below. Incidentally, other than the fan, we bacically use the 12v outlets for NOTHING as we have a large inverter.

Large inverter. It was Tom Neale that talked me into one of these things. We lived aboard before without it. I would never go back out without a large inverter. Lamps... TV (another luxury)... microwave... hairdryer. Could you do without it?? Certainly. I would not if I could afford not to. And yes, we have a diesel generator. But who wants to listen to that noisy (and stinky) thing.

Diesel genset. I actually prioritize this lower than almost everything else, believe it or not. If I was going to put money into things, I would opt for a large solar array and large inverter over a diesel genny. The times when it gets used, about the only time, is for air cond and heat. 80-90% of the time, we get by without it. Exceptions are actually at night when it is very cold or hot with no wind. To give you some idea, after 4 years, we now have 120 hours on our generator!!!! Divide that the number of days and you will see why we prioritize it so low. ALso, it is VERY, VERY expensive (to the tune of about 15k). Still, when it is needed, it is awesome. And when everyone else is sleeping in their cockpits getten eaten up by no-seeums and mosquitos, we are down below sleeping in total comfort.

TV. Enough said.

Cokes and Pepsis. Same difficulty as beer.

ICe. As has been mentioned before. You can buy a icemaker. It is good when running the genny. No generator, no ice maker... my opinion.

Dive gear. I think snorkling gear is mandatory, dive gear a luxury. I am a big fan of diving, though. I am really having trouble justifying the compressor. Had a long conversatio nwith George (Cam) about this. He said to get it filled at the islands. I have mixed feelings. I will probably take his advice.

Water maker. I have not bought mine yet, though I think I will go with Village. We have four aboard and 120-130 water. THis pushes the limits of indulgence... though many do without it.

Washer/dryer. We are probably not going to have room for it. If we did, I would spend the money and get it.

Very good set of knives. THis walks a thin line between indulgence and neccessity.

Hammock. Got the "jamaican" hamock for fathers day. It sure is nice swinging in it on a nice day.

Brass Clock and barometer. Certainly nice to have, but certainly not a neccessity.

Fishing gear. It is an indulgence and a neccessity, depending on where your destination is.

SSB/Ham.

Liferaft.

Those are a few of my thoughts. I do not smoke, so cannot comment (or comprehend) those indulgences.

Brian


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## Cruisingdad

A few more additions:

Oil lamps are fun, but not necessary.

Games, especially board games.

Carpet. We ahve ti so the kids can roll around on the floor.

Glass glasses (2-4 wine and 2-4 tumblers)

- CD


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## eryka

Wow, CD, great post! I wish I could afford (both space and $$) to just print it out like a shopping list and take it to West Marine.

We think alike on having lots of solar power in preference to a genset. Your comment about ice, beer, pepsi, etc made me smile - on our previous boat we had minimal ice box space so we learned to drink only red wine (which tastes better warm than white wine does) and rum (more buzz per volume than beer) and we have a Soda Club machine rather than canned soda for the space issues.


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## alwheeler98

A fan. 

I'm used to falling asleep with white noise, and the breeze can help keep the bugs away. And, of course, keeps the air moving and cooler at night.

And I'm kind of a princess about my sleeping conditions, so it always helps to keep me happy.  

I'll be happy when we have a boat that doesn't involve having the tushie of the second person going to bed ending up in the face of the first person who got into bed.


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## sailingdog

One favorite piece of equipment for me is the BBQ grill on the stern rail.


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## Dick Pluta

The first thing we are did was the interior, headliner, upholstery, etc. I want a new mainsail, but if my wife can put up with 8 foot seas, I can give on amenities. Even so, we agree on the best indulgence. When we bought the boat we both thought it was ridiculous. After 2 years we agree it's one of the best things on the boat. The trash compacter.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA
On the hard somewhere near Moore Haven FL


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## eryka

I wouldn't have thought about that either. But at the same time, a charter-captain friend of ours has lusted after our oversize trash bin. At first I thought it a ridiculous waste of space but after a week of anchoring off pristine beaches, I realize how much packaging waste we create.


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## wind_magic

Indulgences ...

Stamps/postage - for greeting cards, sending letters to family and friends, etc, yes you can do everything online these days but nothing quite replaces the romance of an actual written letter. They just haven't figured out how to let you send a packet of white sand from an exotic location or pressed flowers over the Internet yet.

Phone calls - calling card + pay phone = smiling faces

Inland travel - gasoline (or money for catching rides), travel food, camping gear, etc, for those trips inland to see the sights for days or weeks at a time. This is a rather big indulgence for me because I am equipped to go inland for extended periods of time in all kinds of conditions, so I have a lot of equipment associated with this. This is what it is all about for me.

Wash board - so much easier to use for tough washing than a plunger or other methods, especially for things that have to get clean ..

Tom cat gear - nice clothing tucked away in a safe place, shirts/ties, nice shoes, jackets, etc, money for dry cleaning, and all the rest. All work and no play ...

Convenience foods - pre-packaged meals, canned foods, etc, because nobody wants to cook from scratch all the time.

Grain mill - for milling flour, make the best flat bread ..

Dinghy motor

Solar panels, other electrics, radios, and assorted electronic gear. This is my hobby so I go a little overboard here. Easily an expensive indulgence with all the interesting gadgets out there to choose from.

The most important indulgence in my opinion is investing in your own freedom and independence, and that is gained more by what you don't have on your indulgence list than what you do have on it. Never HAVE to come home, be able to leave and stay gone.


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## jennycaron

I love the dinghy. I have long working hours and my fiance picks me up nearly every night after work in the dinghy and gets me home nearly 20 minutes earlier than if I were walking by foot.

We just got a new/used mattress and that has definitely changed my life. It is much better than sleeping on the 2 inch thick foam mattress previously on the boat.


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## Writerhall

I love my expensive, but all-natural shampoo and conditioner. Cruising is sort of like camping, and so if you can feel that you're doing something nice for your body, it just makes it so much nicer.


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## ardoin

I agree with the shampoo. The other nice think is gruyere cheese.
Oh, can't for get the aged rum
And ICE, but i have a machine that turns diesel into ICE at Katrina prices... but it is all for the rum.


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## jackdale

I thought the thread was about slips of paper that get me out of purgatory faster. :laugher


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## TSOJOURNER

A Blond...maybe a redhead.... any port in the storm as they say.... Oh, and a gps would be nice...he he he


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## sailhagg

Marine/RV toilet paper...trust me you don't want to have to deal with the 'mess' of 2 ply. Those of you saying, "What mess?" Just haven't been there yet!


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## Freesail99

Skype I love it works great. I even bought a $16 buck usb phone to use with it.


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## saltydawg

ME:
A steady supply of Dark chocolate
Good Shampoo & Conditioner
Fresh flowers and beeswax candles

Husband:
Collection of sci-fi books
a millions back copies of SCUBA magazine 


5 Year Old Son:
A (sigh) pet guinea pig


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## wind_magic

saltydawg said:


> 5 Year Old Son:
> A (sigh) pet guinea pig


Hey, they call those Cuy in the Andes (Guinea pigs, not sons), and they are considering good eating, taste just like chicken. One of my food encyclopedias says that they are kept in the window sill or in a low sided box indoors and fed grass and other plants that they favor, the book remarked on their amazing reproductive rate such that you could own a small family of Cuy and count on eating a Cuy a day. 

Source: Guinea pig at Wikipedia (as food)

Maybe that will put a smile on your face the next time you have to clean up after the thing.


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## saltydawg

wind_magic said:


> Hey, they call those Cuy in the Andes (Guinea pigs, not sons), and they are considering good eating, taste just like chicken. One of my food encyclopedias says that they are kept in the window sill or in a low sided box indoors and fed grass and other plants that they favor, the book remarked on their amazing reproductive rate such that you could own a small family of Cuy and count on eating a Cuy a day.
> 
> Source: Guinea pig at Wikipedia (as food)
> 
> Maybe that will put a smile on your face the next time you have to clean up after the thing.


Ahhh, yes. Between my husband and I secretly we call him "E.R." for Emergency Rations. I am fattening him up 
Actually I know all about eating Cuy because I am Peruvian, it's the food of my peeps.  But I have yet to try it.


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## wind_magic

saltydawg said:


> Ahhh, yes. Between my husband and I secretly we call him "E.R." for Emergency Rations. I am fattening him up
> Actually I know all about eating Cuy because I am Peruvian, it's the food of my peeps.  But I have yet to try it.


Saltz, you are too cool. One of these days I hope to make my way to Copacabana, Bolivia so I can sit under a high Andean sun, chowing down on some cuy, thinking about how lucky I am and how life couldn't get any better ...


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## sarafinadh

good linens.

I HAVE to have fitted sheets on the v berth .

Good towels, for the galley and the head, which are NOT for use wiping down the float switch in the bilge...

Cocoa Powder and 2% milk.

If we ever turn into real cruisers, not just short trippers I am going to have to figure out if I can make decent cocoa from the boxes of shelf stable milk...

neutrogena sunscreen. kicks ass over every other brand I have tried. Keeps me from burning and does not get in my eyes.

my 12 volt blender and strawberry daiquiri makings.

a pretty dress and sandals to wear in the evening.

and I have had guinea pig... i forget what we called it in panama... awesome bbq'ed... ; -)

agouti... that was it... they got pretty big...


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## zeehag

sailhagg said:


> Marine/RV toilet paper...trust me you don't want to have to deal with the 'mess' of 2 ply. Those of you saying, "What mess?" Just haven't been there yet!


marine tp is crap--is lik epeeing into you rhand--dissolves before the clean up is done---i prefer the extra tough stuff or 2 ply and place it into a bag for disposal....
indulgences on board---
ICE CREAM!!!!!!

on my boat i also use feather quilts lol.......

everything else comes with residing on board since 1990..LOL.....is no tlike camping--just have to know what is to be dispo'd and what is to be kept----spartan rather than jesuit..LOL

and i donot have a V berth--i dislike those--not comfy at all----i have a pullman berth in a master stateroom with fitted sheets that actually FIT and feather quilts--my boat is a formosa 41-----i dono0t have to feel the camping spirit--i have it all----perfect osat for cruising as far as i can see----LOL...indulgence---my boatkat......


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## Bene505

Zeehag, thanks for bumping up a great thread.

Our electric windlass. It siezed this summer, right at the beginning of summer. Guess I'll have to mess up the dining room table this winter while fixing it. (Or put a tarp and newspaper down first.)

Our Top Climber. I've been up to the top twice. No problem and no one has to winch you up.

Inverter. Ours is not installed yet. This summer my wife took the 120v blender OFF the boat. Now that's pretty sad.

12v Refrigeration. Don't have it yet, can't wait.

Regards,
Brad


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## zeehag

indulgences vs necessities----invertor and windlass are necessities lol---ice cream and feathers and fridge are indulgences !!!!! as is my boatkat lol--but he thinks of self as a necessity!!!! sounds l ike the top climber would be a necessity as well---please describe it to me----i might be interested in that----


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## smackdaddy

Indulgences on board....definitely fresh-baked biscuits.


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## zeehag

smackdaddy said:


> Indulgences on board....definitely fresh-baked biscuits.


sweetheart--i figgered out how to make those in a saucepan with lid--those are not indulgences but necessities LOL.......


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## zeehag

sarafinadh said:


> good linens.
> 
> I HAVE to have fitted sheets on the v berth .
> 
> Good towels, for the galley and the head, which are NOT for use wiping down the float switch in the bilge...
> 
> Cocoa Powder and 2% milk.
> 
> If we ever turn into real cruisers, not just short trippers I am going to have to figure out if I can make decent cocoa from the boxes of shelf stable milk...
> 
> neutrogena sunscreen. kicks ass over every other brand I have tried. Keeps me from burning and does not get in my eyes.
> 
> my 12 volt blender and strawberry daiquiri makings.
> 
> a pretty dress and sandals to wear in the evening.
> 
> and I have had guinea pig... i forget what we called it in panama... awesome bbq'ed... ; -)
> 
> agouti... that was it... they got pretty big...


i found powdered whole milk is better in flavor than shelf stable and lasts longer ....is in publix market in st thomas and fla--might be in other places as well----lol--i use in my coffee and in cooking....is great in mashed taters and biscuits ..lol......no longer a luxury item--is now a necessity!


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## Sequitur

A few of our indulgences onboard Sequitur:


a second fridge;
a second freezer;
a Splendide washer/dryer;
a Spectra Newport watermaker;
a Fischer-Panda 4kW DC generator;
522 Watt solar array;
D-400 wind generator;
a 2800 Watt Magnum pure sine wave inverter;
Espar hydronic furnace;
Memory Foam on spring-filled mattresses;
leather upholstery;
Corian counter-tops;
Riedel crystal stemware;
fine porcelain dinnerware;
proper table linens;
proper cutlery;
Henkels knives for the galley;
a Braun bagel toaster;
a panini maker; and
a pantry stocked with large quantities of such indulgences as: cold-smoked wild BC salmon, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Moroccan olives, 79% dark chocolate, a variety of cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, grape seed oil and so on.


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## zeehag

Sequitur said:


> A few of our indulgences onboard Sequitur:
> 
> 
> a second fridge;
> a second freezer;
> a Splendide washer/dryer;
> a Spectra Newport watermaker;
> a Fischer-Panda 4kW DC generator;
> 522 Watt solar array;
> D-400 wind generator;
> a 2800 Watt Magnum pure sine wave inverter;
> Espar hydronic furnace;
> Memory Foam on spring-filled mattresses;
> leather upholstery;
> Corian counter-tops;
> Riedel crystal stemware;
> fine porcelain dinnerware;
> proper table linens;
> proper cutlery;
> Henkels knives for the galley;
> a Braun bagel toaster;
> a panini maker; and
> a pantry stocked with large quantities of such indulgences as: cold-smoked wild BC salmon, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Moroccan olives, 79% dark chocolate, a variety of cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, grape seed oil and so on.


ok--you win--!!!! LOL.....i have dark chocolate --is one of few things we share in common LOL-----my knives are only chicago cutlery LOL----hooooyah!!!


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## pdqaltair

*Not 12 volt, but very boat freindly. My wife selected this one for ...Daqus!*



sarafinadh said:


> good linens.
> 
> my 12 volt blender and strawberry daiquiri makings.


[Magic Bullet Express : Target

Fits in small cabinets and takes a licking. Makes just enough for 2.


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## sailorgirl60

sailhagg said:


> Marine/RV toilet paper...trust me you don't want to have to deal with the 'mess' of 2 ply. Those of you saying, "What mess?" Just haven't been there yet!


I wholeheartedly agree! I bag the used TP and toss!

I'm a liveaboard in New England, these are the things I WON"T give up-

stereo
the inverter
the memory foam mattress topper
down comforter
small Ott-Lite (true color light to read, do make up & brows for work, very portable and well shaped, lights bilge and other tight areas)
SS cookware
great cutting board
razor sharp knife

I think my greatest _indulgence_ are spices & my one glass wine glass


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## blt2ski

Ok ladies,

How come no one has mentioned having a GCB onboard?

Marty


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