Transom storage small kit bag solution.

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

Bike Hut stuff is "you get what you pay for" quality. However, it is not necessarily bad. I have found that if you pop it through the washing machine periodically, you can remove the accumulated grit and road salt etc. You would need to lubricate the zip.

Hi Mike .. I think you might find Halfords stores no longer sell Bikehut cycle bags or panniers ..so I wont repeat my personal experience on the durability of that produce. Halfords now stock Topeak and other brands. They still sell Bikehut’s other bits and bobs for cyclists ..so its not all bad.

I did find this Ebay advert ( Halfords ?) and see you can still get an old stock Bikehut Rack Bag ..brand new.. unopened package ... for £1 .

That price .. to me .. reflects how good they were. I appreciate that to some it may reflect “Good Value” . We are all different in that respect.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BikeHut-P...-/191421119111

It is true that if you want to make something last or use it for purposes or in environments it is not designed for ..then of course its entirely possible.

Wash a bikehut bag every use.. rewax the zips rails .. oil the white metal zip .. watch how you pack it ... re stitch the seams when they burst ... and yes it will last a long time.

How many folk want to do that.? I think this thread clearly answers that question.

A drybag is totally maintenance free .. doesn’t leak ..can clip onto the safety rope anywhere around the boat ..which is why the experienced guys who do use their boats regularly ..recommend them.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

Play nicely, folks. We're all friends here.

who is misbehaving? The purpose of the OP was presumably either to get some constructive feedback or to share a great idea for everyone else to copy. Either way dissenting views are more useful to all concerned than misplaced accolades.

For most of us, SIBbing is an occasional hobby. I only launch mine 2 or 3 times a year because I also have a sailing dinghy, a motorbike, bikes, kayaks, etc. to use, and limited time to use them. Anything that makes those few SIB trips a year a bit better, without costing an arm and a leg, is good. Those of you who SIB every weekend will have a different attitude.

But actually if it were used and rinsed every weekend it would probably stand a better chance of surviving a season. Perhaps I am much more cavalier with my infrequently used kit than you, but in my experience kit that gets used only a few times a year is more likely to be neglected, or left because I have grand plans to use it again in a few days that then change.

IME the advantage of boxes/bags with useful kit is that it’s always there, packed and ready to go, and you know nothing gets forgotten. If a bag needs regularly emptied to go in the washing machine, for me, that would mean it was likely that something would not get repacked for the next trip.

It’s not like conventional solutions for equipment storage on sibs are necessarily expensive https://www.decathlon.co.uk/9l-wtt-c...d_8306505.html or http://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/3pack...s.html#SID=117 If you really want to save £ then it used to be you just found someone that worked in a chemistry lab and got the to give you the protective BDH bottle carrier that nasty stuff was shipped in. I’m not sure they are still in use, although I have smaller equivalents that carry key things.

Of course if you want to be “up there” and show off your subbing credentials* and funds you’ll have a peli case but solent plastics sell a range of “copies” as well as less robust offerings like this which cost about the same as a bike bag: http://www.solentplastics.co.uk/port...e/2/?keywords=


* rightly or wrongly many people here would consider the Gurnard to be something of a subbing legend. As I recall he doesn’t use a pelicase for boating bits (although he might for his cameras?).

[Fenlander]

Following on from your link Poly something I'd not noticed before this would make a compact transom bag... https://www.decathlon.co.uk/5l-water...d_8362008.html

Very cheap, not too big and would at least stand a chance of keeping your non-waterproof phone, flares and fishfinder dry... and looks perhaps a little more stylish to pop off and take to the café.

Having said that it's a selection of different sized drybags for me. They are reliably waterproof in the heaviest of sibbing weather and make flexible storage. As they pack down flat I carry a couple of spares rolled flat so we can expand our storage easily if for example we start off with too may clothing layers then when it comes out warm there's somewhere dry to store them.

The way they float too is impressive even with surprisingly heavy kit in them.

Mine are these but they are all probably much the same...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Highlande....c100005.m1851

My smallest one with things I need to hand sits nestled against the opposite side of the transom to where I sit.... clipped on once out of harbour.

[jeffstevens763@g]

The zip bag seems a good idea but unless it's a proper waterproof zip the bag will get wet salt will incrust and swell in the teeth lubing the zip will help for a while if it suits then ok but a dry bag would be much better cheap various sizes and clipped on almost anywhere you will always get opinions but mine and pikeys are based on diving experiences for instance northern dive produce a zipped bag for you suit folds out to make a changing Mat the only sea water is off the suit when packing away very little but the zips on the bag suffer badly everything gets washed when home but still doesn't help only sharing experiences so others save on the hard earned not just for the OP

[Max...]

This is a really odd topic - why use something that is not in any way intended for the purpose or up to the job when for the same money you can get [I too use the orange drybags Fen' links] something that is and will perform perfectly with zero maintenance bar an occasional rinse out - ie a dry bag??! Dry bags and Pelis (or cheap clones or I look out for genuine used Pelis which crop up for bargain BIN's on eBay from time to time) are all you ever need to carry stuff in a SIB and are 100% reliable, salt resistant, maintenance free, long lasting and floating.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

The zip bag seems a good idea but unless it's a proper waterproof zip the bag will get wet salt will incrust and swell in the teeth lubing the zip will help for a while if it suits then ok but a dry bag would be much better cheap various sizes and clipped on almost anywhere you will always get opinions but mine and pikeys are based on diving experiences for instance northern dive produce a zipped bag for you suit folds out to make a changing Mat the only sea water is off the suit when packing away very little but the zips on the bag suffer badly everything gets washed when home but still doesn't help only sharing experiences so others save on the hard earned not just for the OP

+1 Zips & seawater don't mix, it's as simple as that. Even drysuit zips which are designed to be used underwater will fail if not (meticulously) maintained. I've just had a struggle with the zip on my Crewsaver LJ pocket that had seized.

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Poly

* rightly or wrongly many people here would consider the Gurnard to be something of a subbing legend. As I recall he doesn’t use a pelicase for boating bits (although he might for his cameras?).

Ach..truth be told Poly..Im just another old guy ..perhaps grumpier than most ..who spends their time messing around with boats ..bicycles..and boots. ..rather than working for a living.

I can see where Lee is coming from..he has the bag already ..so rather than throw it out ..as least get a week or so use out of it.. however impractical it may seem. My original post was only to correct the misleading statement that the zips were stainless steel...and to let others see there are more practical solutions

I regularly use stuff at sea which is designed for other purposes. For me ...as long as it lasts .. is maintenance free .. easy to use ..and cheap .. I will try it. My favourite box of choice for anchors.. drogues and the likes is the recycle box my council keep giving me because they have new colour schemes for the year.

My cameras are always kept to hand so not in peli cases or the likes. If its too hard to get them..the moment I wanted to capture would be gone. However if it gets too rough and water is flying everywhere ..they are popped into a dry bag or a recycle box with a lid.

My phone is similar to my cameras.. I could not imagine putting it in a bike bag under the OB. It would drive me nuts if it rang. Imagine I had to pull a raincover off another bag with zips .. while bending down at an awkward angle to try and get it out from under the outboard ?In fact the worst thing for me would be the caller hanging up while waiting for me to get to the phone.. then it costs me money phoning them back to find out what they wanted ?!!

No way .. so I keep my phone in a small “drybag” in my pocket (Aqupouch)

Storing flairs in a leaky bag under a petrol outboard also sounds as practical as storing them under the bonnet of the car. Possibly safe enough for some..but not for me. I always mange to get a dribble or two of petrol in the boat when I disconnect the fuel line ..no matter how careful I am. So fuel and fireworks don’t make for good boat companions in my books.

But as mentioned..thats just my ways ...and at the end of the day I realise it means little to others.

My ex boss bought a beautiful and very expensive luxury yacht. He kept it at Cannes in France. I asked him why he bought it as I knew he didn’t sail. He replied ..” Sail it ? No way..its not going out the harbour.. its a chick magnet and it works a treat”

Hey..and I had to agree with him too .. sadly ..my SIB has not even attracted an ageing Mermaid...so I don't do everything correct

[Highland Haggis]

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] you had a offer on our last trip???

[Fenlander]

>>>my SIB has not even attracted an ageing Mermaid...so I don't do everything correct

All you need is a small upgrade to that storage console with a mirror and hairdryer and you'll be away!

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

you had a offer on our last trip???

If I recall correctly ..I had a very pleasant and engaging conversation with a charming lady over a pint or three of the extra cold stuff . However as the evening wore on..I got the impression that any offer on the table would likely turn into a demand ...and if I could not meet that demand .. I would be thrown at the dartboard with the same lethal accuracy and velocity ... she used with her own darts.

As such I played the role of perfect gentleman ..agreed with and acknowledged everything she said .. then beat a hasty retreat to the SIB when she excused herself to go for a puff of the big spliff she rolled in front of us .. which Im sure she thought was the cheese to set her trap.

As mentioned..Im not always right.. but Im pretty certain I was right that night. If my phone rang..I would have been delighted if it was stuck in a bikebag under the OB.

Originally Posted by Fenlander

and you'll be away!

Fenlander ..all I had to do was take a whiff of that spliff ..and I was away ..but I can think of better ways to depart ..like setting the spare flairs alight and holding them under the outboard .. viking funeral style.

Lee ..apologies for going off topic in your post.. I guess Im easily led astray ... when it suits.

[Highland Haggis]

No I do agree I think you saved us both [emoji41][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[Fenlander]

>>>I think you saved us both

Run across a Kraken in female form in the bar?

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

Play nicely, folks. We're all friends here.



I'm a cyclist and motorcyclist. I have various bags and pouches that I have acquired over the years. Bike Hut stuff is "you get what you pay for" quality. However, it is not necessarily bad. I have found that if you pop it through the washing machine periodically, you can remove the accumulated grit and road salt etc. You would need to lubricate the zip.



Realistically, if you use the pouch on a boat in choppy salt water on a regular basis, you might get a season or so out of the bag. Compare that to the cost of a launch, or a full tank of fuel and it's not ridiculous. As a short to medium term solution for occasional use, it's a good idea and thanks for sharing.



Of course, for regular hard use, something actually designed for use on a boat would be better.



For most of us, SIBbing is an occasional hobby. I only launch mine 2 or 3 times a year because I also have a sailing dinghy, a motorbike, bikes, kayaks, etc. to use, and limited time to use them. Anything that makes those few SIB trips a year a bit better, without costing an arm and a leg, is good. Those of you who SIB every weekend will have a different attitude.

As a fellow bike bag user you get where I'm coming from with the use of bike bags be them Halfords own make or Topeak for boat use, like I say they are all made for wet weather use and the one I'm using has a rain cover so I think it's a good option. SIBing is about modding your boat however you want and I would of liked to see such a post in the past as a small out the way storage solution!