Registries are magical accounts where you can choose mountains of gifts that you wish to receive for your wedding. Normal registry items consist of fancy dining ware, crystal, wine glasses, vacuums, and endless amounts of household appliances. This is all well and good…if you live in a house. The registry of a live-aboard is a tricky thing to create. I had to completely alter my thought process to include plastic instead of glass and anything that happens to come with a compactable capacity. I managed to do a pretty fine job of it in the end, and we ended up with a wide variety of handy boat-friendly options. I’m going to list some of the things we are most happy with.
1. The Fruit Hammock
a. This is a FANTASTIC way to store fruit and vegitables that don’t need refrigeration such as apples, bananas, oranges, avocados, and onions. This item is inexpensive, so it was a perfect gift option for my college friends who are still trying to begin their careers. The hammock hangs completely out of the way on the nobs that open our porthole where it is accessible from the galley. It expands to fit tons of food that simply swings back and forth during wakes and storms instead of rolling all over the counter.
2. Solar powered Inflatable floating lanterns
a. These are a beautiful invention. They store easily and when we are underway we simply flip them over so that the little solar panel on the bottom faces the sun. When night falls and we wish to read or dine outside, we blow them up and place or hang them around the boat. If they fall overboard they are easily recovered since they float and they come with three light settings including a flashing red SOS. Herby takes one with him on the dingy when he rows Morty ashore so that I and other boats can see him. We registered for and received 8 of them!
3. Two-Person Hammock
a. If you don’t already have a hammock on your boat, you’re doing it wrong. There is nothing more peaceful than being in a hammock as it gently swings you with each subtle movement of the boat. Herby and I like to relax in our double hammock while I read to him in the evenings. It even closes up above us to keep out the bugs, and when it gets dark, I use a solar lantern to see!
4. Flexible Wine Glasses
a. We have broken all but two of the original glasses Herby had on the boat when I moved in. They fall in the sink during wakes, they clink together in storage, and they slide off the table when bumped, which happens a lot since there isn’t a lot of space to move around the salon table. I registered for two types of wine glasses, therefore, that give off a classy appearance while remaining nearly indestructible. Govino is a company that makes adorable Plexiglas wine glasses that flex in your hand and include a handy dimple for your thumb. We have received tons of compliments on them while entertaining. They are super light and make absolutely no sound when they bump together on the shelf. I also registered for high quality plastic stacking wine glasses because they stacked so beautifully I couldn’t resist.
5. Britta Filter
a. The Britta filter has become our best friend. The water that stores in our tanks comes out of the faucets tasting terrible. We previously fought this issue with tons of water bottles which was incredibly wasteful and costly. Once our tank water flows through the Britta, it tastes completely normal! We simply keep the filter in one half of our divided sink so that it doesn’t knock over. We drink so much water there is no need for refrigeration. We simply fill it with as much as we plan to drink at that time.
6. Stand-up Paddle Board
a. Stand-up paddle boarding is both super fun and quite useful. If you are cruising or living aboard, I highly recommend getting an inflatable paddle board. It stores very easily and does not take much effort to inflate. It’s a fun way of exploring new areas if you are anchored in a protected creek and it serves as a quick and easy way to get your dog to shore if he is small and has a low center of gravity like Morty!
So there you have it: six awesome and smart registry items for live-aboards. We are so very happy with our decisions!!
