Bella Star’s Choice: Things we like!

By Nicole

While we’re busy installing and sweating and generally filling our time with boring stuff (that is, stuff with few pretty pictures), we thought we’d finally post that list of “things we like” we’ve been compiling – some are essential, some are fluffy, all are favorites.

NESCAFÉ CLASICO. Yep, it’s instant coffee. What? Instant coffee = instant caffeinazation.

BOGS BOOTS. Our go-to shoe choice for 4,000+ miles of offshore and coastal cruising from Canada to Mexico. Warm, waterproof, comfy and cute (to boot). “Classic High” (with handles) for women and men, http://www.bogsfootwear.com, $100.

Bogs boots in B.C., Canada – woohoo!

WATER BOTTLES THAT DON’T LEAK OR STINK. Enter our fave, the Contigo. It’s 100% spill-proof and won’t retain odors (from that time you chose to hydrate with a G&T instead of H₂O). It even has a cool little carabineer thingy! http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-water-bottle-24-oz.html, $10.99

FIELD GUIDES. Lots of them. Because who hasn’t said while on a hike, “What the heck is that thing?”

 
Capuchin monkeys and cashew trees and motmots, oh, my!

ICOM M802 MARINE SSB RADIO + PACTOR PTC-2 PRO. How else do you plan to email your mom when you’re in the middle of the ocean, download the latest weather forecasts and chat with other ham radio geeks like yourself? Bonus points for needing a license to operate it.

NO-SPILL GAS CAN. Tired of making a giant, smelly, environmentally unfriendly mess when topping off your outboard gas tank (or lawnmower, if you have one of those instead)? Well then stop using a crappy gas can! We’ve been using the No-Spill Poly Gas Can religiously for more than 3 years, and it’s still going strong. http://www.amazon.com, 1 1/4-gallon can, $15.99

It really doesn’t spill or dribble.  Ever!

DORCY FLASHLIGHT. Need to illuminate a jungle full of nocturnal critters? Find your boat on those nighttime dinghy rides back to the anchorage? Or just want to spy on your neighbors? Then try the Dorcy 180 Lumen High Flux LED Cyber Light. It’s tough, water resistant, super-duper bright and cheap. http://www.amazon.com/, $20

KINDLE. Because library space on a boat is limited. And besides, reading a paperback book is so 2005. http://www.amazon.com

iPOD NANO. This tiny iPod keeps me company during night watches and beach runs – and its handy-dandy built-in clip means I won’t lose it to the briny deep like my last iPod (oops). http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/, $129

Itty-bitty and wearable –
perfect for solo dance parties

REEF “GINGER” FLIPPY FLOPPIES. I’ve worn these deliciously comfortable sandals literally every day for months and months (and months). I might die without them. http://shop.reef.com/ginger/d/1098, $25

OLD NAVY BIKINIS and BOARDSHORTS. Between the saltwater, chlorine, sunscreen and bug spray (and that’s just before lunch), swimsuits get put through their paces out here. These ones are cheap, well-made and stylish. Dive in. http://oldnavy.gap.com/

TERVIS TUMBLERS. Unbreakable cups with lifetime warranties that keep hot bevs hot and cold ones cold, without all that messy “sweating.” An added perk? You get to choose which sweet iron-on patch you want sandwiched inside. Aaron’s pick? A pirate flag, of course. http://www.tervis.com/

MICROFIBER TOWELS. You grab for a towel, wrap yourself up, take a deep breath and … gahhh! Sour towel smell. No one likes that. No one likes washing bulky towels in a $2/load washing machine or finding a place to store all that fluffiness either. What’s a cruiser to do? Invest in microfiber towels! We swear by the Sea to Summit DryLite towels and use them every day. They dry quickly (no stinky towel smell!) and take up sooooo much less room in washers and lockers. Adult-sized people should go with the large (although we went with medium and are making due): http://www.amazon.com, ~$22

Four soft, absorbent DryLite towels – compact towel-y goodness

SIMRAD HYDRAULIC AUTOPILOT. For those times when hand-steering might dirty your white linen trousers (or if you really just want to maintain a proper heading without having to, well, steer the boat). This guy faithfully and reliably steered our course for thousands and thousands of miles—even through steep, confused seas—without getting seasick.

SNAPWARE AIRTIGHT FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS. Organization is mission critical on a boat where storage may be ample, but reaching the one thing you need requires either an advanced yoga pose or the disembowelment of an entire locker’s contents. We’ve been keeping things fresh, neat and orderly with Snapware containers since leaving Seattle 15 months ago. Thumbs up for durability and effectiveness. Available online and in stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Fred Meyer.

An assortment of our Snapware containers

JET. What tastes like all five flavors of Skittles+glitter+unicorns and is guaranteed to get you through those afternoon blahs?  It’s Jet Refrescso Energizante!  Or Jet Energy Soda.  If Red Bull “gives you wings,” then Jet gives you an SR-71 Blackbird.  Boom.

Jet. Fueling Bella Star’s lightning repairs since 2012.