The most dangerous thing on your boat

by Rob Murray on 8 Feb 2017 Ok, maybe not the most dangerous, but certainly the most likely to draw blood is the trimmed zip tie, cable tie or zap-strap. Since one of our definitions of success is ‘no blood on the deck’, eliminating these tiny irritating cuts has been a long term goal.

Avant has 100’s of these sharp edged terrors on all variety of systems, plumbing, electrical and jury-rigged. Each trimmed zip tie is a tiny razor waiting to draw blood when you reach into a locker or equipment space. Many mundane maintenance tasks have resulted in multiple bandaids being required, as well as a plentiful use of colourful “captain's words”.

But I have found a solution! Close trimming of the ends with a dollar store toenail clipper places the sharp end close in and out of harms way. As an added bonus, many clippers retain the clipped ends to prevent them falling in the bilge and potentially clogging a pump.

As I undertake chores in the lockers festooned with these, I first reach in and trim the remaining sharp ends and as a result have drastically reduced bandaid consumption!

This article has been provided courtesy of the Bluewater Cruising Association.