labels for the cockpit

[jpb]

I've been having trouble finding a source for labels in the cockpit of my boat.

What I am after is labels for the transmission (forward/neutral/reverse), the throttle (fast/slow) and the autohelm lever (engage/disengage)

The reason is that I'm working with my kids on how to do a man overboard drill. What I typically do is throw a bumper over the side and say, "ok guys, man overboard, what do you do?"

I plan to make a check list for them but for now, they will know they should slow the boat down but forget which way to push or pull the throttle. I did a quick reference just writing on the boat with a sharpie but obviously that looks kinda shabby (ya think?)

Comments?

thanks in advance,

John
Seattle

[sailingdog]

Use a P-Touch labeler.

[pdqaltair]

Originally Posted by jpb

I've been having trouble finding a source for labels in the cockpit of my boat.

What I am after is labels for the transmission (forward/neutral/reverse), the throttle (fast/slow) and the autohelm lever (engage/disengage)

The reason is that I'm working with my kids on how to do a man overboard drill. What I typically do is throw a bumper over the side and say, "ok guys, man overboard, what do you do?"

I plan to make a check list for them but for now, they will know they should slow the boat down but forget which way to push or pull the throttle. I did a quick reference just writing on the boat with a sharpie but obviously that looks kinda shabby (ya think?)

Comments?

thanks in advance,

John
Seattle

Give them some supervised practice and then have them take what ever local test there is, or if none, the local Coast Guard Aux. will have a program. If there is any question whether they know the basic functions, they need a season of practice before you need to even hope they can doing anything more than wave goodbye. Yes, I am exaggerating a bit . But for the first season... don't fall off.

To expect anyone to have the confidence to function in a pressure situation without knowing how to operate the boat well is not going to work.

I can understand your sense of urgency - I tried the same thing with my family - but a base of understanding is needed first. Otherwise, you risk turning them off of boating by making them feel foolish or pressured. Start by simply explaining everything you do on your next trip out, as simply as possible. It really is simple, but there are many parts.

[southshoreS24]

make a paper template of the area you want to have lables, go to a local sign shop. they can either cut vinyl letters that you can apply or give you the negative so you can use it as a stencil or you can have them make a digital print for the area and you can apply it.

or p-touch label maker

[SecondWindNC]

Second the use of a labelmaker from your nearest office supply store.

The electronic ones are great, but if you only need to do a few, a manual one might do the trick just as well.

I'll be making some new labels for the cabintop line clutches on a couple of our charter boats in the next couple of weeks.

Just don't get carried away trying to find more uses for 'em!

[jpb]

We do have some Brady label makers at work. I figured they weren't very good for outside stuff exposed to weather but maybe.

The kids actually have a lot of fun picking up the bumper during the man overboard drills. The labels may even be handy if there are grown ups on board.

thanks for the great replies.

[PaulinVictoria]

The old sort where they press into the plastic labels would be OK. Don't bother with the printed ones, they last about 3 months at best before they fade completely.

[SecondWindNC]

Originally Posted by PaulinVictoria

The old sort where they press into the plastic labels would be OK. Don't bother with the printed ones, they last about 3 months at best before they fade completely.

They won't last forever, but I've had better luck than that with the electronic printed ones. I use the white print on black tape, which looks pretty good on dark parts like the rope clutches, and they're under the dodger, so maybe that helps. Some have lasted as long as three years - the ones needing replacement have been scraped and scratched, not faded.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by jpb

We do have some Brady label makers at work. I figured they weren't very good for outside stuff exposed to weather but maybe.

The kids actually have a lot of fun picking up the bumper during the man overboard drills. The labels may even be handy if there are grown ups on board.

thanks for the great replies.

Brady Label makers are better than the P-Touches in my experience. You do have to get the right label material for them though.

The tape you use makes a big difference in their longevity. Some of the tapes are not designed for outdoor use, and probably fade fairly quickly. Others are designed for harsh environments and UV exposure and last quite a while.

Originally Posted by PaulinVictoria

The old sort where they press into the plastic labels would be OK. Don't bother with the printed ones, they last about 3 months at best before they fade completely.

[Selkie60]

I've made sponsorship stickers for my rally car using a color laser printer and adhesive vinyl stock. They are surprisingly rugged and can be made practically bullet-proof by adding a layer of clear laminating plastic.