After years on the water aboard No Plans, we’ve learned which items truly earn their place onboard. We consistently reach for these things. It doesn’t matter if we’re hosting guests, heading out for a harbor cruise, or staying overnight. This list isn’t about luxury upgrades; it’s about comfort, safety, and everyday practicality.
#1 Lidded Drink Cups
It is a good idea to have lidded drink cups for your guests. We keep a variety of sizes. So, depending on the type of drink that is being consumed we have that lidded cup ready. No matter how careful one is with their drink there will be spills. That is just the way it is on a boat. So, with lidded cups it cuts down a bit on spillage.
👉 You can see the tumblers we use here.
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#2 Small Hand Vacuum
Ease and quickness to vacuum up small areas and crumbs is super helpful. We have a larger vacuum that I love but, having a smaller vacuum keeps our cabin and bridge a bit more tidy.
With it’s small size it is stored easily in our berth closet.
*Tip—Cordless, and rechargeable are key.
👉 You can see the vacuum we use here
#3 Blankets
We boat year-round and during the winter months it gets very cold inside the boat & out. So, we like to have plenty of blankets for our guests to be warm & cozy. Our favorite blankets are Mexican blankets. We find them durable, warm and soft. We keep a few blankets in a rattan basket in the main cabin and a few on the bridge.
👉 You can see the blankets we use here
#4 Reading Light, 12V, LED
We added these lights to our berth. We installed two and they are perfect. I highly recommend these lights.
We love these features:
- Dimmable
- Swivels for directional light
- Dual charging ports
👉 You can see the lights we use here
#5 Small Table Light
Our little table lamp I found at a thrift store and it fit the décor on our boat perfectly. It provides a great soft light inside the cabin. Our living area has a main light and at times it just is very bright. So, our lamp helps with ambience and creating a calm, serene area to relax and lets us lean into calm. While ours was a thrifted find, any small lamp with a warm bulb can instantly soften cabin lighting
#6 Extra Clothes
- Swimwear
- Jackets
- Pajamas
- Shoes
- Slippers
There have been many cruises and overnights on No Plans that we found we needed a warm jacket, beanie, pajamas, walking shoes, socks, swimsuits the whole wardrobe really. So, we have an extra set of winter/summer clothes stocked on our boat. We are constantly taking inventory of our back up clothing to ensure we always have essentials at the ready.
#7 Sea Sickness Prevention
- Ginger gum
- Wrist bands
- Essential oil
- Ginger ale
We like to have several options for our guests in case sea sickness kicks in. A variety of aids helps since some guests have a preference on their prevention method. There have been numerous cruises where this stash of sea sickness tools has come in handy. Use according to safety directions on packaging.
*Tip– Check every 6 months to ensure all items are still within their expiration window.
👉 You can see the wristbands we use here
#8 Repurposed Bath Towels
We have several repurposed bath towels from home that we keep handy in the cabin and on the bridge. These are very important to have. Many mornings when we awake, we find dew on the back of our boat and on our boating chairs. So, grabbing a towel to dry off wet areas, assist when doing repairs, clean up food and soak up spills helps a lot.
#9 Waterproof Gloves
Docking lines get rough fast, and bare hands don’t hold up. Boating gloves are essential for protecting your hands, improving grip, and making tying off easier. Waterproof gloves are especially important when pulling up a mooring line, where lines are often wet and under tension.
We keep gloves stored in designated cabinets on our boat so they’re easy to grab at a moment’s notice—because when you need protective gloves, you usually need them right away.
👉 You can see the gloves we use here
#10 Lightweight Microfiber Towels
👉 You can see the towels we use here
These live permanently on our boat. They dry quickly, don’t take up much space, and get used constantly—hands, seats, spills, swimming, you name it. Traditional towels stay damp too long on a boat. But, these are easy to rinse. You can wring them out and reuse them the same day. We have 8 microfiber towels each with a unique design so it’s easy to recognize a guests towel. One of the best features of these towels is their compactness. They also have an elastic band to keep them rolled up.
Every boat is different, but these items have proven their worth on ours through real use. If you’re building out your onboard essentials, this list is a great place to start. The list is also helpful if you are simplifying what you keep aboard.
Cheers!
John & Yvonne
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