It was only a few weeks after I first moved onto my boat in 2017 that I learned this valuable lesson.
I had stepped off the boat onto the dock and saw that the dock line could use some adjusting. So I leaned over …. and heard that fateful sound: “Plop.”
I looked toward the sound just quick enough to see my fairly new iPhone sinking below the surface. It had fallen out of the pocket of my hoodie and was quickly on the floor of the harbor 24 feet below me.
Later that week — after buying a new phone — I bought my first phone tether. I also bought a tether for my keys, because I realized I can always buy a new phone, but if I lose my car keys, my office keys, my storage locker keys, by boat key, my boat box key, and the key to my girlfriend’s apartment, it will be a seriously bad week.
That wasn’t the last time I lost something overboard, though. Here’s a rule of thumb: if you live on a boat, and there is an item small enough to carry in your hand or under your arm, and that item isn’t permanently below deck, permanently attached to you, or permanently attached to the boat, you will drop it overboard some day. (And if it’s below deck you will probably drop it into the bilge). Wrenches, screwdrivers, screws, and nuts are the biggest offenders. If you go to buy some bolts and nuts for your boat, buy twice as many as you need and maybe — maybe — you won’t have to go back for more.
And no, it’s not just me. I hear the same thing from everybody who lives or works on their boat. In fact, about 6 months after I dropped my phone off my dock, the harbormaster was there inspecting my boat (which is required yearly for liveaboards here), and he dropped his iPhone right near where I had dropped mine. It was not his first time, though, and he knew what to do: he called a diver, who came a half hour later and retrieved the phone. Amazingly, the phone and iPhone) was actually ringing when the diver found it – under 24 feet of water!
For everyone who doesn’t have a diver on call, though: I recommend a retractable tether for your phone. It’s a lot less bulky than a non-retractable one and they are stronger than they look. I’ve had both of these:
They are both great. I can’t count the times I have dropped my phone and had it caught by these tethers.
For my keys, I’ve used this kind of paracord with carabiner since 2017:
The clip goes on my belt look and the keys in my pocket. I unclip it when I need to use my keys, but unless I’m unlocking the boat door, it’s always clipped to me when I’m on the boat or on the dock.
And finally, I find it’s really important to be able to have a ring on the back of my phone and my tablet so that I don’t have to worry about gripping it perfectly when I’m trying to look at a map on my tablet or take a photo of a dolphin and the boat is rocking around. I have a ring like this one – which allows for magsafe charging, unlike a lot of rings:
But I’ve also considered a flexible one like this because it might be more secure on my finger (although it wouldn’t work as a stand:
A full list of our recommended gear to help keep your gear on the boat and out of the water is here.