Toys on Board

What kind of toys do you take on your boat? I`m thinking kayaks,canoes, sailing dinghies, inflatable floats, wake boards, things like that. Especially as I`m considering a sit on kayak, for fun and exercise.
How do you use them,how do you store them without them getting in the way, what experiences have they brought, how do they add to boating fun.(No stateroom toys thanks,put those in OTDE)

Noodles are always good to have on board. Easy to store and fun to float on

We bring 2 SUP (stand up paddle boards) 1 of which is a starboard blend (a hard board that is a hybrid that can be surfed or paddled in still water) and an Inflatable hobie. They ride on the flybridge aft deck just outside the rails and lashed on.

We also bring a knee board (in the lazeret) that is a blast behind our dinghy (10' caribe light with 20 hp suzuki). And sometimes my old T&C shortboard which is fun behind the dinghy as well or obviously, when Hope Town beach is waist high and peeling. We lash it out side the bow rails.

Oh yeah...three fly rods (an 8 for bones, a 10 for permit and tarpon, and a 6 for snapper and small bones) two 8lb class spinning rods, a 20 lb class spinning rod, and a 30lb class tld trolling rod. Do they count as toys? I have an overhead mounted 10 rod rack under the cockpit roof.

We also have a bocci ball set. My wife likes that.

And my younger son (10 yrs old) never leaves home without a soccer ball. We sometimes have matches on the beach, Jen and I against our two boys (the older is 14). We use coconuts on the beach as goals. They usually kill us.

IntervaleII said:

Noodles are always good to have on board. Easy to store and fun to float on

Click to expand...

Noodles are the best and we have one floating chair/lounge with the important cup holder. Also keep a mask, snorkel and flippers.

LaBomba said:

Noodles are the best and we have one floating chair/lounge with the important cup holder. Also keep a mask, snorkel and flippers.

Click to expand...

We also always bring our bikes to use when we are at a port. They make some very nice folding bikes.
You do have to go to port sometimes to get those snacks you run out of

sit on top kayak has been a fixture on every boat we've had since about 2004-2005. We've sold multiple boats but our trusty kayak follows us each time. Our favorite method to carry it is to just strap it down to the swim platform:


On our trawler we had to keep it up on the trunk deck....more of a pain for sure than keeping on the swim platform but it worked ok:


The kayak has been our #1 water toy we ever bought though we also carried a little snark sailing dinghy for a long time a couple of boats ago- had a fun time sailing with it with the kids when they were little!

Noodles and nerf footballs. Also will tow a 12' Captiva sail boat. Wife is spoiling for a kayak sooner rather than later.

I have one of those super soaker water guns. It's the long tube inside tube kind. Can be fun to spray people but also works as a bilge pump for the dinghy or in an emergency. Couple of noodles too.

Two inshore and one offshore fishing rods.

Saddles are great for floating upright, see avatar. Must find/invent a floating holder for my Tervis tumbler though.

We carry 2 Advanced Elements inflatable kayaks, 2 bikes, and a good assortment of fishing gear.

- Small, rugged, inflatable row boat (one grown up or two kids)
- Several one-person inflatable swim mattresses
- Two bogie boards
- Two sets fins, mask, snorkel
- Two inflatable tow-tubes - each two children size
- One pair skies
- 14'8" Crestliner tow behind runabout - canvas toped, full windshield, 4-seat, 50 hp Johnson - gps WOT 39 knots w/driver, easy cruse 27 knots w/two adults (approx 21 mpg!). Pulls tow tube or skier well.
- Video screen for movies at night!

Rowing Machine, my toy )

Stand up paddleboard in a storage bag on the side of the sundeck. Can't say it's not in the way but it works. Fun to cruise around anchorages.

We also have some noodles in the vee berth (aka storage room) and some inflatable chair like (with footrest) floating things, yes with cup holders, stored deflated off season under the aft bunk and on season inflated in the vee berth between cruises and in the water or hanging off the back of the boat to dry when anchored. Preferred usage method is to tie off to the back of the boat with the dinghy tow rope. Allows quick return to the boat (pull yourself in).

Also have fins and mask but not really used for fun. More for those gear checks after something "happens". Not that anything ever does.

Best toy however is definitely the ice maker. Gotta love this yachting stuff.