Lookie here
A “lookie bucket” is virtually a cruising necessity and we only just acquired one. With this awesome tool you can both check on the set of your anchor and pick out good snorkeling spots, all without getting wet. You can either buy one for 40 bucks in the marine store (and if you do that I have a couple of bridges to sell you too) or you could just cut the bottom out of a bucket and replace it with a piece of glass or plexiglass using some marine adhesive. An easy project with only a few parts required. Thanks to Troy and Deana on s/v Storyville for putting this one together for us!
An ordinary bucket?
Think again!
Rebecca, donning her fins to go spear fishing with me for dinner. Sadly, on this particular occasion, we struck out.
[…] to check on the set of your anchor without getting wet? Here’s a good tip from the Zero To Cruising […]
$40??!! Wow! I think I have found my next business venture! We were going to buy some foam boogie boards for the kids and do the same so they could float and look when needing a swom break while snorkeling.
I am NOT exaggerating. At Top II Bottom in GT they had a 5 gallon pail with a plexi bottom for 40 bucks!
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Nice. Thanks for pointing that out, Rich.
Yep, the old bucket-with-a-clear-bottom must come in handy down in those clear tropical waters. I’ve never bothered to carry one, myself- not much point when the water’s so cloudy you can only see a metre or two.
$40 for the thing at the “marine supply” store? I’m not surprised. At a certain large chain store the other day, I saw the same $4.50 butane torch I got from the Canadian Tire across the street…. only with Ancor’s logo on it instead of Irodo’s, and with a $35 price tag. The sometimes-works-if-you’re-lucky $2.49 wire stripper? $25, and it’s identical right down to the flaws from the stamping die. This same store wanted close to five grand for a 50 kg stainless anchor with two visibly faulty welds.
Marine grade? Load of bull, half the time. An awful lot of pricey “marine” stuff is just cheap, generic hardware store bits re-branded and put in fancy packaging, much to the detriment of the suppliers that really do go the extra mile to hire good designers and use top-quality materials.
Yup, this definitely must have been a “marine-grade” 5 gallon bucket. 🙂
I am going to try, bring it in the bathtub with me and see what I see…cool idea
Get one with a magnifying lens, John. 😉
So glad you posted a picture of this bucket! I’ve heard of it but wasn’t really sure what it was. Looks like an easy project … thanks! The water’s still as beautiful as ever!
Yup on both counts, easy project and beautiful water.
Well, as P T Barnum said, there’s a fool born every minute! Maybe it’s just in GT that they cost that much?
I doubt it.
What a great Idea 🙂 Thats is thinking out side the “square” so to speak. The other one i liked was the plastic 1/2 inch pipe with cable for the noos for Cray fish & those are also abot $70 in NZ. so i will never pay for another one LOL Just great ideas 🙂
Home made stuff rocks.
Here’s the best one we’ve found so far, you can actually carry stuff in it without having to worry about the lens falling out.
http://www.topshelfmarine.com/product_info.php?products_id=110&osCsid=ctlrnucc8c06hd9sn8kpn583d6
It’s beautiful Shawn but I would shoot myself in the head before I spent $50.00 US on a bucket! No offense intended to those who think otherwise.