Ode to the Blue Tape
Blue tape, the tape that replaced that old beige masking tape for painting preparation, is our favorite tape. Why, you may ask? Isn't Duck Tape the best tape ever made for mending projects? Well, it may be a good tape for many kinds of fixes, but the problem is simple -- once you use it, there is no return. And, I need a tape that let's you return. With duck tape, you are literally stuck with it or its sticky side remains where you attempt to rip it off. It's not easy to tear off the roll and once you do, that piece in your hands often ties itself up like a pair of whitey tighties, if you know what I mean. Then you have to start all over again. Duck tape does not suit my cruising purposes, at all.
Blue Tape is not expensive and I don't have to buy it at twice the price at a marine store. If you've ever used it, you know it's almost like masking tape, but it's much superior because it is thicker, making it more durable, easier to tear from the roll, and it's adhesive does not damage a surface, even when you leave it on for a long time. It's better than scotch tape because its adhesive is stronger and sticks to virtually to any hard surface, be it glass, teak, or metal without marring it. It's so useful, we keep it in a bin on the galley counter.
It's pure magic as far as I am concerned. My first use was list and notice posting -- the to do projects, provisioning needs, parts and supplies to order, important contacts to keep accessible, and schedules that everyone needs to know. John tapes his recipes on galley wall for easy reading while cooking. All sorts of plastic bags and containers, holding everything from loose screws to food bits, get labeled with it using a Sharpie. I make tab labels for pages in our MAPTECH chart books with it. I wrap it around a line before cutting it or searing the cut ends. But, really, my favorite use was securing the port light screens. On this old boat, the screens have a tendency to randomly fall out, but with just one strip of Blue Tape the screens stay put in bumpy or smooth sailing conditions.
Hail the magnificent Blue Tape!