For our next trip in the 'way-back-hack' machine, we figured it was time to reacquaint you all with what may be the ultimate trick for social distancing, borrowed straight from the folks who most like to be left alone at the boathouse in the first place: the boatmen!

That's right, the boatman have been self-isolating in their boatshops for years, content to work their magic away from prying eyes - or maybe it is really to keep their muttering about careless coxswains and oaf-ish oarsman away from prying ears—but either way, they work solo, as often as possible. Which is great for most projects, but when it comes to fixing the big boats, even a boatman can find two hands and one back not quite up to the task.

Enter The Boatman's Buddy - a wee bit of boatman's magic that keeps them working even without an extra set of helping "hands on."

The Boatman's Buddy

We'll let you read all about the how-to and wherefore of this hack in the link so that you can look into making a "Buddy" of your own and getting down to some repairs even without a boathouse full of boatmovers, but suffice it to say that this hack can make even the daunting task of getting an eight into a spot where it can be worked on a snap, even in these self-isolating times.

We hope this hack can come in handy at your place, and if you have hacked up something else that is cool and helpful with all this spare time in a quiet boathouse, send it to us and we will write it up to share - or tell us about your tips and tricks in the comments below.