Keeping crap off the boat

[Jeff.Sailor]

Don't know why but boats seem like giant magnets and unneeded gear and crap seem to be magnetized to fill every spare space.

My push-back was to go through every locker and cubby and make a list of everything and its location. Making that list forced me to decide what comes off.

The other way, which I haven't had the courage to do, is EMPTY the whole boat and make each item EARN its way back onboard.

How do you keep the crap off the boat?

[Tetepare]

Pull everything off. That way you can clean while it's off. Do it annually.

[a64pilot]

[QUOTE=Jeff.Sailor;2072837
How do you keep the crap off the boat?[/QUOTE]

I install it
Seems for me at least a lot of crap is "improvements" awaiting installation

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Jeff.Sailor

Don't know why but boats seem like giant magnets and unneeded gear and crap seem to be magnetized to fill every spare space.

My push-back was to go through every locker and cubby and make a list of everything and its location. Making that list forced me to decide what comes off.

The other way, which I haven't had the courage to do, is EMPTY the whole boat and make each item EARN its way back onboard.

How do you keep the crap off the boat?

Spares and kit used frequently, mission critical or safety critical equipment takes priority.

Everything else is subjected to the 12 month or season test.

Everything must live in a locker. We have 110. Nothing lives on a surface.

We also have a standing rule that it should not more than 1 hour to prep the boat for sailing.

My wife and I are both ex military. Discipline is key to keep a tidy boat.

We only add spares, materiel and food stores to lists in our ships manual. Other lists are a waste of time.

Our ships manual (300+) pages contains all procedures for maintenance activities not documented in oem manuals. We have checklists for operational procedures.




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[tuffr2]

I took this more literally as to bird crap, algae crap, dust, dirt,
bugs, spider web's etc etc. Seems all of the above are attracted to and will make a sailboat look like crap in a short period of time.

How do you keep the above crap off your sailboat?


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[SV THIRD DAY]

I just clean out my wife's storage lockers when she is away at work followed by a quick trip past the Goodwill donation center. 6 months later when she asks me where her "this or that" went, I just respond, "Don't know dear, but I wish you would stop losing your stuff". You laugh...I just off loaded two big bags yesterday...

But I also do that to the kids lockers and MY lockers as well.
I've been living aboard long enough now to know that it's less stressful to just buy it when I need it than move it 1000 times looking for something else anyway.

[boatman61]

I thought this was going to be about ***** Hawks..

[Jeff.Sailor]

Third Day, you are a very smart man. Do you give lessons in mars/venus management?

Tuffr2, too funny but I see the confusion. And fitting too. My boat is right on the glide path that the birds take to reach the shack where the fishermen cut up their catch. What a holy mess. I've resigned myself to lots of water and elbow grease.

Jeff

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by Jeff.Sailor

Don't know why but boats seem like giant magnets and unneeded gear and crap seem to be magnetized to fill every spare space.

Every spring and fall, the big garbage bags come out. Whatever I haven't used for 6 months has to go (with the exception of some obvious stuff like heaters).

Sometimes I forget stuff that was hidden in some dark corner of the boat, and finding it makes me as happy as buying something new

For every larger item I buy, one larger item has to go. I try to work out what I'm willing to give up for whatever shiny new item I want to buy while in the store, before I buy it -- saves me a lot of money too.

[Cheechako]

Major cleanout every now and then. Stuff I forgot I had or deem not needed goes away!
Part of that decision process is "where are you headed". What you may need in a dire way is different if headed to the Tuomotus than if headed to the Bahamas. :>)

[seasick]

We find much of our excess stuff is latitude specific. No need for the salmon, halibut gear, clam guns, crab and shrimp pots, 3-mil wetsuits, etc in the tropics. Conversely, the boogie boards, Hawaian slings, straw hats, wind socks, hammocks, kiddy snorkel gear,
Etc see little use in the high latitudes.

[polaris2.11]

Every time we go to the boat, we set an empty tote bag as the 'going home bag'. Whenever we run across anything we don't need on the boat, it goes in that bag. Amount of stuff on the boat still grows, but more slowly.

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

I just clean out my wife's storage lockers when she is away at work followed by a quick trip past the Goodwill donation center. 6 months later when she asks me where her "this or that" went, I just respond, "Don't know dear, but I wish you would stop losing your stuff". You laugh...I just off loaded two big bags yesterday...

But I also do that to the kids lockers and MY lockers as well.
I've been living aboard long enough now to know that it's less stressful to just buy it when I need it than move it 1000 times looking for something else anyway.

Now we all know that Ms. Third Day doesn't read CF.

[mramoo]

In 1971, aboard the USS Ranger, on way to westpac, the new XO had each division and Squadron supply a crew to inventory all the lockers, voids, and spaces on the boat. When we arrived in the P.I. we unloaded over 12 tons of stuff that was no longer needed.
Yes cleaning and getting rid of excess gear is a very good thing.

[Sandero]

This is a great thread.... I tend to accumulate so much stuff which I think is necessary or will be useful and necessary at some time or take too long to get at the needed time in the future....

I fell in love with the notion that the boat is almost self sufficient aside from adding fuel and water and food! So I have tools and supplies and hardware and spares as if the world is coming to an end. But it does make working on the boat at anchor easier.... except

I can't find what believe is there somewhere
So I spend too much time looking and then often buy it anyway!

I tried to inventory everything... but how to do it and search the inventory list?????

I think I will do the unload it all and re pack it and toss out or store elsewhere... I could save hundreds of pounds and raise the water line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!