Where is it ? No, not that sort.

[peterandjeanette]

I have just spent the majority of last weekend cleaning the boat down prior to our annual holiday to CI and Britanny. Yes, I know it'll be filthy by the time I get to the bottom of Southampton Water, but I do like to start with a clean boat. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Swmbo thought I was being over enthusiastic with the cleaning when I started going through the numerous lockers on board. I was, in fact, just reminding myself where all the numerous items I carry on board are stored. Bearing in mind that the most vital item I need is that bit I took home last week because I never use it.

I was reminded that just before my Father passed away several years ago he created a file that he called "where the hell did he put it". Perhaps I should do this with the boat bits so that when it all goes tits up and I rush round in a blind panic Swmbo can jump in and find what I'm looking for. Sea searcher magnet, spare torch battery, key for electrical distribution locker, mini pliar kit, safety harness strop, anchor remote, soft wood plugs etc.

So, do you know here IT is in your boat? How do you remember? Perhaps I carry too much in the way of spares, various water/ shore power fittings for foreign marinas. Or perhaps my short term memory is full.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I solve the problem by not stowing anything and leaving it all on every available surface.

It's call open cast storage and it works for me.

 

[benjenbav]

You make an excellent point! I spend a good few minutes on Saturday unsuccessfully looking for a box of Milton tablets to poison the water tanks, only - after turning out almost every drawer - remembering that I'd given the last of them to my son before he went to India backpacking in February.

 

[DAKA]

I have just spent the majority of last weekend cleaning the boat down prior to our annual holiday to CI and Britanny. Yes, I know it'll be filthy by the time I get to the bottom of Southampton Water, but I do like to start with a clean boat. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Swmbo thought I was being over enthusiastic with the cleaning when I started going through the numerous lockers on board. I was, in fact, just reminding myself where all the numerous items I carry on board are stored. Bearing in mind that the most vital item I need is that bit I took home last week because I never use it.

I was reminded that just before my Father passed away several years ago he created a file that he called "where the hell did he put it". Perhaps I should do this with the boat bits so that when it all goes tits up and I rush round in a blind panic Swmbo can jump in and find what I'm looking for. Sea searcher magnet, spare torch battery, key for electrical distribution locker, mini pliar kit, safety harness strop, anchor remote, soft wood plugs etc.

So, do you know here IT is in your boat? How do you remember? Perhaps I carry too much in the way of spares, various water/ shore power fittings for foreign marinas. Or perhaps my short term memory is full.

Simple, this works every time for me, like one of those memory store tricks where you imagine placing number files in rooms etc, so in reality this is how I find everything, I will use my recently replaced wiper blades as an example.


Ok, wipers just smearing rain/spray so time to put new ones on, I always carry spares such as this,
ok where are they, open lazerette
ok, its too hot to empty that lot out, wheres the closest swindlery
ok, best buy two sets and keep a spare where I can find it.
Ok after several days of swmbo complaining about the wipers getting in the way force the issue to put them somewhere safe
ok, got a brilliant place , put them away and there you will find the missing spare set

of course you will be 100 nm from the swindley by now so you cant take them back.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

If you'd left the wipers on an available flat surface in the first place, you would have found them quite quickly.

 

[moonraker 36]

If you'd left the wipers on an available flat surface in the first place, you would have found them quite quickly.

you sound like you went to the same school of thought as our oldman..
easy to find if you leave it on show!!!

 

[Scubadoo]

I have the same problem as you, when I need that spare I can't find it so end up buying it again only to find the orginal sometime later. As part of the annual maintenance I also empty the lockers etc to remind myself.

And it's not limited to the boat, I have the same problem in my shed at home where I keep boat spares.

Keep meaning to do a list!