How do you keep track of what you have aboard?

[anderbra]

I boght Strudel, a1981 Niagara 31, just over two years ago. I removed everything from the boat at the time and eventualy started accumulating stuff in the drawers and elsewhere I find space available. Well, the boat is not clutered by all means, but I have a hard time remembering where I put shakles or the sail repair kit, or whatever.
So I wonder; how do you know what you have aboard and where it is? Do most of you have a storage system and don't mind sharing?

[Stillraining]

Keep a list of each cabinets/locker contents on the back side of the door..pretty soon it becomes second nature.

[BarryL]

Hello,

My wife bought me a logbook as a present. It was written by John Rousmaniere. Anyway, there is one page that contains a diagram of the boat. The idea is that you make a few copies of it, and fill in where stuff is. For example, one copy has safety gear like PFD's, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, flare kits, emergency tiller, etc. Another one lists mechanical and other spares. Also, in the log book are areas for listing spare parts, including locations.

I have found it very useful.

Barry

[Stillraining]

Honey....what locker is my log book in?......Just Kidding...

[nolatom]

I'm not nearly as organized as anyone above. I'd pick three drawers, or lockers.

The first contains stuff you might need on the average daysail.

The second contains stuff you might need once every few months.

The third contains stuff you might need someday, or may never need, but are too chicken to throw out altogether.

Me, I tend to rotate from boat to boat teaching. So I carry the "master junk bag" which contains a little bit of all the above, and it takes a few minutes to find anything, but eventually I can. Need binocs? Neosporin? Duct tape? A shackle? A Powerbar? A GPS? A stick-on compass? A piece of line? A telltale? A VHF? A flashlight? Baling wire? Pliers? Knife?

Just dive on in, you'll find it in a minute or two. Not organized, but inclusive.

[anderbra]

Thanks for the ideas, I think I'll use both approaches, that way, one way or another I'll be able to find stuff aboard. Just cannot relly on the old and soft gray matter anylonger.

BTW, how do you add your location (i.e. Location: LaConner,Washington) to your posts?

[SEMIJim]

Except for safety equipment (flares, PFDs, throw-able, first aid kit, etc.), there's not much stored in the cabin that has to be gotten-to all that quickly. The safety/emergency stuff all has its own places and never gets moved. Or, if it does, it gets put back right off. The rest, well, we know more-or-less approximately where everything is . Generally things get stored where they "fit best." I.e.: Where they'll tend to stay put.

Jim

[jimmalkin]

Agree on the logbook/back of cabinet door lists. Also agree on flares, dye marker, horn, handheld vhf in a watertight container near companionway. Would add that I have a canvas "tool bag" that contains those tools, items that I most often grab during the day. If I haven't touched something in that bag, it goes into a cabinet area. (Then of course I need it two hours later...!) The idea is to have the most often used small stuff close to hand.

[sailingdog]

Eventually, I'll have to do something like that... but right now it's basically organized by me knowing what container or locker I put something in. Organizing the stowage system be really useful, when I'm not in the middle of working on the boat.

[Valiente]

I have a spares/gear "log" in the form of blueprint-style plans of the boats from above, sequentially numbered. Accompanying this is a list of stowed spares/gear on the back, like this

(7) Port pilothouse underdeck locker: Engine spares/Lube oils/Rigging spares.

7a: Loose: Seven 4 L 15 W 30 oil jugs. 7b1: Boxed: Spare fuel filters, oil filters, secondary filter elements, engine belts. 7b2: Boxed: Lube grease, acetone, lamp oil, 3 in 1, naval jelly, Liquid Wrench, WD-40.

(8): Port Pilothouse tool locker under settee: (See exploded diagram)

(9): Port aft bulkhead pilothouse 10 lb. fire extinguisher

(10): Helm (see exploded diagram).

(15): Fuel manifolds. See diagram for directions.


And so on. Not only is this helpful to me, it's written so that anyone over eight years of age could reasonably find anything on the boat, and could, via the exploded diagrams, divine its purpose.

Why go to the trouble? Because I have a passagemaker being readied for offshore cruising for five years. Everything must "have its place" because it might need to be found in a hurry. Also, not every hidey-hole is equivalent in terms of access or safety: I'm not putting the 18-inch crescent wrench I use on the shaft coupler in an overhead bin, as it would snap the latch in a rollover and take off a head.

Here's an example of this idea in progress: my boat's electrical system. Only part of this in done, but as it's to scale, it will allow me to figure out wire runs, lengths required and locations of fuses, terminal strips and so on. It will also help me to trace problems, which is a real issue on boats with all their dark corners and damp recesses.