It has been ONE WHOLE week!!!

Living on our boat has a different feel compared to visiting the boat every weekend. Big deal right? It sorta is. This is the week where we realize what we need and what kind of space we have to store what we need. Lucky for us downsizing really hasn't been that difficult. I prefer the coziness of our 42 feet of living space. Our boat has most essentials already stocked, focus for this week has been where to store everything. My clothes however, may become a problem. How the heck do I pack for a year knowing we will be experiencing all sorts of weather? I also need options, my mood may be feeling yoga pants so I better have several pairs right? I do know I will be living in comfy clothes 90% of the time but I just got some really cute wedges so I  had to bring a few things to wear with them!

I do not claim to be well organized but I do have 'my system' that seems to work. I have a place for my stuff and I usually put my stuff back where it belongs. While I spent the week getting us both organized, all I could hear was my dad saying "Everything should have a place and should be put back in its place". This usually was exclaimed in a heightened tone as either my brother or me had lost or misplaced something of his. His knowledge rings especially true on a boat. All items need to be in their respective spots locked, shut, stored, secured while underway. There is nothing worse than coming into the saloon from the flybridge to find the entire contents of the fridge rolling about the galley. All because it was not shut properly. 

After about three trips to numerous stores, back to the boat with various bins in all shapes, sizes, colors and materials, I started making space for all our things. Boy, it really feels good to know it all fits but crazier is we still have lots of storage space waiting to be filled...hmmm, what can I put there? We will be going home a couple times before we set off for the loop in September, I'll have to grab a few more outfits to go with those wedges! 

Of course the week brought Ben a couple projects (he loves to have something to fix). He is always telling me to listen for any new noises. New noises can be bad. Our fresh water pump was making some weird sounds. In the "basement" (our engine room) he went. The pump kept cycling which after Ben checked, found it had plastic shavings from our new water tanks, which were put in last spring (resulting in us NOT being first in our harbor. Something we strive for every season!). Yay! Go Ben, my personal mechanic!! While he was down in the basement, the bilge got a little cleaning. How often do you clean your bilge? We make it a practice to do this at least twice a season. Moving forward, we will be cleaning it at least every other month. Like how I say we? Really I mean Ben!

Hope you all have had as productive a week as we have....we are all tidy and organized. Stinky boat? Not here!!! 

I hand pumped every last bit out of the bilge, dry as a bone!

A little extra organized = a little less stress!