First you make a list, then another list, and next thing you know you have a list of your lists.

Our list of lists keeps growing, we have a list of boat work we need to do, a list of jobs to hire someone for, a list of items to find on the boat, a list of things to buy, a list of topics to learn about, not to mention the ongoing list of things to sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of. At least we’ve started to cross the first few lines off the lists.

I never really had a clear picture of just how many holes you can have in the hull of a boat without it sinking. Project number one this past weekend was noting every hole and tracing out why it was there. Six on the starboard side, eight on port. We opened every floor panel, cabinet, drawer, and panel and can now say with confidence that we know why there are holes in our boat, and we intend to keep almost all of them.

It was pretty funny, finding a green and black wrapped pipe coming up in the back of a cabinet, and hilarity ensued while we tried to follow it. Do you have a black and green down there? What do you mean you have two, I only have one up here! Take out that drawer and tell me if you see black and green? It turns right, try looking behind the electronics panel. What do you mean it turns right? Where the heck is it going now? You’d think we were chasing something alive.

The other main project was opening every storage compartment on board, deciding what to keep and what to pitch. Three trash bags full came off Goblin, and too many bags of spare parts made their way into our basement to be sorted. It did leave me feeling a little better about actually fitting the four of us and our stuff, though it left Alex feeling more nervous.

There are the beginnings of plans for a bookshelf in our berth and another in Zoe’s. As much as my Kindle has grown on me, I can’t yet part with all my paper books. There are a number of old, well worn friends that need to come with me on this adventure. Tam Lin, a painfully chosen few from DeLint and Tamora Pierce, at least a little Prachett and Spider Robinson.

Other books have begun to make their way out of the house. I took a trunk full with me to pass along to friends this weekend. It’s fun seeing them go to good homes, and to see our house grow a little lighter.