dealing with the list…

As it happens, my project lists have become so unmanageable it’s just time to circular-file them and start anew. Or, in other words, get a just-the-basics need/want list that makes sense.

For starters, I’ll be doing something different and narrow the number of projects on the list to ten items because “ten” is a doable number, forces me to triage the projects, and anything I can’t count on my fingers is just too complicated for someone stupid enough to be working on two separate boats at the same time.

So, what that list will entail…

Need/Want List

• Finish rig issues.
• Complete Galley
• Sort out interior stowage.
• Fix water stowage
• Install watermaker
• Deal with bow/foredeck problems
• Paint deck
• Dodger
• Dinghy
• Self-steering

Sure, it would be easy to make that list a lot longer but these are what we need to be able to point the boat towards Europe and get gone. While I hate the interior teak sole in the Islander (for example) it does do its job and will make a nice project down the line but is not needful anytime soon. The other wants I passed over were a haul-out (new bottom paint, painting the topsides, and getting rid of a few thru-hulls), and a variety of projects that were more about making things nicer and more bespoke which are all easier left for the future when the opportunity arises.

The hard part for most items on the list is just sorting out the how to do them. Take the watermaker, for instance. It’s a two or three hour job but I just can’t seem to find a place to install it that I like and it has become a real pain in the ass especially as it sorta/kinda fucks with the whole interior stowage part of the list.

The two projects I really want to do are the dinghy and self-steering gear as they are straight forward and simple. Funny since everyone thinks they are the most difficult projects on the list.

I’ll let you know how it goes…