My husband just returned home from Florida. He was getting familiarized with Aphrodite, our St Francis 50, which is currently docked in Fort Lauderdale. He had the help of experts and we feel like we’re on the right track in getting to know the boat. These people included:

• a surveyor
• Pat Reischmann who is our broker, and President of Hy-Tech Marine Inc. We have engaged him to project manage and consult during the refits
• the former owner, and
• a sailing enthusiast, and former St Francis 50 owner, recommended to us by our broker

Because of my husband’s trip, we now have lots of pictures and an inventory of components and gear on the boat – including model numbers and serial numbers. We also have a good sense of storage space – lockers and cupboards. Inventory of gear The inventory of gear allows us to research what we have aboard, how things work, find user guides, etc. This inventory will be handy when we are at home in Ottawa, Canada. And, the detailed gear list also helps us to decide what might need to be replaced. Inventory of storage space The inventory of storage space allows us to plan where things will be stored in advance, rather than just moving aboard and hoping things just fall into place. We are experienced in packing light. But, living aboard requires another echelon of organization. We need to figure out how to pare down and bring only what we need to live, without skimping on spares and tools. This challenge – finding a place to store our “stuff” – is what comedian George Carlin describes as the meaning of life. Here is a Youtube video where Carlin describes his theory.