Instead of throw pillows on the settee we use pillow covers (basically a pillow without the stuffing with a zipper on one side for access)and fill them with extra sheets, towels, fleece blankets (and even fleece pullovers).

You could go to the trouble of making custom ones to compliment your upholstry…but I’ve found some lovely ready-made ones in the dollar store and a surplus store.

Cathi
s/v Trudy Mae

1. Created a master layout “map” drawing of the boat’s interior, with all the storage places labeled A-Z (well, actually we only needed up to “S”).

2. Created a Master Stowage List, with a list of all that is stored under each letter designation that corresponds to the letters on the boat’s interior map, created in Step 1. After a large provisioning shopping trip and stowage session where I do the list by hand as things get stashed, I then type it up for a more organized (readable!) version and then print it.

3. Both of the above get neatly folded, and stowed, for cross-referencing, in the front pocket of a small index card 2-holed “binder” (got mine in Mexico, but, I think they’re available in the U.S. at office supply stores, along with the little hole punch to make your own punched cards). We keep the binder in our settee table’s middle storage spot, next to the salt and pepper for instant access. The binder has alphabetical divisions, and on the index cards I list items alphabetically, i.e. “corn” goes on the “C” card under C. I draw vertical lines to the right for 3 columns. The first column gets the corresponding stowage place letter, for exactly where the item is located. The second is where–in PENCIL–I put the actual number of that item that I’ve stowed. The third, wider column is where each item gets a ‘tick’ mark–also IN PENCIL–when it is removed. Things get an *(asterisk) if they are stored in multiple places, and then listed again in their secondary place.

Thus, if someone looks up “corn” and sees that originally there were 5 listed in the “F” location, but there are 3 tick marks next to it, then obviously there are only 2 left of that item.

Once the index cards are created for all items stowed (sounds more daunting than it is!), it’s easy to maintain the list. I’ve never felt the need to completely re-do all of the index cards. If entries are in pencil, they can be easily modified as things come and go. Once you “know” the stowage places, you never have to look at the master layout again, and, rarely the Master Stowage List–but they’re there if you need them for some reason. The Master Stowage List usually gets re-done after a large provisioning, before a long passage.

The most important aspect of this system is that EVERYONE cooperates, and is diligent about recording that tick mark for every item they use/remove from its original place. We don’t record every little snack item–those all fit in some cupboards above our settee–but everything else from fuel filters to flour gets listed ad updated whenever necessary. Finding things on board is quick and easy forever after the system is set up, which takes less than a single afternoon.

Hope this system might be of use to others!

Cheers,
~Nancy McKeown
s/v Shanachie

PS: Sorry, our website is temporarily inactive.

Wow! Great website with tons of info. Good thing it is raining out – I can sit and read through it!

Brenda

wrinklesinoursails.blogspot.com

Good luck