Sitting in Calypso’s cockpit this morning, taking advantage of warm sunshine and trying not to be just lazing around, I started a list of boat projects to be done this winter.

We’ve done this exercise a couple of times. The most recent version was in Annapolis, when Jeremy casually asked, “So what do we need to get done when we haul?” and after about 3 minutes of a stream-of-consciousness brain dump he put a hand up. “Okay. Stop!” It was a little depressing, honestly, to be listing project after project when we just went in the water in July.

Last time, we came up with the list (which, now that I think about it, might be good to revisit) by working our way methodically through the boat. Stem to stern, as it were. Or stern to stem anyway.

This time it was kinds of projects that drove the organization.

Leaks. Handrail, staysail track, sills, chain plates, portholes, prism, head raw water line

Rot. Taffrail, bulwark

Beautify. Hull/deck joint, floors, caulk cleanup, varnish, paint, stackpack, porthole glass, chain regalvanizing

Upgrade/general fix. Shower compartment, lighting, table, wind vane, compass bulb, wire runs, 2nd propane box, stanchions with solar, hard dodger, masthead light, radar, heat

As before, not all of these projects will get done (sigh) before we splash the end of March or early April. The biggies are the leaks and the rot, plus painting and the shower area. Oh, and the stanchions for the new solar, though that will require some not-available-in-Deltaville stainless work. We can probably fine-tune this list by priority. Maybe we will. And then we have a whole other boat to contend with too.

Carolyn asked me the other day what the immediate focus was. For Mischief, it’s getting the engine started, which involves the electrical system too. For Calypso, it’s getting the boat into the shed. These are the domino projects, as it were, allowing a lot of other things to happen.

There’s a lot going on in our world in addition to boat work. Between getting our COVID boosters to allow traveling for the holidays (WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO), moving into our sweet little land digs, sifting through storage with an eye to eliminating that monthly expense, and buying a new dinghy, it’s hard to come up for air.

Oh. You caught that comment?

Maybe there should be a whole new category of projects. The “surprise” category.