The key to organization is simple. Just remember to PEEP.
Have a Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place
I always bring the same items and store every item in the same place for every trip. A little organization goes a long way when you need to find something. I try to bring only what I need, and I try to use items for multiple purposes whenever possible. I only bring extras of items that are crucial.
Because it's unsafe, I cannot tolerate having things out where I have to walk on or around
them. I store everything in the lockers, under the thwarts and
the side decks. Once everything is packed away, it looks like I'm not bringing anything at all, even when my son and I go on a week long cruise. That's not easy to do in an open boat unless you are well organized.
Here is the packing list that I use. As you can see, it lists each place on the boat and the items that are always stored there. I use soft-sided cooler bags for food, drinks and cooking gear. Four of them fit nicely on the front thwart. I use backpacks for clothing, stored in the dry locker. I use roll-top drybags for foul weather gear, stored under the aft thwart where I can quickly get to it. I use a watertight box (a plastic ammo can) that is always within arm's reach for important frequently used items. These various containers are all marked with an asterisk and list their contents.
Most of this stuff stays on the boat permanently. Usually all I have to pack for a trip is food and clothing, but I always go through this entire checklist before every trip to make sure nothing is missing or needs replacement. I also update this checklist whenever anything changes.
You can download and customize this list for your own use by clicking here
