Spring cleaning underway here on Mahdee. They say (I always wonder who “they” are…in this case it is the “experts” regarding good boatkeeping–that’s boat housekeeping, Dixie!)…They say that if you don’t remove everything from every locker and cabinet every 3 months or so and wipe down the inside surfaces with a bleach water or vinegar solution (depends on which “They” whether the advice is one or the other) that you’ll have moldy mustiness going on. Well, since our 4/2009 launch, I’ve been very good at keeping up with what “They” say and wiping down the interior every couple months…until last fall. I got lazy. Period. Then it was cold and yucky in all the far reaches of the boat and the last thing I felt like doing was rearranging all our stuff. So, here we are 6 months later and well, I can tell you, “they” were right. I’m finding little places here and there with musty mold evident. Yuck.

Since we came North last fall, the foc’sle aka forecastle aka scuttle has been buried with “stuff.” Lines, sails, pool noodles, extra wood, saw horses, fenders, spare bilge pumps…STUFF. Today, I finally re-arranged to the point that I can see some walls and the sole. How nice. I still need to haul all that stuff out on deck and clean out the place properly while empty–but it’s much nicer now. My new “organization” gave me room to even move a few MORE things into the foc’sle.