“The boat mess” is one of the biggest frustrations for any new boat owner. Any time you go to work on one thing, you have to remove the contents of at least one locker, move rugs, cushions or floorboards, and so on. And then, wherever you put it all, it has to be moved to get to some other part of the project. And on it goes. There is rarely a way to get it off the boat and out of the way. Boat mess galore!
I hate to say it but I don’t have an answer. I don’t think you ever really get a handle on “boat mess.” You can only come to terms with the fact that it happens. No one is immune.
I’ll just show pictures of a recent project here on Barefoot Gal . . . scroll down if you just want the pics.
Boat Mess After Irma
First, a bit of backstory. After Hurricane Irma, we had some water in the bilges, below where the bilge pumps sucked. So we dried it out and went on our merry way of putting everything back to its pre-hurricane place.
I noticed there was a damp place on the floor overlay. So we removed it and laid it outside to dry. I cleaned up the mess from the wet wood. And then, a little while later, I noticed something. Water was slowly oozing (less than a trickle) from a low cupboard onto the fiberglass floor. So I started tracing it. I discovered a huge locker next to and under the galley sink with water in it that was slowly making its way down, through another locker and onto the floor.
A quick taste revealed it was fresh water, so we weren’t about to sink. But I did have to take everything out of those two lockers to find the leak. And then I had to clean up the mess.
Adding to the Boat Mess
About that time, we got word about our friend John’s near-drowning and medevac flight to Miami (read more about this here). We said we’d take care of their two dogs. So we brought the dogs to our boat, along with a large bag of their stuff.
So now, the boat hasn’t been completely arranged back to “normal” from how we left it for the hurricane. And we have the contents of the largest locker on board stacked on the table, settees and floor, wet floorboards drying in the cockpit. Plus we have two extra dogs and their gear. And we’re still trying to figure out exactly where the leak is. Yes, the boat is a mess!
We finally figure out that a hose clamp on the faucet has chewed its way through the hose. Dave cuts the hose and re-clamps it. But he wants to leave the locker open overnight to make sure the leak is fixed. And also to thoroughly dry the locker.

So the point of all this? Don’t feel alone in having boat mess. It happens to us all. It drove me nuts when we started cruising; I now accept it as part of the life.
And how the boat looked during all this?





The good part? It took less than an hour to put it all away the next morning. And, of course, once everything is out, it’s a great chance to clean up. I use Concrobium (Amazon) to clean up any mold I see and to keep it from coming back.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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