Packing Lists for Busca



After my Maine, '05 trip, I decided to re-think my packing scheme. I thought about which items were accessed frequently and what aspects of packing were most hindering a smooth, quick set-up and take-down.

Probably the biggest drag on set-up and take-down for me is the fact that almost everthing gets removed from the boat for the trip, but that is something I intend to continue doing as I like to keep as much of the weight in the truck bed and out of the boat as possible. So, the trick is to streamline packing within that paradigm for travel.

So, here is my latest thinking:

  1. Use boxes to minimize the number of small, loose items to carry around (to reduce the number of trips between the boat and truck).
  2. Pack the items in one of two kinds of boxes: boxes that get emptied into the boat and boxes that get loaded onto the boat, maximizing the latter to minimize the time spent packing and unpacking items. The exceptions are where the box just doesn't fit well or where storage built into the boat make the items more accessable than if it were in a box.
  3. Arrange the boxes in the truck bed in the order they will be used. For example, the toolbox and fasteners box are needed first in order to set the mast up. In that particular example, both of those boxes are rather small, so they are combined with other items in a larger box.
With those things in mind, here is what I've come up with. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few loose items:

Boxes that are emptied and returned to the truck are labelled alphabetically, while boxes that get loaded onto the boat are labelled numerically.

The packing list itself is an Excel file, downloadable here. The list can be sorted by however you want. For example, you can cluster all the food items together in preparation for grocery shopping, then later by Box for packing the items away. Feel free to download it and customize it to fit your particular needs.

Box A, tools, supplies, etc:


Stuff that is in Box A:

...here is a pic of the transistor radio with it's strap for mounting on the compression post.


Box B, the galley stuff:


Box C, the deck and cockpit gear:


Box 1, the bedding:


Boxes 2, 3, and 4, for food:


Box 5, towels of all sorts:


Box 6, boom tent, netting, etc. This is stored aft of the milk crate containing my main anchor.:


Box 7, for food: