58 Years of a Junk Drawer

Everybody has one. Usually when people move out of their houses every 5-7 years, they clean it out and probably throw most of it away. However, on a boat, frequently things get passed from owner to owner. I imagine the tool box in the lazarette has been there for quite a few KJ owners. It was certainly full when I acquired her. There are literally drawers that all look like this. Piles and piles of stuff.
I’m pretty sure no one has thrown much away for the last 58 years, using the “well, we might need it someday” mentality. Which is all well and good up to a point. You may be out in the Pacific someday when your Name-That-Part breaks and all you have to work with is what is in the tool box.
But I’ve been on board for nearly 4 years now. And I’ve learned a few things during that time. Namely, A) we’ll NEVER need that many screws. Never. and B) if you can’t find it, it’s not much use.

Keeping this in mind, I forced poor, over-worked Brock to add a second shelf on top of the first. I just know we’ll need it as we bring things back down from the hot tub project (yes, we’re still cleaning up from that).


And with boundless energy, we began the attack.

Sorting took hours, but now we will be able to find the things we need when we need them.

And almost everything has a home.
We’re still not done, but it’s time for a rest now.

No Responses to “58 Years of a Junk Drawer”

  1. rob
    June 1, 2010 at 4:53 am #

    Wow! what a fantastic job you have done! My lazarette is below the aft deck with an enormous opening hatch, but is low (about 3 feet max and houses the genny the steering the heater the water tanks life raft when not cruising outboard motor and tanks all in an odd shaped floor area which really doesn`t lend itself to shelves, so plastic boxes have to be used, and the stuff you want in always in the bottom one at the back! :o((. You have done a really nice job (as usual)