Move to the Garage?

This is not our garage!

Last night’s discussions at home were about moving the boat building shop from the basement to the garage. This is a HUGE decision with HUGE impact. Naturally the garage would need a couple space heaters, and we’d have to work out some ventilation. But, the BIGGER issue is that we would have to CLEAN the garage.

Our garage is a typical suburban 2-car garage, that doesn’t really fit a 2nd car. Since we have lots of “stuff”, it doesn’t fit any car. What may not be typical, is just how much “stuff “ we have in it.

Our garage stores 6 kayaks and all their gear (one is on a trailer), 2 windsurfers with gear and extra sails, 9 bikes and bike gear, 4 sets of rollerblades and gear, a few skateboards, a couple boogie boards, family snorkeling gear, lots of family car and kayak camping gear including tents, sleeping bags, beach and camp chairs, and various sized coolers. This stuff is hanging on walls, on ceilings, in storage containers, drawers, and trunks everywhere. Then of course it also holds all the typical garage stuff, garden tools, lawn-mower, power-washer, ladders, hand truck, and car stuff. We even have a couple car seats taken from the mini-van, so we can fit all the ‘stuff’ in the car when we take it somewhere. Oh yes, and everything else that seems should logically be stored in a garage.

Now imagine that none of this is very organized, and I freely admit to making most of the mess. Our family would much rather play then clean, and unfortunately, I’ve set the worst example of this. Monthly Paul tries to at least keep a path clean from the kitchen-garage door to the driveway, and a few times a year, we spend a weekend taking it all outside and trying to organize it all back inside, this was last done quite awhile ago. I just can’t imagine where this “stuff” will all go, not to mention that I DON’T WANT TO DO IT.

The suggestion for the shop move was Paul’s. He thinks we should move the operation out of the basement once the hull is completed which is expected later this week. Paul feels that the moving the boat will be simpler and easier before they add the cuddy cabin and all the remaining weight, though he still reassures me that even with cabin, it will fit out the small basement doorway. Hmmm, I know Paul would love to have an excuse to get me cleaning the garage.

Alan wants to stay in the basement. It’s comfortable, heated, and they’ve created a good organized workshop there. I don’t think Alan wants to see the building momentum lost with this move. He goes back to school next Tuesday night, so luckily he wouldn’t even be part of the BIG DIG. Alan has always promised he’ll recruit everyone he knows to help move the boat when it’s done. This will not be a small effort, as our basement overlooks a big downhill, and getting the boat to the front yard and driveway means climbing up a hill, and likely taking down some fencing and a gate. And it’ll weight about 650 lbs with a pretty unwieldy size.

Stay tuned.