I finally completed the first pass on thinning out our books.  Eventually, we'll need to get it down to fewer than 50 books (including manuals, boating references, homeschooling books, and local guides) when we move aboard, and that may be high.  In the first pass I've pulled out a couple hundred.  Now I need to get actually get rid of them.

Our goals for the next week are:
  1. Move kiddy clothes.
  2. Move books.
  3. Move furniture
  4. Have a brainstorming session on ways to sustain financially once we're out, and identify next steps.
  5. Start scheduling flooring, cabinet, window treatment, and gutter guys to come give us estimates.  Not that we're necessarily going to do any of that, but I just want to know what they'll say.
Last night we read "Cut the Shouting Out of Sailing" in the The Capable Cruiser.  They had some good advice, but it was funny because despite the title, one of the main items was basically: "Ladies, don't take it personally when you get yelled at.  Men are just like that."  OK, I'm taking it out of context a little, but we chuckled.  Otherwise the main points were these:
  1. Using actual nautical terms for things is worthwhile because it can be less ambiguous than using everyday vernacular.
  2. The skipper and crew to should discuss in advance the skipper's plans for things like landing or casting off maneuvers.
  3. The skipper and crew should have a checklist for things like casting off and should check all of the items themselves.
  4. Eliminate distractions during involved and potentially risky maneuvers, again, like landing or casting off.
  5. Consider dry runs for new or complicated maneuvers.
  6. There is only skipper (at a time) and his or her orders are to be carried out without discussion.  Post mortem later if necessary.
  7. Crew should repeat the skipper's orders.
  8. Shout, if necessary, to be heard.
Good stuff generally.

All indications (and I won't elaborate on that) are that my crawlspace efforts earlier in the week were effective.  I can tell you, it's making a huge difference to my state of mind already.