Bryttne, May I offer some suggestions? Before hiring a
carpenter, you need to plan all the things that the carpentry will cover up, first. For example, first decide what habitation needs you will have. How many beds (sea berths and harbor berths) for how many people you choose to have accompany you on overnight, or longer, passages. Then, ask yourself what degree of comfort you need. Will you have a main
salon capable of entertaining a number of people, or would the space be better used for
storage,
navigation space, a workshop, more
storage, larger and more luxurious
shower and
head accomodations, etc.? Will you be carrying a variety of watercraft (inflateable boat, sailing
dinghy, windsurfer, surfboard, etc.? Those things require space inside the boat for storage of accessories and spare
parts.
Once you've got a general idea of the use of space, then start making a wish list of the
equipment you wish to fulfill those needs. How big a
refrigerator or
freezer, how sophisticated an electronic
navigation system, or computer system, or entertainment needs such as stereo, tv, etc. How many toilets and bathing facilities? How accessible do you need the
engine and other systems to be?
The next stage is to consider the infrastructure needed to support all of those needs. For example, how much
water will you carry, how much
fuel,
propane, gasoline for the outboards? How much electricity will you use in a three day period, and how will you recharge the
batteries in that period? That establishes how many
batteries you will need to carry, how many circuits you will need to plan on installing, how much wire (and what size they will be) will be needed to turn on the lights, etc. Will you have both
electrical and manual backups for
water pumps? Non-electric lights? How large the holding
tanks will need to be. All of these things get covered up with pretty pieces of
wood, but they generally go in first, or else things get very expensive and challenging.
Not all of the decisions need to be made immediatly, but they need to be lingering in the back of your mind whenever you start dreaming about a nice
galley, an efficient chart area, a safe and comfortable
toilet that can be used when the ocean is not treating you nicely.
Dream a lot. Imagine the good times and the bad, and how they will affect your use of space. Consider how you will access each item and system in order to fix them when (not if) they break. Where will you store the tools and materials (and manuals) to
repair things? How easy will it be to clean up vomit, mud, broken glass and seawater from every conceivable space, from the
bilge to the overhead?
Will you have space for backup systems such as spare anchors and
rode? How will people get aboard in good
weather and bad? How will people stay relatively warm and dry when waves are crashing over the bow, or stern?
I think that if you plan from the needs you have, the interior design will become self-evident. Trust yourself, and read the stories of those who have actually gone cruising. Figure out your own solutions, then discuss them with folks who actually know what they are talking about. Mistrust those who offer you
advice such as mine, at least as far as questioning their motives, your own needs, and what your dreams demand. Learn how to use a spreadsheet program to keep track of
electrical planning, inventories of supplies and resources. Make a very good drawing of the outline of the
hull, make many copies and draw lots of possible configurations.