Small boat, big dreams

[smilicus]

Hello fellow sailors.

I have a Vivacity 20 bilge keeler. Currently doing some repairs and looking for inspiration for the interior to maximize the internal space and creature comfort.

Would like to see what fellow small boat / pocket sailors have done to make such a small space more comfortable.

TIA

[Jamme]

Hi, maybe Chip Ford’s website is a good resource both for interior and exterior work: http://www.chipford.com/index.htm

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, TIA.

[capt_TE]

Greeting and welcome!
I once lived for a summer and autumn on a 19 feet single hull Triss Magnum (goolge it if you want to see the interior and what type of boat it is, so you get a picture..)
Well, it is small.. But it worked really well for me to live on alone 24/7 and also for shorter trips with friends. The boat model is flush decked but quite wide for its' lenght, and therefore good space inside.
I did not have a toilet or a shower. I just agreed to the comfort of visiting toilets and showers on marinas and gyms when I was in port. In that way the interior saved much space for other compartment such as bigger sleeping area, kitchen, storage.

Things I did to improve the living space:
1) In order to get more space in general and get rid of some clothing from the wardrobes, was to tighten up a net in the ceiling. Between the net and the ceiling I could put jackets, pants, towels etc.
2) In order to get more storage volume for items and equipment of different kind, I lashed waterproof barrels on deck to the mast
3) I rebuilt the ladder in a way so it opened up much more space inside
4) I made a good shelter for the cockpit so I could use it as a "living room" even these days with rain and shitty weather (when I lived on it in port)

In such small boat, if it is equipped with an inboard motor, one idea could be to remove it, make some bigger interior space from the motor room and instead get a outboard motor.