Experienced Advising Newbies - Making S/V Home

[IrishLass]

Making a S/V a home is a unique task and requires much organization and ingenuity. Is there just one piece of advice that you would like to share? Something you wish you would have known from the very beginning? Sailing is a wonderful tradition and this venue is a testament to that fact and the fact that the voice of experience is invaluable.

Experienced sailors, men and women, please share advice .... no matter how trivial it may seem to help the rest of us make a wonderful home aboard our sailing vessels.

[Kettlewell]

Keep it simple--the less stuff to fix, the less time you'll be spending fixing stuff. Don't go with all the hype--you don't need all that stuff to have fun!

[Tellie]

Go first, decide what you need along the way. Buying everything you think you'll need first is usually a finacial mistake.

[RainDog]

Look at every storage space on the boat and ask how it can be improved. Almost all of them can. My boat is probably more thought out by the factory than most, but still almost every space on the boat needs to be reworked. Just taking my boat as an example:

- Under the vee berth are two small drawers. These drawers are a complete waste of space. Remove the drawer unit entirely, put a shelf in the space, and use a closet storage.
- Under the vee berth storage is only accessible from the top by lifting the mattress. Install doors in the front of the unit.
- Under the vee berth removable section is open space. Close this space in and use as an additional locker.
- Installing shelves in the hanging locker greatly increases storage.
- Installing shelves in the wet locker greatly increases storage.
- The galley has a lift up cutting board with a trash can underneath. Move the trash can elsewhere and convert this area to storage with shelves.
- The galley has a fold out cabinet that fills a cavernous space but hold little. Remove this cabinet entirely and convert area to storage with shelves.

These are just a few examples from my boat, but if you look carefully at how storage is arranged and used, you can probably double the effective storage on your boat.

[IrishLass]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Look at every storage space on the boat and ask how it can be improved. Almost all of them can. My boat is probably more thought out by the factory than most, but still almost every space on the boat needs to be reworked. Just taking my boat as an example:

- Under the vee berth are two small drawers. These drawers are a complete waste of space. Remove the drawer unit entirely, put a shelf in the space, and use a closet storage.
- Under the vee berth storage is only accessible from the top by lifting the mattress. Install doors in the front of the unit.
- Under the vee berth removable section is open space. Close this space in and use as an additional locker.
- Installing shelves in the hanging locker greatly increases storage.
- Installing shelves in the wet locker greatly increases storage.
- The galley has a lift up cutting board with a trash can underneath. Move the trash can elsewhere and convert this area to storage with shelves.
- The galley has a fold out cabinet that fills a cavernous space but hold little. Remove this cabinet entirely and convert area to storage with shelves.

These are just a few examples from my boat, but if you look carefully at how storage is arranged and used, you can probably double the effective storage on your boat.

Great ideas -- espescially for cruisers and live aboards. My husband is always rethinking the storage. Also, until you can afford to build-in or glass-in shelves or reconfigure your areas ..... I think it is great to think "outside the box" and use things in ways other than they were intended.

I have sound that using the canvas or polyester hanging "shelves" below is an immediate transmoration of a hanging locker with a lot of wasted space. Also, the clear shoe hanger is great for soring a variety of small clothing, toiletries, toys for the children, hardware, any variety of small items. Also zippered pencil cases work great for containing small items and the container doesn't take up a lot of extra bulk space. These can all be purchased at discount stores for a great savings.

[downunder]

So important those shoes

[IrishLass]

Originally Posted by IrishLass

Great ideas -- espescially for cruisers and live aboards. My husband is always rethinking the storage. Also, until you can afford to build-in or glass-in shelves or reconfigure your areas ..... I think it is great to think "outside the box" and use things in ways other than they were intended.

I have sound that using the canvas or polyester hanging "shelves" below is an immediate transmoration of a hanging locker with a lot of wasted space. Also, the clear shoe hanger is great for soring a variety of small clothing, toiletries, toys for the children, hardware, any variety of small items. Also zippered pencil cases work great for containing small items and the container doesn't take up a lot of extra bulk space. These can all be purchased at discount stores for a great savings.

OMGOSH ... Found .... transformation ..... storing. Yes, it is five o'clock somewhere, but I've not started drinking. LOL. My fingers get ahead of my mind. Thanks again for sharing all the ideas.

[IrishLass]

Originally Posted by downunder

So important those shoes

So funny ..... I know and when we leave the house for good, I am going to miss my shoes. At least I have other uses for the shoe bags!

[Lowcountry]

Downsize and simplify. I moved aboard 2.5 years ago. I gave so much stuff to goodwill it filled up my SUV twice over. Get rid of your shore-side posessions and set yourself free.

[svpattyd]

Buy 'lock and lock' plastic storage containers. No cardboard in the pantry, keep paper to a minimum. When u purchase something, know where it will b stored before u bring it on board.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Look at every storage space on the boat and ask how it can be improved. Almost all of them can. My boat is probably more thought out by the factory than most, but still almost every space on the boat needs to be reworked. Just taking my boat as an example:

- Under the vee berth are two small drawers. These drawers are a complete waste of space. Remove the drawer unit entirely, put a shelf in the space, and use a closet storage.
- Under the vee berth storage is only accessible from the top by lifting the mattress. Install doors in the front of the unit.
- Under the vee berth removable section is open space. Close this space in and use as an additional locker.
- Installing shelves in the hanging locker greatly increases storage.
- Installing shelves in the wet locker greatly increases storage.
- The galley has a lift up cutting board with a trash can underneath. Move the trash can elsewhere and convert this area to storage with shelves.
- The galley has a fold out cabinet that fills a cavernous space but hold little. Remove this cabinet entirely and convert area to storage with shelves.

These are just a few examples from my boat, but if you look carefully at how storage is arranged and used, you can probably double the effective storage on your boat.

I don't have a lot of experience but could the reason they do that is because when things get really bouncy things on shelves tend to "launch" but if behind a door they are contained?

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I don't have a lot of experience but could the reason they do that is because when things get really bouncy things on shelves tend to "launch" but if behind a door they are contained?

All of our shelves are behind doors except the galley shelf we replaced the pull out thing with. That one will have a front on it soon.

[Bash]

one of the greatest joys, for us, is the ability to turn our boat into a center of hospitality. We love entertaining colleagues aboard, or taking students out sailing for the first time, or cruising to a remote anchorage with buddy boats and serving cocktails in the cockpit to our yachting friends while the sun sets.

With those values in mind, I submit the following three suggestions:
1. Don't skimp on the dink or the davits. If you can't shuttle at least four people to/from shore, you'll spend far more sunsets alone than if you had a proper dink.
2. Don't focus on how many your boat can sleep; instead, focus on how many it sleeps well. When people ask how many our 46-footer sleeps, the answer is always "four." But being one of those four is a true delight.
3. Learn how to reef, and when to reef. No one should ever feel frightened while visiting your home. Ever. Not your mother-in-law, not your spouse, not your annoying Uncle Pete. If you can't force your boat to behave itself in the gustiest of conditions, it will never really, truly, 100% be a "home."

[beau]

I agree with most of the comments BUT why do women need so many shoes.

We are almost ready to cruise, and it has not been easy deciding what is necessary.
A friend of mine who has cirumnavigated 3 times just shakes his head when he comes aboard our boat. You don't need all that stuff? he says.

However we have a fridge and a freezer which we are not prepared to give up, I kept adding more solar panels untill it all worked.
We now have 5 X 200 watt panels.
I do think solar panels are seriously overrated in their output, but they are quieter than running a generator.

I also built a diy watermaker 150 liters a hour, fantastic. we can now wash off the salt water after a swim.

The thing is, we are not camping, this is our home, with a view that changes on a regular basis.

What has surprised me is how long it has taken us to work out what for us is essential and what is not.

One more point, I think it is essential to have toys to make your cruising more enjoyable.
My wife likes fishing, so buy her what she needs, to fish.
I like diving so I bought a wetsuit, hookah system and spear gun etc

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by beau

I agree with most of the comments BUT why do women need so many shoes.

Just to make other guys (with wives not possesing so many pairs of shoes) jealous while looking at her. Shoes make a dress and it is impossible to be well dressed without proper shoes.

SHE have a lot of shoes, and YOU are the winner, look at the other guys...