—by Arlo
As the tallest person in the family, I thought that I would write about living in small spaces. One of the biggest differences, between life at home and life on the boat is how all of our living spaces are are so much smaller on the boat.
The place where I notice this the most is in the cabin that Alma and I share, the forepeak, at the very front of the boat. Compared to my room at home it is very small, and the floor is only 10 feet square so only one person can do anything at at time. My sister and I have to take turns being in it, and
because there is no room for a dresser, all of our clothes are stored in cubbies. But small isn’t all bad—my bunk is not too small, and it is the only place on the boat besides the head (bathroom), that has some privacy. I brought my blanket from home, which is also nice.
Another place where you really notice the size difference is in the kitchen, or galley. In the galley there is a three burner gimbaled stove with an oven, a sink with salt and freshwater pumps, and meager counter space. Under the counter, there are lots of racks of baskets for storing food. Compared to our kitchen at home, it is tiny.
The head is the smallest room aboard, maybe an eighth of the size of our bathroom at home. It has a sink, two cupboards, and toilet, which you have to pump to flush. The head is pretty much just a downsized regular bathroom, without a bathtub or shower. All in all, you get used to living in these small spaces, more quickly than one might expect, although I wont be sad to have my bedroom back when we get home.
Your use of space is amazing! I can see the fresh fruits hanging from the ceiling so apparently no space is wasted. I’m loving all the updates and photos. Keep up the good work!
CIK (Cousin In Kansas)
Lou Anne
Arlo here, the spaces that we have are packed to the brim, and in some cases, a little overflowing. I have been missing kansas, and I brought my kansas university ball cap on the trip, which I have been wearing almost every day. Thank you for the comments, they are much appreciated.
Any time you guys are ready to come and visit Kansas, I have guest rooms ready for you. Just let me know. That would be AWESOME! I’d love it if your Grandmother would come and spend a month with me. In the mean time, I’m enjoying following along on your huge adventure.
Love,
Cousin Lou Anne
Love the updates. Be safe
Thanks!
Jason the picture of the not it’s just the way I tie my shoes
Arlo, I am a friend of your grandpa and fellow boatbuilder. I am following your adventure and enjoying the blogs. You write very well. Regards to your whole family and I am keeping you in my prayers as you journey.
Hi Arlo! I’m so impressed that you are meeting the new space challenges head on! I’m sure it’s lots to get used to but it sounds like you are adjusting as well as you can. What a great life experience and I envision you working really hard in the future to either buy a sailboat or a really big house! If you think the space deficit is getting to you, close your eyes, relax, and imagine being back in you beautiful spacious house in Alameda and stay with that thought as long as you can! Hugs to all!
Arlo here–
The small space has been challenging, and I have bonked my head many times, so I have been meeting the challenges literally “head on”. I do spend a lot of time thinking about our house at home, and I do miss our dog, Moby. As for buying a boat or big house, I will have to consider a while longer. thank you so much for your wonderful comments, they are always anticipated.
At least the backyard is a pretty good size. 😉
It is a bit bigger than our yard at home, isn’t it?
I love these posts! I’m inspired and am learning a ton – I had no idea how little boat vocabulary I had until I started reading about this journey. Can’t wait to hear more!