I recently returned from a sailing vacation in the Sea of Cortez where eight adults boarded the limited confines of a 50 foot mono-hull boat for six nights and five days. Multiple bags of groceries, ice, suitcases and towels were sprawled everywhere. In such tight quarters the challenging question becomes, “Where do we put all the stuff?” What I’ve come to love about being on a boat is the efficient use of space. Every nook and cranny is a potential place for storage. Flip-up seating on the deck reveals a cavernous space for life-jackets, masks, fins and snorkels along with fishing gear and charcoal for the grill. In the lounge below deck, the dining table booth has removable Velcro cushions that cover yet more storage. Even the wooden captain’s bench opens to a hidden compartment. If you can sit on it, chances are there’s space below for stuff. Nothing is wasted. I think the designers of the boat had fun coming up with unique places for even the smallest amount of storage. It’s amusing to open a cabinet door and find a two inch deep reveal with a hammer, a flashlight or a small broom and dust pan tucked away.
There’s something gratifying about how a boat uses what might be considered useless space for a purpose. Perhaps it’s my mid-west upbringing where the motto waste not want not has been embedded into my cellular memory. In a society where so much is disposable; it feels good to think about using space intentionally and with forethought – it is the lesson I learn every time I sail. Space is valuable and there is no space too small or awkward that can’t hold something useful.
