Life at an Angle
Over the past 2.5 years, we’ve made our adjustments toward living in our tiny floating home. While at the dock, we’ve been busy making both our living and working environments more comfortable and functional. It’s a never ending battle to find space and to stay organized. I keep finding more nooks and crannies to put things out of sight and mostly organized, thanks in part to The Container Store. The challenge is to have the boat comfortable and easily prepared for working, relaxing, entertaining, and most importantly, sailing.
Since we do live and work on the boat, we have lots of necessities around. We have computers, dehumidifiers, books, dry goods, bread makers and, of course, wine in unsecured locations around the boat. When we head out for a sail, all of our stuff needs to be safely stowed away. The bigger the waves and the stronger the wind, cause items to shift, fall off shelves, break, and get in our way when we are down in the cabin. When we are well balanced under sail, we heel or lean/tilt at around 20°. With big gusts of wind, Nymeria can heel up to 30°. The items that we need for work and living become a liability when we are out sailing and need a permanent/safe home.
Previously, when going out for a sail, we would take all precious cargo that is not secured or tied down forward to the front of the boat or in the V-Berth. This is also where Justin and I sleep. When we want to rest or sleep in our bed, we have to move everything. This process normally takes about 30 minutes and works but is not ideal for the long-term.
In an attempt to find a low cost solution which did not include a carpenter or major interior refit, I jumped on sailing forums and websites for ideas. Some sailors recommended Nano Tape that should hold most smaller items in place. I also stumbled upon the idea of using netting to temporarily secure our items while under sail. The netting could be easily put up and taken down when needed and would only require simple hardware attachments. I figured this would be a good and inexpensive solution that we can try while we are still have a home base.
Overall, Nymeria has been a learning process and many of our attempts at dealing with situations may fail. We, like our boat, are a work in progress and are learning and adapting to whatever gets thrown at us. Luckily, we are not alone, as there are plenty of sailors who are here to offer ideas, assistance and elbow grease to help get projects completed. I’m always open to ideas on how to find the balance between life, work and fun!
