Storage

I have been busy over the last week on a number of boat projects that I could tell you about, but Joyce advised me to talk about something that everybody can appreciate - storage.   

We have spent months in total on this and similar boats for shorter lengths of time, but packing for a 2-3 week trip is quite different than for a 6 month trip when it will often be difficult or impossible to get more supplies.  So one of my jobs is to strategize storage. 

One of the things I often say to people is that our boat is quite comfortable, but it is still a boat.  Storage space is limited and often comes in odd places and shapes and varying levels of accessibility. Also some spaces have greater possibility of getting wet than others. The last dimension is that some storage space is shared with critical equipment (like refrigerator compressors or water pumps) that you don’t want to damage. So the trick is to maximize utilization of the space, provide efficient access (frequently needed items most accessible), protect items from getting wet/damaged, while not damaging some critical piece of equipment in the process.

So, I have gone through every storage space on the boat, cataloging and culling the contents.  Also I have become a regular in the Wal-Mart storage container aisle buying numerous shapes and sizes of storage containers and trying to fit them in the various spaces like a giant 3-D puzzle.

The picture is one of the more accessible and regular shaped spaces, but note the use of various sized containers to maximize space utilization and the presence of air conditioning ducts and a pressure gauge from the water maker (upper right hand corner).