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Space saving ideas

MrCJ

By MrCJ
in General Boating

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MrCJ Collaborator

MrCJ

Posted
Posted

hi all was just wondering what good ideas everyone had on ways to save space and make life easier when living on a boat.

 

what has your best space saving idea been. There got to be some real good ones out there.

 

 

mine leave the girlfriend on dry land :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ;) ;) :o:lol:

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Derek R. Veteran

Derek R.

Posted
Posted

Get rid of stuff you don't use on a regular basis.

Don't bring in stuff you do not NEED.

Do not create cupboards or boxes in which to secrete stuff.

You are allowed a few family photos, but only as many as will fit in your pocket.

 

Result - loadsaspace. :lol: It's a wonderfully uplifting feeling.

 

If there is then too much space - shorten boat and reduce licence/mooring fees. :lol:

 

Derek - Author of 'Living aboard a Coracle'.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

Ooh I'm an expert on this one...

 

You can buy mixing bowls and sieves that squash flat (for £££ from Lakeland, but Lidl often do them for a more reasonable price).

Hand blender instead of food processor.

Folding chairs from Ikea, folding tray table from Lakeland. Also a folding desk (from Gopak) in the back cabin, not at all wobbly, had it made to measure and folds flat agaist the wall for when I need to accomodate guests in the back.

My dinette table can be folded out to twice the size for diner parties, folded in half or flat agaist the wall.

Half sized sewing machine

Our bed is quite high up from the floor and has room for eight storage crates beneath, our bedroom also has a false ceiling with storage above the whole of the bed.

I use those vacuum pack bags for out of season clothes.

I have a futon in the front cabin (used without the frame and with scatter cushions to lean against) The scatter cushions do not have cushions inside them, I store my small crochet blankets in these cushion covers when I don't need them.

Time consuming but worth it - I scan in cuttings for recipes and now have a database of over 1000. If you ask me nicely when I see you I'll burn you a disk. I rarely print anything off and never keep paper files. If you do this, always make sure you back up.

I get online subscriptions to two trade magazines and never print these off either.

I have a fold flat sack truck, a half width clothes airer from Lakeland that fits in my nb bath and can be stored easily when not being used.

Mty partner is too stubborn to get rid of his cds and use MP3 like I did, so we compromised and ditched the cases for those clear plastic wallets, they now take up far less space.

 

I could go on.......

 

but seriously, once you've been onboard for several years you either end up like one of those compulsive hoarders with a tunnel to burrow through your floor to ceiling possessions or you learn to only keep what you use and only ever have one of any item.

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andywatson Rising Star

andywatson

Posted
Posted (edited)

1 Impose (or negotiate) a strict limit of about 25% of the shoes and clothes that ladies want to bring aboard.

 

2 Throw out the dog's/cat's bed. It/they will sleep on your bed anyway.

 

2a Replace either of the above with a Hamster which when allowed loose will make it's home in your settee OR a snake which can live in a handy storage tube.

(take care not to get a breed of snake which eats hamsters unless you are really short of space)

 

3 Buy wine by the box. Not in bottles. The more you drink the more space you save .

 

4 Grow a beard and throw out shaving tackle (men only)

Edited by andywatson
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Chris-B Experienced

Chris-B

Posted
Posted
1 Impose (or negotiate) a strict limit of about 25% of the shoes and clothes that ladies want to bring aboard. Errr I am worse than Lise....

 

2 Throw out the dog's/cat's bed. It/they will sleep on your bed anyway. N.F.W.!

 

3 Buy wine by the box. Not in bottles. Top Idea ( means I can drink more and it doesn't show)

 

4 Shorten toothbrush handles. lol

 

5 Grow a beard and throw out shaving tackle (men only) Yep

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Chagall Experienced

Chagall

Posted
Posted

Similar idea to Lady Muck's, I had a bed built at gunnel height right across the boat on a reverse layout, the resulting cupboard space underneath is phenomenal! Only important if you are a pack rat or crafter....thousands of bits! ...and all packed away neatly in see through boxes on shelves under the bed, and it makes a great den for grandchildren! Double doors both ends, so sooner or later one grandchild is going to lock the other in!

 

I have a full glass bulkhead and doors so I can sit in bed and watch the world float by...Bliss!

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Dawnie Collaborator

Dawnie

Posted
Posted

What about the dual purpose items to save space? I have a pie dish that doubles as a fruit bowl and a steamer saucepan bottom that doubles as a casserole dish.

Also pillows that double as daytime cushions. (bit of a bum when you want to use things simultaneously though :lol: )

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Buy a boat with no front well deck, which has an escape window at the pointy end. That way you can have a permanent double bed in the bows and have a greater percentage of the boat's length as useful indoor space.

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Morat Proficient

Morat

Posted
Posted (edited)
Ooh I'm an expert on this one...

 

You can buy mixing bowls and sieves that squash flat (for £££ from Lakeland, but Lidl often do them for a more reasonable price).

Hand blender instead of food processor.

Folding chairs from Ikea, folding tray table from Lakeland. Also a folding desk (from Gopak) in the back cabin, not at all wobbly, had it made to measure and folds flat agaist the wall for when I need to accomodate guests in the back.

My dinette table can be folded out to twice the size for diner parties, folded in half or flat agaist the wall.

Half sized sewing machine

Our bed is quite high up from the floor and has room for eight storage crates beneath, our bedroom also has a false ceiling with storage above the whole of the bed.

I use those vacuum pack bags for out of season clothes.

I have a futon in the front cabin (used without the frame and with scatter cushions to lean against) The scatter cushions do not have cushions inside them, I store my small crochet blankets in these cushion covers when I don't need them.

Time consuming but worth it - I scan in cuttings for recipes and now have a database of over 1000. If you ask me nicely when I see you I'll burn you a disk. I rarely print anything off and never keep paper files. If you do this, always make sure you back up.

I get online subscriptions to two trade magazines and never print these off either.

I have a fold flat sack truck, a half width clothes airer from Lakeland that fits in my nb bath and can be stored easily when not being used.

Mty partner is too stubborn to get rid of his cds and use MP3 like I did, so we compromised and ditched the cases for those clear plastic wallets, they now take up far less space.

 

I could go on.......

 

but seriously, once you've been onboard for several years you either end up like one of those compulsive hoarders with a tunnel to burrow through your floor to ceiling possessions or you learn to only keep what you use and only ever have one of any item.

 

Wow, that is a fantastic. Can I get you to demonstrate to my work colleagues? :lol: I've been trying to get people to change over to electronic filing for years and they just don't get the idea that it is the information ON the paper that is important and paper has no intrinsic worth!

MP3 only here too... since 2001 :lol:

I'm nowhere near getting close to removing paper recipes from my life. My wife is addicted to food magazines :lol:

Edited by Morat
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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

the thing with scanning your recipes is that you can then tag the files so its dead easy to find things. I dont even have a paper portfolio anymore - i tagged all my portfolio work and take my laptop with me; it saves me having to redo it everytime i go for a job= i just call up the relevant tagged work in the meeting.

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