Living on a small sailboat in a tight space with other people can sometimes be amazing and even interesting, but sometimes also challenging…
To make it as easy as possible to understand and be prepared for this way of living, we have made this small collection of practical examples of “not to”s and a couple of “do”s, some of them more obvious than others.
In the end, it’s all about awareness and respect for your surroundings.
Do NOT empty stuff, without…
When you take the last part of something (especially your room mates favorite), make sure it’s replaced with new, or that it’s put on the shopping list. If you suddenly want to make waffles, make sure you don’t empty the milk, that someone needs for their serials the next morning. When you have used a rechargeable device (headlamp, VHF-radio, our beach loudspeaker), put it directly on charge, so it’s ready for the next one. And – never put empty packaging back in the lockers…
Put EVERYTHING back to the exact spot you found it
EVERYTHING in a boat has its special place to be stored – EVERYTHING!
When you take something from a drawer, locker, box – put it back on the exact same spot when you have finished using i – immediately. If not, someone will be spending time looking for it, maybe even in a critical situation when safety matters.
Do not act GREEDY
Do not fill your plate with big portions of food, even when you’re extremely hungry. Most likely the rest of the crew is hungry too. Wait for the next round! Greediness is not accepted when you are on board. We are humble and we share! Many small portions look a lot better than starting out with a big one.
Take care of the sharp KNIVES – Do NOT put them in the drawer!
Our kitchen is equipped with some expensive sharp knives, that make it possible for us to cut ingredients for our meals in an efficient way. NEVER put the sharp knives in the drawer with the other cutlery, or in a pile in the dishwasher – it makes them unsharp. The sharp knives go on the magnet on the wall.
Keep your dirty clothes and shoes outside – do NOT bring dirt inside
Working clothes or other dirty clothes should NOT go inside the sailboats. Do your best to keep the boats clean at all times. Mud and dirt may bring insects, seeds, or other parasites inside the boat, which can make great damage to the boat and the interior for instance mold or ant colonies.
Do NOT speak other languages than English on board
Sometimes we have many people from the same nationality, with native languages other than English, on board. Do not speak other languages than English on board. Make sure everyone on board is included. Always.
Do NOT fill the boats with stones, bones, and seashells
Yes, there’s a lot of interesting things to find out there, like whale skeletons, seashells, and beautiful stones, but please do not bring them inside the sailboats. Most likely you will forget them, and not bring them back to your country, and we just have to spend time getting rid of them when you leave. And – they may contain parasites.
Do NOT keep small portions of leftovers that rotten in the fridge
We do not want to through away food – but we also do not want people to get sick on board due to poisonous old leftovers that start to spread mold and rot in the fridge. This is a balance, and if you are not sure that your leftovers will be eaten – through them away at once. This is a part of the special way of living on a boat with limited space – balance!
Do NOT do a sloppy job
When you are cleaning the kitchen, the toilet, your room, or taking out the trash – do NOT do a sloppy job – do it properly. If not, someone will have to do it again after you. If you do a sloppy job, that means that you put yourself in a higher position than the other. We are all equal, and no one should have to do your job again, because of your laziness.
Do NOT overfill the trash!
When you overfill the trashcan inside the boat, food leftovers and other dirt is spreading inside the locker/drawer, and it starts to rotten and stink. When the trash is full, you have to change the bag and put in a new one. If the trashcan is dirty – clean it (properly) before you put in the new bag. Bring the full trash bag ALL the way to the deposit station. (see next NOT-to)
Do NOT leave the household trash on the boat or outside
When you are emptying the trash, bring the full trash bag ALL the way to the deposit station. Every other alternative will make a smelly and dirty situation, where someone else most likely has to clean up your mess. Rats, birds, otters, and other animals will smell the trash, and they will break the bag and rip everything out, spreading it around in a big mess, littering nature and the ocean. That’s the opposite of what we’re here for.