When we bought S/V Galapagos, a 1975 Ted Brewer Olympic Adventure 47, she had good 'bones'. As soon as we saw her, we knew she was our boat but inside our heads was the vision of the boat she COULD be, not necessarily the boat she was. We saw her all bright and shiny, with crisp white sails, fresh and flexible lines, and comfy berths and settees. We viewed our new girl through the glasses of new love. It wasn't until the newness began to wear off that we saw what we really had: a 1975 boat that had aged gracefully in some areas, but that needed a lot of attention if she was going to be the comfortable home we wanted.
The settees were worn out; the upholstery ripped and shredded in some places. The berths had that kind of foam that required a waterproof cover before you slept on it. The walls in the aft head were covered with some kind textured wallpaper that wafted a suspicious smelling perfum de mildew as I passed by.
Our boat kitty money was being spent on a new engine, prop, shaft, etc. etc. There would be precious little left to use on the interior right away. Fortunately, I have never let a lack of money stop me from pursuing the goal of making a place, whether boat or land home, attractive, comfortable, and functional. I picked up a lot of good tips from other bloggers.
If you are looking for good ideas for your boat interior, you've come to the right place. There are so many good links below that you may want to just go ahead and bookmark this entire page. Who knew there was so much talent out there? Get yourself a hot beverage while you relax and browse the blogs of fellow cruisers, dreaming of a boat that looks a lot like home.
In this post from our blog Little Cunning Plan , I explain how I updated the walls in our aft head (bathroom) using cheap latex paints and a faux finish technique. The results are most satisfying.
Cheap and Easy Boat Tricks: Fun with Finishes
Tate and Dani at Sundowner Sails Again have refit their boat practically from a bare hull. Dani shows us how to make slipcovers in this blog post:
Ultrasuede Cushion Slipcovers
And if you are confused about how to choose foam for a berth makeover, read Dani's post on the different types of foam and how to make the best decision.
Choosing the Right Foam
Having kids on board creates a special challenge. Aimee on S/V Terrapin shows how to use vinyl stickers to decorate walls. Who would have thought it? It's a great idea.
The Cabins Have Been Redone!
Likewise Behan and Jamie on Totem redid their entire interior to accommodate the needs of their family of 5.
Making a Boat a Home
Nichola of Yacht Emerald has used her considerable talents to do a lovely mosaic that customizes her sailboat. Take a look and get your own creative juices flowing!
Detailing a Doorway with Mosaic Tiles
Sometimes you just want a little update in the salon. We had worn out upholstery but couldn't yet afford to replace everything in the salon due to that pesky engine refit. If you are handy with a needle, you too can update your salon on the cheap.
Cheap and Easy Boat Tricks: Covering Salon Cushions
Carolyn at The Boat Galley makes short work of old, worn out formica. If you have an older boat, you might give this a try when updating the galley. Much cheaper and easier than ripping it all out.
New Life for Old Formica Countertops
Jan at Commuter Cruiser gives us a lot of little tips about how to make your boat a home from bedding to ventilation.
How to Live on a Boat
Hillary at Very Well Salted solves the mystery of fitted v-berth sheets in her great post.
Do-It-Yourself V-Berth Sheets
Then, hold onto your seats when you take a look at the results when Hillary does the UNTHINKABLE to wood: She paints it! In a word: fabulous.
Color Your World with Paint
Annette's blog has lots of tips and tricks for the sewing sailor, including this useful post on the different types of boat curtains.
Types and Styles of Boat Curtains
If you are tired of looking at boring, plain steps leading into the cockpit, Linda of JacaranaJourney has a beautiful solution using stencils.
Stenciling Your Stairway
Ineke at SY Zeezwaluw shows what a difference a change of fabric can make in any cabin.
Update Your Interior with a Change of Fabric
Beth at Sailboat Interiors sells all kinds of interesting items specifically designed for sailboat. She has a Pinterest board that has a myriad of resources for updating your boat's interior.
Hundreds of Ideas on Pinterest
Verena at Pacific Sailors shows a good use for decorative pillows made from artwork she purchased during her travels.
Hidden Storage Made Beautiful
Want to customize your own mattress? I show you how in this blog post, using an inexpensive mattress ordered from Amazon.
Saving $$ on a Good Night's Sleep
Janet Lee and her main squeeze, Michael, did a complete overhaul of their salon on their boat, Adventure Us 2.
Complete Salon Re-do
Cindy Wallach is of the opinion that boaty themes in fabric have no place on a boat. As a rule, I can't agree more. Why be boxed in by tiny seahorses and clam shells? Go for color and pattern!
Alternatives to Nautical Themes
Aixa on S/V Bramasole stores her down comforter inside one of these lovely pillows. I love the idea of a down comforter on a boat. We have two, but our storage isn't nearly as pretty.
Lovely Pillow Hideaways
The crew at S/V Octopussy show what can be done with extensive use of cork inside a boat. Plus, you'll get a special tip on using that apple corer that's been neglected in the back of a kitchen drawer for 10 years.
Getting Corked
No before/after photos in this post, but Kin at Laho Wind made it clear to her mate that having a sailboat home did not mean she was willing to live a spartan existence.
Cozy Home
= = = =
A few additional links added by Jaye:
Genevieve at It's a Necessity shows before and after pix and invites you to
Be Nosy and Snoop Our Sailboat
Brittany (Windtraveler) shows off all the little tricks for making a sailboat homey and toddler-friendly:
Our Boat Interior: A Photo Tour
Kimberly (SophiaSailing) invites you to look closely at the details of the boat when you visit
Sophia Down Below
What could Jaye and Dan (Life Afloat) do when two earnest early-morning visitors came past except offer them
A Tour of Our Boat
Hi blogger! Do you have a blog post about your boat interior (or any boat's interior) that you want to share? Please post your link with a brief description in the comments section below and we'll add it to this list.
Already have a link on this page? Feel free to link back here so that your readers can find other posts on this topic. We have low-tech and high-tech instructions:
Low-tech instructions: Copy and paste this text onto to the bottom of your blog post:
Visit The Monkey's Fist to find other posts on this topic:
http://themonkeysfist.blogspot.com/2014/10/sailboat-interiors.html
High-tech instructions: Copy the code below and paste it into the html at the bottom of your post to give your readers a link back to this page.
Here is a look inside our sailboat and all of the work that we have done, from scratch, to get her to this point. http://www.itsanecessity.net/2014/10/inside-our-sailboat.html
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! Here is our boat interior, with some tips on maximizing space for littles: http://www.windtraveler.net/2015/05/our-boat-interior-photo-tour.html
ReplyDelete