Our little "tiny home" on the sea!

 Our desire to own a boat is two-fold.  We do love sailing...the wind in your hair (OK, Angela experiences this one more than I do), the spray from the waves, the rocking of the boat, and the sound of silence when you finally cut the motor off and the sail fill with wind.  Nothing like it.  But, beyond the sailing, we want a place to go for a day or two away...we want a boat that we can go and stay on as our little escape.

So, our little boat will meet those needs.  Honestly, we had really hoped to get a boat 30' or a little bigger, but everything (availability, price, and slip) fell into place with the Catalina 25.  It will meet our needs/desires, though with some sacrifice. 

So, here is a quick little tour of our "tiny home" on the sea...or in Depp Point Marina. :) 

When you enter the cabin, to port (your left) is the galley area.  This little boat has a very modest galley...a sink, an icebox (which is under the frying pan) and a little one burner butane stove.  The four drawers in the galley area give us a fair amount of storage.  Yea, there is supposed to be a grill, but that seems to have been borrowed and not located yet...but we can do a lot with this set up...and some planning.  While we may not be able to prepare a 7-course gourmet meal, it will keep the crew fed.  Of course, we could always add a second butane stove...

On the starboard side as you enter the cabin, towards the stern (rear) of the boat, is the quarter berth.  I understand this makes a great place to sleep and that it is quite comfortable.  In theory, two people might could sleep here, but one would need to be smaller...and/or flatter!  There is a little storage in the back...though it does require crawling like GI Joe to get to it.  There is also some storage beneath the quarter berth, but it is extremely difficult to get to due to the quarter berth cushions.  I reckon this could serve as our safe for all of our many valuables...virtually inaccessible! 

The cabin has a dining table...it can be folded out for a larger table, or kept folded, which takes up less space.  While these boats were originally made so the table could be taken down and stowed agains the wall, the previous owner added his own touch...making this table a permanent fixture in the middle of the cabin.  I will be building another table that will fold up to the wall.  This will really open up the cabin area when we just want to sit and relax inside.

On either side of the cabin are settees.  These provide seating if you are eating or just sitting around.  They also serve as single berths...or bunks...when sleeping on the boat.  Not overly spacious, I suppose, but more than functional...just don't roll around too much while you sleep.

About midship is the head and sink.  On the starboard side is a sink, with little storage beneath it.  On the port side is the head...or toilet, in this case.  Currently, the head is not usable.  The holding tank has been removed by the previous owner, so sometime in the future we will remedy this.  There is some storage behind the head and a place to hang stuff as well.  But for now, we just have to take a walk up the docks to the marina facilities.  The other issue is the original folding door that separated the main cabin from the head has been removed...meaning there is absolutely no privacy.  So, we'll either have to accept that there is no privacy or find a solution.  (Hint: I have been put on notice to come up with a solution...)

Just past the head and sink is the v-berth...which may be our main sleeping area.  In a v-berth on a boat, it is customary to sleep with your feet toward the bow (front) of the boat...it is much better for two people to play footsie at night than to bang heads every time the boat rocks!  Beneath the v-berth is a pretty sizable storage locker.  There is also a small storage space on the lower port side beneath the v-berth.  Overhead is the forward hatch which helps with ventilation.

Now that is a tour of the interior...but we aren't done.  There is a great "back patio" where we can sit and relax, visit, nap, eat, or entertain friends.  When we aren't doing any of those things it also serves as the cockpit while underway!!  The previous owner built a nice little cockpit table...I imagine this thing will get used quite a bit.  Oh, and the Bluetooth receiver in the cabin allows us to have tunes...even if there isn't much room for dancing!

And for exercise, well there are a couple of options.  First, don't forget that for now if you need to go to the bathroom you have to walk to the marina facilities...just think of it as an opportunity to get a little exercise.  But, up by the marine office is a nice little pool.  OK, it seems like a nice little pool, but at this point in October I'll just wait to try in out when warmer spring weather arrives!

So...that is our humble little boat!  It may not be much to many people, but to us it is our vacation/weekend get away home.  Yes, we are excited about the boat and excited to go sailing...but before we can take her out there are some parts to be bought and work to be done (despite the previous owner saying it was ready to sail...he was wrong).  But more on that later!  

Thanks for joining me for this little tour!