Purchasing a yacht sends your life boldly in the direction of fun, friendship, and journeys. It’s a vessel to escape for a few days or even toil for months in nature.
When you consider how to outfit your new floating habitat, remember that life on the water – especially saltwater – calls for special preparation. Let’s go through the essentials before you set sail.
You’ve probably dreamed of gathering friends and family around a feast as the sun sets over sparkling waves. And you certainly can make that happen! But before you head to Williams Sonoma to pluck up a charcuterie board, remember that nautical cooking has its own set of rules.
Congratulations on your new yacht!
Your yacht kitchen is likely smaller than your land kitchen. Grab a measuring tape and write down dimensions. You might be accustomed to a toaster on the counter, but that’s not an option when you’re ploughing through the swells at fifteen knots. Everything needs to be stowed safely when in motion. Make sure your appliances, food, cookware, and dishes can all fit in the cabinets.
In fact, scrap the toaster entirely – toast bread in the oven instead. Multi-functionality makes your marine kitchen perform at its smoothest. This applies to food, too. Buying boxes of macaroni and cheese? Why not learn a recipe? That way milk, butter, and cheese can become ingredients in other recipes as well.
A basic rule of thumb when shopping: pick up an item and ask yourself “How would I use this? Okay, now how else would I use this?”
Keep in mind that marine kitchens aren’t stable, either. Choose a non-slip option for cookware if it’s available. To help stabilize yourself while cooking, organize furniture so you can easily sit when the water gets rough. This especially matters for more injury prone tasks like slicing, grating, or removing hot dishes from the oven.
The constant moisture does take a toll on any items that live onboard. You’ll want to buy rust-resistant pots, pans, and other metal cookery. (Check out our luxury latex pillows which are mold and mildew resistent). Your water supply will be finite, so choose easy to clean dishes to help conserve. You might even invest in a watermaker, which desalinates and purifies the water you’re sailing on.
Now you might hop to your next yacht dream: a weekend away, falling asleep to the gentle waves and waking up to seabirds’ cries with the sunrise.
For some, falling asleep on the water does feel this idyllic. Others struggle with seasickness. You’ll want to make your sleeping situation secure, since rocking is sure to happen even on a calm night.
If your preferences are rustic and space is tight, go the camping route and use sleeping bags on the floorboards. Just invest in something cozy and durable. Cold dampness can chill you to the bone!
If you have the space, though, opt for a real mattress with sheets, blankets, and all. Consider where you’d like to wake up and how much space you can reasonably give to a bed.
One common solution is the “pullman berth”, a sort of Murphy bed for the sea. Or you might go for a bunk bed to capitalize on vertical storage (if the summer camp vibes don’t overwhelm you). Either type protects sleeping territory, barring the temptation to use it as an extra storage shelf during the day. You know you’ll regret having to clear it at night when you’re already tired!
When you’re ready to furnish your yacht bedroom, check out our custom mattresses, pillows, and linens. We designed them with the traveling marine life in mind, and we have options to fit all kinds of spaces.
Invest in the essentials of comfort and wellbeing to make the most of your sailing life. You’ll soon find yourself living in the happy dreams you imagined.
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Sources
https://betterboat.com/boat-tools/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SailboatCruising/comments/986kep/murphy_bed_in_a_sailboat/
Posted on: March 7, 2021
