Room For Stuff 3

Marathon, FL
No LL

Now we come to the most important thing about stuff. The simple truth is that if you acquire more stuff than you can practically store in the drawers, compartments and cubbies on your boat, then the stuff becomes clutter.

I'm proud of the fact that Libby and I have managed to keep Tarwathie very clear of internal clutter. Our living space is open, and airy, has lots of light and almost no clutter. When out at sea, we have little or no loose clutter that falls on the floor as the boat heels. Indeed, we are shocked when we go aboard other boats which go to the other extreme -- excessive clutter.

Clutter on a boat is a much worse problem than clutter in a house. If there is clutter on the seat, you can't sit there. If there is clutter on the table, you can't eat off of it (unless you put food on top of the clutter, yuck!). The clutter robs you of your living space.

The most cluttered boat we ever saw was a Westsail 42 (not W32 but W42) with two men on board. The interior of their boat was completely covered with clutter, including rotting uneaten food. Still worse, some dropped glass bottles had broken, so that the clutter on the floor was mixed with broken glass. One dare not try to wade through the clutter on that boat without boots on. Those two men did blue water sailing with the boat in that condition -- unbelievable but true.

So, how does one avoid clutter? It's simple: own less stuff. We never buy anything without considering where it will be stowed on board. Most often, we decide there is no place and we don't buy the thing.

Many cruisers feel cramped in their boats and trade up for bigger boats. Bigger boats have much more room for stuff. The trouble with that is soon the extra volume is filled with new clutter and one is soon facing once again the same old choice, "If we buy this one extra thing, where will we stow it?" The sad part about it is that those people aren't substantially happier than they were with the smaller boat and they start looking for still bigger boats.

Some boats here in Boot Key Harbor bought derelict boats they raft up with. The use the extra boat to store more stuff. Similarly, the other day I saw a Greyhound tour bus converted to a RV. It was towing a 35 foot RV behind; no doubt to provide space for more stuff.

The late George Carlin said, "A house is a pile of your stuff with a roof over it."

That leads me to become aware of what I think is a peculiar bit of psychology. It is surprisingly easy to live with very little stuff. However, it is almost impossible to convince oneself to give up one little thing or one little convenience to which one is accustomed.

Here's a simple example. On Tarwathie we have no running water and no hot water. We use foot pumps in the head and the galley for fresh water. We're perfectly happy with that, and we care not that most other boats do have those conveniences. On the other hand, I recently complained that we have trouble draining water from our deep galley sink. A friend pointed out that he had a shallow sink and that he used a plastic wash tub when washing dishes. My reaction was, "Absolutely Not! We could not live like that." See what I mean? It is a peculiar but somewhat universal human trait.

Of course, there is a more profound reason to avoid clutter. I've written about it before. Owning less stuff, means that you are responsible for the care of less stuff. It is a simplification of life style that leads directly to peace, happiness and relief from stress. Libby and I felt the change dramatically when we sold our house and cars, and stuff and moved aboard Tarwathie. It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from our shoulders. Wanting to own ever more stuff is a trap that ensnares almost everybody in our consumer society. We're glad to have escaped from that trap.

Now, if I could only cure my Internet addiction. But that's a story for another day...