The aft berth is my winter bedroom (stateroom in boat language), and the space from which my blog appears. I write in bed. In the morning. Early. Often it is 40 degrees on board. And the sun a future event in pale gray sky.
Piled under two fat down blankets covered with flannel duvets topped with a plushy black cat styled comforter. Two cups of strong black English tea tamed to drinkability with oat cream and unfiltered honey sit on a nightstand made of books. I wear an old Goodwill cashmere sweater, a lightweight Costco down jacket, and long johns. A hat if needed. But only if the temp hits 39 degrees.
The writing room-all 63 sq feet- is quiet and calm. A space where I can focus. Totally focus. Noise bothers me, noise of any kind. But… over time I have learned out to tune out harbor racket. The only real early morning disturbance is from a fishing boat’s Diesel engines moored 40 feet away. And, after three years of ignoring the engines start up, I have trained myself to no longer even hear them leaving the harbor…..
The previous owner liked the aft stateroom. It was her preferred live in space while she commuted to see her husband in another state. Our taste and style are radically different. Days after moving aboard, it was clear-very clear-changes were essential if I was to live there. But… the designer and former GC parts of me said “live in the space for a year before making radical decisions”. Which is the same advice I would give to any client in a new home. Why live in your home or apartment for ayear before making radical changes? To know your space. And you. To have a real sense where you like to spend your time, where the light is best, and what you really want. Hasty changes often lead to mistakes. Expensive errors.
Aft berth before. NOTE: moldy blue and white stripped curtains.
The aft berth now. NOTE:opaque film in window. And so much brighter!
Changes. Modifications took place over two years. The first ones were easy, and simple. Nothing that altered my “wait a year” plan. I like light and bright, but the aft cabin-was dark and gloomy. Outdated, moldy curtains. So… my very first step was to remove the offending window coverings, and wash the windows inside and out. It quickly became clear there was a ton of work to be done-all window trim was peeling, and water stained black- but that could be done in the future. To keep the light-but provide privacy- I installed an opaque plastic film (Amazon or your local hardware store) on all the windows. It took some time and ingenuity, but it works. See photo. Just remember to measure all the windows width and height to order enough product. And to apply film to glass, a plastic squeegee is a great tool. See photo.
The most significant changes were made a year and a half ago when the old diesel fuel leak was discovered. To eliminate the smell of diesel fuel meant removing most of original wall material, the shirt closet and a six drawer vanity. The floor-also heavily infused with “eau de diesel”-was covered with sealed 3/4″ plywood. Plush dark Gary interlocking carpet tiles cover the sealed plywood floor. (NOTE: those carpet tiles are great. For accidents. Like….coffee tumbling off the pile of books at 6:00 am. Much easier to replace a tile or two than the whole carpet). The flesh colored dirty vinyl ceiling, and upper walls were all washed with TSP then rinsed, and primed with Sherwin Extreme Bond Primer (White) and painted with 3 coats of Sherwin Emerald Paint in a bright white, matte finish. Lower walls and bed frame were painted a Marine blue. All windows were sanded to bare wood, and then five-yes five coats- of high gloss finish applied. The colors used – bright white on the walls and ceiling and lower walls in a Marine blue-made for a whole new look. Brighter for sure-and cleaner. Much cleaner. The boat’s original classy wood around the shirt closet was recycled, and the original prismatic glass, wood and polished brass ceiling fixtures were left in place. Though-big change- bulbs were updated to high powered LED , which made them surgery bright! A boon for nighttime reading, and early morning blog writing.