We have been living on Lulu for a year and a month now! Currently, we are planning for the coming months. Next on the agenda is to get Lulu’s anti-fouling bottom paint refreshed. We bought three gallons of really expensive paint that hopefully will work better than the prior paint, and we will also add more layers. One of the positive aspects of having a smaller boat is that it takes less paint and less work than the bigger boats. But it is still a chore that we are not looking forward too. After we get Lulu painted, we want to take a turn out to one of the other anchorages around Curacao, depending upon the weather.
After Curacao we will head to Aruba. Right now, that is tentatively planned for mid-September. There we will leave Lulu in a marina and take a short visit to Jodi’s parents. The sailor grapevine has said that Aruba is more expensive and has stronger winds than Curacao, both of which are points in favor of staying on Curacao. It is very comfortable here in Spanish Waters. We have a grocery store within walking distance for urgent needs; there is a free bus that picks up sailors twice a week just a short walk from a dinghy dock and which goes to another grocery store. There are several places where we can park our dinghy for free, a woman has started Zumba classes three times a week for free for sailors, and there are weekly potluck barbeques, dinners at restaurants, and dominos and card games. Buses are inexpensive and take you all over the island, some islands we have visited haven’t had bus service at all (Puerto Rico, BVI and USVI notably). Several beaches and snorkel sites are also an easy walk from the dinghy dock – we can choose between rustic, high end tourist and in-between.
Most of the time we are topside of Lulu, not below deck. Curacao has a constant trade wind blowing which is comfortable and cools you down. However, Magnus installed a couple of practical fans that can be turned to cover most of the interior of the boat, so when it is really warm and sunny outside, we sometimes sit inside in the shade under a fan. Larger boats have air conditioning, but it requires a lot of energy, so either people run their generators or have to be in a marina to operate it. The wind in Curacao is just right, we get a good circulation through our dorade vents, and in the evenings after sundown it is magical.
Cooking can be challenging because of the limited energy and limited countertop space. Instead of a food processor, I have a pastry cutter for mashing and cutting. Many boats have air fryers and bread machines, but they require a lot of countertop space or storage plus a lot of energy, so for Lulu it isn’t an option. It is important to plan your cooking, because the biggest food storage is beneath the two small countertops. So if you haven’t retrieved everything you need out of the fridge before you start cooking, you might need to move everything back and forth a few times between open spaces. When we are on a passage, that becomes even more challenging, as the motion of the boat can mean that there are limited safe places to put things.
Even at anchor in calm waters, the boat can always rock when a boat goes by and causes a larger wake. We always prepare for movement after an incident where a whole table of prepared food was tossed onto the floor in a sudden unexpected movement. Another benefit of a small boat is that there are a lot of handholds in easy reach – no big open spaces to be thrown around on. Lulu only has one sleeping cabin, and it is very cozy (really low ceiling). Climbing in and out of bed is a good way to keep your body flexible! Especially in the middle of the night, trying to climb out without hitting the other person sleeping. Since Lulu is insulated, we don’t get bothered that much by external beach parties, and the fans we run at night provide a good white noise to take out anything that might otherwise be audible.
Many people we meet with bigger boats have much more storage space than we do, which would be really nice. But when we are paying harbor fees or buying supplies and spare parts, we are reminded of the benefits of a smaller boat. We have to evaluate every purchase – can we store it? Do we (REALLY) need it? Deciding on what would accompany us from the beginning was difficult, but we haven’t offloaded anything because everything on the boat is something we anticipate needing, if we don’t actively use it at present.
We love our Lulu, and think she is the best boat for us and our circumstances. Thoughts on living in a tiny space, Spanish Waters, Curacao, 2024-07-23.