Classic craft have been my home on the sea for more years than I’d care to admit. Back in 1972 my husband Tom and I sold our house to buy our first cruising boat, an original 32ft (9.8m) Colin Archer pilot cutter built in 1903, and I was determined it would be a place where I’d feel comfortable down below when the wind was shouting and the waves were mountains high. On that boat I could only stand up under the skylight, but she had a solid fuel stove, oil lamps and, in harbour, a sheepskin rug on the cabin sole.
Subsequently, I travelled many thousands of miles with no refrigeration and no shower on the Bristol Channel pilot cutter, Hirta. Her 1911 accommodation was long gone, but following up on what I’d learned already, I designed a new arrangement that served us well. From there I progressed to designing the accommodation for Westernman, a 40ft (12.2m) gaff cutter we commissioned for ourselves and, just a couple of years ago, I was asked to help with the interior of Charles Watson’s Saecwen which featured recently in CB.
Not everyone has the opportunity to start from scratch and many may not want to. I remember when we were planning , I went around permanently with a ruler; measuring all sorts of things, lying under tables and inviting decide to, then consider what the designer Ron Holland had to say.
