Roger Barnes has just produced a new video on the Homely Dinghy.

There are many things I couldn’t do in my boat because of the smaller size. I have improved my stern locker, which I will photograph when it is finished. It won’t be waterproof, but I will be putting waterproof boxes into it. I debated between waterproofing or letting water flow in and out of it – I still have an open mind, but I tend towards the latter. It will essentially be the Captain’s Cabin, so will contain safety and navigation equipment, a toolbox and a spares box (pulleys, shackles, spare shroud) – and a box of personal things. The rest will go into the fo’c’sle or the galley.

A small boat is a challenge, and many baulk at the idea of spending a short holiday camping on a tiny boat. It is a challenge – making do in the spirit of the Boy Scouts when other people depend on comfortable hotels and things that cost a lot of money. For me, as doubtlessly for Roger, it isn’t just money. It is also a test of our resourcefulness, a little bit like the “prepper” movement, except that they are waiting for a catastrophe. We boaters don’t need a catastrophe to have a little holiday on our own terms.

Perhaps I’ll do an equivalent set of videos, but on my boat which is designed very differently. My boat is essentially a “school” boat from the 1970’s, but has undergone a good few modifications to make more than a daysail possible. The essential in this is to make things serve for several purposes, have a sense of routine and tidiness and be patient with one’s own limitations. I’l be testing it all again in June when I go to the Rade de Brest.