In Sarah’s apartment: “on the boat you learn to get rid of the superfluous”

Article published in May 2021

When I wrote in the witness call that I was looking for people who lived in an apartment, house, cabin in the woods or on a boat, Sarah took me at my word and sent her question. And luckily! Embark with us to discover her house, which also has the considerable advantage of also serving as a means of transport.

In the apartment the boat of … Will be

• What is your name and your age?

My name is Sarah, I am 35 years old and I live in Saint-Barthélemy.

• What do you do for a living ?

I am currently a caregiver.

• What is the pedigree of your apartment? (location, how many square meters, monthly fee or purchase price)

My apartment is actually my way of traveling! I can easily move my home from island to island in the Caribbean… And yes, I live on a boat! It is a “ketch” (a sailboat with two masts), it is 38 feet (about 11.4m long and 3.76m wide).

It was built in 1981, a time when solid boats were built! It was very well maintained when we bought it, the previous owner sold it to us ready to sail, we just had to put down our backpacks to move. And it was a great deal, we paid 20,000 euros.

• You live alone?

We are three captains on this boat! Me (Sarah), my lover Martin and Néo, our cat from Martinique (he decides who gets on board, but he doesn’t really like to sail, he gets seasick!).

• If you had to give a word or phrase to describe your accommodation, what would it be?

My home, for me, it is freedom! Being able to travel from one island to another depending on the wind and the seasons is fantastic! In addition we can choose our neighbors, change the view when we want and we have a large swimming pool: the sea.

• If you were to interview your apartment, what would be its positive and negative aspects?

For the positives: it is self contained accommodation, our electricity comes from our solar panels and we have a sea water pump so as not to waste fresh water (for washing dishes, for example). It is a very comfortable boat, we have a real kitchen, toilets and a shower (no hot water.…) There are two cabins, so we can have guests. And of course you can travel with it!

For points negative : you have to get used to the roll (movement due to the wave motion which can sometimes be very strong). We don’t have a real toilet: at home you have to pump to drain the seawater and I won’t tell you about the smell when a minnow gets stuck in the pipes …

The shower is also a negative point. We don’t have a water heater, I have to heat the water in the kettle and I’m happy with a 5L container. Sometimes it’s complicated to have fresh water so it’s better to save! And of course, during hurricane season, it’s best to be sure that you can shelter your boat in the event of a major hurricane. The season starts in June and ends in November, but often August to October are the most important.

• Can you show us one (or more) objects that we can only find at home? An object found, manufactured, inherited …

I really care about my globe! It comes to me from a grandmother from Saint-Barth, I told her about it once while I was working for her and one day she surprised me by giving it to me! I’ve wanted one for so long. And there are exploration ship routes that appear when you turn it on! It’s stupid, but this attention moved me enormously.

• Do you have a decoration idea, not too expensive or even DYE that you are too proud of and want to share?

I haven’t gained much, but I’m very proud of my cuttings. Among other things, I replanted a pineapple, made scraps of basil, aloe vera, etc. I love ! And it’s nice to have some greenery in a boat! Even the cat has its own special grass for him.

There is also a jar of crustaceans, which Martino and I call “the little pigs”. So far we have found them on all the beaches of the islands where we have been and the first ones arrived from Brittany! They are good luck charms for us.

On a boat you learn to get rid of the superfluous, not to get attached to the material. It’s a small space, so don’t overcrowd it! Everything must have its neat place for navigation in order not to find the boat capsized upon arrival.

A decorative idea? I have a Polaroid and I love to photograph the great people we meet and the great places we have been on our travels, and I frame them. On the boat it takes up little space and leaves good memories! I like to look at them to see how far we’ve come.

• Have you had a big cracked wallet for something in your home?

For the big crack, it happened in November. We hadn’t been back for a long time and in Paris it was the time when the Christmas decorations ended. Since we have never been able to celebrate Christmas as a family since we live in the West Indies, I think I need a real Christmas, so I have created a crack of decorations, light garlands, throws and other decorations of all kinds!

My best friend was coming to spend the holidays with us and since we hadn’t seen each other for a long time, our first Christmas together, and it’s a bit like my family, I wanted to celebrate the occasion and have a real Christmas, we made the total. The ultra-advanced decoration, the gifts, the gourmet meal and all! It will remain one of my best memories in this boat.

• What are your decorative quirks?

I don’t know if you can call it fashion, but I like that everything is neat and clean. I love that my home is cozy and welcoming. I have a passion for candles that smell good and have a collection of Diptyque and EQ, an ethical brand from Biarritz that has crazy scents.

Right now I am using the Bali candle, my favorite, and it is named after the position of my best friend, who has a captain’s degree and works on boats.

• Where do you feel most at home?

In my room ! I chose a decoration in very soft Caribbean colors that invites you to daydream and relax. I like to take refuge there with my blanket (my fleece blanket) to daydream or read a good book lulled by the movement of the boat with the waves.

Also, our boat is called Kavell, which in Breton means cradle. When I was little I always said that when I grow up I would live by the sea, I am from Haute Savoie and I spent the weekends hiking or skiing, and for 5 years I have lived by the sea … I like to sit down and see how far I have arrived!

• What is the music that plays most often in your home?

I don’t particularly listen to music at home. There is already a lot of noise! The wind, the sea, the sea birds, the wind whistling in the shrouds … But I’m not against an 80/90 party every now and then!

• Do you have work or decoration projects?

And yes, we are thinking about renovating the boat a bit! It dates back to the 1980s so even though it has been very well maintained it will need a little makeover. Here we are in Saint-Barth, so everything is extremely expensive. But next year, if all goes well, we will be in Guadeloupe and there we can easily find the materials to freshen up Kavell !

• How long do you see yourself living in your home?

I still don’t know how long we’ll live on board Kavell… I will embark on a new project in September, I hope, this time in Guadeloupe. It is exciting! I hope it becomes a reality … After that, it’s complicated. It may be that once this project is finished, our life will completely change! But hey, you never know what life will be like!

Thanks Sarah for letting us aboard her atypical accommodation!