Katy is an old friend based in Santa Barbara, California. Last year, she shared her cooperative kitchen in Isla Vista, where she cooked dinner for about 30 people each night that she was on cooking duty. Today, Katy and her boyfriend Cassidy invite us to peek into an entirely different kitchen; their tiny cooking spot in their sailboat. This is a creative space where fresh meals are being served up by a gourmand couple who see possibilities within limitations. All aboard!
Katy and Cassidy live on a 30-foot, 1985 Laguna sailboat in the Santa Barbara marina. Their kitchen is about the size of the desk I'm currently writing upon. It's smaller than small. Unless you've spent time on a sailboat, it would be hard to imagine the tiny proportions of this space, let alone envision cooking oyster feasts for your loved one and dog too!
I grew up near this very harbor and have stepped onto many boats, but never before had I truly grasped what it would be like to live and cook in such an environment. My morning spent cooking and eating breakfast with Katy, Cassidy and their dog Murphy was one of the finest of my life — how often do you get to dine in 80 degree weather at the tiny table of friends, in a sparkling harbor atop a ship, on March 1st no less? Katy and Cassidy know how to live the life.
This couple is unafraid of their limited space. In fact, it brings them together. They focus on cooking just enough for that meal (leftovers aren't really an option with a small, rickety fridge that rarely works) and they often share their bowl of food. They take turns cooking as only one person can function in the kitchen at a time and they eat either in the open air on top of the deck, at sea on a sail to the nearby Channel islands, or cozying up on their couch down below.
Katy and Cassidy are avid cooks and enthusiastic eaters with California produce starring in almost every meal. While I was there, fresh coffee, curried eggs with peppers and onions, steel cut oatmeal and fruit salad were all shared. This would be a lovely meal coming from any home, but was especially sumptuous knowing the dance it took to create the three dishes.
Last and certainly most, my kitchen visit was deeply humbling. Never again will I complain about any rental kitchen I occupy. I've never regarded my working oven, 4 burner range, regularly-sized fridge, average sink, trash can, and pantry as luxuries. Now I do after spending time without all these conveniences and seeing the ability to thrive and cook exceedingly good food, well, it left me in awe. Katy and Cassidy show us all you really need to nourish yourself is some type of flame, a pan, a precious knife, a bowl and a companion to share your treasures with. Good friends with working ovens are good to keep around too.
10 Questions for Katy and Cassidy (and their Kitchen)
1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
K: Being healthful, space–conscious and frugal — I work well within constraints. And Cassidy's appetite!
C: Having one pan, creativity within a single pan.
2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
K: Our knife.
C: Our one knife is our favorite tool. I also love thyme and cook with it a lot.
3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
K: We did an anniversary night where we cooked Hope Ranch (local beach) oysters with steamed mussels and freshly caught local, seared salmon. We like our fish as raw as possible. We accompanied this meal with McCarthy Family's Stomping Ground Wine (my dad makes a batch each year). We dined in the interior of the boat on the couch.
C: Katy made a delicious stir fry with lentils but when she went to put the salt on the meal, the salt top came off — we shared my portion together because of this. Or the salmon salad Katy made! Salmon with wasabi mayonnaise with big green salads. Shared the big bowl!
4. The biggest challenge in your kitchen:
K: Only one person can be in the kitchen. One at the stove; one person cooks dinner, that's it. We've been known from time to time to run out of cooking fuel, in which case, there's no dinner.
C: Size. As soon as one dish is dirty, the entire kitchen is a mess. Fumes from the alcohol, you get woozy and fumy.
5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
K: Take out the engine and put a library in there! The engine weighs too much. It'd be brilliant.
C: Katy, that is a terrible idea! I would want have the countertops be metal so I wouldn't have to worry about mold. It's all wood now. Lots of boat people are switching to metal.
6. Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen:
K: Our paring knife, local produce and veggies and fresh fish!
C: Nice chocolate, cute teacups and our Rancho Gordo cookbook!
7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
K: I wish our oven worked, it doesn't get past 100 degrees, it's more of a dehydrator really.
C: Agreed.
8. How would you describe your cooking style?
K: I am attuned to what Cass can taste (Cassidy lost some of his ability to smell due to an accident several years ago) — sometimes he has trouble tasting without smell. It's fun to figure out what tastes the best. It's a discovery thing.
C: Experimental. I like to start with good ingredients, so I try not to overwhelm them with the cooking.
9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received:
K: Richard said once, sometimes you cook the dinner and do the dishes — you don't always have to take turns.
C: From Deshane (former coop I lived), you're never out of ingredients — whatever you have, you can make a great dish with it, never be afraid.
10. What are you cooking this week?
K & C: Asparagus, spinach, a lot of organic hot cereal with agave syrup, curried eggs with peppers some, Hope Ranch oysters, Homemade raviolis, Tom Ka.
Featured Resources
• Pots and pans: inherited from the boat — stainless steel, no weird chemicals on them.
• Dishes: hodgepodge from the boat, nautical theme, some we bought in a picnic set — Everything has to stack, thrift store china, 70s era bowls and tumblers
• Fancy nautical cookbook came with our boat (see photos)
• Visit Katy's Site: Katy McCarthy
We're always looking for real kitchens from real cooks.
Show us your kitchen here!
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(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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Good for them, they make it work. I have three cherished dogs, but was that really a picture of their dog standing on their cutting board? Cringe!
I love galley kitchens. I would like to see even more pictures that is how intrigued I am. And yes, NancyAlice completely cringe worthy.
i used to live on a 42' sailboat for ten years...brings back good memories!
you get very inventive with your cooking in small spaces for sure...great post
Yikes. I wanted to love this....I live in Santa Barbara, too and I often walk by the marina and wonder what it would be like to live on a boat full time.
I love the dog, but the dog on the cutting board? Not so much. While I do think it's always interesting to see unorthodox cooking and food prep spaces, as well as people making do with less than luxury kitchens, this one seems really dirty and almost ridiculously non-functional. I'm with GLK, at least a minimum of cleanliness in the kitchen is important.
I was excited to see an article on the topic, and I've known people who lived on a boat and met the challenges with true panache, imagination, and inspiration. I'm sure these two young people will get it figured out after another 5 or 10 years. Right now it looks a little like a kid fort on the water.
NEARLY ALL THE COMMENTS ABOVE ARE INCREDIBLY RUDE. Have none of you people traveled outside of the country, or even out of your sanitary kitchens? I am appalled at the level of immaturity in the comments, this is a wonderful story, with two young people clearly living adventurously, and all you have to say is how gross the dog on the cutting board is??? Grow up, or better yet, travel a little, and you'll see that unorthodox living is often the norm.
Wow, love this post, and love to see people trying out new situations. It sounds like a wonderful adventure. Love this part: "all you really need to nourish yourself is some type of flame, a pan, a precious knife, a bowl and a companion to share your treasures with." -------- Wonderful! very unique piece, thanks Leela!
and wow, yeah people are really seeing this in the wrong light. They have rollerskates on the boat because they live there I believe. :)
I give them a lot of credit for making this work. Some peeps commented on it being dirty...I don't see that. It's a bit messy, but what else would you expect in such a small space. They certainly are very focused on exactly what they need without all of the things that many of us require in our kitchens. Kudos to them. My question is how can you live without a fridge that doesn't work properly? I'm thinking mostly about eggs and milk products. They must purchase these and meat/poultry/fish the same day or have a large cooler available that is daily fed with ice. And they must eat out fairly often...if not, I give them a five thumbs up. Nice post. As far as the dog, don't you think that was a posed photo shot? I'm sure that isn't a common habit for the pup to be there!
@Merilynch, the fridge works O.K, it just isn't really the right size to handle the amount of food most two-person living situations require, so after a big shopping trip it has a hard time keeping everything as cool as a super stainless steel kohler might. Also... we eat mostly vegan and only buy local fresh fish. we try not to eat out too much, as we are 22 and 24 respectively and relatively broke ( our initial impetus for living on a boat). But, it has turned into much more than a money-saving venture. It has been a truly amazing experience for two adventurous young 'uns who love the sea. We are incredibly happy in our "little kid fort on the water."
This kitchen tour was a delight. It's so easy to get caught up in pictures of dreamy kitchens while forgetting the core of it all - nourishment, hopefully shared with friends, hopefully delicious. Boat living brings everything back to basics. Thanks for a peek into your space! And yes, I'm off to stare at my huge pantry in appreciation!
@KATYMCCARTHY Sorry, thought your fridge didn't work. I give you two a lot of credit in living as you do. You certainly have made your cooking space so doable. I've never lived on a sail boat but have spent a lot of time on them. This certainly seems like a great alternative since you're "broke". You've invested in a great asset and are living accordingly to you needs. Very intelligent planning, I must say.
My husband and I shared a tiny studio apartment in Manhattan the first few years of our married life. The kitchen was an all-in-one thing--combined burner, half-pint fridge, and tiny sink. The fridge had room only for his film (remember film? He was a photographer.). We made incredible meals there and had friends over. I know I was frustrated with it at the time, but it's such a happy memory 30+ years later! Enjoy!!
It's always refreshing to see unorthodox cooking arrangements. This young couple seem to be making the most of their small space - how wonderful to have access to great ingredients, and be able to enjoy them in such a wonderful setting.
It's definitely messy and would drive me bonkers (I love my husband but....), but if it wasn't messy you can bet your butt it would only be because they staged things for photos! There's no way not to be a little bit cluttered in a space that small, and as a cat person after seeing so many dog people sleep next to, share food with and tongue-kiss their dogs (vomit) I can't believe people are harping on the dog standing on a freaking cutting board. They have soap and running water you know...
Anyway, very cool tour and so nice of them to share with us. Its unorthodox to say the least but they're certainly not the only people living on a small boat and I've always been curious how people make it work, so thanks guys! Hope you can get your oven fixed soon, what a pain!
Wait I have a PS: Forgive my ignorance, but folks who live on boats...are there bathrooms? Awkward question but I've always wanted to know.
My husband and I have been married 13 years and have wonderful children that are growing up really fast.. we've wondered if we would have to wait until we get to heaven to learn how to sail and I see this precious picture at the beginning with his bare foot on top of hers (which is how my husband and I do it,too) (: and I think, just maybe? Maybe we will get to learn how to sail on this side of life.. I know that this is less than what most of us are used to.. but grace? Grace would be lovely exhibited to these 2 amazing people that I wish I knew, but that obviously have more going for them than a lot of the posters at the top. And for the record? We have a fort that we love to play in that goes through regular renovations in the game room.. so glad we still have the mentality to have the sense to enjoy things like this. You two are just adorable.
My dad has a boat with a tiny kitchen. he has a small sink (cant drink the water so we bring our own), a hot plate, a tiny tiny fridge, and a microwave that duels as a toasteroven. Weve made many a great meal on that boat!
There is also a small portable bbq that attaches to the back of the boat when out on the water, or can be set up on the picnic table in the marnia!
I love this and the couple is charming. Kudos to them for being mature enough to learn early on how little you actually need to have an enjoyable, fulfilling life.
I love that Sriracha has a place on this little boat- gotta keep it to the essentials! :) And guys, I'm sure their kitchen isn't dirty. It's just not gleaming Corian and stainless steel. I'm sure that if someone came and took pictures of everything that touched our food prep surfaces, I'd get nastygrams too. Feet, dirty clothes, and naked baby in the sink? Yep. I love seeing spaces where people get creative without a ton of money. Keep 'em coming, theKitchn!
Love the ingenuity in the kitchen, but the on-deck dining takes the cake!
Gotta luff it!
Boy ya know you've spent too much time on AT when you see wasted space everywhere... :-) So I'm thinking.... Two sinks? If you covered one with a sink sized cutting board you'd instantly double your counter space -- how many people can say that? What about a hanging 3-tiered fruit basket (tie back when cruising or be aware that it will swing). How 'bout some containers to keep the critters away from your dry supplies and a little magnetic paint on the outer sliding door above the stove to stick spices on to with strong magnets. What about ditching the monstrous non-functioning stove altogether and getting a little Coleman so you can also chop and cook topside if you want? I've been on a few training boats where we cooked for 9 in the galley (on a 48 footer). Everyone topside always had to chop veg.
Lovely lifestyle and beautiful, useful, friendly space here.
So CUTE! I love it! Just the sort of adventure I would embark on if I were the seafaring type...sigh. Am I right that the oven is IN the kitchen space? I saw counter space behind it...if the thing isn't working anyway, why not switch to a hot plate? Or Coleman, as someone else suggested. Either way, great story.
Thanks for the lovin and suggestions, kitchn friends!
great article...sounds so true! my husband and i live aboard a 35 sailboat in the summer and frequently camp in a tiny camper during the rest of the year....it is delightful what you can do with one or two pans, one knife, and courage...i am inspired by the article. we do a lot with chopped up fresh veggies in grains...couscous, bulgar, etc...one of the few things you can make where the leftovers work!
I think this is awesome! As for the previous posters...I didn't even notice the dog, and I'm not a pets-indoors-person so that's saying something. And your early 20s are the best time of life to be living life in a 'fort'! I'm sure living in a small boat full-time comes with its own set of unique challenges, but K & C seem to have a great attitude and learning to live creatively probably makes them a better couple to boot. They're living the 'simple life' that so many dream of but can't manage to let go of enough stuff/crap to attain. Both thumbs up for Katy & Cassidy!
A dishwasher? Is it worth the space? I have never had one in my life anyway I lived and have done just fine. A little sigh at Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter, but otherwise, we wash and wipe and talk, or let it pile up and I take care of it the next day.
So much more good storage could be put there.
Thanks for this article. Not many people realize the constraints and the joys of cooking on a boat. I live on a 42 ft boat and I wouldn't change it for the world. My slow cooker is sometimes my best friend.