Storage Solutions for Life Aboard is a self-paced online course that teaches you how to organize and stow everything you live with on a boat: galley and food, tools and spare parts, clothing, medications, paperwork, electronics, books, bedding, and more, then secure it all so nothing shifts when you get underway. It is built for new liveaboards facing that first chaotic stretch when there is a pile of "stuff" everywhere and no real home for anything, and it works just as well for experienced cruisers reorganizing a new boat. Created by Carolyn Shearlock of The Boat Galley, it covers 14 chapters across 5 modules, with 94 photos showing real storage in action aboard her own boats.

A boat punishes disorganization faster than a house: space is tiny, things move, moisture gets into everything, and every locker is an awkward shape. The fix is not buying more bins. It is a system, and that is what this course gives you: where each thing should live so it is safe, accessible, and logical underway, on a boat of any size.

Is this course for you?

This course is for you if any of these sound familiar:

• You can never find what you need, and you spend half your time looking.
• Every time something new comes aboard, you are not sure where it should go.
• Gear keeps getting damaged by heat, humidity, or rough seas.
• Nothing ever seems to get put back where it belongs.

The goal is a boat that works for you: smart storage systems that protect your gear, free up space, and make everyday life easier.

What you will be able to do after this course

• Choose the right containers with confidence. Know which bins, boxes, and organizers work best for different spaces and storage needs, so your gear stays protected and secure no matter how the boat moves.
• Find what you need, when you need it. Have go-to strategies for organizing tools, food, clothing, and the rest, with no more digging through lockers wondering where something ended up.
• Protect valuables from moisture, heat, and motion. Safeguard electronics, medications, paperwork, and fragile items from the environmental hazards of life on the water.
• Use every inch of space effectively. Put overlooked spots to work, avoid common storage mistakes, and create a clutter-free boat that truly functions as your home.
• Be ready to cruise anytime. Set up simple, reliable systems that make it easy to tidy up, secure your belongings, and get underway without the chaos of last-minute stowing.

What the course covers

The course is organized into 5 modules and 14 chapters. Below is a sampling of what it covers.

Get set up for success

• How to choose the best storage containers for a moving, humid environment.
• Principles for organizing any space aboard, whatever its size or shape.
• Simple do-it-yourself projects to expand your existing storage.

Organize what you actually live with

This is the heart of the course: practical, item-by-item systems for the specific things that fill a boat, including:

• Tools, spare parts, and maintenance supplies.
• Food and galley supplies that work at anchor and underway.
• Bottles and glassware.
• Medications and medical supplies.
• Personal papers and photos.
• Books, electronics, clothing and shoes, bedding and towels, hobbies, and cleaning supplies, solvents, and other chemicals.

Make it work in real life

• Tame clutter and give everything a home so you can find it again.
• Secure items to prevent damage and injuries when the boat is moving.
• Use the editable, downloadable departure-prep checklist so getting underway is calm instead of frantic.

Why a course instead of piecing it together yourself

There is plenty of free boat-organization advice scattered across videos, forum threads, and "20 ideas" blog posts. The trouble is that it is scattered, often comes from home or RV organizing rather than boat life, and rarely accounts for what actually matters afloat: motion, moisture, weight, and awkward access. This course puts the whole system in one organized place, in a sensible order, from someone who learned it by living aboard full time. You get the thinking behind the choices, not just a list of hacks, so you can apply it to your own boat instead of copying someone else's.

Format and access

The course is fully online and self-paced, with no schedule and no deadlines. It is written, in a clear text format with helpful photos rather than video, which makes it easy to skim, search, and refer back to while you are actually reorganizing a locker. You can work through it on a phone, tablet, or computer, and it includes a downloadable, editable departure-prep checklist you can save and reuse. Access is lifetime, and all future updates are included at no extra cost. The material is also fine to share with a spouse, partner, or crew who organizes the boat alongside you.

Your instructor

Carolyn Shearlock is the founder of The Boat Galley and has 17 years of full-time cruising experience aboard both a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She has cruised more than 14,000 miles through the Sea of Cortez, Pacific Mexico, Central America, Florida, and the Bahamas, living aboard in all kinds of conditions. She developed these storage and organization systems the hard way, by trial and error across two very different boats, and the course is the practical, real-world result.

Details

• Format: Self-paced online course, written text with photos (not video)
• Structure: 5 modules, 14 chapters
• Photos: 94, showing real storage aboard
• Includes: Downloadable, editable departure-prep checklist and do-it-yourself storage projects
• Covers: Galley and food, tools and spare parts, bottles and glassware, medications, papers and photos, books, electronics, clothing and shoes, bedding and towels, hobbies, cleaning chemicals, and securing everything underway
• Best for: New liveaboards and cruisers moving aboard; also useful for experienced cruisers reorganizing a boat
• Boat types: Any size or layout, monohull or catamaran
• Access: Lifetime access on phone, tablet, or computer, with all future updates included; shareable with a partner or crew
• Instructor: Carolyn Shearlock, founder of The Boat Galley, 17 years living aboard, 14,000+ miles cruised
• Updated: Reviewed and updated June 2026