Joe has called his boat, Toko, home for a year. Toko is a 1982 Ed Monk 36 foot offshore yacht that has amazing craftsmanship! The woodwork in the salon (living room) is amazingly sturdy and Joe preserved the vintage vibe by keeping all the original gauges!
Joe considered vanlife, camperlife, and boatlife and made his decision based upon the fact that he didn’t want to move his house every day to go to work, he wanted more space than a van would allow, and he didn’t want to have to look for a place to park his home every night. Living on a boat turned out to be the perfect solution.
Going with the Flow is Easy in a Tiny Home on the Water
Joe has a control panel that controls all the batteries and the propane for his three burner stove, as well as Toko’s anchor lifting and setting.
In the galley (kitchen) there is the original three burner stove with metal backsplash that is also a magnetic spice holder…he shares that he stole this fabulous and functional idea from vanlifers! For most of his cooking, he uses his “can’t-live-without-it” air fryer/toaster oven combo!
Toko offers 2 sleeping areas, with a V-berth (bed tucked into the front v shaped part of the boat), with massive storage below. The master cabin is Joe’s space,
“Sleeping on a boat, if you’ve never done it, is really, really great! A little bit of motion… it’s like being in a cradle, like being a little kid again!”
The head (bathroom) is large and everything a trawler dweller could want, right down to the unique, must-see standing shower/sitting tub combo!
Minimalism Need Not Feel Small
The aft deck, Joe calls his ‘back porch!’ It is used as a ‘social space’ for friends to get together and for watching the sun rise and set with a beautiful view of the San Diego skyline.
Tiny Life on the Water Offers Peacefulness and Satisfaction that Can’t be Matched
Finally, this tiny living adventure has brought about many positive changes for Joe! His senses have been heightened to the point that when he boards his boat, he is constantly mentally checking to see if everything looks right, smells right, sounds right, and feels right! Living on Toko has also brought him an invigorating sense of peacefulness and freedom when he’s out on the open water! He loves this life and has no plans to change a thing!
If you’d like to learn more about Joe and Toko, watch the full Tiny Home Tour below:
Follow along with Joe on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/alofajoe/
Joe also has a YouTube channel he shares with a friend with info on lifestyle, maintenance, and cruising that can be followed @crowncitytrawlers.