Hacks for more enjoyable long cruises on the 50?

I just wrapped up 2 weeks on the boat, cruising Martha's Vineyard and Block Island. Overall, we had a great time. Great weather, boat ran well, everyone had a great time. The only casualties are my fridge (freezer works great, fridge is hovering at ~50 degrees) and the motor on my deck crane (sucked anyways, glad to replace that...)

Boat is an 02 50' with 3406e CATs.

When my wife and I sat down and talked about the trip and what we could do differently, we agreed that using the bow area more than we are is definitely needed, as is doing something more off the transom for watersports (I don't have a swim platform, as we fished heavily in the past. )

As far as living space, the boat is awesome with just the 4 of us, but add in another family of 4 (we did that for 1 night) or an extra couple ( did that for 3 nights) and things start to tighten up.

What has everyone else done to their boat to make for a more enjoyable long term cruising setup??

I agree wholeheartedly, but life, and mother-in-laws, happen...