So you want to live on a sailboat?
Let me start by saying congratulations. You are officially an adventurer! While not everyone wants to live in the middle of the ocean, there is nothing quite like the experience of life aboard a sailboat. Sure, your idea could be nothing more than buying a liveaboard slip or mooring to live your life, but unfortunately due to lack of space, few liveaboard slips are accepting for liveaboards.
So do you live on a sailboat? There are so many benefits of living on a boat! These boats have been remodelled and redesigned over the years to give us some of the most amazing vessels we could ever live on. They are full of great ideas, helpful tips, and amazing advice.
Life on a liveaboard sailboat can be quite an adventure! You live free with no bills to pay except for maybe the slip fees. The amount of free things you can do is pretty incredible even if it does involve being tied up somewhere. Yes, while all liveaboards have to be tied up somewhere, it does not mean you cannot live free while doing so.
Life on a liveaboard is also great for your wallet and often your physical and mental health. There is nothing like the freedom of living aboard a boat to give you that freedom and peace needed in this crazy world we live in.
Sailing across the sea is an amazing thing to do, but it does have its downfalls. You live in a smaller space than most liveaboard vessels, you live with fewer people, and your days are filled with work that needs to be done aboard your vessel each day. While you might think it is all fun and games, liveaboards often live harder lives than other liveaboards.
So if you want to live on a liveaboard sailboat, read on about some of the helpful tips! These can be used for any liveaboard vessel. If you are looking into the liveaboard lifestyle that is great news! Keep in mind, there are liveaboard yachts out there that are just for liveaboards. If you are not too keen on living in a liveaboard slip, liveaboards can also live aboard their boats while anchored somewhere.
1. Have fun with it
Having fun with living on a sailboat is about sharing liveaboard experiences and liveaboard stories that can be told to friends and family when they visit you or over the phone when they call you. Having liveaboard stories makes your life on a boat even more exciting, so we suggest you live on a sailboat while you still can and gather live aboard stories.
2. Learn to live with less
When you live on a boat that is anchored somewhere, then it means that the only way to get groceries is to go ashore in your dinghy or use your tender boat. If you live on a a ship that has its tender boat, then great. If not, then realize that your liveaboard adventure is going to be tougher than expected.
If you live on life aboard a sailboat without having access to a tender boat or dinghy, then make sure to go shopping with the least amount of groceries possible, or at least that you have food for an entire day.
But the best thing to do is live on life aboard a sailboat with plenty of money to spend on good food and drinks. If you live without knowing how to live with less then it will be very hard for you to live aboard your ship or live aboard your life aboard a boat.
Make sure to live on a life on a sailboat with at least two more times of groceries than you think you’ll need since you don’t want to be spending all of your money in one day when the only source is shoreside shopping, which can sometimes get pricey depending on where you’re live on life aboard is being anchored.
3. Get the right life aboard a crew
Yes, living aboard live on boats can work with just two people, but it’s better if there is at least one extra person for your life aboard to be a success and live on a sailboat comfortably. We suggest that you get a live-aboard crew that is very responsible since it’s live on life aboard the boat after all.
You need a liveaboard crew who understand ship rules and regulations so you can live on life aboard a boat instead of breaking the law by having an illegal liveaboard adventure.
If you live without live-aboard crew members, then make sure to live on life aboard a boat with your live-aboard partner. It’s also a good idea to live without live-on life aboard a co-pilot, which is someone who will help you when needed and can live in the same space as you do when others are not available.
4. Make sure safety measures are taken
The liveaboard live boat is alive on a lifeboat, so it’s safe to assume that you won’t be in much danger when living aboard live on live boats. However, we suggest that you make sure to take all safety measures and live with them in mind and consider liveaboard live on live boat safety tips, which can be found online.
5. Pack Light and Keep it Organized
Sailboats have limited storage space so learn how to live with less and keep everything organized at all times. It’s no fun searching for a certain item in the mess you call a living quarters! Stack your plates and cups so they fit in tight spaces, and hang your pots and pans from the ceiling. Having a dedicated locker for all of your clothes will help keep you organized and give you options for dressing up or down depending on the occasion.
6. Get Creative with Meal Planning
When live-aboard sailing, you’re going to be cooking most of your meals and you’ll quickly learn it’s tough to live with a cookbook filled with extravagant recipes. It’s not that we’re against these types of recipes, but they often require more ingredients than we have onboard or will ever use during our life aboard sailing travels. We live by the adage of “Remember the Sailboat is a Small Kitchen”, and live by the motto of “Keep it Simple” when cooking.
7. Keep Entertainment Simple
We live aboard sailing because it’s supposed to be simple! Rig up a hammock and live in the shade when living aboard sailing. Keep a set of cards or dice onboard for nights you feel like playing games. It’s easy to keep your life aboard entertainment simple…you’ll be surprised how creative you can get!
8. Prepare for Mechanical Issues
Although we try not to let them bother us, live onboard boat issues always come up. Having live sailboat supplies handy will help you live with this inconvenience, but also prepare yourself for it. Get an inexpensive toolset that includes screwdrivers and wrenches – just in case!
9. Slow Down
When living aboard sailing, it’s easy to say yes to every invitation that comes your way because you’re having fun and don’t want the life aboard adventure to end. However, over committing yourself will quickly lead to stress and that’s why living a couple of life is so unique – live by the motto “enjoy the journey”.
10. Love the sailboat lifestyle
It’s not for everyone, but if you’re even thinking about liveaboard sailing then there’s a good chance it’s something you’ll love. It isn’t for everyone because living aboard your liveaboard boat means buying less, always being prepared to pack up every few months and live outside of your normal life.
FAQ
How much money do you need to live on a sailboat?
The costs of live-aboard sailing are highly variable. Some live on $15k/year and others live comfortable lives on $30k/year. The variables include what you want to do, like cruising, racing, or staying in one place; how much boat preparation is necessary before living aboard; etc.
What is the best size sailboat to live on?
The best size lives on a sailboat for you will depending on your situation. It should be the smallest liveaboard boat that can comfortably get all of your jobs done each day. If you only live on the boat during weekends, then it’s okay if it is larger since you aren’t there that often.
Typically, live aboard sailboats are between 30 and 36 feet long. The liveaboard sailboat used by one couple is only 24-feet long but is perfect for their needs.
How much does it cost to live on a boat?
This is a question that’s on a lot of people’s minds when they start looking into life aboard adventures. It varies from person to person but this article will give you an idea of how much it costs to live on a sailboat.
For some, it’s a more affordable, simple lifestyle while for others it can be a pricey experience. With some helpful advice and good financial planning living on a boat becomes much easier. Living aboard means there are some necessary expense items to consider when you live on a boat.