Living aboard a sailboat is a dream of a lifetime for many people. By making your sailboat your home, you will learn to live in simplicity and close to nature. If you have the willingness and the means to live on a sailboat year-round, then be prepared to live your dream. Starting from zero, preparation and making a plan are key factors that should be taken into account before setting sail. There’s definitely something charming about the idea of being free to sail wherever you desire and sail with your sailboat from one country to another. But of course, living aboard a sailboat isn’t for everyone. In this article, I will list you 10 reasons why you should choose to live on a sailboat. And then, it’s up to you to decide if this lifestyle suits you. So, keep reading!

What to Consider Before Living Aboard

• Is this a “test trial period” for living aboard or you’ve completely made up your mind?
• Do you feel comfortable with the idea of facing unpredictable and unexpected situations?
• Do you prefer cold, mild, or warm climates and temperatures?
• Are you ready to refuse most materialistic stuff and familiarize yourself with the idea of living with the less?
• Do you feel comfortable with the idea of not having enough space in your sailboat?
• If you have children, a dog, or a cat, then make sure that they’ll also feel comfortable with this lifestyle.
• Adaptability, problem-solving, and patience are important characteristics to keep in mind.

Pros of Living Aboard your Sailboat

Simplicity

If you haven’t made up your mind and you’re still trying to choose between living on the land or living on a boat, don’t get nervous! This is the first step to take in order to change your pace of life. It’s perfectly normal if you don’t know what to do yet. But bear in mind that life on a boat offers a more relaxed lifestyle in comparison with living in a house on the land. I strongly believe that if you decide to liveaboard then stress and anxiety don’t fit in there. Meaning that you might probably still have some obligations and responsibilities running and this is what holds you back. But, don’t get discouraged! When you sort that out the time will come that you will feel ready.

Then, you’ll just go with the flow. And when I refer to simplicity, I mean that by living on your sailboat you’ll learn to live with the less. Also, you become accustomed to a simple way of living and appreciate things that haven’t beforehand.

Freedom

Living on your sailboat year-round equals being free. Meaning that you’re free to set sail whenever suits you and pick a place and route of your choice. You might say here, “But I’m also free while being on land, what’s the difference?” Well, you live on the water, in a small space, alone or with your friends and family. And you are the ones that create a plan and design a route without being held from any restrictions. The only restraining thing is that you always have to look for a marina to dock at. And this might be hard especially during the high-season.

Costs

This factor mostly depends on your needs and preferences. But, generally speaking, living on land and renting an apartment tends to be more expensive than living on a sailboat. However, renting a marina slot might be expensive depending on location and season. But, in any case, the general costs of living in a sailboat are cheaper. Depending on the country and marina you’re going to moor at, sometimes it might be more expensive. But most liveaboard sailors choose remote and less-crowded marinas that have low fees year-round. Also, marinas tend to lower their prices when sailors rent a slot for more than 5 months.

>>Also Read: Best Place to Live on a Boat in the World

Reason 1: Flexibility

Most human beings are attracted from the unknown and from dissimilarity. Pushing the boundaries and living outside of the norm forms a key charateristic of life aboard. And living aboard a sailboat is definitely not the norm but an appealing way of living for many. The most important reason for living aboard a sailboat is the flexibility and freedom of choosing. You might moor to a marina in Italy for 3 months, then sail around the Aegean Islands in Greece for 2 months and then moor to a marina in the South of France for another 3 months.

There are so many options to choose from and you’re the creator of your route. Because when living in a house on the land it’s not that easy to change counties every 3 months. However, an essential thing to bear in mind is your way of living and the choices you make in your life. In other words, it’s unachievable to travel around the world, by sailboat, car, or train, if your budget, obligations, and responsibilities don’t allow you to do so.

Reason 2: Socialization and Daily Life

Most people tend to socialize easier in a marina than in a neighborhood. This is because of the mentality of people that choose to liveaboard as well as the favorable environment – which is the sea. Living in a marina is like living in a small village where everyone gives a hand to each other; similar to the way of how things were in the past between people. But even if you want to live remotely and keep your distance you certainly can do that even by living in a marina. It’s possible to find a remote mooring which will probably be located at the corners of a marina. This will serve you well if you prefer to live in tranquility.

But as you already know, marinas are very social places in which are often held events and gatherings. These aim to socialize the people living there. In this type of gathering, you have the chance to meet with other liveaboards as well as share stories and experiences from your sailing voyages. So, if you’re looking for a small and welcomed community to live in then the sailing community is the place to be.

Reason 3: Less Space Equals Fewer Worries

Sustainability also means understanding that we don’t really need as much as we think we need. So, when living aboard you also learn to live without the things that our commercial society has convinced us we need to live with. As a consequence, you slowly learn to push the boundaries of what you can do without. And you understand that you’re happier living with the less than living with too much in a chaotic routine and society. When I refer to space, space is also minimized when living aboard. Even if you live alone, with your partner or your family, you’ll deal with some difficulties in the beginning in order to adapt to living in a home with less interior space.

But you will also learn how to organize your space; you’ll get only what’s necessary and pay more attention to your true needs than to false perceptions of what you think you need. By reducing the amount of stuff you get onboard and what you buy you will be able to learn how to better manage space. Meaning that you’ll fill your galley’s cupboards, cabin’s closet, and interior storage space with only what’s really necessary for a specific period of time; this is up to you! And remember that when something is no longer useful you pass it on to a fellow boater. Liveaboards are always glad to offer their stuff and they’re generally characterized by solidarity. You give what you don’t need and you take what you need!

Reason 4: Affordability

Many sailors decide to live aboard their sailboat because it’s a more affordable housing option. A fact is that both homes and sailboats require typical maintenance, repairs, and material costs from time to time. The largest expenses for owning a home are electrical and water bills as well as internet and telephone connections. For the boats, the largest expenses are mooring, marina fees, and potential maintenance costs. Depending on the location and size of your sailboat, marina mooring fees are generally reasonably priced. And most of the time there’s a large discount for a long-term rental over a 6 month period.

Moreover, if the local government allows liveaboards, anchoring in open water is normally free. Other costs include electricity, cable and phone, garbage, and maybe a liveaboard fee. If you compare all these with the standard bills you get living in a house you’ll see that is much more affordable living aboard your sailboat. Lastly, remember that the cost of living varies and depends on the size of your boat, your necessities, your travel route, and where you plan to moor at. For example, if you have a large sailboat and plan to travel around the world, your cost of living will be higher compared to someone with a smaller boat that lives as a long-term mooring resident. Consider what your situation may entail so that you can begin drafting a budget.

>>Also Read: All You Need to Know About The Liveaboard Life

Reason 5: Passion for Traveling

Not all people are keen on traveling. But those who are and dream of living a nomadic life by exploring each corner of the world benefit from experiencing unique feelings. In other words, having freedom of mobility and flexibility give you the chance to explore beyond what you’ve already seen. You experience new cultures, landscapes, remote corners of the world and you also learn to live independently and calmly. There are many that have chosen to switch to an alternative way of living. You basically leave everything behind and set sail to live the dream of a lifetime.

But, there are others that keep money aside for years and decide to liveaboard but continue to live their lives. For example, they might be working from their laptop. So, even if you’re not ready to leave everything behind you also have the opportunity to liveaboard and continue working. And keep in mind that you won’t be working in an surrounded by walls environment. You’ll be on the sea, anchored, with wild and natural scenery surrounding you. And remember that traveling around from one place to another with easiness is an important advantage of life aboard a sailboat. So, if you’re keen on traveling and discovering, and you can’t stand living a routine life – on the land- then go for it! Prepare your route, pack all necessities, take your partner or friends and set sail for new adventures!

Reason 6: Eco-friendly Way of Living

Choosing to follow a “green” way of living is of high importance in today’s society. Sailors can understand the high levels of endorphin when being out on the water. And this is a result of being attached to the sea; to Mother Nature. But, when you’re away from nature and live in a city full of buildings, anxious people, and a pile of responsibilities, you stop being the original human being that used to be in harmony with nature. And bear in mind that living on a boat equals choosing an eco-friendly way of living. Although it’s not 100% eco-friendly, as you use fuel and produce noise pollution or pollution from the use of chemicals, i.e. for barnacle removal.

But, there’s a solution!

You can use solar panels, buy eco-friendly and non-chemical products and reduce fuel consumption. So, in comparison with the way of living on the land, it’s definitely more eco-friendly living on a boat. This is because you can drastically reduce your energy consumption and easily adapt to the environment as well as change your usual habits. For instance, your water use is limited to what’s in your boat’s tank, which reduces consumption. So, by using electricity sparingly, installing solar panels, and choosing a responsible way of living you cause no harm to nature.

>>Also Read: Best Ways to Heat a Liveaboard Sailboat

Reason 7: Solidarity and Communication

In general, liveaboards appreciate what they have and learn to live with the less. They’re not going to buy things that won’t make the most of them or things that aren’t truly useful. Also, most sailors are interested in conservation, protecting the planet, are open-hearted, and express a teamwork spirit. If you’re new to the liveaboard community you will feel very welcome just by arriving there. Liveaboards know how to share their food, their stuff, their stories, and they like to give without expecting anything in return. Also, most liveaboards don’t watch the TV or the news and are trying to stay away from negativity.

So, most of the time, conversation topics include experiences at the high seas, stories about cultures, experiences with the wildlife, boat repairs, and many more. Even though all these aren’t always necessarily true, there’s generally a deep feeling of solidarity and community amongst liveaboards. When living in a neighborhood we tend to forget and underestimate these values. But when living on a boat you begin to appreciate immaterial things that were previously forgotten.

Reason 8: Living Closer to Nature

When you explore oceans, islands, and remote corners of the world you’re not only connecting with nature but you’re also connecting to yourself. You have many wildlife species around you—birds, fish, seals, and dolphins, among others. So yes, living on the water does really get you closer to nature the same way as living in an RV. Waking up with the sound of waves, birds singing, fish splashing around and the swaying of the boat in the wind, are some of the things you experience when living aboard.

The most important thing is that living on a boat makes us aware of the number of resources we use. And consequently makes us act more responsibly in our general way of living. People living on land take for granted freshwater, electricity, power on demand, and toss away an excessive amount of garbage. But when living aboard you’re aware of the amount of everything you use because you carry it onboard and refill all the supplies you use.

Reason 9: Less Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the whole boat is not compared to cleaning a big house. And also, a house needs cleaning once a week while a sailboat needs cleaning every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the way in which you keep it. Furthermore, the amount of cleaning products you use is minimized in comparison to the products needed for house cleaning. Keep in mind that thorough cleaning and free time are required for both cases.

Concerning maintenance and boat repairs, these are also minimized when you liveaboard. However, if you sail regularly overseas and frequently change marinas, then repairs and maintenance are likely to be rise. But then again, if you compare it to the number of bills you pay each month and the amount of food and general expenses you consume by living on the land, you’ll see that living aboard is more advantageous. The difference is that you should inspect your boat’s engine, hull, electrical system, plumbing, sails, and moving parts regularly. Even though they might not be damaged or need any repair, a sailboat is generally more vulnerable than a steady home.

Reason 10: Many Marinas and Anchorages all Over the World

And of course, what else equals having freedom of choice while in mobility? Having a wide range of marinas and anchorages spread around the world. Nowadays, all major continents are equipped with many marinas that provide many facilities from basic to more demanding ones. You will definitely find the one that suits you as costs also differ from marina to marina, even if you’re sailing in the same country. This is because there are marinas in tourist areas that have high demands and consequently prices are rising. But, with a little research beforehand and an already planned route, you will definitely find the marina and anchorage you’re looking for. Keep in mind that when choosing which marina to moor at during a high season equals a rise in prices. But if you rent a marina slot earlier and for a long period of time, then the cost will be lower.

Reasons Why You Should Live on a Sailboat – The Bottom Line

As you’ve seen, living aboard a sailboat offers many advantages. Of course, every choice and aspect of life has its pros and cons. This is totally up to you to weigh them and see what you want from your life. And also, what choice is better to make. Generally speaking, most sailors that have chosen to become liveaboards never regret it. And the same applies to sailors that choose to travel around the world while living aboard. This is because you learn to appreciate the environment, become more responsible but also free at the same time. And there’s nothing more important in life than feeling free, whole, and close to nature. Like this, you’ll also develop teamwork and solidarity spirit and you’ll be able to connect with both people and nature at the same time. I truly wish you an enjoyable liveaboard life!