The benefits of living on a sailboat are great. There are a few cons as well, but the pros outweigh the cons. I have always dreamed of living on a sailboat full time and here’s why.
What Are The 10 Benefits Of Living On A Sailboat?
1. No 30-year Mortgage
Sailboats are very cheap if you buy them used. I have seen great 30ft options for under 10,000 dollars. That means instead of paying 250,000 dollars over 30 years, you could easily pay 10,000 dollars and buy your sailboat/house in one payment.
2. Peace And Tranquility
Living on the water is a dream we all have. Waking up in the mornings on the water is an amazing feeling. If you have ever been out on a boat and found it peaceful and relaxing, just imagine that feeling every day.
3. Less Junk
When you live on a boat there is a lot less storage space than in a house. Some people may say that is a disadvantage of living on a boat, but I see it as a positive. I am sure all of us have junk in our houses we don’t need, we just keep it because the space is there. If you are living on a sailboat you will only be buying what is necessary to live and not a bunch of extra stuff.
4. Eco-Friendly
Living on a boat can be very green. This happens in a lot of different ways. When living on a sailboat, most of your travel will be by wind power, which keeps you from burning gasoline. Buying fewer items due to space will keep you from purchasing more plastic (which is terrible for our oceans). A lot of sailors go with solar power for their boats as well. Check out this article on solar power to find out more!
5. You Can Move At Any Time
When your house floats and has multiple means of being moved (sails & engine) you can move at any time. A lot of homes will get destroyed in bad weather, but when it comes to your sailboat, you can just sail away to a new safe location. Imagine living in the Caribbean for 3 months and then moving to Mexico! All of this is possible when you live on a sailboat.
6. Pure Adventure
When you live on a sailboat, every day is an adventure. You can go almost anywhere and explore new areas most people can’t get to. Plus, there are so many activities that you can do right off the boat. Examples would be snorkeling, scuba diving, paddle boarding, fishing, swimming, etc. The possibilities are endless.
7. Community
Every time I visit a marina the community is great. Everyone is always friendly and helpful. I have never had any issues finding advice from fellow sailors when a weird issue comes up on my boat. Just by living at the docks, you will learn more every day. There is no sailor out there that thinks they know everything. The community at the marina will always be more friendly than a real neighborhood. Boaters just have an unspoken connection.
8. Money Saving
The amount of money you will save living on a boat is huge. I mentioned earlier that you would save money by not having a mortgage, but there are a ton of other ways you will save money. The utility costs for your boat will be almost nothing. Especially if you are using solar panels (Check out this article on solar panels). Since you will have less space, you will never have to buy couches or washing machines. All of the things you don’t have to buy will be a huge money saver. Taxes on a boat vary by location but they will never come close to the cost of land tax.
9. Security
This is an interesting subject because it depends on where you dock your boat. If you are in a foreign land anchored just off the beach, it could be dangerous. However, if you are in the U.S. and parked at a dock, things will usually be much safer than if you were in a house somewhere. Most marinas will have locking gates, security cameras, and even a security guard sometimes. This makes being on a boat much safer when it comes to robbers.
10. Happiness
This benefit might be subjective but I find it to be true for me. I have always dreamed of living on a boat full-time and those thoughts have always brought me happiness. Living on the water and watching the sunsets every evening sounds amazing. Life on the water is the best! I may never get there, but even living on a boat over the weekend is fantastic. Whenever you can get on the water, life is good.
This list was all about living on a sailboat and the benefits that come with it. I am sure there are a hundred more benefits but these are the most important to me.
You may be wondering about the cons of living on a sailboat. I will mention a few in the list below, but I don’t think there are too many to mention. Some people think something is a con, while I see it as a positive. Just keep in mind cons are subjective.
Also, check out this article on the Pros and Cons of a Sailboat!
4 Cons Of Living On A Sailboat – Personal Opinions
1. Space
Space is probably one of the biggest complaints of people who are considering living on a sailboat. People love space and they love putting stuff in that space. If you are going to be living on a boat you really need to think about space. It will be very limited compared to a house. If you like buying things, just keep in mind that will be a thing of the past.
2. Maintenance
Some people do not want to work on their houses and the same goes for their boats. I personally love working on my sailboat. It’s almost as fun as sailing it. Adding new things or learning how to fix broken things is a great time for me. Just remember boats or houses…they all need repairs at some point.
3. Damp
Since you will always be around water you can expect things to be a bit damp at times. This can be dependent on your boat and how it is made as well as the weather in the area. One thing that will be helpful is having a way to adjust the temperature of the air inside the boat. Having a way to heat the inside of a boat can help dry things out, especially if you have a lot of wet gear. If you are in the cold areas of the world with no sunshine, a heater in your boat will be necessary.
4. Getting Inland
This is an interesting negative of living aboard a boat. If you have family that lives in the middle of let’s say the U.S. it may be difficult to visit them. Most people that live aboard a boat don’t have vehicles. That means visiting your family will always cost you a plane ticket. I prefer being on the coast so this may not be that much of a negative to me personally.
Final Thoughts
This article was all about the benefits and negatives of living aboard a sailboat. I find there to be a lot more pros than cons. The items discussed in this article are my personal opinions and you may disagree with some but that’s ok. When you are considering living aboard a sailboat, you need to think about what you want and what you don’t want. The decision is completely yours to make.