If your solution to all of life’s problems has always been to leave civilization behind and take to the sea…well, 2020 might be your year! You can’t go live under the sea or go chasing after Moby Dick. It is, however, easier now than ever before to go live on a sailboat full-time.
Make peace with nature and find yourself. Travel the world and leave behind the hectic pace of the city. Take your spouse and even your dog with you as you embark on a new journey. It’s not as difficult to live on a sailboat as you might have heard.
But before you go, it’s best to sit down and figure out the cost, the lifestyle change and other important how-tos for your nonstop sailing adventure. In this guide, we’re going to discuss the reality of living on a sailboat as well as the best tips experienced full-timers want to pass along.
Let’s begin with everyone’s first question.
Isn’t Sailboating Expensive?
Compared to living inside a home in a major city, sailing may save you money in the long-run. One sailboating couple interviewed for Business Insider claim their mortgage payment for a $150,000 sailboat was only about $800 a month.
Sam Train and Francesca Spidalieri had previously lived on the water for the summer and returned home to a rental unit in San Diego. However, when they decided to live on the 40-foot Catalina Cruiser sailboat full-time, they saved money, not having to pay for a high-price apartment in San Diego – or a home near an oceanfront city, which runs even higher.
“I did the math and figured out that we’d save $50,000 over three years,” Sam says, “If we lived onboard instead of renting an apartment in San Diego and leaving the boat on the East Coast.”
Statistically speaking, the majority of boat owners are middle-class, not wealthy. The National Marine Manufacturers Association states in their Recreational Boating by the Numbers that of 12 million registered U.S. boats, ninety-five percent boats on the water were small (less than 26 feet in length) and that sixty-two percent of boat owners made less than $100,000.
Middle-class America has discovered that while sailboating full-time requires investment, it’s surprisingly manageable. The new American dream for many households could involve trading retirement RVs for boats and sightseeing across the country coast-by-coast.
The Cost of Living on a Sailboat
Life aboard a sailboat could seem either expensive or cheap, depending on one’s lifestyle, expenses, and means of income. There is no universal standard, besides surveying boat owners for their unique experiences.
Another couple interviewed for CNN Money, says their average cost of boat living is between $1,500 to $3,000 a month, but that they keep expenses down using the sailboat’s propane-based stove and oven.
Max Fletcher and Lynnie Bruce, out of New England, have been traveling the world in their 40-foot sailboat for their retirement.
“One of the beauties of living on the boat is finding how simply you can live, how few material possessions you need.”
Logistically, the yearly price of boat ownership depends on several controllable factors as an article in Mint details:
- Purchase price or mortgage price of the sailboat
- Taxes for ownership, according to state law
- Insurance for the boat, which depends on the location(s)
- State registration fees
- Mooring costs or storage fees when you’re in between sails
- Kayaks or rowboats for small travels in between long sails
- Trailers for hauling the boat
- Winter storage
- Regular boat maintenance
- Gas or propane (if needed)
- Safety kits
- Navigational supplies
- Boat cleaning fees
- Savings for emergency situations
You might occasionally see some boaters quoting annual expenses of $20,000 to $30,000 a year, which is surprisingly affordable.
Expenses do soar, however, once if you factor in location-based prices and climate factors, storage fees, marina fees and basic living expenses. Ultimately, surviving on the water means crunching the numbers and ensuring that your income (whether retirement income or telecommuting work income) always exceeds monthly expenses.
The most important expense to budget is the price of the watercraft itself. Don’t worry, it’s probably not the yacht-sized nightmare check you’re imagining.
How Much Will I Pay for a Sailboat?
According to estimates from the National Marine Manufacturers Association, most boats are inexpensive. The price of a boat in 2010 averaged just over $16,000. Pre-owned boats sold for less, averaging $10,000. Even a new “outboard boat, motor, and trailer” combo came in less than $28,000.
The most expensive lifestyles in full-time boating don’t result from accidental spending. More often, boat owners go for large 30-40 foot boats, thinking that bigger is better. However, many sailboat owners argue that large vessels over 30 feet are simply “too big” and require far too much maintenance.
It’s not unheard of for weary captains to dismantle unused rooms of a large vessel just to cut down on the maintenance. Smaller is better, at least according to people who have sailed full-time and lived to tell the story.
Be Careful About Fixer-Uppers
Some households have sailed full-time well before retirement. Even then, however, having the money for investment and repairs was essential.
Experienced boaters do mention the need to simplify their lifestyles, especially if they want to avoid going into debt. Boaters Lynn and Bob Monfort speak of a need to simplify and embrace a more “natural way of life, one that would offer independence and self-sufficiency.”
Like many households contemplating the option, they didn’t have huge retirement or savings accounts to tap into for their journey ahead. They bought an old powerboat at a discount, which required heavy repairs.
However, in doing so, they learned a tough lesson. Repairing an old boat is not as easy as fixing up an old house and turning over a profit.
Before venturing out into what could be an amazing journey or a Titanic-esque disaster story, boat owners must work with an experienced surveyor to find any hidden faults of an old vessel and to liberally estimate the cost.
In hindsight, the Monforts say if they had to do it over again, they would invest in a better quality boat. “Although we did eventually sell the vessel, it was for far less than we had in her.”
Their story also illustrates the importance of having some technical knowledge and experience working aboard a watercraft before charting a course.
Geoff and Laurie Thomas, another liveaboard family, were already living out of a marina in Virginia before deciding to live about their “Saturnalia” sailboat full-time. Geoff had already spent years working in marinas while in college and sailing recreationally as an adult during his spare time.
He recommends starting small. “Buy a small boat at first so you can make mistakes without expensive consequences. Work your way up.”
What you can do if you’re ready for the lifestyle change, and have some predictable income every month, is start looking into boat loans and finance.
Can’t Pay It Now? Take Out a Boat Loan
With fixed monthly payments, you could lease a sailboat and pay it off within 2-15 years, depending on price. Other factors that might affect a loan include credit score, terms and interest, as well as whether you’re taking a secured or unsecured loan.
Secured boat loans use the purchased boat as collateral, and so they typically have more favorable terms for buyers. It’s more challenging to qualify for an unsecured boat loan and they tend to have shorter terms and higher rates.
You can find resources for boat loans from online lenders, U.S. banks, credit unions, and even marine lending brokers that can direct you to other loan opportunities.
According to NerdWallet (which also hosts a boat loan calculator) if the boat mortgage, as well as other debts and savings, is less than 20 percent of your income, you would make a profit and could live comfortably aboard a sailboat for years on end.
Besides paying for the loan, you would also need to budget money for boating licenses, insurance, maintenance, marina fees, and fuel – if you plan on buying a motorized sailboat.
While buying a quality affordable boat seems ideal, consider also the resale value in case you want to sell the boat later to pay off the loan. Boats do depreciate over time, so factor that in as well.
Before You Buy Your First Sailboat
All the families interviewed had at least one thing in common: they bought older boats, built in the 1970s or 80s. As you might expect, few people have the funds to buy a $150,000 boat with just a savings account!
One reason you want to opt for a sailboat and not a powerboat is for the lower price and lower level of maintenance. Sailboats are partly or entirely propelled by sail but smaller in size than sailing ships.
In shopping for a new boat, there are some terms to become familiar with as you might see them in the description.
The hull of a sailboat refers to the body of the ship, most of which is underwater. While the traditional sailboat is a monohull, dual-hull vessels are called catamarans and three-piece vessels trimarans.
Multi-hull units are more efficient and require less propulsive power than monohulls to travel long distances. Monohulls use ballast material for stability, whereas multi-hull vessels rely on the shape itself to keep grounded. The keel refers to the backbone of the hull body piece and the mast refers to the tall posts of a ship that holds up the sail.
Knowing these terms will help you better identify the major types of sailboats:
- Daysailer: Up to 20 feet only seats about 2-4 people. Small storage space and small cabin but good for day sailing.
- Catamarans: About 20 feet long, mostly used for light day sailing. They move fast and require a captain with strength and flexibility.
- Cruising Catamaran and Cruising Sailboats: Up to 50 feet long and made for extended cruising beyond day sailing. Cruisers have more standing headroom in the cabin below.
- Motorsailer: Engine-powered sailboat that can handle longer cruises via motor power and or sail. Typically over 35 feet. They are not as fast as sailing speed because of added weight
- Racer-Cruiser: Handles longer cruises but with altered equipment for faster performance. About 25 feet long.
- Racing Sailboat: Can be as little as 20-feet long or up to 70. Built light but with more equipment added for faster travel
- Dinghies: Usually small, under 15 feet, and only seat two people for a wet race on the water. Good for practice runs.
You will find that wooden boats, while great to look at and very often the collector’s choice, also require heavy maintenance when compared to fiberglass or kevlar sailboats, which is the norm today for smaller sailboats. The sail of the vessel is typically made of a polyester fiber called Dacron and helps drive the boat across the water by catching the wind.
Most boaters recommend going to sailing school or volunteering as a crew member aboard someone else’s yacht to gain first-hand experience. Marine training could teach you how to:
- Man the helm
- Stand watch
- Replace wiring and rigs
- Work the sail
- Care for sails
- Prevent corrosion of metal parts
- Handle plumbing and sewage
- Learn to capsize and right for small sailboats (overturn a boat on its side or reverse)
- How to sail into the wind and then sail back with the wind to conserve your energy
- Learn the time and heights of tides, high and low, to get the best weather conditions
Reviewing the top sailboats and manufacturers in the world would require a comprehensive study. We suggest checking out the “World’s Best Sailboats”, a book series on Amazon by Ferenc Máté to compare all options.
Major Must-Haves for Your First Boat
Livable sailboats must have cabins since solid rooms provide better protection from the weather than sleeping under blankets. The amenities you need will partly determine your choice of boat.
If you’re a single guy, ready to fish and grill, and find yourself singing the lyrics, “What a good wife you would be…but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea!” then a simple stripped-down interior might work for you.
But if you’re a family with children or a pet, you will probably need a cabin with some space and living amenities. For one thing, make sure that the cabin has a standing headroom that’s tall enough to clear your height. Spending hours a day crouching is miserable!
Don’t assume all you need is a bed and a deck for sightseeing. Think about seating spaces, an office for work, a family dinner table, and a few extra places for sitting or navigating.
Toilets and plumbing
Toilets and a basic plumbing system is a must for long-term travel. Haphazardly storing human waste on your ship is a health risk to everyone – not to mention a natural deterrent to making new friends. Modern sailboats have a plumbing system and storage tanks for pumping out sewage whenever you reach a marina.
Think of the marina (discussed a bit later) as your local “QuickTrip” all-service stop point.
It is illegal to dump untreated sewage anywhere within three nautical miles of shore. But just because it is a free-for-all farther out into deep waters doesn’t mean you have to be part of the pollution problem.
Read this article at ThinkProgress for an idea of what happens to sewage from large cruise liners.
Showers and sinks
Unlike toilets, showers are not necessary because the marinas you travel to will give you access to gyms, showers, and other amenities. Let’s face it though, very often you need a shower to relax, unwind, and smell human again. If you can afford an on-board shower, it’s a luxury well worth the money.
Water from the sink and shower, gray water, is handled differently than sewage water or black water. Sink water usually gets routed back into the seawater. Shower water goes back to a bilge pump (electric or manual) and is tossed overboard.
As the Washington Department of Ecology explains “gray water” is not harmful so as long as you follow discharge rules.
In the case of Washington’s laws, you must refrain from using certain chemicals, oils, soaps, or stuffing large food particles down the drain. It’s best to dump gray water at least one nautical mile from the shore.
You must abide by local government standards for discharging black and gray water wherever you are.
Kitchen and Appliances
While visiting the best coastal restaurants in the country sounds like paradise, it’s also going to cost you hundreds of dollars a month – or more. Most boaters invest in a simple kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, sink, and maybe an oven.
Electricity
Electricity is a must and most boaters agree you need 120V AC power, which can be delivered by shore power, a generator or an inverter.
As BoatUS explains, inverters allow you to use standard outlets and home appliances even when away from land. In the long-run, this is typically more affordable and reliable than buying batteries. They are generally maintenance-free and work by “taking DC power from the ship’s battery and inverting it to 120 volt AC current.”
Inverters offer some advantages over generators, namely, that generators require fuel, as well as an exhaust system and engine maintenance. You might find it useful to buy a generator too, however, since AC output power can be unstable, depending on spikes and surges.
Wind energy and solar panel devices can provide extra but possibly less reliable sources of energy. Alternate non-electrical sources of power might include kerosene lamps or even coal-fired stoves, but newer ships make use of superior electrical systems.
Ventilation
You need fresh air to survive aboard a ship. A simple sailboat would only require a solar roof vent or an opening porthole. But if your motorized sailboat is powered by gasoline, you will need a full ventilation system, with at least two ducts.
One duct brings in the fresh air and one gets rid of the exhaust. Thoroughly check the system since failure to get rid of the exhaust creates a fire hazard.
Where to Sail
You might find it surprising to learn that determining where you want to live, that is, where in the world you’re planning to sail, is just as complex a discussion as choosing a vessel. Talk things over with your family and plan a future.
Will your family size increase? How many years can you keep this lifestyle up as your body changes with age? How steady is your monthly income and is your career future projected to continue for as long as you’re paying the boat loan?
Next, consider the location. Unless you’re planning to venture out into the deep ocean for your first adventure (not recommended!), then plan on paying marina fees on a regular basis because the idea of “free anchorage” is not always feasible.
Now that’s not to say there you will never find free anchorage sites, you just have to search for them. While an internet “free anchorage” search might come in handy for lesser-known spots, some regions are well known for their kindness to boaters as well as their convenient location.
It’s best to organize these United States territories according to landmark oceans and lakes, some of which you might plan on seeing for the first time.
- The Gulf of Mexico, with many locations in Florida such as Destin and Tampa Bay and all the way to Corpus Christi, Texas
- The Atlantic Ocean, with many locations around Long Island, New York
- The Pacific Ocean, with many locations around Portland and Newport, Oregon, as well as San Diego, California, and Sausalito
- The Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri
- The Chesapeake Bay Area around Mary and Virginia
Anchoring and Mooring
The difference between anchoring and mooring is as easy as understanding the difference between parking your car and storing your car in a garage. As you plan your future travels, you will have to factor in anchoring and mooring fees.
You will also have to decide where you want to store your boat unattended for longer periods of time (mooring) or where to anchor, which is to use an anchor and rode to secure your vessel in place for a short time.
Mooring is a more involved process and requires tying your boat to an object in the water. There are many private or commercial moorings to rent, usually from marinas that are privately owned or municipally owned. If you get to know someone from frequent travels, you could get private mooring instead of trying to schedule in a commercial mooring and dealing with boat traffic.
Anchoring is less stringently regulated than mooring since there are town and city laws affecting mooring structures. You may also occasionally find geographic restrictions or even bans on anchoring or mooring for a variety of reasons. Make an effort to read about local laws and standards before choosing a spot.
The “slip”, such as a marina slip, is the portion of a pier or float where a boat is moored. There are fueling slips, repair slips, as well as docks. Docks are the water area adjacent to a pier, whereas a slip refers to the water between piers.
Private owners have rights to docks and piers so check before dropping anchor unless it’s an emergency. Some publicly owned docks work like parking meters and so you can stay for a limited time.
Lastly, plan your travels around the “off-season” as much as possible since marinas and other mooring sites offer better deals when they have empty slips. On the other hand, prices are high in the active season and sometimes have year-long waiting lists.
When it’s time to venture out beyond the comfort of United States marine facilities, you will find some of the best sightseeing the world and some surprisingly fair priced mooring and anchoring locations.
Marina Reservation goes into detail about popular worldwide mooring fees while Moorings discusses the best places in the world for bareboat sailing.
Conclusion: Time to Get Away!
In summary, it’s not as expensive to live on a sailboat if you count the cost. You’ve learned the basics on where to travel, how to travel, what dangers to avoid, and the most common pitfalls of first-time boaters. Now it comes to you and your dedication to realizing your dream.
It’s no question that living on a sailboat comes with challenges, investment, and plenty of growing pains. But it’s important to remember the advantages and the joy of this lifestyle change.
The liveaboard community is close-knit and community-minded. You make friends easily and you always have fun stories to share. You get wonderful scenic ocean views, and if you’re so bold, you can travel the world for even lovelier sights and sounds.
Some amateur sea captains love seeing natural wildlife and communing with nature. Others love the deep slumber of sleeping on a boat, as they adore the rhythm and gentle movement of waves. They get away from fast-paced city life and slow down, returning to a calm and introspective existence.
This year, follow your heart and change your life for the better. Live on a boat full-time and discover a forgotten world of beauty, serenity, and freedom!