Can you Live on a Boat? Yes, and Now is the Right Time. no texting & tacking

So, can you live on a boat? Absolutely! With a bit of research and preparation, you can discover a world you will not want to leave behind.

Like we did.

We lived aboard for four years on two different boats, with three kids. So, let me answer those questions that keep you up, browsing late at night!

This fully human-generated post will answer your questions about living on a boat. Every answer has been lived and tested by us and our boat-friends!

All of our posts on: Boat Life @ No Texting & Tacking.

Can You Live on a Boat Year-Round?

Just like living in a house year-round, living on a boat year-round is perfectly doable, with some preparation and liberating downsizing.

Our Favorite Boating Resources:
BoatUS – Piece of mind, if towing is needed. We were always members.
Predict Wind – We always used it to check the weather.
West Marine – We were members, earned points and enjoyed discounts.
Booking.com – For stays when traveling away from the boat.

The process of figuring out how to make a boat your permanent residence is similar to picking out a new house.

But in reverse.

When shopping for a new house, you would typically focus on the location, school ratings, neighborhood safety. Then you look for the best house you can afford.

When deciding to call a boat home, locations and neighborhoods come second. Because you are not stuck 🙂

When we lived aboard, we did not spend all of our time aboard. We would visit family and friends and leave the boat entrusted to boat-sitters.

What Kind of Boat is Best to Live on?

We have always had a preference for sailboats, over motorboats. We loved our small monohull, but we loved our catamaran way more!

We wanted to cruise, so that defined our preference, and it might be a major factor for you too!

A monohull or a catamaran – which boat should you pick? Find the answer here: Catamaran vs Monohull: Let’s Solve This Thing!

Sailboats make great cruising homes
Trawlers are quite spacious.
Monohulls are cheaper to dock at marinas.
Catamarans are great and stable on mooring fields and on anchor.
Houseboats will give you the view with the comforts of a house.

Check out our boat tour episode, of our catamaran, on YouTube! (The tour is around the middle of the episode).

We prefer sailboats to motorboats, because we moved a lot, and using the wind is far cheaper, than diesel. We lived on two sailboats, so, we are super biased, naturally.

On the other hand, motor boats, especially older ones, can be purchased at a much lower price, compared to a similar size catamaran.

Sailboats have sails and rigging, and sheets to maintain and change. Motorboats have large, expensive diesel engines.

If you are purchasing a boat and never plan on moving it, then you are really not shopping for a boat, but for a house on the water. In that case, you might want to focus more on the neighborhood:

What is the best place to live aboard?

As you might imagine, the answer is, “It depends.”

You can change locations as you wish, because living on a boat offers flexibility.

When we started living on a boat, Joe was still working full time and we had to make sure that our marinas and mooring fields were close to an airport.

Once we decided to buy a catamaran and sail away from the US, our locations became irrelevant. We invested time and money into finding the best boat.

Be inspired:
45 Epic Sailing Movies We Will Watch Over and Over…
81 Best Sailing Quotes & Captions. Stuff Boaters Really Say.
45 Epic Sailing Movies We Will Watch Over and Over…

Once you have found the best boat for you, think about these next steps:

1. Figure out the Destination?

The easiest way to live on a boat, is to decide on the starting destinations and liveaboard options and go from there.

Here are the options to consider and discuss with the crew:

Live-aboard marinas
Mooring ball
Living on anchor – the most sustainable.
Cruising and changing locations within your home country
Cruising internationally
Splitting your time between land and boat living

Marina living is probably the closest to land-home living, but also the most expensive. We have been quoted anywhere from $300 to $4000 per month, for our 42 ft catamaran.

Morring balls are much more affordable. We paid around $450 per month in Miami, where the same marina charged close to $3000 for a slip.

Living on anchor is free, but you will not be able to use the amenities of the marina, or will have to pay additionally. Outfit the boat with to be fully self-sufficient. It’s what we did.

All of our boat gear posts: Boat Gear @ No Texting and Tacking.

Or sneak into the marina facilities (we have done it, but you probably don’t want to teach your kids bad manners). If you do, send me an e-mail, I’ll tell you know how.

2. Research the Location.

a man and a woman at Chub Cay, wearing sunglasses

Any coastal town, or area, will have a marina, a mooring field, or anchoring sites, which you can turn into your new neighborhood.

Yep, Bahamas is one of our favorites (Chub Cay in the photo above, our boat is in the middle – the prettiest of them all).

When we first moved aboard, we thought we would live in Beaufort, SC for at least a few months. So, we took a car trip to the town, talked to the marina manager, and walked up and down the streets getting a feel for the place (we had three kids aboard to think of).

So, before you sail off, if possible:

Take a field trip and tour the area.
Find the marina and speak with the dock master, in person.
Walk up and down the docks and check the facilities.
Find out if you can use the dinghy dock, if opting to anchor out.
Ask if any shuttle is available, if using the mooring field.
Chat with local boaters who already live there.
Find out what is included and the additional liveaboard fees.

3. Choose the Climate.

Forever summer, or changing seasons, or even mostly winter (brrr!) are all possible in a boat life. Just take care of a few formalities first:

Land and Sea Park, Bahamas - an view of the water from a hill. You can do that hike too. Sail and travel with us. what we can do, you can do too!

Check the insurance requirements, if moving to a hurricane-prone area.
Forever-summer marinas will mean extremely hot summers. Figure out AC.
Find the closest haul-out place for hurricane haul-out, if needed.
If living aboard in cold climates, check options for boat wrapping.
Figure out heating, if needed – it is hard in the cold water (we have done it).

Some insurance companies will not cover you at all, if not away from hurricane zones, during hurricane season (June – November, for US, Bahamas and most of the Caribbean)

If you love the snow, you can still live on a sailboat, and do the so-called wrapping during the winter. In fact, it can get so hot under the plastic wrap, that you might find yourself in shorts on deck, while it is snowing outside!

Can you Live on a Boat, if you Cannot Sail?

If you prefer to live on a boat with occasional, short trips, you can motor the boat. Even a sailboat. But sailboats are meant to sail.

Learning to sail is not hard.

There are plenty of classes, or you can hire a captain and learn the basics in a couple of days! With practice, you will become better at sailing and it will not feel like such a formidable task.

During our first year of sailing, we selected the smallest and cheapest marina we could find, and practiced sailing and docking every weekend, until we felt more or less confident that we could move to live on the boat, with our kids, full-time.

A few of our friends on the water, hired Sailing Totem – a fun and very experienced boating family to coach them. While we prefer to learn on our own, if your dream needs an extra pair of hands – take theirs!

Can You Live on a Boat, if you do Not Like Sailing?

Heck yeah, meet me!

I am not even sure how many people would search Google for anything like that. But, I have met quite a few moms, who did not enjoy the sailing part of the liveaboard life.

So, we do exist!

There is nothing bad about not enjoying sailing. It is a hobby, and like many other hobbies – it needs the right person for it.

Just like driving a car might not be everyone’s favorite thing to do, you do end up learning, because it is how you go from one place to another.

Sailing is very similar, for those of us who never embrace all that wind in our hair!

I never grew fond of sailing, but I loved living on a boat. Feel, we might be in the same boat? You must read my post:

That Wind in the Sails, it’s Not Whispering to me, or How to Live on a Sailboat (if Sailing is not Your Thing).

Sailing is just a part (a small one too) of living on a sailboat. There are many other benefits to living on a boat, even if you find yourself struggling with those darn passages!

How Much Does it Cost to Live on a Boat?

Just like living in a house, living on a boat will depend on so many factors, such as marina fees, repairs, lifestyle, insurance…

All of our posts on: Boat Life @ No Texting & Tacking.

Now, if I stopped here and left you hanging to figure it out, that would be just mean.

So, I have a couple long and helpful post about the costs of buying and living on a boat!

The cost of living on a boat for a family.
Buying a Catamaran in 10 Steps – Complete Guide.

Pros and Cons of Living on a Boat

Living on a boat, especially a sailboat, is an amazing experience, but it is not easy, and it is not very comfortable.

I have a great post all about the benefits and drawbacks of living on a boat.

Pros and Cons of Living on a Boat. By Experienced Boaters.

I am updating it often. You will like it.

How to Make Money, While Living on a Boat?

Here are a few ways to make money, while cruising (all either tried by us, or other fellow boaters):

Mina on her laptop at the boat — That’s the spot – free WiFi from the Ritz hotel ashore!

Consulting (pick a sphere you have experience with).
Lifestyle coach (you already have the right attitude).
Freelance writer.
Rent out or Airbnb your land home.
Travel blogger (Duh! Although the start was tough).
Seasonal project work (Joe renovated a kitchen and an attic).
Contract work (I worked as a summer camp RN).
Online teacher (platforms like Outschool do not require special degrees)
Boat-sitting for other families who travel.
Boat repairs (there are tons of people who would love your help!).
Photographer (you are already at various amazing destinations, sell your photos!
YouTuber (a harder one to master, but many do). Here is our channel.

If you already have a remote job – you might be able to work anywhere in the world. Bosses like to live vicariously through us, ask for it.

Finding local sim cards, for reliable internet, is available in every country. Even some more remote areas and smaller islands have cell towers.

If, by living on a boat, you have been able to reduce your living expenses, you can easily reduce your income as well. We were both unemployed for a bit, while cruising away from the US.

Our answers to financial freedom in a few posts you will find useful:
12 Practical Ideas to Spend Less
The cost of living on a boat for a family
How we Defeated Debt to Travel the World
How to Remove Suburbia Stuff and Travel

Can a Family Live on a Boat?

Of course!

Our family on the Grand Soleil sailboat in Miami

Now, with kids, it will be smart to select destinations that offer what your children enjoy – playgrounds, beaches, skating ramps, cool jumping rocks, other kids (number one priority, if you want your kids to still like you, and the boat).

Valuable tips and resources here – Traveling with Kids and Teens.

We lived on a small (39ft) monohull for two years and the kids did not complain about the size of the boat at all!

Because we found other kids!

We then moved to a larger catamaran and the kids did not care that much for the extra space.

Because there were other kids around!

Traveling with grown kids and teens might sound a bit scarier, but it is actually well worth it.

All the kids we have talked to, while sailing and living on a boat, want one single thing – other kids around! It is a fact and it is not going to change.

Below are a few useful and inspiring posts:
Long-Term Traveling with Teens. Kill me Now!
Sailing and Socializing Kids – 8 Ways to Find Friends on the High Seas
20 Unique Games and Activities for Sailing Kids
World Schooling is Affordable and we’re Still Doing it in 2024

Can Pets Live on a Boat?

Yes, some can. Others are miserable.

boys with a dog, on a beach, in Puerto Rico — *Sometimes there are no kids around, but we also love hanging out with dogs!*

Any pet owner should be able to quickly figure out if his/her pet is having a good time, or suffering aboard.

We have met lots of families who sail all over the world with cats, dogs, rodents, reptiles and birds!

It adds an extra layer of organization and research, and it is a personal decision.

We opted to leave our honeybees with friends, the cats went to another friend, our dog stayed with a member of our family, and our hedgehog moved to a different family.