Living On A Sailboat Full Time 40 Benefits

One afternoon, while sitting in my cockpit, rocking back and forth (at anchor), I wrote 40 reasons why living on a sailboat full time rocks. If you need to convince yourself, or perhaps your partner, of the benefits of sailing off into the sunset, give these a read. Also, check out The Secret Benefits of Becoming a Sailing Cruiser.

Honestly, I’m not sure why anyone would choose a life on land over a life on the sea!

Here are 40 reasons why living on a sailboat ROCKS!

1. Travel. The ability to travel to all seven continents mainly uses wind.

2. Views. There is a wide variety of views on offer, including the deep blue sea, quiet rocky bays, lush green countryside, buzzing city centers, majestic mountains, rolling plains, mystic rivers, historic ruins, and even erupting fiery volcanoes.

3. Changeability. If you don’t like your view today, you can easily change it tomorrow.

4. Warm weather. It is fantastic to have the option of following or staying in areas with always warm weather.

5. Culture. Each new country/island offers a new culture full of interesting traditions, unique foods/flavors, and fascinating customs. Just walking around an old town and absorbing the views, smells, and people provides an essence of what life is like in that community.

6. The universal language of non-verbal communication. Becoming a full-time cruiser helps to increase a traveler’s ability to communicate through body language and ultimately feel comfortable not knowing a host language. When we first started, I tried to learn the basics of the languages of each country we visited.

Despite my best efforts, most of my communication usually consisted of smiles, pointing, charades, and more smiles. In the past, I was afraid to visit non-English-speaking countries for fear of not being understood. I know I don’t need to speak any language to figure things out.

7. Food. There are unique varieties of food, food preparation, and traditional dishes! Every place we go, I look for the traditional dishes, order them, and then try to recreate them back on the boat.

8. People. The people I meet when traveling are probably my number one reason why cruising worldwide rocks. Whether we meet someone indigenous to the country, another cruiser, or a tourist, we almost always enjoy an incredible connection. Stories are shared, information is offered, and joy is created.

Some people we meet and stay friends with for years, and others we share a quick passing communication with. Most often, communications are authentic—we only chat with people because we want to, not because we have to.

9. History. Investigating ruins, absorbing the chronicles of each new country, and voyaging along the paths of our founding explorers can be extremely interesting and enlightening. Living on a sailboat full time provides so many benefits! I’ll never forget Running The Track At The Olympia Stadium in Greece.

10. Feeling the rhythm of nature. When living on a boat, your body learns to accept not only the motion of the waves but also to preempt them. Flowing with the sea is like dancing with nature – it’s part of the concept of being one with the world and feels right.

Are you sold yet? Read on for 30 more reasons for living on a sailboat full time…

11. Being surrounded by nature. Smelling the salty sea, feeling the caress of the warm breeze, and absorbing the golden power of the sun is true bliss. Most anchorages surround the boat with lush green trees, native animals, and various geography, showing the layers of time.

12. The sense of community in the sailing world. I’ve written about this at length! Sailors and boaters all help each other out. When at sea, if someone is having difficulty, everyone works together to help out. When on land, boaters pass important information, share tips, and create strong bonds. There are no divides and no boundaries. All boaters speak the same language and are ready to help and be helped. Check out There Are No Walls In The Sailing Community.

13. No news! There’s no TV, radio, or newspaper at sea, so there is no constant broadcast of negativity, doom, gloom, and non-beneficial information. Not having news allows your thoughts to breathe and be your own. Living on a sailboat full time has provided so much peace.

14. Sharing with others. It’s great to have friends, family, and even strangers on the boat to share the boating lifestyle experience. It’s wonderful to see children and adults alike experience the sensation of gliding through the sea powered by wind. Check out the Top 10 Benefits of Sailing with a Buddy Boat.

15. Freedom. Most of our view is open sea, which provides a cruiser with an ongoing sense of freedom. We can sail into the horizon at any time—go left, right, or straight ahead. There are no restrictions…we’re free to choose life’s course.

16. Going with the flow. Living full-time on a sailboat teaches you to go with the flow. You sail when there’s wind and rest when it’s calm. Perhaps you set off for destination A but have to change to B. You want to leave today but can’t for two weeks. You learn to go with the flow; life feels guided rather than forced.

17. Stars. It is remarkable to sail at night, away from land, and look up at the stars. When you see how magnificently vast the nighttime sky is, the feeling that embraces your whole body is all-encompassing. With nothing to obstruct or dim your view, the stars come alive and blanket you with awesomeness.

18. We have no utility bills. We use the sun to keep our batteries topped up and a generator to run our oven. For water, we use our water maker, and food can be caught with a line. Our only definite running cost is a very small amount of Diesel. Just another reason why living on a sailboat full time rocks!

19. Clothes are not important. There’s less pressure to dress a particular way or even get dressed! When in warm climates, you live in a bathing suit and wear the same pair of shorts four days in a row. After a year of living on a boat, all your clothes become sun-bleached, holey, and marked with rust stains (from drying them on the safety rails). Many boaters, much to our amusement, sail around naked.

20. Comfort zone expander. Sailing around the world constantly provides new opportunities to learn things and grow. On a weekly, if not daily, basis, we’re doing things we never knew we’d be doing – and often, the things we do stretch us. We have to learn how to fix problems, acquire unexpected parts, and react in potential emergencies. Being outside our comfort zones doesn’t always feel good, but we certainly feel alive. And once our comfort zone expands, we feel richer.

21. Life-long learning. During our first year of sailing, we met a sailor named Jim. He set off around the world for three years, and fifteen years later, now in his late 70s, he says he’ll probably never return to land. His ability to learn something new daily draws him to full-time cruising most.

Jim explained to me that with sailing, you’re always learning something new, whether it’s through a new friend, having to fix something, or simply touring new lands. Life never gets dull when you’re pushing forward to new horizons.

22. Reduced need for stuff. There’s only so much room on a boat! And the available room is needed for must-haves rather than senseless purchases. On a sailboat, everything has a purpose, and the few things we have are true luxuries. Without having many rooms, cupboards, and a basement or attic, there’s no desire to buy stuff.

The whole concept of working to make money to buy things doesn’t exist when you live on a boat. Living on a sailboat full time makes life simpler. If, however, you do want to make an income while being a sailing cruiser, make sure to get my guide, A Sailing Cruiser’s Guide To Making Money.

23. Spontaneity. Often, we plan on going to X but meet other boaters who are going to Y. At the last minute, we change plans. We’ve often spent weeks and even months longer in one area just because we wanted to spend more time with friends. We’ve also had times when we were sailing to X, but someone told us of a very special spot called Z…we then, at the last minute, changed course to Z. Life flows.

24. Reality check. Living on a boat full-time provides many difficulties. There is a very limited supply of water (for drinking, cooking, etc.), a lack of warm water (for showers), stability is not common, and you can’t just hop in the car and buy anything you want. You can’t hop anywhere and do anything fast! In most cases, there’s no dishwasher or handy gadgets to make life easier.

Living on a boat makes the day-to-day tasks harder! That being said, doing things by hand, being respectful of water, cooking what you can find at the local shops, and not being able to get particular things makes having those things (when you do get them) much more impressive. I’m so grateful for things like celery, broccoli, warm showers, stable ground, and supermarkets that are open 24 hours a day. Being on a boat is a great reality check – it opens your eyes to how good we have it back on land.

25. The world is good. Living on a boat and sailing around the world puts you in contact with different people from all walks of life. For 99.9% of the time, we’ve discovered people to be kind, generous, loving, and eager to connect. Sitting in your house watching the TV does not paint this kind of reality. Going out and seeing what is true will allow you to realize just how amazingly beautiful humans are. Living on a sailboat full time helps to see a better world.

26. Animal visitors are in abundance. Can anything be more precious than sailing along with a pod of dolphins by your side? Or how about hanging with a bird that needs a well-deserved break when 100’s of miles away from land? How about seeing a turtle poke his head up to examine your face or having the blowhole of a whale grace the side of your deck? Watching a spotting eagle ray fly out of the sky to wave hello or say ‘hi’ to the barracuda that is always under your boat is fun, too.

27. Your pool (the sea) doesn’t need any maintenance. Furthermore, it can be accessed from 360 around your floating home. That’s one big moat 🙂

28. Fresh fish is out of this world. If you like eating fish, you’ll freak out when you have fresh fish—and I mean, one-hour-old fish. It’s the most fulfilling, rewarding, and tastiest meal a boater can enjoy. (Unfortunately, however, you’ll never be able to eat old supermarket fish again after experiencing what fresh fish tastes like.)

29. Anchoring is free. Not only can you see the world, mainly using wind as energy to move you around, but you can also enjoy the most impressive sights for free! In some parks and certain countries, fees can be imposed for anchoring, but it’s mainly free to lay a hook. Such a fantastic benefit of living on a sailboat full time! Make sure to get my guide, Anchoring And Mooring – Look Like a Pro from Day One!

Still need more reasons for living on a sailboat full time? Read on for 10 more…

But before you read on, if you’re getting more serious about living on a sailboat, consider purchasing my Sailboat Buying Guide For Cruisers. Every week, I get at least one email from a reader asking, ‘But how much does it cost to buy and live on a boat?’ That guide will help you answer that question.

The answer is always, ‘How long is a piece of string?’ That is…until now!

I spent weeks creating a guide that lists every cost involved in buying a boat, getting the boat where you want it, finding a home for the boat, owning/maintaining the boat, and sailing on the boat. With this guide, the reader can do his or her research to find out if a cost will apply to their particular situation and then research the exact cost. You don’t know what you don’t know. With this guide, you’ll be armed with the right questions to find the specific answer to the question, and finally, ‘But how much does it cost?’

Get the guide here: Sailboat Buying Guide For Cruisers

30. Learning about trust. If you’re an ex-control freak like me, trusting God or the Universe might not come easy. When living on a boat, there are all sorts of circumstances that force you to trust life. Sailing in the dark (and being unable to see ahead of you), getting caught in a storm, and even anchoring can be scary. Worrying won’t affect the situation, so becoming a full-time cruiser teaches boaters to trust. It’s been an invaluable lesson for me.

31. Noise is limited. There’s the sound of the wind, the waves hitting the hull, sails flapping, sporadic winches grinding, and the motor when in use. Otherwise, there’s the occasional chin-wag over the VHF radio, the tug-tug-tug murmur of a distant cargo ship, and that’s it. THAT’S IT.

32. Showering every day or even every week is not necessary. Something is warming about being a salty sea dog, even if you’re a woman. I never thought a day would come when I’d say I was happy living in my smell, but I am. I don’t mind being salty, sweaty, and carrying a head of greasy hair. No one sees me anyway.

I used to shower every day because I never wanted to be seen as dirty. Now, I don’t feel dirty. I feel at ease with myself. And considering we’re in and out of the sea so much, showering doesn’t seem as important as it used to be.

33. Exploration. Nothing is more exciting than finding a new bay, anchoring, dropping the dingy, and then going to the beach for a nose around. Whether in a town or a secluded bay, it’s great to climb to the top and see the surrounding area. Through our exploration, we’ve discovered many things – an abandoned town, spiders the size of Coke bottle bottoms, caves, farms, nature walks, local tavernas/restaurants, breathtaking views, white stone beaches, black sand beaches, trees with fruit, and on and on!

34. Waves are abundant. I’m talking about hand waves rather than sea waves. No matter where we are, we wave to anyone who comes close enough to pass us. The only time someone doesn’t wave back is if they don’t see us wave in the first place. Back on land, it’s no longer customary to say ‘hi’ to people when walking around. However, most people are eager to initiate or reciprocate a heartfelt wave on the sea.

35. The person you have to become is incredible. It’s interesting to discover who you must become to be a full-time cruiser. There’s a definitely You now and a different You after you’ve been cruising for a while. Fears are overcome, skills are developed, and life, as you once knew it, changes. I still have many years to go, but looking back over the eight years of full-time cruising, I can undoubtedly say that I’ve changed massively.

I have more patience, less of a need to control things, a higher trust or faith in life, an ability to live in the now rather than the past or future, a more authentic approach to life, a more profound and stronger love for my husband and daughter and overall my fulfillment with my life has increased dramatically. Not bad – eh?

36. Spectacular sunsets EVERY NIGHT. My eyes will never tire of a sunset or a sunrise. Living on a sailboat full time provides many opportunities to experience one of nature’s most beautiful gifts.

37. Sense of self-actualization or euphoria. Once the engine goes off, the sails are filled with wind, and the boat travels quickly through the sea; I often look out over the ocean and am overwhelmed with a feeling of peace. It’s as if a blanket of bliss covers my body, and in that fleeting moment, I feel grounded, balanced, alive, and connected to everyone and everything. Sadly, the feeling doesn’t last very long…if only I could bottle it!

38. Confidence builder. When we started Living on a sailboat, we had experience with sailing. Still, we lacked the technical ability to maintain, service, and fix engines, pumps, motors, rigging, refrigeration, hydraulics, and so on and on. At first, we had to rely on ‘experts’ to help us, but as time passed, we picked up a new skill here or there.

Now, we fix most of our problems ourselves, and our confidence is constantly growing. Indeed, we’ll be a jack of all trades master of none, but that’s precisely what’s needed to live on a boat!

39. Bonding with family. On our boat, it’s me, my husband, and my eleven-year-old daughter. We have friends, family, and guests who join us often, but we are the foundation. Almost every day, we make new friends and have a social life far superior to the one we had on land. But…at the end of the day, we three are making our way around the world.

We are a team, and we work together. There’s loads of love on our boat and nonstop hugs. Our experiences – both successes and failures – have helped to bring us all closer together in a way that surely wouldn’t have occurred if we kept our previous lifestyle.

40. No regrets. For me, failing to become a full-time cruiser would have been a big regret if I didn’t do it. Often, I think, ‘when I’m 80 years old will I look back and regret that I didn’t do XYZ?’ I definitely won’t regret that I didn’t work harder at my job, or make many millions, or regret that I didn’t buy an Aston Martin. I would have, however, regretted not being able to experience these 40 things that make being a full-time cruising live aboard the most fantastic thing ever!

So…I’m sure there are 40 more things that can be added to this list about living on a sailboat. This was all I could come up with while sitting here swinging and swelling on our anchor. What can you add? Leave a comment below.

Behind the Scenes of Living on a Sailboat Full Time

The other day, while surviving through a swell (the boat dramatically rocks back and forth while anchored), I felt a bit down and despondent. It’s funny how things become normal after a certain amount of time, and as humans, we tend to look at the negative side of things after a while.

Living the dream can wear off if you don’t realize how far you’ve come.

Last year, I would have noticed the swell, told myself that it was only temporary, and just laid down while it took its toll (making me seasick), or I would have taken the dinghy to shore to seek stable land.

Nowadays, I find swells to be an inconvenience that slows me down. Instead of writing, cleaning, or carrying on as usual, I have to change plans and just chill out. I suppose that over time, even if you are living your dream, there are things that simply become normal and annoying.

And good things turning sour aren’t limited to the full-time cruising liveaboard scene.

For example, a new job seems excellent for a few months, but things get irritating after time. A new partner seems fantastic at first, but we find faults, frustrations, and annoyances later.

Needless to say, I was getting into a tizzy about the swell and decided to change tack.

Amid my light anguish, I asked myself what I love about living on a sailboat. What do I love about being a full-time cruiser or full-time liveaboard?

With my head resting on a pillow in the cockpit, I grabbed a pen and paper to create a list. Interestingly, the swell was not noticeable, and an increasing smile grew on my face as the list expanded.

Just as quickly as we find frustration in life, we can just as quickly find solace.

And before you move on to something else, if you’re getting close to looking at prospective boats to buy, please check out my Sailboat Buying Guide For Cruisers guide. I offer a list of things to look at on deck, below deck, and in between so that when you first view boats, you know what to look for and why!

What are the reasons you love living full time on a sailboat?

Please leave them in the comments below.

Kim Brown:
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