Life as a Liveaboard: Making your Boat your Permanent Residency
Perhaps you have been dreaming about the life of a liveaboard, or lusting to live on a liveaboard. What the heck is the difference between the two terms anyways? Well, both involve moving your permanent residence to the sea, essentially living on a boat full-time. There are other definitions on what a liveaboard means, you can check out my article, Living on a Boat: The Life of a Liveaboard to wrap your head around the two terms. Basically, liveaboard is defined as the following:
1. A person who lives on a boat
2. A boat suitable for a person to live on
So what are the benefits to moving your life from land to sea? There are many of course, including the feeling of coming home after a long day on land to a spellbinding sunset that can be admired from the comfort of your cockpit. Moving your life on a boat also requires downsizing (which can be both liberating and scary). Either way there are things to consider before you take the plunge.
Mobility, a.k.a Freedom
The type of freedom while sailing the deep-blue is beyond compare. With that said, choosing the liveaboard lifestyle and moving your life officially onboard, is a move that will guarantee you this type of freedom for the rest of your days. You can dock in a marina when you feel like it, or you can choose to sail around. You have the freedom to live anyplace there is water and space to dock your boat. If you work online, the sheer mobility you will be granted once you live aboard a liveaboard, will be a luxury most land-dwellers can only dream of.
Spring Cleaning a.k.a Minimalist Lifestyle
Ever have that feeling of, I own too much stuff, a good spring cleaning would do this house wonders. Most people have this thought at least once, if not multiple times a year. Moving your life to a boat forces you to prioritize what you can and can’t live without. Moving your life to a boat requires that you simply throw stuff out. This can be extremely liberating for a hoarder or anyone who has the tendency to collect loads of stuff. Simply put, by cutting down on unnecessary clutter, it will allow you to focus on what really matters in life – you know like the simple things: wind in your hair, good food, drinks, and maybe even curling up with a classic paperback book beneath the stars … ahhhh.
Give Me My Space
Going along with the minimalist theme, this can easily backfire if you are a person who needs space. The idea of space may not be a big concern if you are living alone on your boat. Factor in a spouse and/or children however, and you are talking about sacrificing a significant portion of your personal space boundaries. If you are use to living in tight quarters with your family already, it shouldn’t be drastic change. However, if you are use to having your own quarters, get ready to give up some of that physical freedom.
It all boils down to cost, or Does it?
There are arguments for and against whether living on a liveaboard is more expensive than living on land. Honestly, it really depends. For example on land you have to worry about things such as gas, water, and electricity bills. On the contrary, living on a boat you will have to worry about purchasing diesel and gas as well as repairs, regular maintenance, replacements of engines, generators, water pumps, inverters … get my drift? This is where it is important to make a budget to get an accurate idea of what you will spend living on a boat vrs. living on land. Depending on your geographic location, living on a boat may or may not pan out to be a better bargain in the long run.
Your neighbors will be COOL
There is simply no denying that wherever you decide to dock your liveaboard you will probably have the coolest neighbors. It takes a different type of character to move aboard their boat full-time so if and when you do have neighbors, you will be sure to strike up some interesting conversations and share a beer or two. If you plan to travel there will be many times where you simply will have no neighbors at all. You can relish in this tranquility while listening to the sweet sounds of the ocean, thinking to yourself, I really have the best life ever.
Are you the type of person who could pack up and live life as a liveaboard?
Have plans of moving onto a sailboat? Here’s how to get started.
