Living On A Sailboat Pros And Cons

Living On A Sailboat: Pros and Cons

Have you ever thought about packing up your life and heading off to live on a sail boat?

Well, you are not the only one.

Living on a sail boat can become quite difficult at times, but if this is something that you are seriously considering, then you might be wondering about the pros and cons of doing so. 

In this article, we are going to tell you all about the positives and the negatives that come along with living on a sail boat, so you can get a better understanding of some of the things that you can expect.

This will allow you to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself to make a well-informed decision. 



Living on a Sail Boat

Living on a sail boat can be relaxing at times, and stressful at other times, but if this is something that you want to do, then you shouldn’t let that put you off.

We are going to explain what you can expect from life on the water below.


The Pros of Living on a Sail Boat

Thankfully, there are lots of benefits and positives that come from living on a sail boat, and we will explain them for you here.

Time to Relax

Life on land can often be fast-paced and stressful at the best of times, but living on a sail boat can provide you with the opportunity to sit back and relax.

There is a sense of freedom that comes with living on a boat, and being at one with nature can be just the relaxed environment that you are searching for. 

Everything can feel a lot more simplified when you are out on a boat and away from the chaos and complications that usually come with day to day life. 

A Way to Get Active

It is really easy to get distracted in life, and as time goes on, more and more people are neglecting opportunities to stay active.

The downside to this is that our health can often suffer due to this, and exercise is really important.

On a boat, you won’t have much of a choice, as being active is just part of the job. 

From maintenance to cleaning, upkeep a boat is all the exercise that you could possibly need.

As well as this, there are lots of opportunities to take part in physical activities, like swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and more.

So, there is plenty of room for your fitness levels to improve.

It is Cheaper

Though you might think that living on a boat is simply for the rich, this is not the reality of the situation.

Actually, living on a boat is much more affordable than it is to live on land in a house.

With house prices continuing to rise more and more people are taking to the water to try and save more money.

When you compare the monthly costs of these two styles of living, you might be surprised to learn that living on a boat costs much less.

A Great Sense of Community

There is a wide community of people that have turned to the boat life, and these are communities that are known for being tight-knit and welcoming.

These communities provide great opportunities to get to know people that may have similar interests to you.

Crime rates are also typically much lower on water than on land, which is another great benefit. 

Embracing Nature

If you have ever wanted to get up and close with nature, living on a boat is the perfect way to do so.

Living on the water couldn’t bring you any closer to nature, and the environment is definitely a pleasant one. 


The Cons of Living on a Sail Boat

Unfortunately, even though there are many benefits to living on a boat, there are also some downsides.

We will leave them below for you to make your own mind up.

Downsizing Can Be Difficult

Living in a house has its perks, and one of these is the amount of space that you have available to you.

However, a sail boat is not going to provide you with nearly as much space.

Even the larger boats are never going to have as much space as a house, so this is one challenge that you’re going to face.

You are going to need to get creative with finding the best storage solutions for space-saving, and it is likely that you won’t be able to take everything with you from your home.

Trying to keep tidy and organized while living on a boat is the key to success when it comes to utilizing your available space.

Bad Weather and Insects Can Become Irritating

Of course, nature is a great benefit to living on a boat, but it can also have its downsides.

Insects can often make their way into your space, and if this happens, you will need to deal with the issue straight away.

You will need to be really clean and tidy, and make sure that you do not leave any food out that might attract some unwanted guests.

Another part of nature that can sometimes get you down is the weather.

Glorious sunshine and nice weather will make the experience pleasant, but a nasty thunderstorm is going to have the opposite effect.

In these circumstances, you will need to store everything away safely due to the rocking of the boat.

The harsh cold of the winter can also be difficult to deal with, and you will need to make sure that you take the necessary steps to stay warm in the winter.

Carrying Out Maintenance

Living on a boat will mean that you have to carry out regular maintenance, as without doing so, rust, mildew, and mould can occur very quickly.

You should try to create a maintenance schedule and stick to it, to prevent anything bad from happening.

Learning how to do this maintenance yourself will help you to save some money, but you should keep some money aside for maintenance emergencies.

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igor desperatesailors
Igor

Hi, I’m Igor, Skipper of S/Y "The Hooker". A decade ago, I conquered my childhood dream: to be a sailing skipper, own a sailing yacht. Yes, it knocked dullness out of my urban life — Read more →

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