Living aboard a sailing yacht is great! A lot of people strive for this lifestyle. In short, yes, of course you can live completely calmly on board a sailing yacht all year round, which many, by the way, have been doing for a very long time.
One can only assume how long a person currently lives on yachts. The account goes to tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people scattered around the world. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to get exact numbers, since no one keeps such records and this way of life is quite independent.
There is, after all, something romantic in the very idea of being absolutely free and walking the seas wherever you please. If you constantly live on a yacht, then right now you can just pick up and get out of the marina, leave not only the coast, but also the country, and go on a long journey towards new shores.
Nevertheless, life on board a sailing yacht is specific and not suitable for everyone. In this article we will tell you some of the reasons why it is so great to live on board a yacht all year round and for what reasons such a lifestyle may not be suitable.
Why live on board a yacht permanently?
There are a number of reasons why people choose to live on a yacht. Regardless of whether you work on your yacht or just spend time on it, life on board is a little different than in a regular home. Do you like the feeling of unlimited freedom and the opportunity to be constantly on the road? Then life on a yacht may be exactly what you need.
It is very easy to romanticize the excellent idea of living on your own sailing yacht all year round. However, do not forget that such a way of life in the end is still rather alternative and is not considered the norm.
If you are serious about starting living on a yacht, put together a checklist listing everything you need to do. Also, do not forget to discuss this important decision with your family members. And start preparing the yacht itself for year-round living on board long before you actually start living on it.
Things to consider before starting life on board a yacht
Before you start living on board a sailing yacht, honestly answer yourself a few questions:
Is it just for a while, like preparing for a long cruise, for example, or is it a lifestyle choice for good? Is your yacht in a country with a warm enough climate to live on it all year round? Are you capable of solving problems with the yacht and making minor repairs on your own? Where will your purchases be delivered from online stores and are you willing to visit grocery stores often, since there is not much storage space on the yacht? Are you ready to serve yourself? Will you be comfortable with your whole family, wife and children in the new environment? What’s up with plan B if this doesn’t work?
Once you start living on board the yacht, you will have to carry bags of laundry to the laundry, and groceries from the store, and not always in the marina there will be a trolley at hand. You will need to regularly go to the station that is pumping waste water from your yacht’s holding tanks. You will go to the post office with about the same regularity.
A yacht is usually smaller than a house or apartment, but smaller doesn’t always mean lighter. Therefore, first try to mentally live a typical month of yachting life, write down everything that you have to face and it will become clear to you what you can definitely cope with and what will require special attention.
The basics: storage, comfort, communication
When you move from a house or apartment of 100 sq. on a 40ft sailing yacht, the first thing you’ll find is that there are far fewer cabinets and they are small, and there is not yet a double garage. You can safely start preparing for life on a yacht by parting with most kitchen gadgets, tools, clothing and all kinds of souvenirs. If possible, take care of storing your winter clothing ashore.
Make sure your yacht is dry, warm and well ventilated. Mildew and condensation will become a part of your life and you should always have a set of cleaning products and cleaning tools in your arsenal.
Plan ahead for how you intend to contact the outside world. You will definitely need a good and reliable internet connection. It can be some kind of your own solution, a satellite dish or Wi-Fi in the marina. In any case, in the modern world, there is nowhere without the Internet. This is both communication and entertainment on board the yacht.
Useful skills for life on a yacht
You will need maintenance of the yacht and everything can be a little more complicated than in an ordinary house in terms of the frequency of breakdowns and the specifics of the yacht design. It will be very helpful to have basic plumbing skills and an understanding of electrical appliances. The equipment on the yacht is less reliable than the home counterparts. Of course, an alternative to all this can be a call to the wizard to solve such problems.
Cost of living on a yacht
Do not think that you will save a lot by moving to live on a yacht. Here are some expenses that will start immediately:
Payment for yacht mooring Regular cleaning and painting of the underwater part of the yacht Payment for lifting and launching the yacht into water Insurance Maintenance of waste water tanks Gas and electricity Food
The best way to manage spending is to create a budget and try to stick to it. Depending on the size and value of the yacht, insurance can be as expensive as property insurance. But your energy costs will be lower as you won’t heat, cool and light large areas. You can also save on waste disposal, gas and water.
Where costs will increase is yacht maintenance. The specific nature of the sea makes such work about 20% more expensive than in ordinary life on the shore. In addition, if you decide to do maintenance yourself, which is not forbidden, remember that every hour you spend repairing your yacht is an hour when you could make money.
Safety and security
You will need to decide whether to invite strangers on board and consider whether your children and pets will be safe in the marina. You will need to install smoke and gas detectors on the yacht, periodically check fire extinguishers and monitor the condition of the holds and the level of battery charge. In addition, you can ponder these questions:
Is it safe to walk in the marina at night? Where do you leave your car if you are going to sea? What if you decide to leave the marina altogether? Who will look after your yacht when you are away?
In general, marinas and yacht berths are very safe and reliable places to live on a yacht all year round. Many of them have modern access control and video surveillance systems, as well as trained security personnel, your home in the marina is well protected. Peace of mind and a sense of security are worth a lot. Living on a yacht in a marina is much safer than most people think.
Social life
It is easier to communicate with neighbors in the marina than with housemates on the shore. Yacht dwellers are usually willing to help each other, but this street is a two-way street. Be prepared to lend a helping hand when needed.
If you prefer to live as a hermit, it is worth asking to put your yacht in the farthest corner of the marina. This kind of life on board a sailing yacht may seem difficult and full of worries, but it can still be ideal and rewarding.
The marina is full of social life. Parties and gatherings of sailors often take place here for a variety of reasons. Sea travelers know many exciting stories and are happy to share them with like-minded people.
If you are looking for a place where you can feel surrounded by a friendly community, then the sailing community is what you need. Even if you frequently move from marina to marina, you will find that you always feel at home.
freedom
Life on board a sailing yacht offers almost limitless freedom. It is impossible to constantly move your home from place to place, from country to country with any other lifestyle. And on a sailing yacht you can. After all, she is your home. The absolutely amazing feeling of freedom to move in any direction is always present with you, regardless of your activity.
Walking around the nearby town, doing minor repairs on the tank or just sitting in the cabin in the evening with a cup of hot tea, you will feel this opportunity, this spirit of adventurism. And you know, this alone is more than enough for most yachtsmen to take the plunge and start living on a yacht.
Escape from the cold
One of the main factors determining the decision to live aboard a yacht is the ability to get away from the cold climate. If you live in Moscow, for example, the winter months are not the best time of the year, and the sunny beaches of Spain and Italy look more and more attractive even in winter. If you live in your own home, you can add heating. And if you live on a yacht, you can sail to the warm waters of Turkey tomorrow.
Another life
We all want to be different from each other, to be interesting and to learn something new. And in fact, not much is needed in order to expand the boundaries of generally accepted norms. Living aboard your own sailing yacht is not the norm, and this alone makes such a lifestyle attractive for everyone.
Living on a yacht is cool, there is no other word for it. When your friends hear that you are living on a sailing yacht, they are keenly interested and want to know everything about your adventures. Agree, this is a pleasant feeling.
Is it possible to live on a sailing yacht in winter?
Curiously, one of the main reasons people choose to live on a yacht all year round rather than seasonally is the ability to weaner and go into warmer waters in winter.
Usually, yachts are not as well protected from the cold as a house or an apartment. If in Moscow at the height of winter the temperature outside drops to -20 degrees, the house will still be warm and cozy, but for a yacht it will be a disaster.
The yacht has not the best thermal insulation, the heating systems are rather weak and you literally come into contact with the water, it is very close, a few centimeters of the thickness of the side.
The best thing to do to escape the cold is to go to warm waters before winter comes. Alternatively, take care of the appropriate equipment for heating the yacht in advance.
I have a yacht in the marina. Can I come and start living on it right away?
In most marinas you can easily live on your own yacht. But in some of them it is completely forbidden, or it is allowed only for a limited time. For example, you can stay in the marina strictly 3 specific days a week. And these days are negotiated separately.
It happens that there is a long queue for a permanent residence permit in the marina. In such cases, the payment for parking in the marina is higher and this should be taken into account when planning your budget if you decide to make your yacht a permanent residence.
Life on a yacht with pets
Dogs, cats, and other pets must adapt to their new environment. They need exercise, privacy, and easy access to water, food, and toilet facilities. Make sure your yacht gangway is safe for them and that they know how to get on board.
They also need to know how to get out of the water if they fall overboard. Be careful especially in small spaces where a dog or cat could be trapped and chewed by ropes or wires. Pay attention to your pet, tell him about the new home, and be patient.
Life on a yacht with pets deserves a separate story, and we will consider this issue in another article.
Conclusion
Try living on board a sailing yacht for a couple of months before deciding to live on it all year round. There is a big difference between living on a yacht for a couple of weeks and living permanently.
Most yachtsmen prefer to live on a yacht during their vacation, usually during the summer months. This division of time between sea and shore is considered the most optimal.
Chief Editor
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