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- The author, Kristin Hanes, has been living on a boat for three years.
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- Kristin Hanes
- Three years ago, I left my apartment in San Francisco and boarded my boyfriend's boat after losing my job.
- Living on a boat was difficult at first, but he had many rewarding moments.
- That said, I would have liked to know several things before deciding to live on a boat.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
In 2016, my world has changed.
Unexpectedly, I lost my well paid job as a radio reporter in San Francisco. The entire newsroom was decimated in one day of dismissal. I rented a room in a beautiful waterfront apartment in Sausalito, which cost me about $ 1,500 a month, a rent I could not afford. I absolutely could not run into debt or burn my savings by buying a room, so I did what would make any prudent debt feeder: I gave my 30 day notice.
I planned to sail on my boyfriend's yacht, a 46-year-old ketch in full restoration. He had been working day after day on the boat for months, with no end in sight. I thought it would be like camping in an old wooden cabin without amenities. I have always loved adventure, the outdoors and life outside the norm.
So, I did a great purge, donated goods to Goodwill, hauled bins into my mother's garage in Oregon and kept only what I needed.
Just a month after being laid off, I lived on a boat for the first time in my life. And it was not the glamorous vision you could have in mind with the happy hours tinged with sunset and the dolphins playing in the waves. It was a struggle, especially at the beginning.
But living on a boat has also resulted in incredible achievements and incredible proximity to nature. It is now a lifestyle that I will not give up.
If you are also considering living on a boat, here is what I would like to know in advance.
There is no "finished boat"
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- Shutterstock / Evgeniia Gordeeva
Before starting my new life on a sailboat, I had no idea of the amount actually needed for work boats.
It seems that something is always broken or needs to be repaired. In the last two years, we were hoping to go down to Mexico for the winter, but the boat was not ready. This year we will give another chance (fingers crossed). My boyfriend Tom has worked countless hours, days and weeks to prepare the sailboat for offshore cruising for three and a half years. Nevertheless, there is still work to be done.
Now, I understand these two adages for boaters: "The two best days of life boaters are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it," and "the sailboat cruise involves repairing items in exotic places ".
Before buying a boat, make sure you have the mechanical know-how to fix things, otherwise you will spend tons of money to pay someone when things go wrong.
Living on a boat, it's like living in a tent, but with walls
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- Shutterstock / magnifying glbad
When I arrived on the sailboat, he had almost no convenience. No running water. No heating. No cook. No toilet. No internet. No fridge. No shower. The list goes on again and again and again.
I've been preparing dinners using a Jetboil hiking stove to balance a pan. We used the marina bathroom, our gym and an emergency bucket to install us. We packed under blankets and sleeping bags during the cold winter months.
But over time, project after project, the boat has gradually acquired the amenities that make it home. Never before have I felt grateful for a toilet, stove or oven. Never before have I thought about a heater. Living on an unfinished boat can cause difficulties, but also a deep sense of gratitude for what most people take for granted.
Marinas are not always good places to go out
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- Flickr / Travis Wise
While living on a boat, I learned that some marinas are more enjoyable than others. Some look like a park of poverty-stricken mobile homes, others at a park of high-end camping vehicles. I saw broken boats covered with tarpaulins, bicycles, weight training equipment and garbage.
I think people commonly badociate yachts with high-end marinas and yacht clubs, but that's not always the case. Choose your marina carefully and make sure you walk on the docks and meet the neighbors before you sign up.
It is difficult to find accommodation on a boat legally
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- Shutterstock / cdrin
Living legally on a sailboat is very difficult, especially in a place like San Francisco, where everyone is trying to escape an extremely high rent.
Many marinas have waiting lists that last for years and cost twice as much as a cruise slip. Our marina allows us to sleep on board only two nights a week and we strive to respect this rule. We often take our boat to anchor in various beautiful places around the bay and we spend the other nights in the van or at home.
Sailing is really difficult
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- Shutterstock / Alvov
When I started life on the boat, I had never set foot on a sailboat, let alone sailed!
The first years of learning to sail were very difficult. I just could not get it and I made so many mistakes.
Finally, in my third year, I begin to understand. This has helped me out a few times with a Hobie Cat and take windsurfing lessons at Hood River. Navigating may not be easy for everyone. If you are thinking of living on a sailboat, I would advise you to take sailing lessons before boarding to make sure you love them!
Using the toilets of a boat is very delicate
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- Flickr Creative Commons / Jason Pratt
Living on a boat means you will have to learn a new way to use the toilet.
Our toilet, for example, has a manual flush. Basically, you fill a large cup, add water to the bowl and vigorously pump a handle up and down to flush the hunt. It looks like a dying goose and is very easy to clog. We use a portable bidet to prevent toilet paper from clogging our pipes.
Explaining this type of toilet to visitors is not always easy. The boat is not heading for the emptying station, where we use a vacuum hose to suck the contents of our storage tank. It's the part I prefer the least about living on a boat. Gross!
You can miss essentials at any time
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- Shutterstock / Mariano Villafane
Living on a boat is not like living in a house, where you operate a switch and enjoy an endless supply of electricity, running water and gas for your stove.
All resources on a boat are limited, which means you have to keep a close eye on your supplies. I remember one night when we were preparing an excellent dinner and where the propane was exhausted. We had to finish preparing our dinner with a construction torch we had on board.
On another occasion, our water tanks dried up when we woke up to prepare our morning coffee. Fortunately, we had only one hour left.
We learned that it was important to check our stocks before sailing for a few days and to keep extra water.
Things feel very fast
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- Kristin Hanes
A boat has a very different environment than a house. The moisture from cooking or dishwashing is trapped in the cabin, creating an ideal environment for mold growth. We learned to wash and dry all our cupboards every few months to prevent the formation of mold on board.
The diesel and the holding tank are other objects that can stink on a boat. Many boats have the smell of a boat that usually manifests itself when the plumbing of toilets begins to wear out. Our boat had a strong smell of diesel coming from a series of leaks and spills when we left, and Tom had to pull off all the stained wood.
Living on a boat is addictive
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- Kristin Hanes
Despite her difficulties, I never knew that living on a sailboat could be so addictive.
I like the fresh sea air that rushes through the descent, and the tap-tap rain on the cabin. I like the way the boat leans in a big gust of wind and rocks me gently to sleep when we throw the anchor.
The sailboat brings so much freedom and adventure into our lives. We can sail in remote corners of the world and take our home with us. We can appreciate the dolphins jumping from our bow while we are digging a path in the sea.
When you live on a sailboat, the world is really our oyster, and I can not imagine any other way of life.
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