Living Aboard a Sailboat - The Dream

Live Aboard a Boat & Sail Off Into the Sunset

Jan 25, 2009 Donna Diegel

Want to live aboard a sailboat? Romance on the high seas? Sailing off into the sunset can be a dream come true. Cruising magazines, books and boat shows explain how.

Sailing off into the sunset. For many a boater, this is a dream come true. A dream that is always in the back of their mind. They think, "Let's quit the jobs, escape the rat race, run away from the kids and don't leave a forwarding address. Live free, sail to the islands, drop the hook wherever there's a party, and swim in the nude." What could be more romantic and adventurous than that?

The Liveaboard Dream

It all starts with a dream. The mini weekend vacations are becoming more and more frequent. The cruises turn into a week here and there. Then the inevitable happens. With a Margarita in one hand and toes in the sand, the weekend boater suddenly doesn't want to go home! At some point in time the sailor thinks, "Why go home? We could live in this boat!" The dreaming and scheming get serious. He tells his wife, or she tells her husband, "Let's sell the house and live on the boat."

Can You, Could You, Should You Live Aboard A Boat?

"Can we really live aboard a boat? Can we afford it? How much does it cost to live aboard? What size boat do we need? Sail or power? Where will we live? Can we take the kids? Should we take the kids? Will the dog and cat get sick on the boat? Will the family think we're nuts? What about safety?" These are all very personal questions the would-be liveaboard cruiser asks themselves at some point in the beginning of their dream. The answers to these questions are as varied as the boaters themselves.

Men or Women - Who Chooses to Live Aboard?

For the most part, it's the guy - boyfriend, husband or father - that has the uncontrollable desire to go to sea. Leave the land and be a man! A primal urge? Perhaps. And yet, there are many women - girlfriends or wives - that surprise their soulmates by wanting to sail off into the sunset. A romantic Hollywood movie? Cruising is anything but romantic when the crew is puking over the side, the head backs up, the bilge is full of water or the anchor drags.

Liveaboard & Cruising Publications

There are plenty of resources that encourage and support the liveaboard lifestyle. Cruising magazines, books and websites are full of cruising how-to information, galley cooking tips, and how to sail around the world on a budget. One such magazine is Living Aboard, written by readers and cruisers from first hand experiences. Published by Bob Bitchin', Latitudes and Attitudes magazine is available in a glossy print edition, or online to help cruisers realize their liveaboard dreams.

Books written by veteran sailors Lin & Larry Pardy, Tom & Mel Neale, Beth Leonard, Dave & Jaja Martin and Tania Aebi, all have tales to tell about their cruising lifestyle and adventures. Stories of exotic islands, birthing and raising kids while cruising, and the youngest woman to sail around the world, will seduce any would-be liveaboard cruiser to go for it. By the time most boaters go through their stack of books and magazines, they're hopelessly in love with the notion of cutting their dock lines and drifting out to sea forever.

Boat Shows - Keep Dreaming!

Boat shows can be the pitfall of many sailors, or where cruising dreams come true. These huge shows are usually held in convention centers where boaters can get an up-close-and-personal peek at all the newest and shiniest boats on the market. All-sail shows like the Strictly Sail Chicago Boat Show caters to cruisers and sailors alike. Power boaters would enjoy the Atlantic City Boat Show and the Boston Boat Show, where they can pick out their next multi-million dollar custom yacht.

Not all cruisers are sailors, and not all sailors can live aboard their boats. An extended sea voyage could test one couple beyond their limits, while the cruiser who lives simply, sails off into the sunset and lives happily ever after.

Sources: Paradise Cay Publications; Bluewater Books & Charts

The copyright of the article Living Aboard a Sailboat - The Dream in Boating & Sailing is owned by Donna Diegel. Permission to republish Living Aboard a Sailboat - The Dream in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.