Y'all ever live on a sailboat? I have the opportunity to get one but never even stepped foot on a boat let alone drive one lol.

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We bought a sailboat 3 years ago in the Med and have sailed halfway around the world. Currently, we're in Huahine, French Polynesia. To give you an idea of whether we like it, let's just say we originally planned for three years to sail around the world and 3 years later, we're not sure when we'll stop. That said, it's a very steep learning curve. If you're just going to stay in a marina or coastal sail a few miles around well developed areas (US, Med, even Caribbean), the curve isn't as steep. It was my first boat and 8 weeks after buying it, my first sail was around 1500 miles / 2400km and 5 months later, we crossed the Atlantic. But the point is, it's doable.As people have mentioned, everything will break, no matter how much you spend or how new the boat is. Weather is not that big of a deal in our opinion, but you do have to learn about it and plan for it. We've been in 50mph / 80kph winds with 20-30ft waves breaking over the boat and knew the boat could handle much more than we could. I'm more scared and its more dangerous driving/biking/walking around big city traffic than while crossing an ocean.Internet is becoming much easier. We were anchored in Fakarava a few months ago and did not see a single sign of human existence on land but were able to get 25mbit up/down and I could have a 6 person zoom video call with my family. It's a big commitment though, so try before you buy. For me, it was a natural evolution as a traveller. Now we can definitely visit places you can't see as a regular tourist/backpacker and we have our house with us at all times.

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My dad was a professional mariner.... I can fill FB with horror stories of amateurs on the high seas... but sailing, is a challenge if you are a beginner, and can turn ugly quickly. This is life and death stuff, a mast goes down and the waves are pounding you, think fast, or you will be the next cruseo, if you survive. The ocean is a unforgiving place.  If you want to sail coastal waters to learn for a few years, that is the best way. Then hit the bigger waters. But get lessons.... Also there is a big joke in the boating world, a boat is like filling it with money and lighting it on fire. They will take 10% roughly of their value in costs/year.  Then you are not even counting the endless hours of scrubbing, polishing, checking sails and on it goes. Best of luck.

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I bought one in Malaysia we fixed it up a bit and lived on it for a short while. Found out it is expensive and you have so much maintenance to do and scary storms to deal with. There is a very steep learning curve if you are new to sailing like us. Better to go on short cruises with others that have experience to see if you are cut out for that boating life..

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5 years now. Will never go back.Would suggest a few test cruises on someone else’s boat first ;)

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Lived on a 25 ft Hunter (sailboat) for a bit. Mainly in a nice berth behind an apartment building in a luxury part of Ft. Lauderdale where I paid a few $100/month. I mention that because WHERE you stay will determine a lot of your happiness on a boat (or not). Unless you have experience, best to find a marina or other spot where you can live FT and not have to worry about moorings (+ weather + getting to/from the mooring) or travel (which requires a LOT of new learning unless you've sailed/boated before). Just realize that, unless it's a good-sized cat(amaran) or a massive (sail/motor)boat, you're living in something the size of a US bathroom ... and it can feel that way at times. As such, having access to space outside the boat is key unless you are used to small (like REALLY small) living. Owning a boat is also tricky - there is ALWAYS something to repair and everything is expensive to fix. Shit just goes wrong on a boat ... regularly. So, most FT boaters I know are amazing handypeople. Kinda have to be. Usually also lose $$$ when you sell a boat and, if you can't sell it, then you have to pay $$ to store it. Traveling in a boat is, well, slower than walking most of the time (unless you have some high-end motorboat with twin-90s/150s on the back). Personally, I've never slept better and I really love being on a boat but it's not easy and it's not for most people. Exception here are houseboats - tons of them in the Netherlands where we live. If you can score one of these babies for anything reasonable, you've got a comfy life, great views and something which will continue to grow in value. Beyond that, think 10 times before buying a boat (and at least 3 of those sober)! :)

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