Living on a Small Yacht: 10 Things We Wish We’d Known

We’ve spent the last three summers sailing the Mediterranean in our 29-foot monohull. After purchasing it unseen in Croatia based on a thorough survey.

We moved aboard in 2022, planning to spend a season learning the ropes before returning to land. Well, 2022 came and went, and so did 2023, and now our third season aboard is underway. While we may not yet have salt water in our veins, we are hopelessly hooked.

That’s not to say it has all been plain sailing, and there have been plenty of things we have learned along the way. With that in mind, here are some of the things we wish we knew about living on a small yacht from the get-go.

Boat Life Isn’t Always Paradise – It Can Be Stressful, Boring, Uncomfortable, and Scary

Life’s not always a picnic at sea. In fact, for every Instagram shot of a sailor relaxing on deck at sunset, there are 100 behind-the-scenes moments of something breaking, windy and rainy days, stinking hot days without any wind, and long passages between ports.

There’s no doubt life at sea has its ups and downs, but when you do get that picture of a perfect anchorage and perfect sunset all to yourself, it’s hard to imagine living any other way.

Cabin Fever is A Real Thing

Huh, who would have thought?

It doesn’t take days on an open sea voyage to set in, either. Being in a confined space where you sleep, eat, work, and live can amplify negative emotions.

Confined to a small space, especially if you are swinging about on your anchor or rocking in swell, can be uncomfortable and begin to grate.

It might start with restlessness, moodiness (Kelli), or irritability (me). Soon enough, the boat feels smaller, the air is stuffy and uncomfortable, the cabin is a mess, and that rope won’t stop flapping about in the wind. In fact, everything about your boat is annoying you. You can’t concentrate on anything, and your partner is getting on your last nerve.

It’s time to get off the boat. Obviously, this option is only available when sailing inshore and you are moored or anchored. But when the option is there, force yourself to walk the plank and take some time off the boat.

As you put some distance between yourself and your floating prison, you breathe in the sea breeze and start to relax. Looking back, you see your boat in the distance, bobbing in the harbor; it looks magnificent on the shimmering sea. You can take a swim in the crystal clear water or a walk along the shore.

What was it you were mad about? You can’t remember. This is the life.

Get off the boat when possible. At least once a day when sailing inshore.

If you’re sailing offshore, or the weather prevents you from getting off the boat, do something to help take your mind off the boat when the walls start closing in.

Read, take a nap, watch a film, or plan a spontaneous activity with your partner—whatever it takes to interrupt negative thought patterns and take yourself off the boat mentally. By the time you finish, hopefully, you will be back to appreciating the many positive aspects of life at sea.

You Need a Lot of Patience

That’s funny because everyone who knows me knows I don’t have much. But sailing and living aboard a sailing boat calls for a lot. Getting from A to B takes a long time, waiting for bad weather to pass takes longer, and trying to organize boat repairs takes the longest time in the Mediterranean.

The lifestyle calls for patience, and if you lack it, you’ll learn it.

DIY Is Faster, Cheaper, and Easier in the Long Run

Getting tradespeople to work on your boat can be a logistical nightmare, particularly in the Mediterranean. The seasonal sailing industry here creates huge demand in the busy summer months and long wait lists in the winter when everyone has hauled out for the season. Trying to compel mechanics, sailmakers, or painters to work on your boat often seems like an exercise in futility here in the Med.

Additionally, when you do nail down some help, the prices people charge for boat work seem to go through a nautical multiplier that can see costs quickly stack up.

Pulling up YouTube University, heading to your closest chandlery or hardware store, and rolling up your sleeves to get the jobs you need to be done is often far quicker and far, far cheaper.

What’s more, learning how the systems on your boat work and how to repair them when necessary is handy when you are far from the marina and something breaks!

We’ve learned that when something breaks (and it will), your first port of call should always be to try and fix something yourself because that’s likely where you’ll end up anyway.

There’s Not Much Mystery Between Couples on a Small Sail Boat

The walls are thin, and you are never more than a few meters from your partner. If you are a fan of personal space and privacy, you may be in for a rude shock.

Living on a small boat with your partner means sharing… a lot. Sharing space, sharing time, sharing the same old stories again and again.

Sailing is Not Just for the Rich: You Can Live On a Sail Boat Very Affordably

We have found sailing surprisingly affordable. It has been far cheaper than living in a house or apartment, and in some parts of the world, it has even been cheaper than living in a van.

While many believe you need to spend hundreds of thousands in upfront and ongoing costs to sustain a liveaboard life, we have found we are perfectly comfortable with a modest budget and a modest sailboat.

We try to stay on anchor the majority of the time and handle maintenance and upgrades ourselves when possible to keep costs low.

We spend about $2,500 per month sailing in the Mediterranean. That’s about $1,900 per month in living expenses plus a further $600 per month on boat-related expenses like maintenance, repairs, boat insurance, and storage.

Bigger Doesn’t Always Mean Better

There are some HUGE advantages to sailing an itty-bitty boat.

One is obviously the cost of purchasing a boat. Boats tend to increase exponentially in price with every foot of length as they expand out in all directions, such that a second-hand boat in the 33 – 36-foot range would cost almost double the price of our 29-foot boat. That space often gets swallowed up by an extra birth, and you are left with a similar-sized saloon (living room), bathroom galley, and cockpit.

Ongoing maintenance and upkeep costs will also increase as bigger boats are used. Marina fees are charged by the meter, as are fees for liftouts, taxes, and permit costs. You’ll need a bigger engine and more fuel to motor a bigger yacht as well.

Finally, handling a smaller boat is easier with a small crew or if one person has to sail it single-handed.

There’s Plenty of Space on a Sub-30-foot Boat

We might be biased, having moved from living in vans to boats, but we were amazed at the amount of space on our little boat when we first moved aboard. Onboard toilet, a massive dining table, with space to sit and work, outdoor table and seating, a second bedroom!! We were honestly blown away by all the creature comforts compared to the vans we had been living on.

There’s Not Enough Space on a Sub-30-foot Boat

Disappointingly, lifestyle creep has robbed me of that perspective, and I can’t help but feel envious as a larger boat comes in to anchor alongside us, dwarfing our little boat. If only we had more space on the deck, more storage, and another cabin for guests, then we’d be set!

There Will Be Sleepless Nights

Boats make a lot of noise. They make a hundred times more noise when the wind blows, the boat creaks, ropes hit the mast, the rudder begins to swing, and …wait..was that the sound of the anchor dragging along the sea floor?!

In the beginning, as you learn the sounds of your own boat and get comfortable sleeping aboard, you will undoubtedly have a few sleepless nights. Eventually, as you start to get used to the normal sounds and movement of your boat, sleeping gets easier and easier, even on windy nights.

But no matter how seasoned you are, surprise storms or weather catch you unawares from time to time, and a night up watching the anchor alarm is inevitable.

Sometimes, You Need to Take a Break

Before you get underway, you could be forgiven for imagining that life aboard a boat is one big holiday.

However, as you may have realized by now, that’s not always the case. After living onboard for a while, you may need a break from boat life, and that’s ok.

If boat life becomes overwhelming or living on the water is not bringing you as much joy as it should, get off and do something else, for an afternoon, for a week, a few months, or indefinitely.

There is no requirement that you hunker down through a week of storms or tough out a heatwave. Plan and budget for a contingency when things get rough, or you’re just not feeling it anymore.

Chances are some time away from the boat, and you’ll soon be dreaming of waking up on the water, sailing for distant shores, and being rocked to sleep by a gentle swell.