How is living aboard a sailboat cheap living?

Here is Shadowtime our 35 foot floating home.

99% of the time we were not moving, just enjoying life .

When did take a trip to another island we had some routines we went through to assure we were safe.

We knew our limitations as sailors, but we knew how to be safe when we sailed.

Here's what we were looking for in a boat

How is living aboard a sailboat frugal living...no rent

In this shot we are 200 yards from downtown Christiansted, St Croix US Virgin Islands.

From the dock we walk to the post office, our favorite bar, restaurants, church, bus stop, a 300 year old fort.

Best of all, it's free, no charge for anchoring. For more on anchoring, an important skill. Living aboard a sailboat is not only great fun it's living cheap.

The waterfront hotels charge $300 a night. We listen to the waves lap against the hull, have an unobstructed 360 view, and save the $300 night after night.

How do you get ashore? Glad you asked...the sailboat dinghy is your lifeline to the shore. Learn about the bonehead mistakes we made in choosing a sailboat dinghy

No Utilities

When you are living aboard a sailboat, note that there are no power lines, phone lines connected to the boat. You can see the wind generator at the stern, combined with 2 solar panels that takes care of most of our power needs.

We ran the inboard diesel 5 minutes a day to warm up water for our evening shower. The really frugal used solar water bags, or washed in the sea (you can see the bottom 10 feet clear as a bell), rinse with fresh water and you are done.Now that's cheap living.

No charge for wind, usually a pleasant 5 to 10 knots making sleeping a pleasure.

No charge for the sun which shines constantly. Is this frugal living or what?

If you want to know how we planned all this financially go to early retirement planning and get started.


Minimal clothing costs

We wore swimsuits every day, T-shirts, Teva sandals...that's pretty much it I had a few collared shirts for church and the rare evening meal ashore...add a baseball cap for me, a straw hat for the bride, sunglasses and you are set.

The bride (of 34 years)wore a cotton bottom and top over her swimsuit when we went ashore, cotton dresses for church or dinner ashore.

In fact one year we came back for season (we spent 6 to 9 months a year on the boat, leaving for hurricane season) with 2 fanny packs, 2 backpacks, and one small soft sided bag that's all you need clothes wise to live very well in the tropics.

Curious as to what makes a "typical" day living aboard a sailboat?  

Getting work done on the boat was easy and very cheap

Living aboard a sailboat means eating well

We ate like kings and queens on the boat, 90% prepared on board, not always our boat, cruisers share a lot.

Farmers Market St George

This occurs once a week, usually Saturday AM, on most islands. This picture is from Grenada. the farmers from all over the island will bring their spices, veggies, fruits, fish, chickens, etc. You pay what the locals pay and it very cheap living...and very good.

These markets also contain a lot of street food from vendors, we pigged out and never once got food poisoning of any kind in 8 years of trying. Another drawback to sailboat cruising, nullified...you will eat well and cheaply without fear of illness.

From this tiny galley came some outstanding meals, it contained a refrigerator freezer that was so big we could barely touch the bottom. The refrigeration was 12 volt and was by far the biggest user of power on board. The food was great, cheap, and the beer was ice cold. Life is good living aboard a sailboat!

I said cruisers stick together!! Here is an example of a get together on a isolated beach on St Barts.

The buffet table is an inverted dinghy.

We did not know any of these people until we sailed in from St Maarten 2 days earlier.

Because you are of a like mind...anything to avoid the rat race...you do things together, share food, get together for drinks, share ashore knowledge, help each other with boat stuff...living aboard a sailboat, it's a happy life.

They are also as a group the biggest proponents of living cheaply but living well that I know of.

Living aboard a sailboat means less health care costs

Since are talking about frugal living how about the health benefits of living aboard a sailboat? Has a doctor ever told you that you are getting too much fresh air? I doubt it...on a boat in the tropics you breathe fresh air 24/7. You come to relish the salt air, usually 80's day or night, and learn to dislike AC of any kind.

If you must have AC you must be at the dock on shore power and close up the boat. Not my cup of tea...Whenever we went a store that had AC we couldn't wait to get outside and warm up. Bottom line fresh air=good health.

If you don't think life in the islands is slow paced and less stressful, think again. The only stress you will encounter is if you expect things to be done there at the same pace it is done in the US.

Getting work done on your boat is much cheaper in the islands compared to the US but never be in a hurry. You learn island time quickly, but that is a good thing. If you expect it to be like it was at home you will have trouble adjusting. My advice, relax,they, the locals, sure will be.

In Trinidad, one of our favorites, it literally shuts down from Christmas until Fat Tuesday in February. It is Carnival,you must attend, and everything stops. Don't count on anything getting done then. You won't be dissapointed.

Bottom line it is healthier for you to be living aboard a sailboat.


Sure you are living cheap...is it safe?

Not every anchorage is this crowded, and you want to be alone at times.

However, there is strength in numbers and you tend to do things with other cruisers. Birds of a feather?

For more of what precautions we took on Shadowtime.

When going ashore in the evening you tend to go with other people, don't stay out too late (cruisers are usually early to bed early to rise)and do the things you would do in any city in the US.

Common sense says no jewelry, wear plastic watches, and you will be fine. Island folk are laid back, and enjoying life, just like you...take it easy, they are. In all of our 8 years of cruising from Trinidad, Venezuela to the Virgins we never had an ugly incident of any kind, nor did any of our friends.

Liveaboards...Share your story with us

The boat liveaboard lifestyle is only a dream for most folks. Give the encouragement that someone may need to try this wonderful lifestyle. We each have a unique story of how we came to live aboard...share it with us.

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