How To Live On a Sailboat, A Live Aboard's Story

A few years back I made the decision to cut my ties to land and live aboard a sailboat. Living aboard means different things to different kinds of boaters. If you don't plan on leaving US waters but do plan on making a boat your home it will probably involve living in a marina, hooked up to shore power, cable TV and having all the conveniences of the modern world nearby.

My experience invoves both but is more relevant to someone who wants to go cruising in the Caribbean or other waters.

For the first few months, as I prepared for my trip to the Bahamas I lived in a marina in Texas. There, connected to shore power I had a small refrigerator and was used to running a small air conditioner and using as much fresh waters as I cared to. Leaving appliances like the television on were something I did not pay attention.

I decided to try and live without refrigeration when I left for the islands. While the thought is unimaginable to many people it is the way that people lived for much of human history, and still do in many places.

To live without refrigeration just involves re thinking the way you cook. Outsided of the US there are many products that do not have to be refrigerated such as UHT long life whole milk, canned butter and all kinds of canned meats. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and fruit are kept in swinging hammocks and some kinds such as cabbage can keep for weeks.

Most sailboats without refrigeration have a well insulated ice chest. You can buy block ice in many ports which will enable you to keep meats and cold drinks for several days.

The main reason I chose to live without refrigeration was the high cost of enough solar panels to run the refrigerator and all the other electronics. I had three fifty watt solar panes and an Air Marine wind generator which stayed spinning most of the time in the trade winds. Even still, I had to run my boat's auxiliary diesel engine for more power at times, even without refrigeration. Things like TV and fans can eat up a lot of power.

If you can afford it though, a refrigeration system such as Adler Barber makes is a very nice thing to have onboard. If you have a large budget you may also want to put in a water maker so that you can shower with fresh water every day. In my case I collected rainwater off the sails into a 40 gallon tank. I bathed with clean sea water (dawn soap becomes like regular shampoo in salt water) and rinsed off with a bit of fresh water from a solar shower.

When you go to move onto your boat, whether you are leaving for a long voyage or going to live in a marina, you are going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff. Don't carry more than you need and leave behind bulky items such as shop vacs. A spartan collection of books and personal items are all you will have room for. Most of your storage will be taken up by food, alcohol!, boat parts, tools and sails.

If you are headed for an island cruise don't skimp on charts, cruising guides, spare parts and sails, good communication equipment including a VHF and SSB radio, RADAR, RADAR reflectors, flares, a 406 EPIRB, and of course a life raft and emergency "ditch bag".

As for boat spares take a duplicate of all breakable parts like motor belts, pins, a spare impeller for your saltwater cooling pump, spare tiller handle, prop, jib and mainsail, extra anchors, line and chain and of course human necessities like medication, spare glasses and first aid and first aid books.

Your number one challenge in living aboard in the islands will be adjusting from shore power use to a twelve volt system without running short of power.

To understand how to design a power system with solar cells, a wind generator and refrigerator try books like "The Twelve Volt Bible" they are excellent sources of knowledge.

For information on how to earn a living while living aboard a boat see my article in the resources section below.