A couple has opened up about the realities of living on a sailboat – and says that while there are big savings to be made, it’s not for everyone.
You might have to live without a shower, for instance.
For Emma Haley, 27, and her partner, Andrew Knott, 31, this is something they’ve had to deal with for the past year.
The pair felt “trapped” by the cost of living crisis, having previously forked out £2,760 per month on rent alone for a two-bedroom flat.
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Now, their rent and bills are costing them over £500 less per month – but it’s not all smooth sailing, with the digital marketing manager and boating instructor missing a few of life’s necessities.
“Something we definitely miss: showering without stopping the water between washing,” Emma told What’s The Jam.
“When we shower or do anything that uses water on the boat, we try to use as little as possible.
“It was definitely an adjustment, but you quickly get used to the small differences of living on a boat vs on land.
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“Power is also a big adjustment.
“When we aren’t at a dock, our fridge and freezer don’t work unless we have a generator running.
“We have a lot of things to alter before cruising full time, but living on a boat means never-ending projects.
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“But while living on a boat is definitely more challenging than living on land, that’s one of the best parts of it.”
While the pair, from Florida, US, explained that boating life isn’t easy, they believe that with the right mindset, it can be enjoyed – and the key is not to expect it to be like living in a house.
And after doing their research, they realised how much money could be saved for the unique alternative.
Now, they spend only £2,200 per month all in.
She said: “It is much lower than our apartment once was.
“We were spending more than we should on rent and had issues in the flat we shouldn’t have had to be dealing with for what we were paying.
“We then found out that our lease was coming to an end.
“We didn’t have the comfort of knowing our lease would be renewed, and weren’t sure if we wanted to either way, so we discussed the idea of moving onto a sailboat.”
In June 2023, they purchased an SV Afterglow Hunter 460 on Facebook Marketplace for £94,000 and then set sail.
The sailboat, which comes with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, felt like the perfect fit for them.
She said: “We pulled our finances together, put in an offer, and it was ours.
“The boat had a ton of upgrades already done to it a year or two before, so we were very lucky in not having to renovate much.
“We bought a new headsail, dinghy and just a couple of other things.”
Now, the couple are in it for the long haul and doesn’t plan on moving back to a typical house in the near future.
Emma added: “We see ourselves doing this as long as we’re enjoying it.
“At this point, the idea of living back on land is so far it seems out of sight.
“We imagine ourselves raising kids on a boat, whether it is our monohull we have today or a catamaran in the future.
“And showing our future salty boat babies the world and introducing them to new cultures and raise them with a unique life that most only dream of.
“Eventually, we want to travel the entire world.
“We’re still getting to know our boat, but if our boat is capable, we would love to circumnavigate the oceans.
“Our shorter-term plans are to sail around the Bahamas, then down towards the Virgin Islands, and eventually down the Caribbean to Grenada.
“We will also be anchoring for free and hopefully start to spend a fraction of what we do now.”
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