Many of us dream of living aboard our own boat,
More and more it feels like the time to try it
So many people talk about it, many of them dream about it. And for the last decade I’ve counted myself among their numbers.
Sell up and sail away. No ties, no commitments, no hassle. Just me and my boat, travelling around the world from place to place and from job to job. Living cheaply with no mortgage or rent to pay and few bills. The world my playground and plenty of playtime to enjoy it.
Modern life both helps and hinders. A decade ago I couldn’t fit my entire book collection onto a device the size of a paperback. I couldn’t fit my entire music collection on my phone. I couldn’t expect lightening fast access to the Internet wherever I found myself. Today I need to carry far less junk with me wherever I go, and for living on a 30-foot sailboat, that’s a big plus.
The older I get, the less material I seem to be. 20 years ago I had to own every book I’d ever read. Today I see three bookcases wasting space and gathering dust. Truth is 99% of the crap I own I never use and a lot of that crap I only own to go with the other crap I own. And I’ve suddenly realised that I just don’t care about any of it any more. I’m paying bills to run a boat I’d like to spend more time on but can’t because I have a home to keep. I’m paying bills to travel between work and home, home and the boat, the boat and work, and bills to keep a home going I only seem to use as a place to plan my next bit of time away from it.
So I’ve decided it’s time to try it. Sell my home, sell my stuff and live on my boat. It should be the simplest thing in the world to do. Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to be though…
