“We will live on a boat, but only if you buy a catamaran!” Our kids declared their wish (in surprising consensus) from the deck of our monohull. We had to deliver. And we did. We sold our house, cleared all debt and bought a catamaran. With our extremely limited budget, confusing time frame, in the height of the COVID pandemic, we made it work. Here is what we learned along the way, mistakes we made and our tips for you. All human-generated, all based on our real, personal experience. Here are all of our Boat Life posts. 1. Browse Catamarans When searching for a boat, visit the obvious and pop ..read more

We saw tons of movies aboard and swapped even more with fellow boaters. Below are a few suggestions I think you will enjoy. I have divided them into genres – documentaries, drama, action… As well as comedies and cartoons! Because there are only so many sinking ships one can handle… Watching movies on a laptop; huddled on the small sofa in the salon; fighting over the single best seat on the boat – those memories will sail with me forever. All of our posts on: Boat Life @ No Texting & Tacking. Documentaries We love watching documentaries. However, if I may suggest, avoid the ones about ..read more

Think you cannot live without cell phones, social media, Netflix, large screen TV’s, Costco, cars? Think again!  These things are not necessities when you travel. They are a burden, which belongs in suburbia. Actually, most do not belong anywhere, we make them fit.  While we sailed and traveled the world, our carefully accumulated suburbia treasures had to go. Rip-the-Band-Aid-off style! Here is what you do not need to travel, and what to do instead. All our posts about living on a boat: Boat Life @ No Texting & Tacking. How not to miss the shiny objects? As you prepare to travel ..read more

You will love these songs, arranged in categories. Pick your favorites and create a playlist for the next event. Or Karaoke Night. Or anchorage. These songs brought so many memories of the amazing years we spent sailing. I hope you find them inspiring. If you like to sing, the kakaoke versions are linked right below each title. Click on any song in the table below and go straight to it: Upbeat / Inspirational On the water, the highs are really high, and the lows are quite low. For either time – grab a good song to go along. They sound best on a boat (just saying).  1. Come Sail Away — St ..read more

We loved living on a boat, but not all the time. We loved sailing, but not all of us. This post sings all the praises and the other ones, no sugar-coating. Still we loved living on a boat (two of them, actually), with our three kids, and we feel it can be done by anyone. No time for the entire article? The table of contents below has all the pros and cons. Click on whichever one you choose to read more. All of our boat life posts: Boat Life @ No Texting and Tacking.  11 Amazing Benefits of Living on a Boat Having done it ourselves, we feel that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Her ..read more

So, you want to propose on a boat? How awesome. Let me help the creative process. Well, step one, read this post in an incognito window (duh!). As we called a sailboat home for quite a while, I can help you with a few ideas, which tie in perfectly with the nautical theme. And save you a few headaches you might not be thinking about. Read on. Classic and romantic Being on a boat itself is plenty romantic. You spent all this time preparing and arranging the trip. Why not take it a step further? 1. A message in a bottle. Write the question on a piece of paper, may I suggest waterproof paper, and ..read more

Want an affordable waterfront in some of the most beautiful areas of the US? A marina might just be the right neighborhood for you. And a boat the right home. Before our family of five sailed away into the international sunsets, we explored the East Coast of the US. And stayed at quite a few marinas. Here are our favorites, sailing north to south (the better direction). Salt Ponds Marina Located in Hampton, Virginia, Salt Ponds Marina is a small oasis right on the Chesapeake Bay. Wondering if you can even live on a boat? Read this post: Can you Live on a Boat? Yes, and Now is the Right Time ..read more

Of course I want clean oceans. They were our home for four years, after all. Yet, self-sufficiency comes at a price, which sometimes stinks (yes, intended). Composting toilets on boats are becoming quite popular. Advertised as great for the planet, easy to use and requiring minimal maintenance, it is not a surprise boaters are amongst the best customers. This post has many inspiring benefits, as well as some unpleasant truths. You have been warned. Find more useful, essential and everyday boating gear on our page dedicated to it: The Boat Gear Page Our Composting Head Aboard When we bought our ..read more

We started our liveaboard adventure on a monohull and used Raymarine for two years. Then we switched to a catamaran and used Garmin, for two more years. Let me share the best way to buy whichever one you prefer. And save the most money in the process! Because we all know what “BOAT” stands for. Here is a brief video of our Garmin chart plotter display during a very sunny passage to Puerto Rico: Here is How to Save the Most Money. These are the steps we have taken many times. They worked great for us, while sailing in the US: Oh, check out our Boating Gear for tons of ideas of useful boating i ..read more

“Fine, I will live on a boat, but I am not washing clothes by hand.” To find the best washer for our budget, I spent a lot of time reading, researching, asking in forums and watching videos. Here is everything you need to know. In all fairness, the conversation above did not quite go as smoothly. My “fine” took a year and a half, but that’s a different story. Oh, if you prefer to watch my laundry system, here it is: Get a washer and spend your time on more enjoyable things. For example: Our FREE 5 Day Liveaboard Course (5 e-mails, 5 short videos, 5 fun worksheets) My Washer I loved our fully ..read more