Reality vs Expectations of Full Time Cruising

These are lessons we've had to learn the hard way!

I remember very clearly those years of dreaming about moving onboard Ruby Rose and sailing off into the sunset. Back then there were fewer online resources about liveaboard cruising, and my favourite sources of inspiration and information were a couple of books- ‘Dolphins Under My Bed’ by Sandra Clayton and ‘Bumfuzzle’ by Patrick Schulte were two favourites- as well as the OG Sailing YouTube channels, Sailing La Vagabonde and Delos. While all these sources did occasionally touch on some harder realities of cruising, it was easy to dismiss these challenges when they were so completely overshadowed by the pull of adventure and freedom.

However, with almost ten years of cruising and living onboard under our belts, there are definitely some expectations vs reality lessons I wish we knew before we’d set off.

Expectation: Life is One Big Holiday When Living on a Boat

Reality: LOL. After ten years of living onboard, believe me when I say that spending time on land truly is the holiday. Long hot showers, unlimited laundry, a bed that doesn’t roll around no matter what the weather is doing? Heck yeah, that’s my idea of a holiday. Not that living on a boat isn’t wonderful in so many ways, but in reality, your days will be filled with boat maintenance, provisioning (which takes all day), dealing with unpredictable weather, dealing with local officialdom, repairing breakages, being woken up in the middle of the night because of a squall or a boat hitting you or an alarm going off. Full-time cruising is a lifestyle- a fun, exciting, challenging and rewarding one- but it’s not a holiday.

Boats at anchor during a Meltemi event in Greece.

Expectation: Cruising is an Affordable Way to Live

Reality: I remember a cruising friend exclaiming to me once, “How is it that such a simple lifestyle is so expensive?” While some expenses (like rent or mortgage) disappear, boat life comes with its own set of costs, in addition to the cost of the boat itself. Repairs, marina fees, fuel, insurance, clearance fees, and maintenance costs can quickly add up. The costs of boat life will largely depend on both the boat you have- bigger and more expensive boats are, unsurprisingly I hope, more expensive to keep and run- and your personal spending habits. If you like to stay in marinas and eat out often, your costs will clearly go up. If you’re in a small boat, happy to live at anchor and live with less, then you can cruise on a shoestring, especially in countries such as Greece which aren’t particularly expensive and have ample safe and secure anchorages.

Eating out in Greece is fairly affordable and often comes with at least a few attentive cats perched nearby!

Expectation: Complete Freedom to Go Anywhere, Anytime

Reality: I remember thinking how good it would feel to be able to decide to turn our bow in any direction and set sail. That level of freedom is such a compelling prospect.

However, while a boat gives you mobility and opportunity, your schedule is largely dictated by weather conditions, visa restrictions, or boat maintenance and repairs. Often we are stuck in port because of weather, or have to re-route to prioritise sourcing a part for something that’s not working. That all said, it is absolutely true that a sailboat will take you anywhere in the world that has a coastline, which is a heady thought!

Sailing through the Singapore Strait was a very cool experience.