Do you want to see the world while living on a yacht? Many benefits come with living on a boat, one being you can wake up in a different place each day if you wish to!

However, there are many things to consider before and while living on a yacht. 

So, this guide has everything you need to know! 

What to Consider Before Living on a Yacht 

Before choosing the lifestyle of living on the sea, there are a few things to consider, including 

• Will you be living in a yacht-friendly year-round climate?
• Are you handy and a good problem solver?
• Are you ready to altogether downsize your living space?
• Are you ready to regularly go grocery shopping as there won’t be much room to stow? 
• What is your plan b if living on a yacht doesn’t work? 

The Essentials 

1. Storage

When you move from a three-bedroom house to a 40ft yacht, you will notice a difference. 

The closets are smaller, there are fewer cupboards in the kitchen, and not a lot of storage space. So, before you move onto your new yacht, you first need to downsize your life, starting with kitchen essentials, mementos, and clothing. 

2. Cleaning 

When living on a yacht full-time, you’ll notice that mildew and condensation will be more common, so you have to ensure that your yacht is warm, dry and has plenty of ventilation. It’s also a good idea to stock up on a new set of cleaners and tools specific to your yacht. 

3. WiFi

A major difference you’ll notice living on a yacht is that you can’t just drive down the street to see family or friends, which is where WiFi comes in. Before living on a yacht full-time, you need to have a connectivity solution to keep in contact with those who mean the most to you. 

4. Maintenance  

Since you’ll be living on a yacht full-time, you’ll need to know how to maintain it properly, and the maintenance may be worse than in a house due to the frequency and specificity. 

You will need to know general plumbing, electrical and mechanical skills because boat systems are usually less reliable than households. If you’re in the middle of the ocean and can’t call a plumber, you’ll need to know how to fix things.

Costs of Living on a Yacht

While it may be more affordable than a house, expenses still need to be paid. Some of them can include

• Yacht mortgage fees
• Slip fees
• Insurance
• Waste management 
• Gas
• Food and water 

The best way to manage your expenses while living on a yacht is to budget and stick to them. Depending on the size of your yacht, insurance may be as high as home insurance. However, electricity will be less as you aren’t heating, cooling or lighting a big space. You can also expect to save a lot on waste management, gas, and water. 

The most expensive cost of owning a yacht is maintenance. Marine parts and labor are usually 20% more expensive than typical household maintenance. 

How much does it cost to dock a yacht at a marina? 

Depending on where you are in the world, prices will vary. However, a rough estimated cost for a 30-40ft yacht is around $300-$3000 per month. 

Prices can also change depending on how close to the ocean you are, vehicle parking and if amenities are included. 

Safety & Security 

You need to consider safety and security if your yacht will be docked in a marina most of the year. 

A few questions you should ask yourself include

• Will I let strangers inside?
• Will children and pets be safe around the docks? 
• Will I be safe walking from the parking lot to the slip at night? 
• Who will you call if your boat starts to list if you’re away for an extended period?

A few things to note regarding safety include

• Install CO2, smoke alarms and a propane snigger
• Check your fire extinguishers periodically 
• Keep an eye on bilge and battery levels

Best Places to Live on a Yacht 

Technically, any place with a lot of water seems to be a great place to live on a yacht. However, you’ll have to decide whether you’ll live on a lake, river, sea or ocean. 

You may even want to move around throughout the year. If so, you may anchor your yacht on any of the above options. However, some of the best places to live on a yacht include:

• Lagos, Portugal
• Dubai, UAE 
• Miami, USA 
• Capetown, South Africa 
• Sicily, Italy 
• Ionian Islands, Greece 
• Mallorca, Spain 
• Southern Thailand
• Whitsunday Islands, Australia 

Benefits of Living on a Yacht 

Now that we have covered all the basics, here are the things to make you look forward to living on a yacht, the benefits! 

1. Endless adventures 

Living on a yacht provides you with endless opportunities and adventures. You can choose where you want to live; each day, it could be somewhere new. Waking up with a different view each day is just as exciting as travelling to a new destination. 

Imagine waking up one morning on the Arabian Gulf and enjoying your morning coffee with stunning views of the Dubai skyline. What could be better? 

2. Relaxed lifestyle 

With conventional modern life getting more fast-paced, a relaxed lifestyle is easily one of the top benefits of living on a boat. 

Slowing down and taking in every moment is one of the best things about living on a boat. With minimal stress, convincing someone to live on a boat and forget all of their worries isn’t a hard task! 

The sense of relaxation, freedom, doing what you want when you want, and deciding where you want to go next and just going makes the yachting lifestyle so sought after. 

3. More active way of life  

Although this point may counteract the above, living on a boat makes you really healthy and active, despite it being relaxing! 

Exercise is the backbone of wellness, and living on a yacht, you have no choice but to be active. Cleaning, maintenance and daily uptake of a yacht is a workout in itself. 

But living on a yacht also comes with fun ways to exercise, such as swimming in beautiful azure waters, snorkelling around reefs and kayaking. 

4. Lower cost of living 

While most people associate living on a yacht with wealth, it’s actually a lot more affordable than you’d think. In fact, it’s often cheaper than land-based accommodation. 

In this day and age, with inflation, mortgage rates and house prices skyrocketing, it’s never been more affordable to live on a yacht.  

5. Connection to nature  

Finally, one of the main benefits of living on a yacht is that you’re constantly connected to nature. 

Waking up to ducks splashing about in the water, your yacht’s gentle sway, and the ocean’s smell makes yacht life magical. 

So there you have it, the ultimate guide to living on a yacht. If this article hasn’t convinced you to follow your dreams and live on a yacht, I don’t know what will.

With lower living costs, more freedom and flexibility to do what you want, living on a yacht is becoming more and more common, and it’s easy to see why!