What is it really like to live on a sailboat – for weeks, months, an entire year? In this experience report, we share how our first year on board unfolded: from planning and early mishaps to magical moments you can only experience on the water. With tips, favorite places, and very personal lessons learned for everyone toying with the idea of becoming a liveaboard themselves.
Why We Moved Onto the Boat
The decision to live on our sailboat was actually made earlier, but in 2022 it finally became reality. Preparations began in the winter of 2021/22. Just before Christmas, I quit my job and felt instantly liberated. I didn’t yet have a plan for how I would earn money in the future, but I trusted I’d figure something out. Tommy didn’t need to do that — he had already been working from home for a long time. We started selling, giving away, donating, or, if there was no other option, throwing out most of our belongings. In early 2022, we gave up our apartment. In March, we brought our last things to the boat in Lelystad in our fully packed Volvo V40. At first, it didn’t look like we’d ever fit everything on board, but after just a few days, everything had found its place.
Our Route – One Big Loop Around the IJsselmeer and Markermeer
We wanted to spend our first year in the Netherlands and start our liveaboard life in Amsterdam. We stayed there for the entire month of April. In doing so, we got to know not only this beautiful city, but also our new way of life in great depth. We consciously chose to take things slowly during our first year and not change locations too often. We wanted to truly experience each place. Financially, this was also a smart decision, as in almost every harbor we were able to negotiate good discounts for a full month’s berth.
Our Route During the First Year Living on a Sailboat
- Amsterdam (Amsterdam Marina, the one with the legendary bathtub),
- Volendam (with what might be the cleanest showers I’ve ever seen),
- Enkhuizen (with far too many Germans in the harbour),
- Lelystad (Deko Marina, our former home port),
- Medemblik (with the friendliest neighbors of the entire year),
- Texel (our first encounter with salt water and tides),
- Hindeloopen (an overpriced marina with poor service),
- the Frisian Lakes (a dreamy inland cruising route),
- and back to Medemblik, our first winter harbor.
Life on Board – Better Than Expected?
Right at the beginning in Amsterdam, we experienced our first storm, tossing our little home around so violently that a coffee cup flew off the table — and we even saw the first snow on TIAMAT. But everyday life on board also slowly settled in. We did laundry in a marina for the first time and started tackling the first boat projects alongside our paid work. Within a short time, we had adjusted from our 75-square-meter apartment to our floating tiny house. That some things take longer or that certain comforts are missing didn’t bother us at all from the start.
5 Things We Learned in Our First Year
- Life on a sailboat comes with an amazing work–life balance!
- We can live together in a very small space, 24/7.
- I clearly have a nomad gene. Tommy becomes “settled” again fairly quickly.
- We’re very good at separating work and leisure time.
- The cost of doing laundry in marinas really adds up. Still, we don’t want a washing machine on board.
One Year of Practice – Then Across the North Sea
During the winter, we made plans for 2023. Unlike many other liveaboards, Scandinavia was calling us. To get there, we had to cross the North Sea.