This section will be a bit shorter since there are many variables that have to be considered, not limited to the length of the boat, where you want to live/keep the boat, and how much work needs to be done on it.

Living on a boat has its benefits. This includes the financial standpoint. The cheapest form of storage on a boat is to anchor it offshore.  In most areas, this is free, and if you have water tanks and a working alternator to keep the batteries charged, you should be able to stay like this for some time.

When buying a boat, remember, this is going to be your home, and there are many different sizes and layouts to boats. Here are a couple different types as examples – Irwin, Catalina, Beneteau, Formosa, and Hunter.  Each boat is different and will have a different price tag associated.  Websites such as sailboatdata.com offer design layouts of the interior of the ship. You can look on that site as well as sites like sailboattrader.com to research prices of boats for sale by the owner. Another option is to look into local boat brokers, and if you want to buy new, contact the company of the boat directly. On this last note however, I will offer the tip that the saying “they don’t build them like they used to” also applies to some boat manufacturers. Our Irwin is from the 1970’s and has a hall 2” thick, which provides insulation and would protect us if we were to hit anything in the water. Newer vessels have thin fiberglass halls. It is rare to hit something out in the ocean, but there are stories from friends of damage done to their boat by whales, and shipping containers that have fallen off cargo ships. As I said, this is very rare, but something to think about while searching.

Where boats start to cost money regularly is when they are at dock or on the hard.  In this instance, we go with the old stand-by ‘location, location, location’.

To begin with hunting down a good place to store your boat, remember this question “Do you allow live-aboards?” Some marinas (both with docks and dry storage) intend owners to leave their weekender, and not to have people living on the boat at the marina.  Asking this question before hand will eliminate headaches later.

The only times that you will want your boat landlocked and out of the water will be when you need to do work on it. This could take some shopping around if you would still like to live on it while you are out of the water. Dry-docks that allow live-aboards are dwindling. Don’t be surprised if it is necessary to travel to find one.  Depending on the work that needs to be done, you may be able to get the boat back in the water quickly. Long term storage would be something to consider during hurricane/cyclone season, when it is safer to strap the boat down.

Marinas offer the convenience of taking the boat out when you feel like it, and being able to come back to civilization. Most live aboard friendly marinas are located within a reasonable distance to town, and offer facilities such as washing/drying machines, lounges with TV, Internet, and electricity specifically for your boat.  Prices at the marinas vary based on amenities offered, and their location. A marina in Miami that caters to 100 ft mega yachts is going to charge more than a marina that normally takes day sailors and fishing boats. Research the area you would like to live in and call homeport. If talking to the marina and they say “we don’t take live-aboards here” ask “is there somewhere else you can recommend?” and ask other sailors; the sailing community is small.