Life aboard a sailboat, no matter what size, comes with some serious life changing decisions.
You will not be able to have "stuff". It will clutter up the boat and in many situations it will be rendered useless. (A TV will seriously drain your
battery for example).
Laundry will probably be done in the
cockpit with seawater and hung out to dry on
lifelines. Forget
appliances like a dishwasher or dryer. The
stove may stop working if you end up in a place where
fuel isn't nearby. Prepare to buy
food that does not spoil, even if your boat comes with a fridge.
You will need to bring tools and your own personal ingenuity. Things break, bend, and on the
water you're going to just have to figure it out.
Living aboard without tools is like going out into the snow without warm
clothing. Be like the Boy Scouts say, "be prepared". And by being prepared, I mean everything, from a first aid kit to tools and an
inverter. If something goes wrong, you're screwed; and even if you make it to a port with facilities, you're still going to need the tools and you can't take your car on the boat with you to go buy some - even if you have the
money.
Camping. Yes, you are camping. You will not have the comforts of a furnace,
appliances, hot
water, constant electricity. Bring battery operated lanterns for when the battery dies. Bring or plan for some place to take a
shower. Even if your boat has a hot water system it will seriously drain your battery. Depending on your
fuel stores, you may be able to take a warm sponge bath.
Unless you plan on living at a marina, all the above apply.
Living aboard at a marina is fine as long as the marina allows it.
Sundrarily:
You will meet some great people. You will also meet some complete SOBs. Maritime life is filled with SOBs and shady operators when you are in trouble. Tow operators, mechanics,
parts, all of it add a zero to the
price of everything. If you are gunkholing beware of NIMBYs that will screw with your boat, no matter how wealthy or poor they are. I've read accounts of idiots stealing
boats that they had no clue how to pilot. People cutting lines, pulling your
anchor, etc. Of course you want to leave the boat sometimes and so you should. But a boat unattended is a boat undefended, and good luck calling the police due to maritime laws in your area.
Learn ways to prepare
food at sea. There is a book called "10,000 miles", that has a lot of good tips and tricks, right down to how to make an egg last 3-4 months without refridgeration. If you are planning on going really far out, bring an axe so you can cook food over a campfire if you are running low on fuel with your
stove.
Moral of my story, you can never be too prepared. That sail that was perfect when you left the
dock might become very unperfect in an unexpected blow. Sail tape? Helps. Extra
sails? Even better. Bolt cutters - bring them in case you are demasted so your boat isn't destroyed.
Talk to sailors who have done what you plan you are doing, extensively.
Don't worry about the
money. Money makes the world go round, but you can usually find some
work at any
government port, even if it's for minimum wage, or wangle some sort of business opportunity.
Remote communities always need people to do things (hence having the tools for your boat helps) so focus on being prepared rather than the
budget.
Who knows, you may end up working in a restaurant for a month or two while
blue water sailing. Nothing wrong with that if it gets you to the next
destination and buys you some more food stores.
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