Living on a boat often sparks considerable curiosity from others. Many people have questions about what it’s truly like to live on the water, and each sailor may provide a different perspective. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions, along with our honest answers.
Dwayne doesn’t experience seasickness, but I do, and I take seasickness tablets when needed. When we set sail in May 2004, I struggled to manage my seasickness. The swell was between 2 and 5 meters for the first couple of months, and my usual medication wasn’t effective. Eventually, I met a fellow sailor who recommended Avil, which worked well for me.
I don’t need to use Avil very often anymore, but I keep it on hand for severe weather. However, I still occasionally use Travel Calm and Kwell, especially when I’ve been away from life on the boat for a while.
Aren’t you scared of storms?
Absolutely. But here’s the secret—good sailors avoid them like the plague. If you see us hunkered down with a glass of red wine, it means we’ve done our homework and we’re waiting for a good weather window.
Preparation is key. Before setting sail, we study the forecasts, plan our route, and take note of safe anchorages, especially those suitable for all-weather conditions.
If we find ourselves in a destructive storm, we have options to mitigate the impact. For instance, we could adjust our course to align with the weather, choosing the most comfortable route. Alternatively, we might choose to wait out the storm by heaving-to, which involves adjusting our sails and rudder to create opposing forces. This allows the boat to face into the weather while maintaining virtually no forward speed, reducing stress on both the boat and the crew.
How do you anchor when you are out in the middle of the ocean?
We don’t! Unless you’ve got a 5,000-metre anchor chain and an anchor the size of a small car, it’s not happening. Out in the deep blue, we simply keep sailing. We sail through day and night, taking turns to be on watch until we reach a suitable anchorage. Anchors are meant for bays, lagoons, and cozy coves, not the open ocean.
Don’t you get scared sailing at night?
Dwayne – no; but initially I found it quite challenging. I absolutely hated it, especially on very dark moonless nights or when navigating through numerous fishing boats, and when hit by squalls you don’t see coming. I have grown accustomed to sailing at night and even come to enjoy it when the conditions are favourable. There’s something incredibly relaxing about sailing on a broad reach under a bright, full moon.
Isn’t it cramped and uncomfortable?
No, our boat is not cramped or uncomfortable. While some aspects are far from luxurious, nothing beats relaxing in our hammocks with a cocktail in hand as the sun dips below the horizon. The saloon is comfortable, and we can recline comfortably to watch movies if desired. Additionally, we also have a good-sized aft cabin. However, I would like more bench space in the galley. You can tell my father-in-law had a significant influence on the design of Thorfinn, as the navigation table is much larger than the galley bench space!
Don’t you get sick of eating canned food?
No, we don’t get sick of eating canned food because we rarely do. While cooking on passage can be challenging, cooking at anchor, for the most part, is much the same as cooking on land for us. We have an oven, a grill and a two-burner gas stove. Furthermore, we have a kitchen sink, a fridge, a freezer… and a barbecue.
What I don’t have is a lot of bench space – that is my Achilles’ heel. However, I can cook anything from fresh-baked bread to a roast chicken, grill oysters Kilpatrick or serve up a crispy duck breast with a fresh mango salad. Take a look at my recipes to see how we eat on board.
The type of food we eat varies depending on our location. Obviously, when you spend months sailing the remote islands of Indonesia, it isn’t easy to get fresh ingredients. However, it is fun improvising with what I have in the pantry, the few local ingredients I can get my hands on and the seafood caught or bartered for with the local fishermen.
Now, cooking on passage is a different story. When we are sailing for more than one day without anchoring, we need to cook at sea. Yes, we could just eat sandwiches; however, a hot meal at the end of the day, before night watch begins, is comforting. We have a gimbal stove – meaning it pivots with the movement of the boat, which keeps the stove top level. Therefore, cooking is still possible even in rough seas. Preparation is key to ensuring smooth sailing and delicious, comforting food. On long passages, we will boil eggs to have on hand for quick snacks or sandwich fillings, and I often prepare curries and stews ahead of time to reheat.
Where do you get water from?
We have a water maker on board that converts seawater into drinking water using reverse osmosis, and we can store up to 500 litres of water. Having a water maker has been a game-changer for us. My mother-in-law often reminisces about her travels on Thorfinn when our boat belonged to Dwayne’s parents, back when transporting containers of water was a common task.
What do you do with your rubbish?
When we’re at sea, we keep our rubbish double-bagged and stored in the engine room until we anchor, at which point we can dispose of it properly. However, we do toss our food scraps overboard. When we’re anchored, we hold onto the scraps until we are back offshore.
When we spent five months exploring the islands of Indonesia, things were trickier. We often burned our food scraps and other burnable rubbish on the beach, while cleaned bottles, jars, and cans were bagged, stored in the lazarette, and taken ashore whenever we found a place to dispose of them properly. It’s not glamorous, but it works—and it makes you very aware of every bit of rubbish you create.
How do you do laundry?
At first, doing laundry meant relying on buckets and elbow grease, or if we were fortunate, finding a laundromat nearby. Eventually, I upgraded to a small camp washer that agitated the clothes, but I still had to wring them out by hand. Soon, I plan to buy a mini front-loading washer, just like those used in caravans. I’ll keep you updated on how it works once I get it. Stay tuned!
But you can’t flush your toilet paper. Isn’t that disgusting?
We have always flushed our toilet paper, and we know many people who don’t, so you’ll likely hear different opinions on this matter. We have successfully used toilet paper in both our old pump toilets and the electric toilets we installed. As long as you don’t use too much at once and maintain your toilets in good working order, there shouldn’t be any issues.
We prefer to use biodegradable toilet paper and marine-grade products whenever possible. However, when purchasing toilet paper on a small, isolated Indonesian island, you tend to use whatever is available. It’s best to avoid thick, soft 3-ply toilet paper and remember to wipe it, not wrap it!
Tip: Keep your toilet in good working order and the pipes clean. I use double-strength vinegar monthly to dissolve the buildup of scale, which is a hard deposit of calcium carbonate that forms inside the toilet and plumbing. This buildup is caused by the reaction of magnesium and carbonates in seawater with uric acid from urine.
Where does the waste go?
Waste is typically pumped into a holding tank and then emptied at a designated dump point in a marina or once you are offshore. Some boats are equipped with composting toilets, which many people find to be very effective.
When it comes to discharging waste offshore, the specific distance required can vary depending on your location, as well as factors such as water depth, tides, and currents. Additionally, No Discharge Zones (NDZs) prohibit the discharge of any sewage in certain areas.
Did you win the lottery?
Even our kids have asked us this question: “Did you win the lotto?” No, we didn’t. When we decided to live on a boat and travel the world, we created a five-year plan. However, it took us seven years to reach a point where we felt ready to sell our house and set sail. We sold our family home but retained our rental properties, which were positively geared, thereby generating an income.
Although living on a boat can be cheaper than living on land—there are no large utility bills and you learn to live with less—boats do require constant maintenance, which can add up. A couple of years after we “retired” and sailed away from Australia, we found ourselves needing to take paid jobs again. Currently, we work part-time delivering boats, which involves sailing boats from one location to another, and we get paid for it. Yes! Even while we are working, we are still living our dream.
What do you do all day?
Boat life isn’t just about enjoying cocktails and sunsets (though there are plenty of those). Our days are filled with exploring new places, route planning—and thanks to Captain Spontaneous, that’s a full-time job—navigating, provisioning, and keeping up with never-ending maintenance. Life is slower, simpler, and more intentional.
Do you have internet on board?
Yes, we do have internet access, unless we find ourselves in an area with no reception. Initially, we had a satellite phone when we left Australia, as we planned to sail around the South Pacific. However, our plans changed, and we ended up in Indonesia. During our first trip ashore, we purchased Indonesian SIM cards and discovered that we didn’t actually need a satellite phone.
Indonesia has over 17,000 islands, many of which have phone towers, so we found we were rarely without reception for long. Since then, we have used local SIM cards or eSIMs in all the countries we have visited.
We use Simify to simplify the process. Before leaving our current location, we purchase an eSIM that provides us with internet access in the country to which we are sailing.
Do you get bored?
Never. There’s always something to fix, a new place to explore, a blog to write, a book to read, a movie to watch or a game to play. Our days are often filled with swimming, snorkelling, diving, exploring on our SUPs, fishing and cooking on the beach. There is no time to get bored when you are dreaming up ways to make a smoker to smoke your fish.
Do boats have keys?
This isn’t a question I’ve been asked before, but I just heard it on an episode of *Bones* (Season 2, Episode 16). The exchange went like this:
Dr Brennan said, “Wait. Sailboats have keys?”
Agent Sully responded, “Um, no. Not—Not really. These are the keys to the marina.”
I think many sailboats have keys. In our case, we have two keys. One key to lock the companionway and another to start the engine.
What’s the best part of living aboard?
Experiencing freedom and the simplicity of life—no more packing and unpacking when we travel to new and exciting destinations. We can take our home wherever the wind blows and wake up to a new view each day.
If you’ve ever thought about sailing away, hopefully, these answers will clear up a few of the mysteries of life afloat. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.
✨ Got a burning question about liveaboard life? Drop it in the comments and we’ll answer it for you.
During our travels, we use Booking.com, Wise, Simify, Get Your Guide, Trip Advisor, Vrbo, Expedia, BookABach, Stayz, Hotels.com, Agoda, TourRadar and AirAsia.
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