Growing up sailing on San Francisco Bay, I never thought I’d be living on a boat years later. Attending graduate school in the Bay Area, I decided to trade my land life for boat life, downsizing from a very nice townhome into my new home. Touring marina communities in the Bay Area, I first settled on Jack London Square marina. While the location was stellar, with access to transit, great places to eat, and nightlife, the lack of day to day convenience wore thin, lugging groceries down the pier onto the boat. Life is a lot different when you park your car in your garage and offload a few feet from your door, compared to offloading down a pier.
Visiting more marinas, I found my new home at the Marina Village Yacht Harbor, across the estuary on the island town of Alameda, California. Marina Village was great because it was across the street from a major grocery store, within walking distance to a nice ice cream shop, and free of homeless people breaking into the private restrooms, offering a clean shower for day to day use. While boats have showers, one of the key things that ruins clothes and causes mold in tight spaces is moisture, so having a shower on land is essential.
Realizing I had way too many clothes, I hired a carpenter to disassemble the second bedroom to convert it into a walk-in closet, which was a genius idea! With room to properly store my clothes, hang my suits, and keep things pressed for my corporate life, staying organized and prioritizing purchases was key.
Living on a boat forces you to get rid of the things you truly do not use, and to focus on the things you need for day-to-day living and want to keep for sentimental value. Downsizing also is great because you shift spending on things like clothes, to spending on experiences like taking the boat out for a two-day overnight cruise on San Francisco Bay.
Exploring the bay on the water was one of my favorite things to do. From spending the day at Angel Island, hiking to the top, to playing tourist at Pier 39 going over to get a bowl of clam chowder, or a long trip up the delta for some warmer weather, a lot can be done. Moments like 5AM cruises to seeing the fireworks light up the Golden Gate Bridge upon its anniversary are magical from the water. What struck me most about being out on the boat is that boats look large and powerful in the marina, yet when you’re at sea, boats are just a tiny speck in the great blue ocean; and under that ocean, there’s a powerful world unto its own with sharks, cool fish, dolphins, and other marine life that share the world with us, even if we’re not aware living on land.
While living on a boat is not for everyone, I encourage those who want to try the lifestyle to make it happen. Learning how to simplify your life allows you to spend more time focused on the right things. Boat life isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll have to learn how to be a plumber when the only one is booked for a week out, you’ll have to learn basic repairs, and most of all you’ll have to learn how to let stuff go.
Working with coaching clients, I always share my story of living life on a boat because life is about choices. If the conventional choices are not brining you joy, remember, there’s always another choice to set yourself free until you’re ready to drop anchor once again.
If you’re curious about living on a boat, send me a message today. Have some tips on downsizing, feel free to share in the comments ?
