Anjali graduated from college and wanted to travel, so she built out her first van to let her see some of the country. Then her job as a software engineer went remote in 2020, and she decided to build a bigger and better van (named Vinny).
Now she travels in her van and also owns a boat! She converted the entire van herself and can fix anything that comes up. Just wait until you see her awesome hidden bathroom set-up — super creative. Also, stick around for our Q&A with her at the bottom of the post.
Do you remember when Matthew Ryan built himself a tiny house for just $8K when he was 16 years old? Well, now he’s a few years older, rents out his tiny home, and just moved to California as a travel nurse. Recently he became the proud owner of a sailboat which he’s in the process of renovating.
Enjoy some pictures of the in-progress sailboat and follow Matt on social media to see more updates. We’ll be sure to post the finished product when he’s done.
Jenny & Mac weren’t boat experts before selling their home on land and purchasing their 1980 Alberg37 sailboat — but they figured it out quickly! They’ve been living on the boat and sailing the seas now for 3 years.
They love fishing from their sailboat and eating the catch of the day. And believe it or not, Jenny frequently bakes sourdough bread — even while underway. The maintenance of a 40-year-old boat is time-consuming and never-ending, but for these two, it’s worth it.
Now here’s a downsizing story for you! This amazing family of 5 bought their 7,000 foot dream home after the dad’s military retirement, when a visitor from Denmark and sudden illness inspired them to make a change. Within 10 days they put their giant home on the market and moved into a 1,200 square foot Airbnb.
That’s when they started sailboat-shopping, at last landing on a new-to-them Leopard 48 Catamaran which has even less square footage than their Airbnb. Now the family is spending more time together than ever during their sabbatical year on the sea.
Where will life take them next? Who knows! But for now they are finding that having less space truly does equal more family time. I love seeing people intentionally choose to downsize and minimize, because it shows that we can all benefit from tinier living, even if we could afford to go bigger to keep up with the Joneses.
Mom, Julie, shared their full story at the end of the photo tour below. Don’t miss it!
The design of tiny homes owes a lot to the design of boats, and while I’ve spent a lot of time in tiny houses on wheels, I’ve had practically no experience with life on the water. So I decided that staying in a docked, 25-foot sailboat would be a fun counterpoint to my time in tiny homes.
I spent two nights on the “Mother Goose”, which is available on Airbnb as a nightly rental in Port Angeles, Washington. My two nights on the water were a fun experiment in small spaces, and a great opportunity for me to briefly try on boat living.
The Mother Goose
The Mother Goose is probably best for one person or a couple. It has a full bed that narrows considerably at the foot, an eating nook that can convert into a single bed if needed, and a minimal kitchen with an icebox, electric kettle, and sink that drains directly into the water. There are several little storage areas, and no real bathroom, but there were nice centralized facilities a brief walk from the dock.
For the last few months my wife and I have been exploring the ideas of moving into a micro home, and whenever a challenge comes up about the space involved, we often look at each other an say, “Yeah! We can do that.”
And the Fact is, We have been doing it for the last 12 years aboard our Beneteau First 42. Our 42 has about 10 x 30 feet of actual living space. storage is limited, and all systems need to be monitored weekly if not daily.
We’re off the grid, but have full electric, pressured water, a full kitchen, (galley on a boat) and most all the comforts we had while living in a larger home.
Couple Living in Sailboat Moving to Micro House on Land
David Welsford let go of most of his belongings, bought a sailboat and started living in it adventurously while traveling the world with it. “For me more important than having a big house is having a space that makes me feel good,” says David.
It’s a 28′ sailboat that’s around 50 years old that he restored himself. He takes soap showers on the boat and jumps into the salt water to rinse off. You can see him doing his dishes below. Please enjoy and re-share this inspiring sailboat living story (and watch the video) below. Thank you.
