I bought a 45-year-old sailboat & transformed it into my tiny home – we save loads of cash… but there’s a catch
THIS husband and wife have transformed a 45-year-old sailboat into their home and have revealed the pros and cons that come with it.
Genieva and Jeremy took to TikTok to share their experience on the 1976 Catalina sailboat in California.
Jeremy said: “These boats were plentiful on the west coast and they made about 30,000 of them, but they come in at different prices.
“We picked this boat up for $10,000 (£7500).”
Despite the bargain price for a home on the water, Jeremy said there are some drawbacks to the home.
He explained: “If you have endless money, you can go get a really nice boat, but I would shy away from some cheaper boats because the boat does have to float.
“We do have some leaky windows. But, one of the main points of tiny living is being debt free and having a lot more time to enjoy and explore life.”
Despite the leaky windows, users online were amazed at Jeremy and Genieva’s carefree life.
One commented: “Good choice, you can spend more time having fun!”
Jeremy replied: “Our thoughts exactly. Trying to soak up as much of life as we can!”
Another chimed in: “My parents did this in the 1980s they have such fond memories of it. Happy sailing.”
One follower simply commented: “Amazing.”
Another couple shared how they save £6,000 a year after trading their flat for a £54k second hand yacht.
Couple Paddy and Esmee spend about £500 a month on mooring fees, diesel and electricity, but they don’t need to pay council tax and fork out far less on other bills than in their old flat.
Their costs will tumble further once they install a new heating system and wind turbine, which will add to the energy generated from solar panels.
However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the two civil servants.
During last December’s cold snap, temperatures in the yacht fell to -8C.
They’ve also spent hundreds of hours renovating the 33-year-old boat, which they share with Penny, their seafaring Jack Russell.
But they say this is a small price to pay for the freedom of travelling coast to coast during the summer months – and getting the chance to circumnavigate the planet.
Paddy said: “We just love being on the boat and we work as a good team, and we just thought: ‘Should we think about doing it more permanently?’
“We want to do a circumnavigation of the UK and potentially across the Atlantic.”