Liveaboard life: self-sufficient w/ solar, sails & VHF radio

[SuperMratlantis]

great video make more of them

[miamitreasurehunter]

Sailobat Dreams.. One never knows the depth of knowledge needed to sail. Aside from miles of ropes, different sail types, cleaning and such I am knee deep in studying Electronics today, solar panels, Batteries, Inverters, Generators and loads of everything from a laptop to VHF radios and GPS's. It gets overwhelming. So to remember why I give up my weekends to engineering books and sweaty labor of love, I find your videos so inspirational...You are most Fascinating..Thank you so much!

[ericsclips]

RE: AC for Laptop ~ You can probably get a DC charger for it, that you would use in a car. Inverters waste electricity, and your laptop is just going to rectify it to DC anyway. Just an idea if you want to get more efficient with your power usage :)

[trevoryates1]

hi Teresa ,have you read the book" shrimpy" by shane acton ? he sailed around the world in an 18 ft caprice , if you can get hold of a copy it is a brilliant read ,i love youre sailing adventures :) i have a junk rigged coromandel thet i sail from ryde harbour on the isle of wight ,but not big enough to live on :(

[SailingSimplicity]

Even though Kirsten did a fantastic job, there will always be pieces of the puzzle missing and questions unanswered.

About the engine, yes, I had to change a bent connecting rod. Its a big project. Took a while to figure out (probably because I was hoping it was something else!)

P.S. Addressing the assumptions about my finances: I address it best in a recent blog post. Check it out. My blog is called Sailing, Simplicity, and the Pursuit of Happiness, the post is called Money! Money! Money!

[bergerlemur]

Good video, but I suggest you turn down the volume at 1:28. Probably be good to fix that in post.

[michaelhenriquesrj]

Marry me

[hamid4222]

greenliving

[tomperanteau]

Well, first of all I would join one of many online communities that cater to cruising and living aboard. I like sailnet dot com and have been a member there for a few years. A LOT of salty old sailors there.

I might start looking at boats like the Irwin 37 and 42. Great liveaboards. They can be bought for around $20k-$40k in reasonable shape. We actually only paid $15k for ours and it had a new diesel in it ($14 for that alone). Great buyer's market right now. Research, read, research.

[tomperanteau]

@zydecoguy Good for you! We are doing something similar, too. I have found that the complainers are usually the ones that are completely uninformed, lazy, not very intelligent, and have a generally nasty attitude. They have no understanding of how inexpensive this life can be. Many thousands of cruisers are out there sailing around the world on next to nothing.

[fahnke]

At the beginning she says "I depend on no one". Yeah, except for the trust fund you bought that with. It's a Nor'Sea 27, a nice boat and not cheap. The solar panels, wind vane and other systems are expensive. I know because I'm a sailor and a liveaboard and it's frustrating to see a very young kid act as if she is 'roughing it'. No one that age makes enough to pay for her boat and the offshore gear she has on it. Spoiled and annoying.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke No trust fund. She works part time to be able to continue her cruising. If you plan, you could do the same. If you waste your money and don't plan, then you'll be right here on Youtube complaining about others 10 years from now.

[fahnke]

@tomperanteau: Apparently I know more about her story than you, so please don’t lecture me on “wasting money” and “not planning”. You have the temerity to suggest these things about my character which are untrue. That's not good.

I am merely challenging the assertion that she is that financially self-sufficient, as I know about her background and family. All of the blather about her being self-sufficient is terribly overblown. That's all.

So, tomperanteau, there you go.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke Apparently not or you would know that she does not have or rely upon wealthy parents.

I have been there and done that, so your comment about it being "blather" is just another excuse for you to whine about doing something responsible. Perhaps one day when you grow up and quit relying on your parents, or the government (i.e. the rest of us), or whatever you rely on to live, you will come to understand and research before you stick both feet in your mouth.

Stay sleepy and incoherent.

[fahnke]

@tomperanteau - You are a barrel of laughs, fatty. I had no idea I was conversing with such a world-wisened sage. Wow, you really have seen it all, haven't you? Telling me to grow up and to quit relying on others? What the? You obviously know nothing about me. I'm done wasting my time on people like you, so, shut up, go away and do not bother me again.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke Fatty? 6'1" and 175 lbs is hardly a fatty, but if all you have is name-calling and no intellect, I hope that makes you feel better. LOL!

I am a 54 year old degreed engineer (EE) that is now in my second career after a successful 20 year run. I own half a law office and we have been very successful.

That said, yes, I can tell when someone whines out of jealousy over others as opposed to going out and making it happen for themselves. Easier to sit on your ass and insult than work.

[fahnke]

@tomperanteau - Oh goodie! A YouTube feud. How fun! You are clearly a "tough guy" and want the last word, so instead of bickering about this ridiculous little subject in front of everyone (considered rude in the YouTube world), send me a private message and I'll respond to you that way. Thanks, chuckles. 

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke You still have nothing of substance to add regarding what you have posted.

Have you read the writings of this woman? Have you followed her blog or seen her speeches? You have nothing of substance, yet you will come in here and insult the person in the video and demean the person who posted this video. How rude, and actually slander of you have no factual information to back it up.

She is independent and pays her way. You want to jealously whine about it. Sad to be you.

[fahnke]

@tomperanteau: AGAIN, if you insist on continuing this less-than-thrilling conversation, take it OUT of the thread to this video. Private message me and I will be glad to continue our lovely little chat. It is apparent you need to be seen as having the last word, but let's take this out of the thread, okay? The readers aren't interested in seeing our little squabble, and it's not good YouTube etiquette. If you insist on having the last word, just hit me up in a private message if you must.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke Hey, if you want to private message me, you are welcome to. But.. You have no right to tell me where to message.

The readers may be interested in your lack of good judgment in insulting the poster of this video and the subject of this video. That is where you are really being ugly. Sad that you have decided that you wish to continue to insult people with your tripe, but so it goes with people like you.

If you wish to go private, you would have msged me privately, but I guess not.

[fahnke]

@tomperanteau: I love this! A real, live honest argument with a Tea Party moron! "You have no right to tell me where to message!" I looked up your messages on your Twitter account and found you on the web - you are a typical, right-wing, Obama-hating, Republican "I'm always right" asshole. So, now that I realize that is where you are coming from, my words to you are this: Goodbye moron. We are done here.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke I guess you have to drag your politics into this to justify your inability to keep up, so if that is your tactic for avoiding your deficiencies, then you must take it.

Sticking to the subject, you seem to have a difficult time admitting that this women could work and produce a viable living without her parents help. She has, and she has done so with good intent. You want to try to bring in right/left wing paradigms into this where it is not appropriate because you are inept. Bad try.

[tomperanteau]

@fahnke The left/right paradigm is a tired and old excuse for a response. This is sailing. This has nothing to do with politics, but more to do with being responsible enough to sail, if you are able.

You are unable to to sail. That is the point here. Obscure it as you may try, you cannot. You are unable to keep up with this young women without excuses for your existence.

If you, at some point, wish to learn how to be self sufficient, then you may ask and I will tell.

[ksharber]

having conversations on 16??

[SailingSimplicity]

@ksharber You should never have conversations on 16, that is a distress and hailing station only.

[ksharber]

@SailingSimplicity i know, but youre having a conversation with Elizabeth! or was i mistaken?

[SailingSimplicity]

@ksharber I was talking to Elizabeth, but we never used 16 even to hail each other. We monitor 4 channels. One of them is an open channel that we use to hail each other and have any necessary conversations. We respectfully stay off of 16 as much as possible. We were also sailing offshore. There was only one other boat within range of our VHF (when we had it on low power), so this particular conversation no one could hear anyway and it wasn't on 16. I think I say "On 68", or maybe 69...

[ksharber]

@SailingSimplicity i wasnt nit-picking. maybe i was mistaken. i love your story and your example of simple living:D im saving up for a flicka.

[SailingSimplicity]

@ksharber No problem. Good luck with your flicka. Its a beautiful boat. 

[MrGoonerforlife]

My boat is a 47 foot Hardin ketch so it a little easier

[MrGoonerforlife]

People , I lived on my boat in Mexico with a 25k per year for 2 live aboard. You dont have to be rich to have a boat. It can be expensive if you dont know nothing about boat.

[bored1980]

The sea is in my veins, and yet I've moved to a landlocked country. Woe is me, must stop watching these vids.

[cloudld]

Oh for a life at sea....

[romnsch13]

That sailboat is not a sea fairing vessel, or at least I wouldnt take it out on anything but a calm inland lake. Gotta have at least a 45 footer to live upon and face the sea. My favorite is HUNTER, bow thats a live aboard vessel!

[tomperanteau]

@romnsch13 You're thinking of taking a Hunter into blue water?

[romnsch13]

@tomperanteau Not any time soon. I dont know what type of craft i will get yet. To tell you the truth, my comment earlier makes no sense, I have no idea how to pull it off, and also i would have to sell my farm to afford it. I guess at age 47 i am aproaching mid-life fantasy land. I do miss the sea, i am a native of humboldt county and i lived within 100 ft. of the ocean there. I have only sailed at one place, folsom lake ca. and that was 25 yrs ago!

[tomperanteau]

@romnsch13 Let me tell you how we did it. We are my wife, 53 and myself 54.

Four years ago we bought our first boat, a 1972 Columbia 26 to learn on. Paid $1300 for it. We learned to sail. We sold her for $1200 and bought a 31 footer and loved it. Leaned more. Sold it for close to what we paid, and bought our 1969 Columbia 36.

When the market crashed and business we south, we sold all, paid off debt, and moved aboard. We still have the law office and sail as we can. This is our retirement.

[romnsch13]

@tomperanteau I figure I can take a live-aboard 2week sailing class. But My issue is money. If I sold the farm I would have about 100k and that is the sum total of my financial state. If you were in my shoes and wanted to live-aboard, what craft would you get? Can you throw some figures my way? How easy is it to sail to baja and live just offshore? If I wanted to sail into S.F. bay, could I anchor offshore and avoid mooring fees? What is a typical mooring fee for a 35 ft vessel?  Thanks, DC

[420lse]

Nice job! Everyday is a learning experence especally when you're on the high seas. Nice to see you having some fun along with the adventure.

[elbowout]

She is delightful!

[EphraimCassandra]

DO you have a sister?

I'm chasing a dream.... it's mathematical. Ive waited to long and your doing it now. COngrats sister in law!

Your boat is almost as beautiful as your dreams and of course your smile. Keep it up!

[TroyaE117]

130 watt is about 9 A at 14 V.

I wonder what the average output was over the trip?

[FullyLaidBack]

you need somekinda rack in that fridge

[heythere711]

Its really cool that you live on your boat, like a traveling home to nice places. I'd like to try it out some day. I've seen people in other videos who have wind and water generators along with the solar panels and those people have said they provide more than enough power to supply everything. I don't know what they cost but if its within your price range, it seems like a very good investment (even for the peace of mind alone). If you're moving or there's wind, you're getting power.

[milowerx2010]

You rock

[sgrin2300]

Probably someones suggested this but- Get a charge controller so you don't have to be worried about the batteries over charging. And they make some decent wind turbines that are small and can reach about 1.5kw which would be more than enough to power that fridge and all your other electronics even on cloudy days.

[lucklyclover58]

y dont you get a genrator?

[wolftone1969]

As a kid, I had trouble starting my lawnmower at one of my neighbors / customers house. The owner was a retired mechanic that started out as a kid working in a Ford garage in 1918. The bit of advice that he gave me was the first thing he was taught be. That advice is, "an engine is the most simple thing to figure out. It must have three things to run. Fuel, ignition source and air. Simply figure out which of the three the engine is not getting the right amount of and you will get it running".

[pbr2424]

What runs the lights at night. Thanks

[radbcc]

Nice...

[bigrock403]

First thing is does not take money to live like Terresa does. When one thinks about the coast of rent, bills, car payment, taxes or a mortgage living aboard costs next to nothing. The boat and extra,s she has might be $50,000. Her monthly living expenses before food and medical might be $500.00 per month. Unless she is in a marina then mabey a total of $1000.00. Try to live on a $1000 per month in our society. Impossible.

[yesiamanalien]

@bigrock403 I live on $700 a month in our society. Very difficult but possible (I'm still here aren't I?)

[TommyGuitarful]

@bigrock403 You're right bigrock, it does cost less to live aboard, but the point is you need a massive capital input to get a boat in the first place, and then you need an income. I live on about $1500 a month living on my boat which cost about $70 000. I can only do that because I'm in the very fortunate position to have the money to do it, and it will be a year or less before that runs out and I have to go back to work like everyone else. It's a wonderful ideology, but it costs big time!

[DumblyBrilliant]

Lol! I am self sufficient and independent and when I am on board I don't have to rely on anyone. Shit! The engine stopped and I don't know why. I wish I knew more about engines. Ooooo Kkkkkk.

[tikisailor]

Your videos are wonderful. I have no excuse for not living on a boat like you do, except one: I don't have the courage! Thanks for living the life we cowards can only dream about and thanks for sharing it. I want to live like you when I grow up (I'm 66)!

[artbrooks100]

Gee, how do people pay rent, utilities, cable, phone, car payment, mortgages. Living on a boat does not have to be ridiculously expensive. I know!

[B0Bboats]

Can I be your boyfriend?

[aurelrica]

i'm thinking about the new sollar pannels (the flexible ones) tu put over the house deck...

[DBuzzardlips]

You've got your boat for sale, Ben has his boat for for sale and looking for a larger Lyle Hess design to buy or build? Hmmmm ... 1+1.... lol.... Try the NorSea 37, Lyle's last design and none I know are finished yet, I believe they have layed up 4 hulls and deck, but I haven't heard of any completions... best to you 2, I hope to be in a BCC in about two years, see you out there... DBuzz

[chrisg8120]

Your camera MAN is great. Good you had HIM along.

[SailingSimplicity]

@chrisg8120 You must be talking about my cat. He was the HE aboard Daphne during this entire voyage....except at anchor!!

I sail solo.

Most of the footage was shot by mounting a camera in various places on the boat. I had a great time with it!

Sincerely,

Teresa

[DOCCAREY]

Nice Video:) I really love those Nor'sea 27's.. A very solid boat and glad your having a fun and a learning experience. :):)

[splixt]

this seems like such an amazing lifestyle. i've never even sailed before but i'd probably say yes if someone invited me to live aboard haha

[Owukid]

Yeah it's important to know that this is not financially realistic for most folks. This woman clearly has some means. The Monitor windvane system alone runs like 4300 dollars. Any of those Catboat style boats are in the 25k and up range so it would be nice if she would come clean about how she pays for this. She mentions she came from a "large house" growin up so I'm guessing dear old dad may be footing the bill while daughter sails around and finds herself.

[kirstendirksen]

@Owukid Wow. While it may be expensive and out of range for most people, it's a bit much to assume that her dad pays for it. She actually works. And this year she wasn't on the water as she was working full-time to pay for a journey she's taking this summer.

[Owukid]

@kirstendirksen Kirsten, , I dont mean to flame the woman. There is no question she has the sailing chops and is living the dream. I am just trying to keep it real. I think your documentary should be balanced with how she (personally) was able to get into this.. I know a lot of cruisers that do 2-3 months in port to work to build up some cash, and that maybe what she is doing to keep herself underway but you dont buy and rig that particular boat that way.. I would like the back story.

[kirstendirksen]

@Owukid Thanks for the response. You have a point in that living on a boat is not the cheapest way to live. But I don't think that is her point. I think she is talking more about trying to live without a lot of personal stuff and just focus on what she loves (sailing). For other people, that might mean living in a small house in the woods (I just shot a couple who is doing that) or living in an RV (I have another video with a guy who does that)... the list goes on. I just try to show options.

[Owukid]

@kirstendirksen You make a nice documentary, worthy of a Harvard grad. Us sailors are just pains in the ass :) And I want to reiterate, I am not questioning her skills as a sailor. I watched a lot of her snippets and I would be honored to crew with her any time. She has a wonderful understanding of using the solar panels to manage her DC load and the house bank of batteries, I think I'm just jealous, lol.

[kirstendirksen]

@Owukid Ha. Don't get me started on what is worthy of a Harvard grad. I think one of the biggest things I learned from going to Harvard is how little I know. And how there are many ways to learn and I'd actually prefer to educate myself outside the classroom. I suppose that's mostly through my videos these days and the people I interview. I'm sure you know much more than I do about anything nautical related.

[Owukid]

@kirstendirksen Those of us that like to educate ourselves after college (including your subject, Thersa) are the ones that will live long and happy lives. I will never be done learning. We get 80 years more or less on this ball and I want to learn to do as much of those things that interest me while still holding down a day job as I can. If your videos inspire even one person to live like that then you have done a great thing. Too many have 1 foot in the grave and that's just sad to me.

[DoomEgg]

@kirstendirksen OMG you shot a couple in the woods?! ; )

[tomperanteau]

@kirstendirksen Actually... Living aboard can be MUCH cheaper than living on the land. You can live as expensively or as inexpensively as you wish.

A friend that is now anchored at Hiva Oa in the south Pacific lives on less than $300 a month and works when and where he can. He does not have a lot of money, but he is rich. He trades services with the locals to maintain so that it really doesn't take him a full $300 in cash to live.

[kirstendirksen]

@tomperanteau Great point. Right now Teresa is taping a followup video for me about the whole issue of money and how she does work hard and live fairly simply to live this life.

[RoryFlick]

@Owukid

NEVER ASSUME BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS WRONG!!!

i own a CAL JENSEN i picked up on a lien sale for $1000.00 ( 1 thousand CAD). If your a real sailor you know your resources. Sailed her down the coast to San Diego and then up to Morro Bay where I have a private slip at Grays Inn (350.00/mo which is more than average). Purchased New sails at auction on ebay for 3 hundred. IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING, IT IS NOT OUT OF ANYONES PRICE RANGE.

[ozskipper]

@Owukid Considering the value of a house or apartment a boat worth 30k at best is quite cheap. Work sail work sail.. Its all very do-able. Good on this young woman for cutting the ties and just living the dream. Why do assholes always have to pop up to bring someone like this down?

[ZW4929]

@Owukid From her blog, "I financed the entire thing! My thought, at the time, was that it would be better to be paying “rent” to a boat loan than on an apartment. Thats why I haven’t sailed to foreign soil. I need to keep working and finding work in the US is hard enough. I do wish I had had enough money to purchase the boat entirely."

[tegmccall]

@Owukid

check craigslist lately? If something is wrong with the engine, or it just needs more work than the owner wants to deal with you can find nice boats very cheaply. Don't judge people. I got my last fishing boat free because someone was going to chop it up and throw it away a little at a time because they got frustrated with it taking a little water.. I used to party/stay, on a boat like that, but it sank because the owner put a hole in the hull during an arguement. Drank too much to care

[tomperanteau]

@Owukid <--- Never been on a boat/sailboat. Has no idea what the costs are. Makes random comments on things he knows nothing of.

What this woman has done is completely affordable. There are sailboats out there that are very inexpensive to get into, and some that are being given away by marinas that would take a bit of work to get into shape, but could be great boats.

If you take just a bit of time to research, you can see what can be done and not sound foolish in your responses.

[TailsBit]

@Owukid uhhh lol i myself have this sort of lifestyle planned and i only recently turned 18 ive saved up nearly $30,000 on my own i make money from just a basic job at the supermarket as long as a person can save their money than this is way more affordable and nicer than a home in my opinion. when i turn 19 i plan to be out of my parents house living my life out on the sea while getting income from youtube. this can actually be relatively affordable if you arent buying tvs cars etc.

[tomperanteau]

@TailsBit You're spoiling other peoples' excuses for being lazy. Quit that!

[TailsBit]

@tomperanteau im encouraging people to get out and do things for themselves.

[tomperanteau]

@TailsBit I know. My remarks were tongue-in-cheek.

There are so many sailboats out on the market today, that a decent boat can be bought very reasonably. We have seen free boats several times at some of the marinas close to us. People can't afford the slip fees, so they quit paying and the marina takes possession and sells their boat, or gives it away to keep from having to pay to have it destroyed.

People can't seem to think outside the box to see how easy living aboard/cruising really is.

[TailsBit]

@tomperanteau yeah people have looked at me and say are you crazy you cant afford to do that, thats a luxury only adults have access too, i have set out to prove them wrong, im only 18 and people who want to sail the ocean sometimes say we cant afford that oh no, well if they save their money they can do it, especially if an 18 year already is nearly there and plans for it to be his life.

[pavelavietor1]

hello nice Good speed

[neilytron]

Do you carry a gun for protection against anyone you may encounter out in the open sea?

[BatoNY65]

Get another solar panel.

[harleyoyi1]

What is the size of your boat? 27

[Timb0NZ]

what about pirates?

[djgrooveline]

hubba, hubba....

[Raxarax]

Ok, So here's how you save power with the computer. Head over to one of the 'mp3 car' sites and pick up a dc-dc power supply. This will allow you to run your laptop and waste much less energy in converting the battery dc to ac so you can plug in your ac laptop transformer (which converts power back to dc! lol). (google 'mp3 car' go to 'store' go to 'power' and you want a dc to dc inverter, amazon should have them, look around).

[tubewatcher314]

this is way too much work for me. Good for you girl! You rock! I am looking into getting a houseboat in the nest 8-10 yrs after my kids graduate.

[hckie]

Truly inspiring.

[svprovidence]

Really well done! You capture the essence of -at least what I experienced - in living aboard: freedom! My 2x 65 Watt Kyocera panels are the electrical source aboard. The engine is the 'auxillary'.LED lights 100 gallons of water, months of provisions, Indian spices and plenty of fuel for the stove (Origo = low tech) and oil lamps for 'mood' or necessity - should the normal electrical become 'tired'. Anything or anyone who tries to tie you to shore: cut away then sail away FAST!

[travelingoutskirts]

Awesome!  Live it up! I wish I had sails on my RV! ;D

[latinamajor]

maybe I missed it; did she mention what was wrong with her engine? Seemed like she needed a tune up or possibly had a fuel intake problem?

Glad to see she was able to get it running again. Sail on, young lady!

fair winds

[SailingSimplicity]

@latinamajor I had a bent connecting rod! Its a major repair. I had to remove the top half of the engine to get to it. Thankfully, I had a mechanic who was willing to coach me through it. I called him often for advice. Calder's "Boatowner"s Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance" book is also a great reference. I learned a lot during that repair.

[SailingSimplicity]

@latinamajor I didn't mention it in the film, but I had a bent connecting rod! Its a big big project to fix, and it probably took me twice as long as a mechanic to do it. But after a few days my engine purred like my kitty and I learned a lot. 

[masm60]

@SailingSimplicity I'm an old engine mechanic and if you did that on your own with no experience you are awesome!

[lala412]

She is amazing! I would love to do this. Haven't been able to figure out the "break away from the work/possessions/need health insurance" cycle quite yet. And, of course, I need to learn to sail. :-)

[sonnyg3111]

Ive been following her blog for a while its cool to see a video with her.

[imanon2003]

Teresa Carey - u r awesome. And a bad ass .... single hnading a sailboat in the open blue water is no joke, mentally and physically. Much respect and smooth sailing to you!

[jameslalone2001]

Admire her courage, I am about to retire from the navy and have often thought about living on a sailboat, but have no real expierience on or know where to start. Any suggestions on size make model year of boat or how to begin to attempt something like this in general?

[imasabo]

Get yourself a towable generator.....I used one on my solo Atlantic crossing and had power for just about everything.

Fair wind to you!!!

[WornBlack]

should also have a small wind turbine...for those days without sun

[kirstendirksen]

@WornBlack I believe I saw a wind turbine on the back of her traveling companion's boat. You can see a very wide shot of it in the related video I edited with Teresa ("Liveaboard life: minimalism in a tiny home at sea").

[greyndog1]

ha "self suffecient fr "the most part"

[c33r0k33]

I have a couple of friends who skype and teach music over a distance. I wonder if there is potential for Teresa to do anything similar?

I like the fact she sails in tandem with another sailor even tho she is under her own power.

[c33r0k33]

I have a couple of friends who skype and teach music over a distance. I wonder if there is potential for Teresa to do anything similar?

[LauraBeachnut]

ummm. Im all for living green, but no no... wont be living on a boat.

[Pistolen08]

excellent video! keep living the dream~

[vrhs401]

I love all this information. I just purchased my first sailboat last summer and spend as much time on it as possible. Not yet there to become a live-a-board, but I dream about it. The engine problems seem to be the biggest hurdle with sailboats, which I don't fully understand. They cost about three times the price of a new automobile engine, so you would think they would be less of a maintenance issue.

[QuickQuix]

I'm loving this person, her life and her challenges. GREAT STUFF! Thx.

[SpockOfRock]

Great video. How many people would like to be doing this? Thanks for taking us along with you...

[nagaempress]

If you are going to be alone on a boat IMHO you REALLY need to know more about engines... Get a book! Take a class!

[twblaw]

very well done. ignore the negative comments, and just go and live. Wise for such a young woman are. You will look back on this time later in life as a time when you made a decision few have or can and for at least a while had a simple life

go for it.

[tomperanteau]

@twblaw The negative comments here are from people that have never owned a boat or done any sailing. The "Monday morning quarterbacks" of Youtube.  Always amazing how people think they can judge a subject after eight minutes of video.

[SailingSimplicity]

@twblaw Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not to worried about the negative comments. Most of them are based on very limited information anyway so they can't know too much of the truth. Onward I sail!

[utubeworms]

You should at least have a good short wave radio with you. At least you can listen to something other than your VHF marine radio and you could get news and entertainment from around the world.

[SpockOfRock]

@utubeworms

Yeah... because you know, until they invented the shortwave radio sailing didn't exist.

[utubeworms]

boat = break out another thousand. Boats are anything but self sufficient. They are in a constant state of degradation so they are always in need of some new part to fix it. So you might say that they are continuous consumption machines. And you can only imagine how many old parts are simply thrown overboard to get rid of them.

[SpockOfRock]

@utubeworms

I don't get it, what do you mean by "self-sufficient"? Nothing is "self-sufficient"... not the house you live in, the car you drive, the computer you are using right now, NOTHING. Everthing requires maintainance of some kind, why single boats out? Although I think your statement is more aimed at motorboats than sailboats.

[utubeworms]

@SpockOfRock I would say a cabin in the woods is about as close as you could come. Modern boats and their maintenance items are made of highly caustic materials. Older wood sailboats not so much.

[SpockOfRock]

@utubeworms

How is fiberglass "highly caustic"? And even your cabin in the woods will require maintainance. Your cabin also won't take you anywhere, which is the whole point of the video; ADVENTURE.

P.S.) What sort of a username is that? Quit trolling...

[utubeworms]

@SpockOfRock Have you ever seen a fiberglass boat being built???? There are major caustic chemicals involved in the construction. Then the fiberglass boat will one day end up either at the bottom of a body of water, most likely on purpose, or in a land fill. I didn't say that boats were not good for "adventure," The point here is that giving up your current lifestyle to live on a boat does not mean that you are somehow living a stress free minimalist lifestyle which the video suggests.

[tomperanteau]

@utubeworms = never owned a boat.

[tomperanteau]

That was excellent. Thanks for allowing us into your world for a bit. The wife and I have been on some short adventures and are planning some longer ones, so we really enjoy watching how others have done it.

[999UltimateMusic]

how does she make an income to pay for food, diesel, etc.?

[tomperanteau]

@999UltimateMusic Good question. We're planning on something similar, so her response will be interesting.

[kirstendirksen]

@999UltimateMusic For the past few years she's been working transient jobs that lasted just a few months each. She found that was the toughest part of living aboard. So this year she's back to teaching for the year before heading north for a trip to visit an iceberg this summer.

[hulksjedi]

@kirstendirksen that's... just 30% of the answer. Give this people a more compressive view on her way of living. Just showing a woman that lives in a boat isn't enough. Did she sold her house? did she had a house? how she got the boat? how much? how she support herself? that computer alone costs like 1k, most people with sporadic jobs at Wendy's can't afford one and pay rent. Something else is slipping here. Don't get me wrong, nothing against her. Just need the other 70% of the story.

[kirstendirksen]

@hulksjedi I'm not trying to say that her entire life is simple, or the simplest it could possibly be, but just that living on a 27-foot boat is simpler than many of us. And simpler than how she lived previous to the boat. She told me that before moving to the boat she downsized her stuff to only that which would fit in a car. And then just to the compartments in her boat. There are definitely people with less, but for Teresa it was a downsize. And I like to make videos about people who downsize

[hulksjedi]

@kirstendirksen I love your work baby, keep doing it. Inspiring at 100%. Big hug!

[malanga13]

@hulksjedi that's so true, i'm also very interested on the actual details although she does a better job than 99.9% of all the other videos liveaboard on youtube. i have a berth neighborh who just took off one day in a big 59' sailboat and been gone for 10 years and i've always cracked my head trying to figure out "how does he make a living?". So putting the details really gives all viewers a very personal account, it makes you feel like you are the one living the adventure.

[hulksjedi]

@malanga13 her work is magnificent, yes. One of the bests, if not the best set of (mini) documental about lifestyles. But yes, we need more details. I often hear about people going wild like this to just find out they had rich parents in most cases, or came from a wealthy family. A boat is not something you can just buy form the tip jar when you pay rent, bills, etc. You have to really make an investment there, plus, all the boat expenses. That's why the other 70% is needed. Yep. I agree with u.

[jono2233]

@hulksjedi

If you want the entire story of a liveaboard, search for a liveaboard's blog, or find a book or find a video documentary. These guys did a great job in under 9 mins.

[hulksjedi]

@999UltimateMusic rich parents. Gave her money or got her a job somewhere with a recommendation, she cashed out, that's it. Easy answer. Don't let it destroy your goals either.

[TheDenisedrake]

Wow! Kirsten, your videos encourage me to get rid of our excess stuff and live a simpler life. Teresa Carey's lifestyle is certainly interesting. It's not what my family and I would like to do, but it is fascinating to see how people live such simple and free lives. Thank you!

[0urGaia]

very entertaining.