I Live in a 175 Square Foot Tiny Home – Sailboat Living

Are you interested in living on a sailboat? Back in August, I published Living In A 200 Square Foot Tiny House – Could You Do It? At the end, I asked if anyone was interested in taking part in an interview about their tiny home. Well, guest what? Someone said yes and today she is going…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: February 5, 2025

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Are you interested in living on a sailboat? Back in August, I published Living In A 200 Square Foot Tiny House – Could You Do It? At the end, I asked if anyone was interested in taking part in an interview about their tiny home. Well, guest what? Someone said yes and today she is going to share how she is living on a sailboat! 

I was able to interview the amazing Melody at Saving To Sail. She lives on a 175 square foot “tiny home” sailboat with her significant other and their 50 pound dog. It’s definitely a great read about living on a sailboat. Enjoy!

Hi, my name is Melody and I live on a sailboat.

Wow, that sounds like an introduction at a group therapy session! I’m sure some people secretly think to themselves that I need therapy once they learn that I, along with my significant other Chris and our 50lb Dutch Shepherd, have less than 175 square feet in our boat cabin!

Why did you move onto a sailboat and decide to start living on a sailboat?

We came to the decision to sell our 950 square foot house in Nashville (and most of the things that filled it) around 2011. Chris was a singer/songwriter and he hit a rough spot creatively.

I was complacent with my job and our daily routine, so we decided to shake things up and move onto a sailboat. We were both avid sailors, and it was one of the few ways that we thought we could see so many places, so we decided to take the leap and do it sooner than later.

We listed the house and as soon as it sold, we bought a 35 foot sailboat and promptly sailed it from Panama City, FL to the Keys, then up the East Coast and the Chesapeake Bay.

Since then, we’ve cruised up and down the East Coast 4 times, staying in bigger cities like Charleston, Fort Lauderdale and St. Augustine, as well as tiny, quaint towns you’ve likely never heard of such as Rock Hall, Solomons Island and Oriental, each with it’s own charm, and each one now home to us in some way, if only for a short time.


I Live in a 175 Square Foot Tiny Home - A Sailboat Picture. Living on a sailboat can be a fun way to live. It is a true tiny home when living on a small sailboat, and you can travel the world at the same time! Are you interested in living on a small sailboat?How was it to downsize to start living on a small sailboat, and join the tiny house movement?

The downsizing in the beginning was pretty difficult, I must admit.

While I was not materialistic, we did each have a lifetime each of stuff we had acquired, and thus, had to get rid of. I also had a closet full of shoes.

Girls, you can understand how hard getting rid of them all was for me.

The funny thing about us humans is how easily we attach emotions to inanimate objects. Of course some things are understandable, such as a quilt hand-stitched by my Grama, but there were some things I was so hesitant to get rid of, although they had zero sentimental value to them. I felt like I was giving away huge chunks of my life as I filled box after box with my things.

As the process went on, however, I found that I was actually enjoying getting rid of my belongings.

As I designated each item as trash, donate or keep, it was fun to reflect and laugh at some of the old photos and memories. The process became cathartic and when it was all said and done, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I felt so free!

I Live in a 175 Square Foot Tiny Home - A Sailboat Kitchen Picture. Living on a sailboat can be a fun way to live. It is a true tiny home when living on a small sailboat, and you can travel the world at the same time! Are you interested in living on a small sailboat?What do you do for food when living on a sailboat?

One funny thing about living on a sailboat is that people ask you some really ridiculous questions. Oddly enough, the most common question we get is, “What do you do for food?”

Ummm… well, there’s this place called a grocery store…?

Seriously though, we do go to the grocery store like normal people, and we cook on board most nights although we do like to find a few local restaurants when we get to a new town.

We’ll sit at the bar and eat and have a beer or a glass or two of wine. We’ve found that this is one of the best ways to spark up a conversation with a local who gives you all the scoop on the town, and we’ve made lots of new friends this way. I’d like to say we fish a lot, but we are terrible fishermen, but I finally caught my first fish last weekend! It was awesome.

What about privacy since you’re in such a small space?

There is a certain lack of privacy that comes with the territory, and I would say that many couples I know wouldn’t be able to get along in such confinement.

You can’t get your feelings hurt when you’re in this situation and your partner admits they need space.

It’s not personal – we all need “me time”, and luckily, we both understand that. When those times come, one of us will take the dog for a walk, or someone will go up on deck to read so the other can have some alone time.

It’s also crucial to have excellent communication when you both live in such a small space.

Even though our actual living space is tinier than even most tiny houses, it’s all relative, I suppose. Since we have less stuff, our space doesn’t feel cramped in the least. I think if we were pack rats, I would be absolutely miserable but as it is, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. If we need more room, we go up on deck, where we are treated to million dollar views and sunsets that take your breath away. It’s a good life.

What about money when living on a sailboat?

The hardest part for me is work when living on a sailboat, and worrying about money. I’m in my 30’s and Chris in his 40’s so we’re on the younger side of retirement.

I’m lucky, because the promotional marketing company I work for lets me work remotely from the boat. I have a Verizon Jetpack mobile wifi device that keeps me connected, and since most of my work is done via email and phone, it’s not too difficult – logistically, of course.

However, I will admit that it’s tough to be in some of these wonderful places and still be tied to a computer each day for 8 solid hours. My need to be constantly connected has also kept us from sailing to further places such as the Bahamas or Nova Scotia, so while having a steady income is awesome, it’s not without its downfall.

This is the reason I actually became such a huge fan of Michelle’s blog and the whole side hustle thing! I’ve learned so much from Making Sense of Cents, and I now have a few side hustles – writing, making jewelry and website building, and Chris wrote a book about our transition, so he gets royalties from that and from his music.

One of these days, I hope to do what Michelle has done and break free from the standard 9-5 as I know it and work strictly for myself, on my own schedule, so I can better enjoy this wonderful little life we have created for ourselves.

Melody is the author of the blog Saving To Sail, and makes nautical jewelry which she sells in her online shop, Maggie & Milly. Chris DiCroce is a singer/songwriter and is working on his 4th album. He is also the author of the book You Gotta Go To Know, available on Amazon.

Could you live in a tiny home? What about living on a sailboat? What would be your DREAM living situation? 

If you have any questions for this couple about living on a sailboat or something related to that, leave them in the comments below. They will be replying to comments 🙂


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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Diane

    Love seeing stuff like this, how people make an unconventional space work. And funny part is that their oven is still bigger than mine (French ovens must be small)! Cool post!

  2. Aaron

    Melody, I moved to Florida about a year and a half ago for work and my landlord has a great marina in Niceville, FL in the panhandle area near Destin. He met me at his marina when I first arrived to show me the apartment he had, etc. I immediately fell in love with sailing years ago and here I was standing on a dock with about 50-60 sailboats, needless to say I was drooling being from central Missouri. I asked him if anyone ever takes a land boy like me out and he said no but he has several boats for sale. I laugh and say, “I don’t need a to buy a boat, I’ve only been here 20 minutes!” A month later and I am the proud owner of a 1981 25′ O’Day that is awesome.
    Unfortunately now I’m in North Carolina for work and away from my boat and find myself longing to quite my job and “cruise” Florida and the Gulf ICW. I work construction, am a carpenter and was wondering if you think there is a living to be made at different cities/towns all over?
    What you and your husband have done is exactly what I want to do. I don’t have a house, just a garage full of stuff that goes inside a house at my parents (which I’m sure they would love for me to get rid of) collecting dust since I’ve been on the road for work the past 4 years.
    I think my biggest fear is starving lol.

  3. Liz

    What do they do about mail? o.o

    1. Liz

      Never mind—I see others asked. 😉

  4. Deirdre Schumacher

    This is such an encouraging article! Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
    My husband and I are in the process of making the decision to live aboard a 40′ Morgan Sailboat. We have the opportunity to buy this through owner financing. We have a lot of “stuff” as well! Any tips and advice is greatly appreciated!

  5. Gregory Jay Chaney

    Hi ya’all. I’m Greg Chaney, Oriental, North Carolina, Pecan Grove Marina. My fiance and I live aboard part time and part time in our condo on treasure drive. We have both retired and moved to Oriental to finish out our time. We know of Provision Company in Southport and several other of the restaurants you mentioned. Do you pull into the harbor in Oriental or hook in the anchorage. We live on land under the bridge in the yellow condos on the penninsula and probably have seen you If you anchor up. Nothing in it for me but on the harbor is Toucans seafood restaurant and a great motel or hotel I forget the difference.!! Also M&M and Brantley village restaurant. Also fresh seafood you cook Fulchers Seafood Company. Also check out Pay at Provision Company in Oriental. Deaton Yacht Service recently voted best repair facility in the entire east coast. I can vouch for them personally and they’re yanmar dealer, warranty service, and sailboat service. Honest folks!! I admire you and your significant other and but for heart problems we would be there with you. If you post this thank you. Though I am new to Oriental, I’ve lived all over and this is a wonderful community made up of hard-working, honest people. I do appreciate your comments on receiving mail. Also check out Vaca Botel in marathon Florida. Shout out to Tracey. We were friends when I was in college in Marietta Ohio. I love your blog and will follow you both. Does your significant other have an album we can purchase or whatever we can do to help you people. I’m an electrical engineer and Carolyn a nurse so if I can get heart issues solved…we’re on a voyage with Pecan Grove our home port. Thanks: Greg and Carolyn…p.s.. We’ll buy you dinner if and when you get back to Oriental. Contact us here. Fair winds to you both. !!

  6. Martin

    Great to hear about your big adventure. Whilst working really hard (just to survive) in the UK 7 years ago I lost my sister to breast cancer at 53 which was a big wake up call to me.
    Since then I sold up and moved to Bulgaria permanently, and realised my life long ambition to become an artist. Whilst teaching watercolour painting last Summer we bought an 8 mtr yacht in Greece, and we don’t even sail !!! Talk about an impulse buy…. I am not a sailor, not mechanically minded but just loved being on the back of the boat moored up in the harbour. Boaty people are so nice and helpful, and I can’t wait for our adventure on the water to start. Oh and I am scared of the sea lol….

  7. Skip

    My wife and I just purchased a Cal 24 T4.It is in good condition and we plan on sailing it a lot here in the Norfolk Va area. My wife wants us to sail it to Florida down the Intra Coastal this fall. Her idea is to stay in Vero Beach this winter and move up to a larger boat.
    I have wanted to do this all my life. So happy she wants to share the dream and found this boat we just bought.
    We are new to sailing except for my Sunfish days and Hobie Cat days of years ago.
    Any advice is appreciated!

  8. Darren

    Hi there I’ve read so many blogs on cruising and know I’d love it recently done a week competent crew course across the English Channel and loved every minute so am now looking forward to my day skipper course and would love to one day be doing the cruising life only my wife has no interest at all so a lot of persuasion is required and hopefully thing will work out 🤙🏽

  9. BritniB

    Hi there! It is wonderful hearing about how you guys live on a 35 ft boat. That is my & my husband’s goal in a few years (or sooner if we can). We are in the processes of downsizing all our stuff and buying a 35-40 ft sloop sailboat to live in the Keys, FL. Do you live in a slip, on a ball, or are you anchored out in the water a good bit? Do you know if it’s hard living just anchoring out (not on a ball)?

  10. Rey

    Hello!

    Hope all is well still! Finding land in America to place a tiny home on is really hard. So many NOs or rules and regulations!! What about living on a boat?? Is it easy to just park it anywhere? I was thinking more inland like a large lake or big river. Any info for us regarding this? Thanks!