I bought a boat a few years ago even though I had no experience with it.
Stephen J. Payne
In 2020, I decided to buy a boat and live on it even though I had no sailing experience.
I taught myself a lot and was able to explore France, Italy and parts of the Mediterranean.
I mostly spent my savings, even though living on a boat was pretty affordable for me.
In 2020, I was lying in bed in Torquay, England, trying to figure out what to do with my life. My mother had just died and I had decided that life in the post-Brexit UK wasn’t for me. Before I came back to the UK to look after her, I had lived in California for 27 years and worked as a photographer and filmmaker. But given the evolving political situation across the pond, I was hesitant to go back there too.
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Not feeling attached to any particular country, I turned to the sea and decided to buy a motorboat, even though I had no experience with it. For my first trip I wanted to drive through France to the Mediterranean – that seemed to be a scenic option. I consulted with some experts who told me I needed a boat low enough to go under the bridges of France but strong enough to sail the Mediterranean. Finally, I dipped into my savings and purchased a 1987 Birchwood TS37.
I have spent the past four years sailing my boat through France and Italy
Sailing on the open sea is in some ways easier than navigating canals.
Stephen J. Payne
Three weeks after purchasing my magnificent boat, the coronavirus pandemic broke out and my travel plans were put on hold. During this time I got to know my boat better and practiced maneuvering by going up and down the Thames. In June 2021 I was ready for the open sea and to cross the English Channel to France. I filled up the tank, left Ramsgate and drove to Calais.
It was challenging, but traveling through open water was easier than navigating narrow canals and rivers. On open water, I was able to set the autopilot to keep the boat heading in the right direction, which is not possible on the French waterways where I would likely crash into other boats or docks.
Some canals and waterways were quite narrow.
Stephen J. Payne
After a few weeks I arrived in Paris at a lovely marina right on the Bastille, where I only had to pay around 40 euros a night to dock next to some great neighbors. I actually only wanted to stay here for a week, but it was so nice that I ended up staying for six weeks.
I spent a lot of time on my boat.
Stephen J. Payne
Then I slowly worked my way to the Côte d’Azur. Sailing around France was reasonably affordable, and the people I met were so friendly that I stayed in the country for a year. For just 126 euros a month, which I paid to the shipping authority VNF, I had access to the beautiful French waterways.
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I spent almost 90 percent of my time avoiding marinas because there were numerous apps that helped me find open spots to drop anchor. In some villages across France there were nice places where I could moor my boat for free – some even had electricity and water hookups. If the weather looked bad, I would head to a nearby marina as most of them only cost around 25 euros per night.
I made a stopover in Saint-Omer, France.
Stephen J. Payne
Eventually I worked my way along Italy’s Amalfi Coast, stopping in Livorno, Fiumicino, Capri and Tropea. Then I went on to Malta, where I have been for 18 months now.
I don’t know what’s next, but I’m still enjoying life on a boat
I have sailed my boat through many waterways.
Stephen J. Payne
Throughout my trip, I made money from small assignments as a photographer, but mostly I spent my savings. Luckily, I found a lot of affordable marinas and living on the boat didn’t cost me as much as I thought. Occasionally I watch an old video that I have for YouTube and wonder how I went from working as a photographer in Los Angeles to living on a boat bobbing in the Mediterranean.
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But then I remember that I have to spend over a thousand euros to replace one of my boat’s bilge pumps and it all seems very real. I’m still not sure why I decided to buy a boat and sail around the world – and I don’t know what’s next for me either. But at the moment I’m in the Mediterranean and have as little stress as possible.
This is a machine translation of an article from our US colleagues at Business Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by a real editor.
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