Liveaboard Essentials: What Actually Matters (UK Boat Setup)

We didn’t go into this blindly…

We didn’t move onto a boat thinking we could wing it.

If anything, I would have brought the entire house with me if I could 😅

The goal was always to create a tiny home on the water — not to rough it.

But even with all that planning, a few things only really became obvious once we were actually living aboard.

What actually matters living on a boat?

For us, it comes down to a few key systems:

• Heating

• Power

• Moisture control

• Internet

• Space (this one surprised us)

Everything else we had pretty well thought through before moving onboard.

Heating (this should be a priority from day one)

If you’re living aboard in the UK, heating is not optional. We sorted ours early, and I’m so glad we did.

It doesn’t just make the boat warm — it completely changes how the space feels and how usable it is in winter. It also plays a big role in managing moisture onboard.

We learned this the hard way during our first winter — condensation was a much bigger issue than we expected. How to Stop Condensation on a Boat (UK Winter Guide)

⚡ Power (and why we wish we did solar sooner)

We spent a lot of time thinking through our power setup — batteries, charging, all of that. But if there’s one thing we wish we’d done earlier: solar

If we’d had a proper solar setup from the start, we would have saved thousands on marina electricity. Shore power adds up quickly, especially when you’re running things like dehumidifiers full-time. If you’re planning your setup, this is how we actually run everything onboard: How to Power Remote Work on a Sailboat

All of this feeds into your overall running costs as well — especially if you’re relying on marina electricity read: Cost of Living on a Sailboat in the UK

💧 Moisture control (this is ongoing, not optional)

Condensation is just part of boat life in the UK. We run two dehumidifiers pretty much constantly, and it makes a huge difference — but it also adds to your electricity usage, which is why solar becomes even more important.

🌐 Internet (this was my biggest worry)

This one genuinely stressed me out before we moved onboard. I work remotely, and the idea of unreliable internet — or letting clients down — was a big concern.

Starlink has completely changed that for us. It’s perfect, it’s been reliable enough that I can work from the boat without constantly worrying — even away from marinas.

Space (this one surprised us)

One thing I didn’t fully appreciate before moving onboard was just how much the size and layout of the boat matters.

We looked at smaller boats that needed a lot of work, and honestly… I think we would have been miserable. Our boat feels like a smaller version of our cottage — and that’s made all the difference.

The beds are deceptively huge (wall-to-wall), which meant we ended up buying loads of super king bedding — something I didn’t even know existed before this 😅

But now? We’re ridiculously cosy.

🐈‍⬛ Living aboard with Luna

She’s still adjusting, especially in busy marinas, but she’s finding her rhythm.

If you're thinking about bringing a cat aboard too: Can Cats Live on a Sailboat?

🤔 Final thoughts

You can plan as much as you like (and we did), but living aboard still teaches you things you don’t expect.

For us, the difference between:

👉 “this is hard work” and

👉 “this is actually a lovely way to live”

has come down to getting a few key things right.

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