Ways To Make Money While Living Aboard Aboat. Live aboard Careers

As a former live aboard cruiser for three years on our boat Rising Star, I came across many people who were able to live the cruising dream even though they were not wealthy. Many worked for a few years, then took off and went sailing for a while, to then return to their jobs and repeat the cycle again while the boat was hauled out in a boat yard somewhere.

There are a few money - making things that you can do to make the "cruising kitty" go farther, especially if you don't mind working a bit. Here are some money making, live aboard sailor's part time jobs that I have come across.

If you have skills as a barber or hair stylist, there is always a chance to make a few dollars in an anchorage when the word gets out that you cut hair. All you need is a few basic hair cutting tools, clippers, scissors and combs and brushes.

I have gotten many decent haircuts aboard  fellow cruisers boats, when I found out that they cut hair. You don't need a license if you just accept barter for your services. Just make sure you really know what you are doing before cutting someone's hair! (I've had some pretty bad cruiser - done haircuts as well.)

Yoga instruction, Pilates, and massage therapy services are also exampled of good ways to make some extra income, and  new friends as well.

Another skill that is always in demand in cruising destinations is that of a boat mechanic. If you have engine repair skills, fiberglass repair skills, boat electronics knowledge, etc., there is always money to be made in a faraway port where other cruiser's boats have developed problems. You will just need to keep on hand all of the tools of the trade, as well as a supply of spare parts.

Sail repair is a popular way for people to earn a living on a sailboat, you just need an industrial sewing machine and enough power aboard your boat  to run it.

Painting and varnishing services are also something that is in demand in any port. This is one way that I have personally used to earn some extra money while I was sailing in Latin America. Picky boaters will always trust a fellow sailor, especially if they see that his or her own boat is well varnished.

Cleaning boat bottoms may not be everyone's idea of fun,  but I personally enjoy putting on snorkeling or scuba gear and being underwater, and it is good upper body exercise. I used to charge a dollar per foot for cleaning a boat bottom, plus my air fill, but I suspect that the going rate has risen a bit.

There are all kinds of ways that cruisers can make extra money living on a boat, including writing articles on Hub Pages. To earn from writing articles, all  you will need is a laptop and an internet connection. I still keep in touch with lots of our old sailing friends and one of them who is living aboard his 32' catamaran in Cruz Bay, U.S.V.I., is making over $500 per month writing for a number of "revenue sharing sites" including Hubpages.. His articles, mostly about the Caribbean and sailing, are featured on different sites that share Google Adsense revenue. He uses a high speed internet connection that he is picking up from a house on land. In many anchorages you can find an open wireless network from shore to connect to. See my article on Hubpages about how to get free high speed internet on a sailboat here: How To Get Free Internet On A Sailboat

Hubpages, where you are reading this article right now,  is  a revenue sharing site where you can earn income and it is easy to join. On Hubpages you can also earn money from the sales of Amazon.com merchandise, as well as from e-Bay. For information on joining revenue sharing sites see the links below. (I really wish these sites had been around when we were living on our boat). Here is a page listing different ways to legitimately make money online: Online income methods

One great way to earn some residual income while sailing is to upload stories and photos to your own blog, which you can monetize with Google Adsense. You can do this on Google Blogger or by joining a site that shares Adsense revenue such as Hubpages.

I have met cruising sailors who proofread kid's books, wrote romance novels, and even a licensed dentist who had a full dentist's chair and office aboard his 52' yacht. (As a patient you have to hope a speedboat's wake doesn't rock the boat when he is drilling your molar!) Your imagination is the only thing limiting you from earning money while you live aboard a sailboat.

If you are serious about staying on the water and extending the time you spend cruising, then it just may be possible to do so by performing part time work along the way, including jobs on shore.

I once spent three months in the U.S. Virgin Islands, helping build a municipal sewer plant. While I only made $8.00 per hour, my boat was anchored only 100 yards from the job site. As well as being an easy commute, having my boat next to my job was a visual reminder that my work was optional, and was making it possible to move on to new places when I saved enough money.

For those considering living the cruising life aboard a sailboat, I also wrote the following article on how to choose the right boat for live aboard sailing: How To Choose The Right Live Aboard Sailboat

Good Luck and happy sailing.

Here are a couple of stories that I wrote about my adventures living aboard. Buying a Battery In Panama.