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We Bought A Tiny Sailboat To Live On This Winter… Why Did We Do This?
November 29, 2025 · 17 min · 11K views · Victoria
What this video covers
Dean and Tess, a couple transitioning from a summer of van life in the Yukon, buy their first sailboat to live aboard through winter in the Pacific Northwest with no prior sailing experience.▶ 0:32 A marina wait-list spot they had secured without owning a boat forced the decision — those lists run years long, and they treated the opening as a one-time opportunity.▶ 1:00 They crossed British Columbia to view a boat on Salt Spring Island, BC, conducted a sea trial that reached 6 knots, and made an offer the same day.▶ 5:02 Post-offer, insurance proved the sharpest obstacle: no insurer would cover first-time owners, and the process nearly killed the purchase before they found coverage.▶ 9:15 The previous owner sailed the boat from Salt Spring Island to their marina slip on the BC coast while Tess drove the van.▶ 10:51 Move-in night brought a quarter berth with low headroom, no sleep, and a resident sea lion colony.▶ 14:42 Their stated next step is practicing docking and completing a survey.▶ 17:04 Securing a marina slip before owning a boat, and the difficulty of insuring first-time liveaboards, are the two concrete logistical lessons the purchase produced.
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