What It’s Like Living on a Sailboat in the San Francisco Bay

When I tell people I live on a sailboat, they often picture a romantic scene: a boat gently rocking in waves tinged orange with the setting sun, white wine and a plate full of Gruyère cheese, seeded crackers and glistening red grapes. But in reality, living on a sailboat is hard — sort of like camping, and sort of like traveling by covered wagon.

I have been living on a boat in the Bay Area since March of 2016, when I was first laid off from my job as a news reporter at KGO Radio. When that happened, paying $1,450…