Living on a Boat: Courses, Guides, and Resources for Cruisers
Wireless "Marriage Saver" Headsets
Dock, lock, anchor, or work up the mast with calm, clear communication. These marine headsets make every maneuver easier—no more yelling, missed cues, or guessing at hand signals.
You’ll be able to talk through each step, make decisions together, and handle your boat with confidence. There's a reason they're referred to as "Marriage Savers!"
Breeze Bandit 4-Way Wind Scoop
Keep your boat livable in hot climates with no power required
- Catches even the tiniest breeze from any direction so you get constant airflow without resetting as the wind or current shifts
- Part of a real-world heat-management system for boats without air conditioning or with limited shore power
- Tall, four-chamber design funnels far more air below than traditional wind scoops
- Quick to release from inside the cabin when a squall hits — no rushing on deck in the rain
- Works at anchor, on a mooring, or at the dock, even when wind and current don’t line up
- Lightweight, compact, and easy to store so you can deploy it whenever the heat builds
One of the cheapest upgrades you can make to dramatically improve daily life aboard in the tropics
TeamO PFD with BackTow™
Stay clipped in without the hidden risks of traditional harnesses. TeamO PFDs are the only lifejackets with BackTow™ technology, flipping tethered sailors face-up so they can breathe until recovered.
Lightweight, comfortable, and designed for real-world use, they’re PFDs you’ll actually wear — all day, every day.
ugo® Waterproof Tablet & Messenger Bags
100% waterproof cases to protect your tablet, laptop or other gear from splashes, rain, and going in the water. And they float, even fully loaded!
Weather Basics for Boaters
Learn how to find the hidden details in the apps you already know, and how to interpret them, to understand what the day will really be like on the water.
Brand new. Paperback, PDF, and Kindle available now.
Learn essential skills for boat life with our practical, on-demand courses—accessible anytime, anywhere, forever
Quickly find anchorages, services, bridges, and more with our topic-focused, easy-to-use waterproof cruising guides
Real Stories, Real Results
Reviews from Over 1,900 Happy Boaters
What People Say
Packed with information and laid out so it’s easy to use!
Your online classes and materials books and quick reference booklets made the trip so much easier. We met others that were first timers like us but had no real clue on what to expect. You all made us pros before we arrived. Thank you and your team for all the resources and education you provided. We were very well prepared for all we encountered thanks to all of your resources and guidance. We are excited for our return next year.
This is a fantastic resource for beginners and seasoned folks alike. The content is exceptionally well-laid out and informative. The resources are worth the price just by themselves. I feel like this was an great purchase!
I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU for the information in your Florida Loop Book we recently purchased for our journey south.
We also ❤love❤ some of your anchorages which are amazing and beautiful!
Obviously They took time preparing information for this class. Very well done.
I picked up many things I’ll use in the future.
Prepare to Live on a Boat Full-Time from The Boat Galley is an absolute gem for anyone considering or already embracing the liveaboard lifestyle. The wealth of practical advice, insights, and step-by-step guidance makes transitioning to life on the water smoother and more enjoyable. The Boat Galley team’s dedication to supporting sailors is truly evident through the depth and quality of their resources. Whether you’re dreaming of cruising or already on board, this guide—and the entire Boat Galley website—offers unparalleled support. Highly recommended!
We’ve sailed for several years now and can always find plenty of information on sail trim and hull types, but for information just about “boat life” in general, this is an invaluable wealth of knowledge! All of the information we need to plan our first 6 month sabbatical aboard can be found here…and since we’ve been planning this for a while, I didn’t expect to find so much that was new to me! Practical, straightforward, and written in a way that is easy to digest, the courses have taken me step by step through my mental house to make sure I’ve covered our bases for this trip and what I hope are more to come. So grateful for this resource!!!
This saved my ass a few times! Absolutely great and easy to use.
Every guide that I have purchased from The Boat Galley is an invaluable reference! Saves hours of research every year.
Your key messages to take it slow and it will get better were the best advice we could get. So far, we've been able to roll with the punches - and there have been some doozies! I'm hooked on the Boat Galley now!
We ordered all four new books and they are perfect with lots of need to know places, docks, marinas and some many more in just the right size and water proof paper with perfect index tabs. I have to say these are my favorite. Well worth the price. THE BOAT GALLEY HAS DONE IT AGAIN
My irrational fear of using the VHF has been quelled with this reference guide. I will be keeping it on hand and know it will offer me the calm and confidence I was looking for as a newbie first mate.
Basically, this is the Cliff Notes of what one needs to know when sailing in the Bahamas. I will be recommending this to all of my sailing friends. This guide is very well laid out and easy to use. It is now one of my first go-tos when traveling in the Bahamas.
This course is absolutely worth it! I haven't been to the Bahamas yet and had started researching and taking notes and was getting overwhelmed. I bought this course and it has totally lowered my stress levels and makes all the items that need to get done more understandable. It completely streamlines the research process. Highly recommend!!
This is perfect for keeping all our important documents neat and in one place
Where You’ve Seen Us
Meet the Team
- Founder of The Boat Galley
- 17 years liveaboard cruiser
- US, Mexico, Bahamas, Central America, Virgin Islands, Turkey
- Cruisers University instructor
- Cruising Guide creator
- 6 years living aboard and cruising
- US East Coast from Florida Keys to Maine and Bahamas
- Ex-Air Force; singlehander
- Provisioning guru; podcaster
- On & off living aboard since 1992
- Atlantic crossing; US, Caribbean, and Bahamas
- Years of cruising with kids
- VHF pro and frugal cruiser
- Cruiser and delivery captain
- US East Coast, Bahamas, Haiti, and Caribbean
- Cruisers University instructor
- Creator of Cruising With Your Dog
- 7 years cruising with Honey
- US East Coast and ICW
- Part of the Go Pet Friendly team
- 15+ years writing about dogs
- Graphics designer
- 8 years living aboard
- US East Coast to SE Caribbean
- Design and layout for all printed products
- Social media coordinator
- Pacific Ocean: Seattle, WA to New Zealand, incl. French Polynesia
- Complete newbie to sailing prior to her 11,000 nm voyage
- Boatshow booth "mom"
- Sabbatical and part-year cruiser
- US, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Family cruising New England to southern Caribbean
About Us
At The Boat Galley, we’re all cruisers. Our team of full-time liveaboards has decades of boating experience, cruising thousands of miles through US coastal waters, the ICW, the Bahamas, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and even across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
We know the joys—and the challenges—of boat life. The steep learning curve, costly mistakes, and hours spent searching for answers can be overwhelming. We’ve been there. That’s why we’ve created practical tools, trusted resources, and real-world guides to help you skip the frustrations and focus on enjoying your cruising life.
Whether you need clear cruising guides, step-by-step courses, or reliable references, The Boat Galley is here to smooth the way. Our mission is to help you cruise with confidence—spending less time planning and more time living your dream on the water.
Curious about our story and what drives us? Learn more about us here.
