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Discover Living On A Boat

Discover Living On A Boat

FREE • Dip your toes into the liveaboard lifestyle with this mini-course

$0.00 USD
$0.00 USD
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Online Course

Intrigued by living on a boat but don’t really know where to start?

This free mini-course offers a quick, practical introduction to the liveaboard lifestyle. Whether you’re just starting to explore the idea or feel like you don’t even know what questions to ask, Discover Living on a Boat will give you the clarity and confidence to take your next steps.

Learn what it’s really like to call a boat home, get answers to common concerns, and find out how to try the lifestyle for yourself.

What You’ll Learn • A Glimpse Into Life Afloat

✔ What living aboard and cruising really looks like
✔ How to know if you’d enjoy it
✔ Tips on managing kids, pets, family, and medical conditions
✔ A breakdown of costs and creative ways to afford it
✔ Free resources to continue learning about the lifestyle
✔ How to try it out before committing

Why It’s Different

This isn’t a deep dive—it’s a quick, realistic introduction tailored for beginners. Discover Living on a Boat is designed to:

✔ Address common concerns with clear, relatable guidance
✔ Highlight ways to explore and prepare for the lifestyle
✔ Focus on practical advice from a seasoned liveaboard cruiser

It’s the perfect first step if you’re considering life on the water.

Immediate Access • Always Available

This free mini-course is fully online and available to you for life.

✔ Instant access: Login details appear onscreen after signup and are emailed for easy future access
✔ On-demand: Complete the course at your own pace and revisit it anytime
✔ Lifetime updates: Stay up-to-date as we refine and expand the content

Plus, you’ll receive a subscription to The Boat Galley Newsletter, packed with tips and inspiration for boat life. (You can unsubscribe at any time, and we never sell your email address.)

About the Instructor • Carolyn Shearlock

Carolyn Shearlock lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.

Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling books, The Boat Galley Cookbook and Storing Food Without Refrigeration.

Our Mission

At The Boat Galley, we have one mission: to help you cruise with confidence.

As liveaboard cruisers, we understand the questions and challenges that come with boat life. That’s why we create practical resources to help you navigate the journey—making your life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.

 

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Raved About By Tammy . . .

"I must say these courses and the whole website is just so full of important information. I've truly enjoyed exploring the lessons and learning all that I can before we buy a boat."

Verified Purchaser, Discover Living On A Boat

Where You’ve Seen Us

Meet The Boat Galley Team

At The Boat Galley, we’re all cruisers. 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.

Carolyn Shearlock
  • Founder of The Boat Galley
  • 17 years liveaboard cruiser
  • US, Mexico, Bahamas, Central America, Virgin Islands, Turkey
  • Cruisers University instructor
Larry Webber
  • Cruising Guide creator
  • 6 years living aboard and cruising
  • US East Coast from Florida Keys to Maine and Bahamas
  • Ex-Air Force; singlehander
Nica Waters
  • Provisioning guru; podcaster
  • On & off living aboard since 1992
  • Atlantic crossing; US, Caribbean, and Bahamas
  • Years of cruising with kids
John Herlig
  • VHF pro and frugal cruiser
  • Cruiser and delivery captain
  • US East Coast, Bahamas, Haiti, and Caribbean
  • Cruisers University instructor
Pamela Douglas (& Honey)
  • 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
Julie Tijerina
  • Graphics designer
  • 8 years living aboard
  • US East Coast to SE Caribbean
  • Design and layout for all printed products
Katherine González
  • Social media coordinator
  • Pacific Ocean: Seattle, WA to New Zealand, incl. French Polynesia
  • Complete newbie to sailing prior to her 11,000 nm voyage
Kimberly Ward
  • Boatshow booth "mom"
  • Sabbatical and part-year cruiser
  • US, Bahamas, Caribbean
  • Family cruising New England to southern Caribbean

Curious about our story and what drives us? Learn more about us here.

Customer Reviews

Based on 15 reviews
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Discover Living On A Boat

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Thomas G.
Very generous information

New to this website and I am so impressed that for free you provide all this informative and educational materials. Thank you for your time, experience and generosity. I am so very grateful as I am a novice sailor who is now retired at 62 years young lol. I am working on taking my years of experience to another level as I am about to purchase my first sailboat within the next year. I live in S. Florida now (native of Boston MA), my experience has included bareboat charters in the Caribbean,and around Cape Cod and Newport RI. a few deliveries from Boston to S. Florida, Bermuda and Bahamas. I will continue to look forward to your newsletters and valuable experience and advice. If there’s anything I can do for you it would be my pleasure.
So grateful,
Thomas G. Of Palm Beach county Florida.

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Tammy

As someone who hasn't sailed yet but dreams of doing so, I must say these courses and the whole website is just so full of important information. I've truly enjoyed exploring the lessons and learning all that I can before we buy a boat.

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