Living on board a boat is the essence of living a simpler life. For some it's a chance to escape suburbia but still live next to the city. For others, it is an opportunity to realize a lifelong dream of travel and adventure, to live by wind and wits.

It starts with leaving behind items collected over the years to live in a space the size of a large walk-in closet. There is a big difference between people who live on float homes, which can be the size of a regular house, and liveaboards on a boat. An seven- to nine-metre long sailboat is considered spacious for one person, and a couple would likely be found co-habiting on a 11- to 14-metre power or sailboat.

"It's a lifestyle change, for sure," says Janice Hayward, who lives aboard Ta Daa, a 15-metre sailboat with her husband, Ron Harris, and Winston, their four-legged mate. "It's not for everyone, but we both had a dream and a goal in mind."

Part of that dream was to sail as much as they can. The couple take to the water almost every other weekend and more in the summer.

Unlike float homes, which are flat-bottomed and not meant for open water, sailboats allow their occupants to take their home with them as they travel.

"It's like luxury camping," says Lynn Macfarlane. She and her husband, Doug, had tested the waters for three years before finally buying their first boat, a 12-metre Beneteau they have named Miramar. "The boat is like a mobile motel room, transporting you to where you want to go."

Doug has just retired and Lynn follows in June. The couple are in the process of making their boat their only home. Their 2,000 square-foot house is for sale, their children the recipients of most of the furniture. They will store some treasured items and will host a gigantic garage sale for the rest.

They plan to head south and see where the wind takes them. While they will leave their Victoria home, they will always be in good company as they travel as a liveaboard community exists in almost every port. Consisting of a cross-section of society, with couples with young children, working professionals and retirees, liveaboards can be found in marinas that allow long-term moorage.

In Victoria, only the Westbay Marine Village and Fisherman's Wharf cater to the needs of liveaboards.

"It's more of a community than any other community we have lived in," says Hayward. Despite their close quarters, she says there's as much privacy as one would find in a regular neighbourhood.

Her neighbours agree.

"We look out for each other, keeping an eye on things," says Beverly Smith, who lives aboard an 11-metre trawler with her husband. "After all, we're all in the same boat."

She has been a living aboard her power boat since 1996 and the only thing she misses these days would be a bit more space for her craftwork. Compact spaces means less closet space for clothing, smaller fridges mean buying less perishable food -- the list goes on. Done right, downsizing can be liberating. Most liveaboards see this as an opportunity and challenge to reduce their worldly possessions to just the bare essentials.

"It gave me an opportunity to pare down," says Smith, who just turned 65. "I got rid of a lot of stuff and I don't miss it much."

Owners of power boats, like Smith's, have more living space compared with sailboats. They are wider and sit higher up on the water, towering over their wind-powered cousins.

Amenities to make living aboard a boat while docked more comfortable usually include 30-amp electric power, water, telephone, cable TV, wi-fi Internet and a sewer pump at every slip. Boats might have a shower, but marinas offer shore-based washrooms, showers and laund-romats plus parking space.

The shore-based AC electrical system can charge a boat's DC battery. The 30 amps of power is usually enough to power a microwave, toaster, coffee maker or electric heater -- but not necessarily all at the same time. Boaters become adept at unplugging one appliance before plugging in another to prevent overloading the circuit breaker.

Most of the owners of the boats at Westbay live onboard year-round. In the winter they use oil- or propane-burning space heaters supplemented by electric heaters.

But using diesel, propane or solid-fuel to heat requires attention to ensure exhaust and fresh air vents be frost-free and unobstructed. It is also a good idea to keep the galley hatch open when cooking with a propane stove. A smoke alarm, carbon monoxide and propane detector are essential for personal safety.

But not everybody is enamoured about spending the rest of his or her life on a boat. Some spouses only agree to it because it was a passion for their partner. It is not uncommon for boaters to move back on land after a few years at sea once they get the urge out of their system. Nobody locally has heard of a marriage sunk by living aboard a boat. On the contrary, everybody notes their relationship with their spouse are stronger for it. "It seems that being physically closer together has brought us closer together," says Smith.

parrais@tc.canwest.com