Lived on a sail boat for 5 years in my younger years. Went to all the places you are going . From Baltimore to St Thomas and lots of places in between, even have a house in the keys. Now 67 and wife couldn't get on or off boat to a dinghy or load water, fuel, or food onto boat. Wouldn't change a thing, best years of my life. Just bought a 36 foot class A and a Jeep toad let the adventure began! Love your channel!
One thing you overlooked is the pure joy involved with sailing. RV's look more and more like cookie-cutter copies of each other even when you get some far-out mural paint job. You can only go where someone has been before, even in the wilds there's very little in the way of unexplored territory. The elation of owning a beautiful boat with tons of custom touches and the pride from taking really good care of it, the wonder of seeing places that change their character with every shift of the wind and weather, the amazing experience of meeting people who have so much in common just by being connected to the sailing/boating lifestyle, and the willingness of most boat owners to give help whenever it's needed...there is no comparison!
I'm a retired full-time RV'er. If I were younger, no question I'd be on a boat, even with the disadvantages you mentioned. I'll never be able to RV to the Fiji's.
Basically… very heavy gyroscopes (in a vacuum) mounted deep in the hull to cancel out the rocking… but they use a lot of power and their “spool up” time before they become effective can be quite lengthy (45 minutes+ if I recall correctly.. ) so not practical for short trips…
As always, great video. I think you are spot on in your breakdown. I have had some form of RV since my early 20s (lets just leave it as I am much older now). I have traveled all over the US, Canada, and northern Mexico. I just bought my first sailboat. Its also funny that i have many of the same systems on both.. An RV can be a great spot to learn how to work on systems such as solar, batteries, inverters 12v, 110v and yes even the occasional fiberglass project. The best thing about learning on an RV is the environment you get to learn in. No rocking, pitching, or rolling. No water to contend with. If you mess something up, an expert is probably just a phone call away to get you back on track. I am putting my cabin on the market but I will be keeping my RV and put it in storage. I will probably snowbird it and use the warm summer months in Oregon to visit family. When the snow flys, so will I :) With that being said, RVs have one major drawback. For the most part, you are limited to where you can go. If there isn't a road to get there, an RV isn't getting there. In my opinion, there is just less adventure in that lifestyle. When you start to run out of roads, you start to run out of adventure. I know people are probably saying well, there are alot of roads so how can you run out??? If you full time RV, you will understand. Arizona starts to look like Texas. Montana looks a lot like Wyoming, est. When you are on a boat, the Bahamas do not look like Jamaica. And if all that starts looking the same, you can always say "i wonder what the Med looks like...Adventures on boats keep going. They are not subject to countries and borders. This entire planet can be explored on a boat. An Rv will never match that. I know some are probably saying how do you have the experience to make these claims if you just bought your first boat. Well, I spent the first 12 years of my military career in the Navy. I have visited most of the countries in the South Pacific on a ship. That kind of lifestyle just ins't possible in an RV. Keep up the great videos, and thanks for all the advice on weather, boat life, and sailing strategies.
Gulf War Navy Vet. Did the Med, Gulf, and Atlantic. Looking forward to seeing the Pacific, and IO. You're spot on. There's nothing like being at sea. Convincing the wife on the RV was easy. The buying a boat has been tougher. 🙅♂️
You should've also talked about the daily experience of living on on a boat vs RV. When I was in my 20s (1990s, 2000s) I traveled the U.S. in a VW camper for a couple of summers, about 25k to 30k miles on the road. I found traveling in a RV in the U.S. to be depressing. The endless stream of Ford dealerships and Walmarts and McDonalds...it just wears me out. I find the monolithic consumer culture of the United States to be straight up boring and, in many ways, genuinely sad -- to the point that living the RV life in the USA doesn't interest me anymore. I think a lot of RV travelers find the lack of challenges, the sameness of this country, to be comforting. To me it's like running a marathon on a treadmill. Plus, where I live, out west in Utah, you can camp freely all over the place. BLM land is everywhere. Getting remote is actually pretty easy. That's not the case in the eastern U.S. Talk about rules! It's stressful in a very frustrating way. I'll keep on dreaming about and working toward someday living on a boat.
I did some serious RVing in the 90's and I have to agree. The Walmarts and McDonalds do really add up after a while, in a horribly depressing kinda way. Did a few months int the yukon and Alaska, and that was different and good. But I think for the most part, RVing is about the destination, while Sailing is as much about the Journey as it is the destination.
Have to agree with a lot of this Mark. But your territory there in UT, AZ, NM, CO....well that is something different. Yes you can get away, big time. It can be pretty challenging too. After having our 4x4 rig, that's the way we would go if/when we go again...but it's hard to have something small and capable AND comfortable enough to live in.
Appreciate the time and expertise that goes in to your videos. They are really unmatched by the other channels that I have followed. I look forward to setting sail vicariously in the coming weeks.
Good overview. I live on my sailboat half the year and live in my Motorhome RV half the year (hurricane season). I agree with all your choices except security. I think that one comes down to location, whether on a boat or an RV. I find both the RV & boat enjoyable modes of exploration. As some wise man once said, variety is the spice of life.
The sales rep lied to you, if the GCW is over 26,000 lbs you need a special license in most states. That is everything you have in the RV, what you are towing and what you are towing with, and all your tanks at full capacity. So you can actually get above that weight fairly quickly, and like I said, MOST states require a special license. It is not a class C commercial license some states call it a Class B, although I think that the state of Georgia calls it a class A? Think is the key word in that! There is a lot to consider when buying an RV, because if you buy the Class A or C motorhome and you want to have a towed car with you. then every time you want to back up you have to unhook the towed and move it out of the way and the re-hook it up. Now if you have a truck and a trailer or 5th wheel then you don't have that problem, but your trucks payload, GW, and then the Trailer's GW (Gross weight) and the Truck and trailer's GCW (Gross Combined weight) needs to be considered. Many people are towing wrong and I see it all the time, both the truck and the trailer should be level during towing. They should not create a "V" in the center between the two. Also, if you are experiencing sway, you likely have to small of a truck/Van that you are towing with, or a bad combination of hitch on the truck and trailer. This is serious, and this is why you see so many horrific accidents involving Trailers. Too small of a truck!
We live in a self converted sprinter. I am a helicopter mechanic, and primarily fights fires. Fire seasom is hurricane season, for the most part. Our goal is vanlife during fire season and sailing the off season. ;) We are full time in our van, and it is allowing us to save for the boat at record pace.
Great comparison video - love it! You left out the elephant in the room - boats can cross oceans and visit other countries relatively easily. RV's can also, but it's not simple or cheap, and there aren't many places in the world you'd want to take even a medium sized RV, much less a large one. That by itself is worth a dozen points!
I've just bought a 12m cruising yacht after living in my motorhome for five years and simply cannot wait for the change in living lifestyle. Motorhome/caravanning is fraught with overcrowded and expensive RV parks and even freecamping (boondocking over there?) is difficult in peak season and one either side if you appreciate your space. Even here in Tasmania it's terribly busy in summer. Cruising, on the other hand is going to give me what I want - room to move without bumping into other humans. Bring it on - I can't wait. :)
Thank you for your insight. One big consideration for us is the ability to see and experience the world. This is our primary reason we will only consider sailing. We all have a finite number of months to enjoy our time here. Sailing has much higher highs and also requires much more fortitude.
Get a trailerable yacht and have the best of both worlds. I have a 25 footer thats easy to haul around. We can use it as a land based RV, or hit the water. Granted, were not going to cross the oceans, in it, but it's great for coastal cruising.
Personally I get travel sickness (nauseous, motion sickness) more in cars and buses then on a ship. I cannot read a book in a car, I can on a ship. And even when I do get seasick, it’s over within a day, on land it keeps coming back every time.
great summary video, Yes boating is way more expensive and challenging. But you will find way more alone and peaceful moments then with everybody else on Land.
You are simply fantastic! Love the didactic way you explain and also how you two share the topics so well. Other people would do a sooo boring video, but you make it really magnetic! Good to see you back on Clarity, I was afraid the RV victory could change the episodes for something "on the road"!
I found your comparison very useful. Qualifying statement - I am a boater (only since the 50s) who is considering buying an RV. I do have a couple of quibbles with your comparison. Depreciation - Easily avoided by buying an older boat or an older RV although there are issues of reliability with motorized RVs that make buying an old one potentially problematic. I have an older sailboat (1972) which is worth about what I paid for it if you ignore inflation. On the other hand, I also have an older powerboat (1936) which is worth several times what I paid for it. Getting away from people is strongly dependent on where you are. In the US it can be tough to get away from people on a boat or on an RV. Here in Maine there is virtually no public land where you can park an RV outside an established campground. While that is not true for a boat, it can be very hard to find a decent anchorage where you don't have close neighbors. I know of quite a few anchorages where you have to arrive early (before about 2 PM) if you want to get a spot. Arriving late generally means that you have to move to a less desirable anchorage which can be a real pain or even dangerous. Furthermore, if you head south the number of boaters seems to increase exponentially. when I sailed in the Chesapeake I found the traffic and crowding took most of the fun out of it. I suppose the same can be said for RVing. Another aspect of comparison is going to lots of places. In North America it is MUCH more time consuming and difficult to make major trips with a boat than with an RV. I live in Maine but am from the Pacific Northwest. If I want to visit the northwest (say the San Juans) with an RV it is just a drive that I could do in 4-5 days. If I wanted to take my Allied Princess to Friday Harbor from Maine, well that is a different story. On its own bottom it is a trip of many months, or I could ship the boat west in a couple of weeks, but at MUCH greater expense than driving an RV. Of course there are lots of places you can go in an RV that you can't go on a boat, but the reverse is also true. Overall, I think an RV wins for travel in North America unless you want to do the inside passage from Washington to Alaska....wait a minute. You can RV the inside passage, just put the RV on the Alaska ferry.
Thanks for the comment Todd. Tough when doing these comparison videos not to make broad general statements that don’t hold up to specific circumstances. We found it’s possible to really get out in the middle of nowhere in an RV, but you need high clearance and 4x4....which necessarily means small...which means less comfortable. But yeh, being able to go coast to coast in less than a week....! Love the Princess. Cute boat. Nice run of them we still see from time to time.
Great video, and always good to hear your selection and analysis of categories on issues like these. All the inset pictures and vid clips did wonders to illustrate your points each way, too. Lots of fun, no complaint about that. Love hearing from you. Buuuuuut.. also... to be really fair... (Pretend rant ensues, just to point out the full range of what "camping" or "cruising" can mean on land or on water for the sake of the record. Here we go...) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! First, you skipped a huge category. "Is it any fun to actually do the traveling in?" What's more fun, driving for hours tied to a steering wheel with your kidneys rumbling down asphalt highways surrounded by traffic, or sitting back on a lounger with a drink and a snack on the boat while the sails and the open air lets you skim your way quietly through nature? Motor vehicles are something you survive to get somewhere. On a boat, you're already having the party the whole way there. Anyway, on to the main bitching & moaning. You're comparing the maintenance load and expenses of a 46 x 30 foot seagoing catamaran with all the inherent design and equipment issues of that luxury class vessel, and the equivalent living & hospitality space of 2 semi-truck trailers... ...to bopping around in a dash van, or a pickup truck with a bloody tent strapped to the top?! Come on! Those ""RV's" you're talking about have the living capacity of a Catalina 22 monohull. Let's have some apples to apples here. Let's put up the expenses of acquiring, fueling, and maintaining a couple of semi-truck sized RV's like the rock stars have, to truly match Clarity's hospitality. It'll take that to give you 3-4 bunkrooms, full kitchen, living room, onboard getaway vehicles like a motorcycle or towing a small car to be equivalent to a yacht tender. Also has to carry gear for an outside BBQ party/tailgating event. Now we're talking a million bucks minimum just to get in, 2 gallons per mile to move that wagon-train anywhere, thousands of dollars in maintenance and repair at the drop of a hat (and only at specialty high-cost truck mechanics), and set up and take down time at any stop where you want to sit outside and see the world instead of just 4 walls and a TV. Now let's compare that rigamarole to Clarity. Clarity lookin' a lot better, even with the big exotic multihull rig. Or, alternatively, let's pick a boat that's equivalent to your actual RVs. Well, we really can't, because Almost Nobody is going to go out to cruise in a boat with 100 square feet of living space, that's who. That Guy doesn't buy an RV, either, just an old Pinto and a pup tent. Fine, take it down as far as makes sense... say that 22 foot Catalina. Ooh, I can hear your brain-freeze right now, because you'd never do that and call it "world cruising." Ha! But, for a minimal excusable example, my family used to have an Essex 26 ketch rig we got second-hand for a few thousand bucks, probably equivalent to 20-30k today. One of that model had taken a family of 5 sailing around the world, so it was seaworthy. It had 2 cabins and slept 6, had a kitchenette equivalent to an RV, and with a draft of only 22 inches (yah baby, 22, long shallow "shoal-draft" keel got into all the cozy coves) it would practically park on the beach from the water side. It had a 5 or 10 horse inboard-outboard motor mounted under the pilot seat in the center cockpit for go-juice power when you really wanted it. A few gallons of gas lasted pretty much the whole season, basically just for harbor/docking maneuvers. The rest of the time we were sailors. The annual maintenance on the motor was similar to a lawnmower. Basically clean gas and make sure the sparks are healthy. The boat got swabbed when it got dusty, and a good hull clean & wax every spring. Had to redo the bottom paint once in 10 years, but it would be twice if you were full-time on water. For winter/off-season storage, it got pulled out on a trailer you could haul with a Ford cargo van or a big Buick sedan and got parked in the driveway, like an RV. We had to tighten rigging and lines now and then like any boat, which took all of a screwdriver and a wrench. Ongoing cost of ownership for a sailboat really equivalent in facilities to a typical RV: maybe a couple thousand bucks a year with insurance and etc. For that, you still got a nice place to sit with your feet up while you traveled, with a cookie and a root beer in hand, all the fishing you wanted and ports to call in, sights to sea, beaches to swim, breezes to feel at a casual pace of life, and all the privacy and sunsets you could stand. Alternately, you could fleet up with others and have a flotilla of party time and look-out for each other on each leg of the journey. Now let's run those equations and comparisons again... you can pick either the grand-luxurious two, or the budget-lean two, but at least they are paired up more fairly this way. (End of the silly rant. I think I'm still trying to convince myself that I'm really going to retire to a boat, and damn the torpedos, whatever size will do. I'm landlocked right now in the forest, which is lush with life and glorious in its own way, but I can still smell that clean water and the fresh-caught, batter-dipped fillets frying for supper.) Love you folks! Keep on groovin'!
Agree and thanks for the breakdown of Boat Vs RV. I think the yearning for ocean adventure, access to water sports is more appealing to me than land travel. We just got back from a week in Turks & Caicos and were out on a boat several times and we really enjoyed it. It sure is good to look at it from your perspective and how you both ranked everything. This kind of information is invaluable!
You touched on it in one of your comments, but the biggest win or loss in scoring RV vs sailboat will be personal attitude/aptitude. If you’re not ready to deal with challenges on a recurring and fairly frequent basis, then RV’ing is probably the way to go. If you enjoy the satisfaction of dealing with and completing challenges regularly and the often uncertainty of these in the first few years as you build your experience, while enjoying beautiful places, then sailboat cruising is for you. Great comparison...well done.
I see a lot of boats that are well over 30 years old, and in rough condition, in many harbors and anchorages. I see a lot of notices that older RV's are not allowed in many RV Parks. That one goes to the Sailing Lifestyle.
What I found, if those "older" boat MUST carry insurance, and to do that, you must have them up to a certain condition. Of course you can drop anchor in the middle of no where or out away from Marina's and deal with things that way. But in the US, those are going away fast.
@@geoffreygelow6869 I have an older boat and don't find getting insurance hard. Of course my boat is only 86 years old. It might be harder with an older boat. I do maintain my boat in bristol condition.
@@todddunn945 WOW 86yrs old!! I'd love it! I bet it's wonderful and built to last....from Wyoming USA 🔫🤠🇺🇸p.s stay safe and healthy everybody GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY
Great video! You two bring expertise & experience to the youtube dreamworld. No matter how you cut it, boats are basically breaking all the time, faster or slower. The joy factor is you get to go sailing!
I honestly think that there is a signifiant difference in going to sea in a power vessel versus a sailing vessel, and that the seagoing powerboat is a lot closer to an RV than a sailboat is to an RV. Obviously I'm speculating but in a three way comparison of RV-power vessel-sailing vessel, the power boat just might come out on top!
AND.. they're back folks. All is right in the world-sort of. Oneith by Land, twoith by sea- Paul Revere. Ahhh early morning fog to wake up to. Same here. Ok the break is over for you two. Back to work-maybe. Clear Caribbean waters await, as soon as you can get Clarity back up to speed that is. Safe future travels Nick & Megan.
I agreed with every point made. We generally sail 4 months in our Leopard 42, land cruise 4 months in our Airstream, and enjoy our home base in Colorado for the remainder. Lots of transitions, lots of maintenance, lots of expense, lots of adventures. We cruise our yacht ‘at large’ without a home marina, and finding storage for the off season is becoming more of a challenge. The Airstream is far easier, and the house is easiest. On the adventure , challenge and satisfaction scale, the yacht scores highest, but as we ease into our 7th decade, it’s retirement may be approaching. Enjoy your adventures!
Great article, as always. And I agree- if you know what you are doing, you don't need rules or a point and shoot vehicle. To be on your own is priceless.
Easy choice. Yes, it takes a larger effort to get out on the water but the life quality is much higher. People who can experience that kind of freedom are very fortunate and it will grow in popularity as technology evolves. And there's also the prepping value, if shit hits the fan you don't want to be around when the system breaks down. In fact, I read a book about boat prepping. That individual had a large boat fully stocked ready to go in 10 minutes 24/365 and with all the survival gear.
We have been wondering about how you stay aware of sharks in the area, all that beautiful drone footage of cays with big sharks swimming around in another video got us curious.
How is nick’s eyes going? Have I missed something ? I know the specialist told you it will most likely get better with time. But I haven’t heard anything else. Good video can’t wait tell you get the new one.
For a Canadian the boat goes above and beyond RV. Because the USA is in the way and I have to go around it to go south. When your entire country is 99% 30 below no RV is comfortable when propane flows on the ground like water and then all your pipes and tanks freeze and burst.
Thanks for the interesting video. I think that there is another very important consideration (besides the tecknical expertise for repairs). Sailing requires a lot more knowledge and expertise in operating the sailboat, handling lines and sails, understanding weather and currents, docking, anchoring, planning the route, etc. etc.
Another fine video! One consideration about the 'guests' category is that getting them to & from a traveling boat can be a HUGE obstacle due to how much weather affects a boats travel schedule and the limited access to transportation in many places. I'd think that the RV is a big winner in this respect.
Very interesting. I have done some RV-ing, briefly, never again. For me the trump card is other people. Driving, parking, staying in - shudder - RV parks. While they can be a pain in the arse, boats are freedom. Expensive freedom.
I agree the most with the last statements you made. Liberty and Freedom is much more attainable in the boating lifestyle than the RV'ing lifestyle which is getting much worse. This is the category that promoted the pioneering of our country and continues to inspire people to rely on themselves instead of the government for their needs and wants. To me it is a no brainer (other things being equal). Thanks for the presentation. Keep it up guys and stay safe out there (another item on your checklist|?).
A few observations about this analysis; the boat (catamaran) was audibly the quietest with the RV being quite noisy. Also, the cat seemed much more spacious / luxurious than the RV, which was painfully quite 'boxy' and cramped. I realize that the size of the vessel/vehicle has a tremendous effect in this category - there's greater leeway in size with a boat, whereas an RV is constrained in overall width and height to a significant degree. This is just part of the reason that boats, particularly catamarans, have more appeal, but with that appeal comes all the offsets you mention in terms of maintenance and cost. Thanks for all your observations about these two lifestyle choices!
Een boot wint altijd van een camping. Toen ik en mijn tweelingbroer, onze A diploma haalde voor zwemmen. Krijgen we onze eerste boot. En toen B,C,en redden zwemmen. Toen hadden ik mijn tweelingbroer en vader een schetland 540 (weekend) motorboot. P.s. 16 years old. 17e,had ik mijn kleine vaarbewijs. In the Netherlands ,mag je pas autorijden als je 18 bent. Met een rijbewijs!.
When the country you are in is facing a questionable period/temporary crisis you can get away easier and for longer in a boat. Not really an issue for much of your audience but an added bonus just the same.
Thanks for this video as I have been interested in both. I find my self in the water more than anything. The RV to me may shine if you mostly go to places where you wouldn't take a boat to. Like mountains, deserts, and etc... However I have had an opportunity to overnight on a boat last summer on lake Coeur D Alene. I found it much more peaceful and relaxing. Compared to noisy campgrounds, that I experienced traveling by travel trailer. I feel the Ocean might be kinda scary for me. However I feel I can adapt because I used to think swimming in a lake was risky in a way. I do enjoy sailing and have a project boat a Newport 214. Although she is definitely not as livable as many of the bigger ocean going monohulls. Plus definitely not a boat I would want to cross an ocean on let alone offshore. However I might be able to full time cruise the lakes here since people live in vans. We will see, but as a 22 year old. I need to move out soon and want to keep my nice truck. So perhaps I may get a travel trailer and charter around to see if cruising is for me. I am still young and starting out so anything Bluewater cruiser is way out of my price range. However I know I can work hard and make enough money to buy one. Anyways thanks and this gave me a lot to consider.
I couldn't decide to buy an RV or a boat three years ago. When I went to look at a sailboat, the guy selling it was going to switch to an RV. He actually sold me on the idea of getting an RV! It's been a great three years but now I am wondering if I should try sailing. I don't like campgrounds because they have become ridiculously expensive so we park at truck stops or national forest. It's pretty boring at this point.
You guys missed the most important aspect, the "FUN" category , or "EXPERIENCE" , which is one of the reason why we go on trips as these. Hope you will add 1 or 2 more categories like this, then based weight it on fun+experience versus the finance/annoyance , to come to a conclusion
Would be interested to compare what you can get when it comes to vandwelling vs a cheap sailboat. I don't know much about boats but your channel seems interesting, although this video is out of my price range either way :p I'm in Europe so I would have plenty of coast to explore, but I have no idea what kind of boat would fit the job and what would be the minimum budget to buy and maintain a budget boat. Would be great if the boat can cross oceans too, not just sail calm seas. I'd love worldwide independence much more than vandwelling I wager.
I'm pretty much in the same situation (European on a tight budget wanting to wander around the world) and yeah, I think small boats are better than vans. EU regulates cars quite a lot, so vans are not that cheap and I think there are fewer RV parking spaces, so you'd need to go for stealth quite often. But I'm spending my summers hiking or cycling around with my hammock while I save up for a nice boat to live on. But who knows where this takes me. Let me know if you figure out something interesting!
Yes- nice work! I would think the other "macro" item that wasn't considered is how much more water on earth there is to explore than land here in N. America. The depreciation factor though really kills both of them for me- I really enjoy following your adventures, but I'll probably keep the majority of my net worth in appreciating assets and occasionally rent one or the other when my wife and I want a little adventure! Thanks though!!
My wife and I rent overseas for 3 months every year and have done so for a number of years. When we are back home we rent interstate for 2-3 months also. With the pandemic we have been unable to get away for the last couple of years and have been seriously considering buying a boat. We have been unable to travel interstate until recently also so have been feeling housebound for a while. Just renting furnished and using them as a base seems to be nearly as cost effective as outlaying bulk capital and camping fees.
There is a lot more risk with a boat, being a hole in the water that the water wants to fill in. If something goes wrong at sea you have to fix it. If something goes wrong with an RV, usually you can call for a tow. I know I want to start with an RV and then do some boat charters and see if me and water get along, then consider a small boat. Thanks for the video!
You know the smell after or during a Rain Shower. That is Negatively charged ions in the atmosphere. And you showed a Rain Shower on the boat very early in the video. Thought nick would have gotten the reference.
I'm consistently impressed with the content and professionalism of your videos. Keep up the good work. Your content is very useful to us as we begin the process of transitioning to a cruising cat.
Being based in Europe an RV seems like the perfect choice since the marinas are expensive and there's good roads to visit lots of countries, same thing with US to visit 50 states maybe even looking into Canada... Thats already travelling but other than a plane there's nothing that gives me the freedom of staying for a season in Azores Portugal and then moving to Melbourne
Well THANKS A LOT !!! after watching this video it pretty much shoots my idea of buying a boat and traveling the world! I guess I'll stick with my tent and stay on land. Thanks again great video guys!
My girlfriend and I have this conversation. I want to get the boat. She'd kill to have a travel trailer and a pair of quads. Still haven't bought a boat yet, still working on it. Covid's not helping, of course. Neither is the fact that lots of peeps with more money than I are snapping up the best offerings on inside deals, but lets not go there. We banter back and forth on the concept of getting a travel trailer or motor home with an ATV or 2 vs buying a boat. I've done a lot of camping, complete with ATVs and jetskis in the mountains and lakes of BC. What I've come to realize is that I'm bored with that. Sure the views are nice, but really - you drive on roads, you ATV on logging roads, if by a lake, you can jetski or canoe, but after a while I've gotten bored. There's no mental challenge - other than how fast you can take a curve without rolling your quad, or having your jetski land on top of you... sailing - or at least the idea of sailing seeing as I've yet to really immerse myself into it - you need to keep in mind the tides, the winds, the weather, how long can you go before needing to return, replenishing food and water, what to do when at anchor... much more mental stimulation. So I figure with all that, you'd live longer. And the rewards far greater. But yes, RV-ing is cheaper, but man, the emotions win out to be on the water despite the negatives the brain is screaming at you... Boat on the water? I'm all in.
Nice breakdown of the differences, can't say I disagree with any of it. We have had several truck camper rigs and have traveled from the arctic circle in Alaska, tip of Cabo San Lucas, Eastport Maine and Key West and lots of places in between. With three kids and a dog :-)
I'm glad common sense didn't prevail and you're back aboard! ;) Go RV'ing when you're old! I think Nick's last point tapped into the category you missed, "Adventure/Exploration". Excellent video as always, although I think you secretly made this knowing the RV would win to steer people that way and thus keep secluded anchorages, well, secluded! 😀
Thank you for the continuum of good information. I learn new things with each episode. One more point in a boat's favor would be "Access" - to nearly 72% of the Earth's surface (most of the time)
I think you missed a big one that favors the RV. Ease of finding favorable weather. It is not unusual to need to hunker down for a week because of bad weather, with an RV you can typically just drive to nicer weather.
You never fail to come up with some great content. We always enjoy seeing a new video pop up in the feed from you! Thanks for this one. We go back and forth on this all the time so this was particularly interesting. Lately, we've been obsessed with narrowboats in the UK. Who knows? We have some time before we get to do anything life-changing. Thanks for all the effort you put into your channel guys. We truly do love it! Tim and Tammie P.S. It was nice to see some shots of Sugar. Thanks
Thank you for sharing this, I have always wondered about this!!!❤️ Nick and Megan this was so good to watch! We have been weekend RVers for almost 25 years and we’re considering flip flopping every 6 or so months with sailing 😍 We just have to wait, less than 2 years:)
One thing that’s not mentioned is time and that’s where an RV wins if you’re still working 40 hours a week ! You can get to where you want to go back again a lot quicker;)
The accessibility of RVing is part of what makes it less desirable and accounts for many of the rules. As you mentioned literally anyone can RV, so I suspect you get more "riff-raff". Sailing is a bit self selective since you're dealing with people who willfully accept that they are at the mercy of the environment in which they operate.
Can't go island hopping or even country hopping in a RV but yes there are plenty of things you can't do in a boat that you can do in an RV. Interesting (fun) video but really are they comparable or just two awesome things to do at separate times in your life.
You missed one really important item: autopilot versus cruise control. You can't leave the wheel in an RV, nor should anyone else leave their seats while driving.
Thank you for sharing! Another important point - how about the laptops (phones, tablets) needed to work online? How long can they survive in a wet, salty environment, and how often do they need to be repaired?
One thing that I didn't see in your "finances" section is how you physically pay for things like groceries/fuel/parts/gear. Do you accept the exchange rate the credit card gives you and their fees, or pay in $US cash, or do you have envelopes of different currency for each of the countries where you go? Where do you go to get a good exchange rate for $US to that country's money? You guys always have great videos that are entertaining AND informative! I just thought I'd ask a drill-down question for anyone trying to pre-plan going to the cruising world.
Good question! Greenbacks are welcomed everywhere. Preferred, actually. So we only end up with local currency when we get change. We’ve used our credit cards sparingly and STILL the numbers get taken. I have a feeling Venmo, PayPal, etc is going to be more widely used in the future.
Another thing you should consider is what can happen during a critical failure, natural catastrophe, or emergency medical situation. I'd like to know how boats and RV's stack up when something has gone horribly wrong.
cost factors ... cat 3 motors, mono 2 motors (dingy) .... 5th wheel + tow 1 motor 2016 38' monohull 200k, 2016 cat 500k+ ...... 2016 38' 5th wheel + 2005 Duramax 55k my 38' RV has more storage than a monohull, an I have yet to find a residential fridge on 38' mono ... ROTF !
Awesome video. I haven't read all the 144 comments so I'm not sure if anyone pointed this out yet but Navigation wasn't even a tie, it actually went to the RV! You guys inadvertently swapped your labels on Finding a Populated Spot.
Lived on a sail boat for 5 years in my younger years. Went to all the places you are going . From Baltimore to St Thomas and lots of places in between, even have a house in the keys. Now 67 and wife couldn't get on or off boat to a dinghy or load water, fuel, or food onto boat. Wouldn't change a thing, best years of my life.
Just bought a 36 foot class A and a Jeep toad let the adventure began! Love your channel!
One thing you overlooked is the pure joy involved with sailing. RV's look more and more like cookie-cutter copies of each other even when you get some far-out mural paint job. You can only go where someone has been before, even in the wilds there's very little in the way of unexplored territory.
The elation of owning a beautiful boat with tons of custom touches and the pride from taking really good care of it, the wonder of seeing places that change their character with every shift of the wind and weather, the amazing experience of meeting people who have so much in common just by being connected to the sailing/boating lifestyle, and the willingness of most boat owners to give help whenever it's needed...there is no comparison!
Agreed, 100%. But you don't need a fancy boat to enjoy sailing.
Mike Mendes yep
@@mikemendes7598 but to live on! That's the question??....from Wyoming USA 🔫🤠🇺🇸p.s stay safe
I'm a retired full-time RV'er. If I were younger, no question I'd be on a boat, even with the disadvantages you mentioned. I'll never be able to RV to the Fiji's.
yes! Especially with new technologies practically getting rid of motion on boats. I think i’m going to have to go boats for sure!
@@user-ue3pl2gf4o What new technologies get rid of motion on a boat ?
Basically… very heavy gyroscopes (in a vacuum) mounted deep in the hull to cancel out the rocking… but they use a lot of power and their “spool up” time before they become effective can be quite lengthy (45 minutes+ if I recall correctly.. ) so not practical for short trips…
Gyros mounted on hydraulic rams
As always, great video. I think you are spot on in your breakdown. I have had some form of RV since my early 20s (lets just leave it as I am much older now). I have traveled all over the US, Canada, and northern Mexico. I just bought my first sailboat. Its also funny that i have many of the same systems on both.. An RV can be a great spot to learn how to work on systems such as solar, batteries, inverters 12v, 110v and yes even the occasional fiberglass project. The best thing about learning on an RV is the environment you get to learn in. No rocking, pitching, or rolling. No water to contend with. If you mess something up, an expert is probably just a phone call away to get you back on track. I am putting my cabin on the market but I will be keeping my RV and put it in storage. I will probably snowbird it and use the warm summer months in Oregon to visit family. When the snow flys, so will I :)
With that being said, RVs have one major drawback. For the most part, you are limited to where you can go. If there isn't a road to get there, an RV isn't getting there. In my opinion, there is just less adventure in that lifestyle. When you start to run out of roads, you start to run out of adventure. I know people are probably saying well, there are alot of roads so how can you run out??? If you full time RV, you will understand. Arizona starts to look like Texas. Montana looks a lot like Wyoming, est. When you are on a boat, the Bahamas do not look like Jamaica. And if all that starts looking the same, you can always say "i wonder what the Med looks like...Adventures on boats keep going. They are not subject to countries and borders. This entire planet can be explored on a boat. An Rv will never match that.
I know some are probably saying how do you have the experience to make these claims if you just bought your first boat. Well, I spent the first 12 years of my military career in the Navy. I have visited most of the countries in the South Pacific on a ship. That kind of lifestyle just ins't possible in an RV. Keep up the great videos, and thanks for all the advice on weather, boat life, and sailing strategies.
Yes, for sure! Thanks for the note!
Gulf War Navy Vet. Did the Med, Gulf, and Atlantic. Looking forward to seeing the Pacific, and IO.
You're spot on. There's nothing like being at sea. Convincing the wife on the RV was easy. The buying a boat has been tougher. 🙅♂️
You should've also talked about the daily experience of living on on a boat vs RV.
When I was in my 20s (1990s, 2000s) I traveled the U.S. in a VW camper for a couple of summers, about 25k to 30k miles on the road. I found traveling in a RV in the U.S. to be depressing. The endless stream of Ford dealerships and Walmarts and McDonalds...it just wears me out. I find the monolithic consumer culture of the United States to be straight up boring and, in many ways, genuinely sad -- to the point that living the RV life in the USA doesn't interest me anymore. I think a lot of RV travelers find the lack of challenges, the sameness of this country, to be comforting. To me it's like running a marathon on a treadmill.
Plus, where I live, out west in Utah, you can camp freely all over the place. BLM land is everywhere. Getting remote is actually pretty easy. That's not the case in the eastern U.S. Talk about rules! It's stressful in a very frustrating way.
I'll keep on dreaming about and working toward someday living on a boat.
I did some serious RVing in the 90's and I have to agree. The Walmarts and McDonalds do really add up after a while, in a horribly depressing kinda way. Did a few months int the yukon and Alaska, and that was different and good. But I think for the most part, RVing is about the destination, while Sailing is as much about the Journey as it is the destination.
Have to agree with a lot of this Mark. But your territory there in UT, AZ, NM, CO....well that is something different. Yes you can get away, big time. It can be pretty challenging too. After having our 4x4 rig, that's the way we would go if/when we go again...but it's hard to have something small and capable AND comfortable enough to live in.
Appreciate the time and expertise that goes in to your videos. They are really unmatched by the other channels that I have followed. I look forward to setting sail vicariously in the coming weeks.
I appreciate that! Glad to have you along!
Haha, "you don't need to leave with technical skills, but you will learn it, or you go home" So cool to see you guys back on Clarity!
I was all about the RV lifestyle until your closing comments on rules. You guys be safe.
Until our adventures cross, fair winds and full sails ⛵
Good overview. I live on my sailboat half the year and live in my Motorhome RV half the year (hurricane season). I agree with all your choices except security. I think that one comes down to location, whether on a boat or an RV. I find both the RV & boat enjoyable modes of exploration. As some wise man once said, variety is the spice of life.
Very cool, agree the contrast really helps you appreciate the differences.
The sales rep lied to you, if the GCW is over 26,000 lbs you need a special license in most states. That is everything you have in the RV, what you are towing and what you are towing with, and all your tanks at full capacity. So you can actually get above that weight fairly quickly, and like I said, MOST states require a special license. It is not a class C commercial license some states call it a Class B, although I think that the state of Georgia calls it a class A? Think is the key word in that! There is a lot to consider when buying an RV, because if you buy the Class A or C motorhome and you want to have a towed car with you. then every time you want to back up you have to unhook the towed and move it out of the way and the re-hook it up. Now if you have a truck and a trailer or 5th wheel then you don't have that problem, but your trucks payload, GW, and then the Trailer's GW (Gross weight) and the Truck and trailer's GCW (Gross Combined weight) needs to be considered. Many people are towing wrong and I see it all the time, both the truck and the trailer should be level during towing. They should not create a "V" in the center between the two. Also, if you are experiencing sway, you likely have to small of a truck/Van that you are towing with, or a bad combination of hitch on the truck and trailer. This is serious, and this is why you see so many horrific accidents involving Trailers. Too small of a truck!
We live in a self converted sprinter. I am a helicopter mechanic, and primarily fights fires. Fire seasom is hurricane season, for the most part. Our goal is vanlife during fire season and sailing the off season. ;)
We are full time in our van, and it is allowing us to save for the boat at record pace.
As someone who is about to pull the trigger on one or the other, this is timely and useful information. The footage of Sugar is a bonus! Thanks.
Sugartreats for everyone!
Great comparison video - love it! You left out the elephant in the room - boats can cross oceans and visit other countries relatively easily. RV's can also, but it's not simple or cheap, and there aren't many places in the world you'd want to take even a medium sized RV, much less a large one. That by itself is worth a dozen points!
Any Wayne's World references get a thumbs up
party on...excellent.... lol
I've just bought a 12m cruising yacht after living in my motorhome for five years and simply cannot wait for the change in living lifestyle. Motorhome/caravanning is fraught with overcrowded and expensive RV parks and even freecamping (boondocking over there?) is difficult in peak season and one either side if you appreciate your space. Even here in Tasmania it's terribly busy in summer. Cruising, on the other hand is going to give me what I want - room to move without bumping into other humans. Bring it on - I can't wait. :)
Thank you for your insight. One big consideration for us is the ability to see and experience the world. This is our primary reason we will only consider sailing. We all have a finite number of months to enjoy our time here. Sailing has much higher highs and also requires much more fortitude.
you are so right.
Get a trailerable yacht and have the best of both worlds. I have a 25 footer thats easy to haul around. We can use it as a land based RV, or hit the water. Granted, were not going to cross the oceans, in it, but it's great for coastal cruising.
Which boat are you using? I've looked into some salon and sedan cruisers that could fit this role, but there aren't that many.
@@Dowent Catalina 25 with swing keel
@@cwalke32477 Oh a sailboat, I automatically thought a powerboat. That is a really nice design, very smart interior, can go upwind a very nice boat.
Personally I get travel sickness (nauseous, motion sickness) more in cars and buses then on a ship. I cannot read a book in a car, I can on a ship. And even when I do get seasick, it’s over within a day, on land it keeps coming back every time.
great summary video, Yes boating is way more expensive and challenging. But you will find way more alone and peaceful moments then with everybody else on Land.
Another great ‘O’Kelly-Advantages-disadvantages’!! The red and green cards bring a smile to my face! 👍👍👍
You are simply fantastic! Love the didactic way you explain and also how you two share the topics so well. Other people would do a sooo boring video, but you make it really magnetic!
Good to see you back on Clarity, I was afraid the RV victory could change the episodes for something "on the road"!
Visiting other countries is a huge plus for a Yacht
@24:16 this!! This alone in our book puts the boat lifestyle above RV no matter what. You cannot put a price on freedom.
I found your comparison very useful. Qualifying statement - I am a boater (only since the 50s) who is considering buying an RV. I do have a couple of quibbles with your comparison.
Depreciation - Easily avoided by buying an older boat or an older RV although there are issues of reliability with motorized RVs that make buying an old one potentially problematic. I have an older sailboat (1972) which is worth about what I paid for it if you ignore inflation. On the other hand, I also have an older powerboat (1936) which is worth several times what I paid for it.
Getting away from people is strongly dependent on where you are. In the US it can be tough to get away from people on a boat or on an RV. Here in Maine there is virtually no public land where you can park an RV outside an established campground. While that is not true for a boat, it can be very hard to find a decent anchorage where you don't have close neighbors. I know of quite a few anchorages where you have to arrive early (before about 2 PM) if you want to get a spot. Arriving late generally means that you have to move to a less desirable anchorage which can be a real pain or even dangerous. Furthermore, if you head south the number of boaters seems to increase exponentially. when I sailed in the Chesapeake I found the traffic and crowding took most of the fun out of it. I suppose the same can be said for RVing.
Another aspect of comparison is going to lots of places. In North America it is MUCH more time consuming and difficult to make major trips with a boat than with an RV. I live in Maine but am from the Pacific Northwest. If I want to visit the northwest (say the San Juans) with an RV it is just a drive that I could do in 4-5 days. If I wanted to take my Allied Princess to Friday Harbor from Maine, well that is a different story. On its own bottom it is a trip of many months, or I could ship the boat west in a couple of weeks, but at MUCH greater expense than driving an RV. Of course there are lots of places you can go in an RV that you can't go on a boat, but the reverse is also true. Overall, I think an RV wins for travel in North America unless you want to do the inside passage from Washington to Alaska....wait a minute. You can RV the inside passage, just put the RV on the Alaska ferry.
Thanks for the comment Todd. Tough when doing these comparison videos not to make broad general statements that don’t hold up to specific circumstances. We found it’s possible to really get out in the middle of nowhere in an RV, but you need high clearance and 4x4....which necessarily means small...which means less comfortable. But yeh, being able to go coast to coast in less than a week....!
Love the Princess. Cute boat. Nice run of them we still see from time to time.
Totally agree about the constant stress that constantly under your skin on a boat. You don't quite sleep deeply. The sounds...
That has been the exact opposite for me. I have never slept the way I do in the water. I feel like you are in the minority.
Great video, and always good to hear your selection and analysis of categories on issues like these. All the inset pictures and vid clips did wonders to illustrate your points each way, too. Lots of fun, no complaint about that. Love hearing from you. Buuuuuut.. also... to be really fair... (Pretend rant ensues, just to point out the full range of what "camping" or "cruising" can mean on land or on water for the sake of the record. Here we go...)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!
First, you skipped a huge category. "Is it any fun to actually do the traveling in?" What's more fun, driving for hours tied to a steering wheel with your kidneys rumbling down asphalt highways surrounded by traffic, or sitting back on a lounger with a drink and a snack on the boat while the sails and the open air lets you skim your way quietly through nature? Motor vehicles are something you survive to get somewhere. On a boat, you're already having the party the whole way there.
Anyway, on to the main bitching & moaning. You're comparing the maintenance load and expenses of a 46 x 30 foot seagoing catamaran with all the inherent design and equipment issues of that luxury class vessel, and the equivalent living & hospitality space of 2 semi-truck trailers...
...to bopping around in a dash van, or a pickup truck with a bloody tent strapped to the top?! Come on! Those ""RV's" you're talking about have the living capacity of a Catalina 22 monohull. Let's have some apples to apples here.
Let's put up the expenses of acquiring, fueling, and maintaining a couple of semi-truck sized RV's like the rock stars have, to truly match Clarity's hospitality. It'll take that to give you 3-4 bunkrooms, full kitchen, living room, onboard getaway vehicles like a motorcycle or towing a small car to be equivalent to a yacht tender. Also has to carry gear for an outside BBQ party/tailgating event.
Now we're talking a million bucks minimum just to get in, 2 gallons per mile to move that wagon-train anywhere, thousands of dollars in maintenance and repair at the drop of a hat (and only at specialty high-cost truck mechanics), and set up and take down time at any stop where you want to sit outside and see the world instead of just 4 walls and a TV. Now let's compare that rigamarole to Clarity. Clarity lookin' a lot better, even with the big exotic multihull rig.
Or, alternatively, let's pick a boat that's equivalent to your actual RVs. Well, we really can't, because Almost Nobody is going to go out to cruise in a boat with 100 square feet of living space, that's who. That Guy doesn't buy an RV, either, just an old Pinto and a pup tent. Fine, take it down as far as makes sense... say that 22 foot Catalina. Ooh, I can hear your brain-freeze right now, because you'd never do that and call it "world cruising." Ha!
But, for a minimal excusable example, my family used to have an Essex 26 ketch rig we got second-hand for a few thousand bucks, probably equivalent to 20-30k today. One of that model had taken a family of 5 sailing around the world, so it was seaworthy. It had 2 cabins and slept 6, had a kitchenette equivalent to an RV, and with a draft of only 22 inches (yah baby, 22, long shallow "shoal-draft" keel got into all the cozy coves) it would practically park on the beach from the water side.
It had a 5 or 10 horse inboard-outboard motor mounted under the pilot seat in the center cockpit for go-juice power when you really wanted it. A few gallons of gas lasted pretty much the whole season, basically just for harbor/docking maneuvers. The rest of the time we were sailors. The annual maintenance on the motor was similar to a lawnmower. Basically clean gas and make sure the sparks are healthy.
The boat got swabbed when it got dusty, and a good hull clean & wax every spring. Had to redo the bottom paint once in 10 years, but it would be twice if you were full-time on water. For winter/off-season storage, it got pulled out on a trailer you could haul with a Ford cargo van or a big Buick sedan and got parked in the driveway, like an RV. We had to tighten rigging and lines now and then like any boat, which took all of a screwdriver and a wrench.
Ongoing cost of ownership for a sailboat really equivalent in facilities to a typical RV: maybe a couple thousand bucks a year with insurance and etc.
For that, you still got a nice place to sit with your feet up while you traveled, with a cookie and a root beer in hand, all the fishing you wanted and ports to call in, sights to sea, beaches to swim, breezes to feel at a casual pace of life, and all the privacy and sunsets you could stand. Alternately, you could fleet up with others and have a flotilla of party time and look-out for each other on each leg of the journey.
Now let's run those equations and comparisons again... you can pick either the grand-luxurious two, or the budget-lean two, but at least they are paired up more fairly this way.
(End of the silly rant. I think I'm still trying to convince myself that I'm really going to retire to a boat, and damn the torpedos, whatever size will do. I'm landlocked right now in the forest, which is lush with life and glorious in its own way, but I can still smell that clean water and the fresh-caught, batter-dipped fillets frying for supper.)
Love you folks! Keep on groovin'!
Pretend rant! Lol. A good one at that! Good points
Agree and thanks for the breakdown of Boat Vs RV. I think the yearning for ocean adventure, access to water sports is more appealing to me than land travel. We just got back from a week in Turks & Caicos and were out on a boat several times and we really enjoyed it. It sure is good to look at it from your perspective and how you both ranked everything. This kind of information is invaluable!
thanks Ron!
You touched on it in one of your comments, but the biggest win or loss in scoring RV vs sailboat will be personal attitude/aptitude. If you’re not ready to deal with challenges on a recurring and fairly frequent basis, then RV’ing is probably the way to go. If you enjoy the satisfaction of dealing with and completing challenges regularly and the often uncertainty of these in the first few years as you build your experience, while enjoying beautiful places, then sailboat cruising is for you. Great comparison...well done.
thats a good way of putting it Yves!
I see a lot of boats that are well over 30 years old, and in rough condition, in many harbors and anchorages. I see a lot of notices that older RV's are not allowed in many RV Parks. That one goes to the Sailing Lifestyle.
great point. We have seen that as well. Goes back to what we said at the end....too many rules in the RV world.
What I found, if those "older" boat MUST carry insurance, and to do that, you must have them up to a certain condition. Of course you can drop anchor in the middle of no where or out away from Marina's and deal with things that way. But in the US, those are going away fast.
@@geoffreygelow6869 I have an older boat and don't find getting insurance hard. Of course my boat is only 86 years old. It might be harder with an older boat. I do maintain my boat in bristol condition.
@@todddunn945 WOW 86yrs old!! I'd love it! I bet it's wonderful and built to last....from Wyoming USA 🔫🤠🇺🇸p.s stay safe and healthy everybody GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY
Land vs Sea is the true debate we need today! Thank you
lol
Well, that was fun, we already did the RV thing and now it's boat time. See ya on the water someday. Keepsafe.
Great video! You two bring expertise & experience to the youtube dreamworld. No matter how you cut it, boats are basically breaking all the time, faster or slower. The joy factor is you get to go sailing!
I honestly think that there is a signifiant difference in going to sea in a power vessel versus a sailing vessel, and that the seagoing powerboat is a lot closer to an RV than a sailboat is to an RV. Obviously I'm speculating but in a three way comparison of RV-power vessel-sailing vessel, the power boat just might come out on top!
AND.. they're back folks. All is right in the world-sort of. Oneith by Land, twoith by sea- Paul Revere. Ahhh early morning fog to wake up to. Same here.
Ok the break is over for you two. Back to work-maybe. Clear Caribbean waters await, as soon as you can get Clarity back up to speed that is.
Safe future travels Nick & Megan.
After 5 sailboats and two RVs I totally agree about everything what you said in this video.
Love your videos by the way
I agreed with every point made. We generally sail 4 months in our Leopard 42, land cruise 4 months in our Airstream, and enjoy our home base in Colorado for the remainder. Lots of transitions, lots of maintenance, lots of expense, lots of adventures. We cruise our yacht ‘at large’ without a home marina, and finding storage for the off season is becoming more of a challenge. The Airstream is far easier, and the house is easiest. On the adventure , challenge and satisfaction scale, the yacht scores highest, but as we ease into our 7th decade, it’s retirement may be approaching. Enjoy your adventures!
Oh, and we generally avoid the RV Parks and RULES by exploring the wonderful public lands of the western states.
Thanks for weighing in on it. We’d love to get another Airstream!
Enough info that I find myself rewatching your videos and find new info!
Great article, as always.
And I agree- if you know what you are doing, you don't need rules or a point and shoot vehicle. To be on your own is priceless.
Easy choice. Yes, it takes a larger effort to get out on the water but the life quality is much higher. People who can experience that kind of freedom are very fortunate and it will grow in popularity as technology evolves. And there's also the prepping value, if shit hits the fan you don't want to be around when the system breaks down. In fact, I read a book about boat prepping. That individual had a large boat fully stocked ready to go in 10 minutes 24/365 and with all the survival gear.
We have been wondering about how you stay aware of sharks in the area, all that beautiful drone footage of cays with big sharks swimming around in another video got us curious.
Who needs a boat when you live in a VAN down by the RIVER!
lol. Can't not hear this in Chris Farley's voice! lol
Hahaha
How is nick’s eyes going? Have I missed something ? I know the specialist told you it will most likely get better with time. But I haven’t heard anything else. Good video can’t wait tell you get the new one.
Added bonus is you'll have plenty of time to think about it while you're doing it.
For a Canadian the boat goes above and beyond RV. Because the USA is in the way and I have to go around it to go south. When your entire country is 99% 30 below no RV is comfortable when propane flows on the ground like water and then all your pipes and tanks freeze and burst.
Thanks for the interesting video. I think that there is another very important consideration (besides the tecknical expertise for repairs). Sailing requires a lot more knowledge and expertise in operating the sailboat, handling lines and sails, understanding weather and currents, docking, anchoring, planning the route, etc. etc.
Another fine video! One consideration about the 'guests' category is that getting them to & from a traveling boat can be a HUGE obstacle due to how much weather affects a boats travel schedule and the limited access to transportation in many places. I'd think that the RV is a big winner in this respect.
Well Nick n Megan, you left out the category of soul satisfaction....Also I see "Sugar 🐶" is still serving you. Good video.⛵
Very interesting. I have done some RV-ing, briefly, never again. For me the trump card is other people. Driving, parking, staying in - shudder - RV parks. While they can be a pain in the arse, boats are freedom. Expensive freedom.
Very well said. Expensive freedom. For sure.
I agree the most with the last statements you made. Liberty and Freedom is much more attainable in the boating lifestyle than the RV'ing lifestyle which is getting much worse. This is the category that promoted the pioneering of our country and continues to inspire people to rely on themselves instead of the government for their needs and wants. To me it is a no brainer (other things being equal). Thanks for the presentation. Keep it up guys and stay safe out there (another item on your checklist|?).
A few observations about this analysis; the boat (catamaran) was audibly the quietest with the RV being quite noisy. Also, the cat seemed much more spacious / luxurious than the RV, which was painfully quite 'boxy' and cramped. I realize that the size of the vessel/vehicle has a tremendous effect in this category - there's greater leeway in size with a boat, whereas an RV is constrained in overall width and height to a significant degree. This is just part of the reason that boats, particularly catamarans, have more appeal, but with that appeal comes all the offsets you mention in terms of maintenance and cost. Thanks for all your observations about these two lifestyle choices!
I think your comparison was spot on.
Een boot wint altijd van een camping.
Toen ik en mijn tweelingbroer, onze A diploma haalde voor zwemmen.
Krijgen we onze eerste boot.
En toen B,C,en redden zwemmen.
Toen hadden ik mijn tweelingbroer en vader een schetland 540 (weekend) motorboot.
P.s. 16 years old.
17e,had ik mijn kleine vaarbewijs.
In the Netherlands ,mag je pas autorijden als je 18 bent. Met een rijbewijs!.
I enjoy how you organize these type of episodes. Lots of preparation went into them.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put together such a detailed overview. Super valuable!
When the country you are in is facing a questionable period/temporary crisis you can get away easier and for longer in a boat. Not really an issue for much of your audience but an added bonus just the same.
Apparently, what you're saying for the main part is the grass is browner for PB & J Otter.
I have watched a few of your comparison videos and I really like your format. Very well planned out!
The last comment is so true. Love it. Starting to consider the cruising lifestyle and found this video!
Wonderful video comparison, something I've tried many times to do myself. Thanks for the informative overview, very helpful!
You forgot the most important one. If you want to se the world, and not just your backyard, the boat is a clear winner.
Couldn’t agree more with this! And it was great to see some older footage of Sugar. 💕
Thanks for this video as I have been interested in both. I find my self in the water more than anything. The RV to me may shine if you mostly go to places where you wouldn't take a boat to. Like mountains, deserts, and etc... However I have had an opportunity to overnight on a boat last summer on lake Coeur D Alene. I found it much more peaceful and relaxing. Compared to noisy campgrounds, that I experienced traveling by travel trailer. I feel the Ocean might be kinda scary for me. However I feel I can adapt because I used to think swimming in a lake was risky in a way. I do enjoy sailing and have a project boat a Newport 214. Although she is definitely not as livable as many of the bigger ocean going monohulls. Plus definitely not a boat I would want to cross an ocean on let alone offshore. However I might be able to full time cruise the lakes here since people live in vans. We will see, but as a 22 year old. I need to move out soon and want to keep my nice truck. So perhaps I may get a travel trailer and charter around to see if cruising is for me. I am still young and starting out so anything Bluewater cruiser is way out of my price range. However I know I can work hard and make enough money to buy one. Anyways thanks and this gave me a lot to consider.
I couldn't decide to buy an RV or a boat three years ago. When I went to look at a sailboat, the guy selling it was going to switch to an RV. He actually sold me on the idea of getting an RV! It's been a great three years but now I am wondering if I should try sailing. I don't like campgrounds because they have become ridiculously expensive so we park at truck stops or national forest. It's pretty boring at this point.
I’m still choosing cruising with all its cons. 💙
You guys missed the most important aspect, the "FUN" category , or "EXPERIENCE" , which is one of the reason why we go on trips as these. Hope you will add 1 or 2 more categories like this, then based weight it on fun+experience versus the finance/annoyance , to come to a conclusion
Would be interested to compare what you can get when it comes to vandwelling vs a cheap sailboat. I don't know much about boats but your channel seems interesting, although this video is out of my price range either way :p I'm in Europe so I would have plenty of coast to explore, but I have no idea what kind of boat would fit the job and what would be the minimum budget to buy and maintain a budget boat. Would be great if the boat can cross oceans too, not just sail calm seas. I'd love worldwide independence much more than vandwelling I wager.
Good idea. Maybe we need to do something on that.
I'm pretty much in the same situation (European on a tight budget wanting to wander around the world) and yeah, I think small boats are better than vans. EU regulates cars quite a lot, so vans are not that cheap and I think there are fewer RV parking spaces, so you'd need to go for stealth quite often. But I'm spending my summers hiking or cycling around with my hammock while I save up for a nice boat to live on. But who knows where this takes me. Let me know if you figure out something interesting!
Glad to see you’re back on clarity
Yes- nice work! I would think the other "macro" item that wasn't considered is how much more water on earth there is to explore than land here in N. America. The depreciation factor though really kills both of them for me- I really enjoy following your adventures, but I'll probably keep the majority of my net worth in appreciating assets and occasionally rent one or the other when my wife and I want a little adventure! Thanks though!!
My wife and I rent overseas for 3 months every year and have done so for a number of years. When we are back home we rent interstate for 2-3 months also. With the pandemic we have been unable to get away for the last couple of years and have been seriously considering buying a boat. We have been unable to travel interstate until recently also so have been feeling housebound for a while. Just renting furnished and using them as a base seems to be nearly as cost effective as outlaying bulk capital and camping fees.
There is a lot more risk with a boat, being a hole in the water that the water wants to fill in. If something goes wrong at sea you have to fix it. If something goes wrong with an RV, usually you can call for a tow. I know I want to start with an RV and then do some boat charters and see if me and water get along, then consider a small boat. Thanks for the video!
First time I wake up early and bam an O'kelly video
Live in Europe, it's gonna be easier...
BAM! Good morning!
Got to love the negatively charged ions in the atmosphere after a Rain shower.
You know the smell after or during a Rain Shower. That is Negatively charged ions in the atmosphere. And you showed a Rain Shower on the boat very early in the video. Thought nick would have gotten the reference.
I'm consistently impressed with the content and professionalism of your videos. Keep up the good work. Your content is very useful to us as we begin the process of transitioning to a cruising cat.
wow, thanks Gary. Glad to be part of the conversation! Appreciate the note.
Being based in Europe an RV seems like the perfect choice since the marinas are expensive and there's good roads to visit lots of countries, same thing with US to visit 50 states maybe even looking into Canada... Thats already travelling but other than a plane there's nothing that gives me the freedom of staying for a season in Azores Portugal and then moving to Melbourne
I think the Thor Outlaw would be a more interesting contrast. There are separate sleeping areas and a better space for puppies.
Thank you for this, I think for me an RV might just be better for my needs.
Well THANKS A LOT !!! after watching this video it pretty much shoots my idea of buying a boat and traveling the world! I guess I'll stick with my tent and stay on land.
Thanks again great video guys!
My girlfriend and I have this conversation. I want to get the boat. She'd kill to have a travel trailer and a pair of quads. Still haven't bought a boat yet, still working on it. Covid's not helping, of course. Neither is the fact that lots of peeps with more money than I are snapping up the best offerings on inside deals, but lets not go there. We banter back and forth on the concept of getting a travel trailer or motor home with an ATV or 2 vs buying a boat. I've done a lot of camping, complete with ATVs and jetskis in the mountains and lakes of BC. What I've come to realize is that I'm bored with that. Sure the views are nice, but really - you drive on roads, you ATV on logging roads, if by a lake, you can jetski or canoe, but after a while I've gotten bored. There's no mental challenge - other than how fast you can take a curve without rolling your quad, or having your jetski land on top of you... sailing - or at least the idea of sailing seeing as I've yet to really immerse myself into it - you need to keep in mind the tides, the winds, the weather, how long can you go before needing to return, replenishing food and water, what to do when at anchor... much more mental stimulation. So I figure with all that, you'd live longer. And the rewards far greater. But yes, RV-ing is cheaper, but man, the emotions win out to be on the water despite the negatives the brain is screaming at you... Boat on the water? I'm all in.
Nice breakdown of the differences, can't say I disagree with any of it. We have had several truck camper rigs and have traveled from the arctic circle in Alaska, tip of Cabo San Lucas, Eastport Maine and Key West and lots of places in between. With three kids and a dog :-)
I'm glad common sense didn't prevail and you're back aboard! ;) Go RV'ing when you're old! I think Nick's last point tapped into the category you missed, "Adventure/Exploration". Excellent video as always, although I think you secretly made this knowing the RV would win to steer people that way and thus keep secluded anchorages, well, secluded! 😀
Thank you for the continuum of good information. I learn new things with each episode. One more point in a boat's favor would be "Access" - to nearly 72% of the Earth's surface (most of the time)
I am in process to have an RV and a boat. Sounds like I'll be busy! Thanks once again for for your insight, always appreciate it.
I think you missed a big one that favors the RV. Ease of finding favorable weather. It is not unusual to need to hunker down for a week because of bad weather, with an RV you can typically just drive to nicer weather.
You never fail to come up with some great content. We always enjoy seeing a new video pop up in the feed from you! Thanks for this one. We go back and forth on this all the time so this was particularly interesting. Lately, we've been obsessed with narrowboats in the UK. Who knows? We have some time before we get to do anything life-changing. Thanks for all the effort you put into your channel guys. We truly do love it! Tim and Tammie P.S. It was nice to see some shots of Sugar. Thanks
We also want to try the narrow boat thing. We need more money for all these toys!
Your observation on opportunities for growth was a main point in my book Reboot
Been so busy. Gotta read it!
Thank you for sharing this, I have always wondered about this!!!❤️
Nick and Megan this was so good to watch! We have been weekend RVers for almost 25 years and we’re considering flip flopping every 6 or so months with sailing 😍 We just have to wait, less than 2 years:)
One thing that’s not mentioned is time and that’s where an RV wins if you’re still working 40 hours a week ! You can get to where you want to go back again a lot quicker;)
The only thing I have missed is world wide traveling, for the rest I still go for sailingmore adventure.
Great video, I have made up my mind I'm picking a house.
That was an awesome comparison video!
I'm in Virginia also. Went thru the great lock and bridge today.
Nice!
Hey guys didn’t the RV win the “finding a populated spot” question? 🤔
oops
Great rundown... the pro's and con's make perfect sense and then I think it's a retirement age thing after that, that decides the direction.
The accessibility of RVing is part of what makes it less desirable and accounts for many of the rules. As you mentioned literally anyone can RV, so I suspect you get more "riff-raff". Sailing is a bit self selective since you're dealing with people who willfully accept that they are at the mercy of the environment in which they operate.
Can't go island hopping or even country hopping in a RV but yes there are plenty of things you can't do in a boat that you can do in an RV. Interesting (fun) video but really are they comparable or just two awesome things to do at separate times in your life.
You missed one really important item: autopilot versus cruise control. You can't leave the wheel in an RV, nor should anyone else leave their seats while driving.
lol
Amazing videos! You have inspired me to start sailing and start a sailing youtube channel!
Go for it!
this guy's like 12 and he just bought a boat. the mysteries of algorithm recommends
Thank you for sharing! Another important point - how about the laptops (phones, tablets) needed to work online? How long can they survive in a wet, salty environment, and how often do they need to be repaired?
One thing that I didn't see in your "finances" section is how you physically pay for things like groceries/fuel/parts/gear. Do you accept the exchange rate the credit card gives you and their fees, or pay in $US cash, or do you have envelopes of different currency for each of the countries where you go? Where do you go to get a good exchange rate for $US to that country's money?
You guys always have great videos that are entertaining AND informative! I just thought I'd ask a drill-down question for anyone trying to pre-plan going to the cruising world.
Good question! Greenbacks are welcomed everywhere. Preferred, actually. So we only end up with local currency when we get change. We’ve used our credit cards sparingly and STILL the numbers get taken. I have a feeling Venmo, PayPal, etc is going to be more widely used in the future.
Another thing you should consider is what can happen during a critical failure, natural catastrophe, or emergency medical situation. I'd like to know how boats and RV's stack up when something has gone horribly wrong.
You forgot a very very important thing: the spirit and solidarity between sailors, social life ! For me RV is a big NOGO because of this
cost factors ... cat 3 motors, mono 2 motors (dingy) .... 5th wheel + tow 1 motor
2016 38' monohull 200k, 2016 cat 500k+ ...... 2016 38' 5th wheel + 2005 Duramax 55k
my 38' RV has more storage than a monohull, an I have yet to find a residential fridge on 38' mono ... ROTF !
Awesome video. I haven't read all the 144 comments so I'm not sure if anyone pointed this out yet but Navigation wasn't even a tie, it actually went to the RV! You guys inadvertently swapped your labels on Finding a Populated Spot.
Oops.