⚓️ A Sailors Path to Wealth

Ever heard of "Dog Watch" time? The "Dog Watches" on sailing ships were intentionally shorter than other watches (just two hours instead of four) and split the evening to prevent the same sailors from always working the same hours. It was an early recognition that humans need variety in their work patterns to stay alert and effective.

In today’s email:

• Redefining the path of financial abundance out here

• Free quiz: Find Your Liveaboard Sailor Archetype

• Life has a way of hiding our soul’s inheritances in plain sight

• What role can sailors play in creating ripples of unity and resilience in an uncertain world?

• Our sailor’s toast of the week

🌊 DEEP DIVE

A Liveaboard Sailor’s Path to Wealth

"But how will you make money?"

It's usually one of the first concerns that surfaces when someone shares their dream of moving aboard. 

When people who don't know my background learn about my liveaboard life, it's often one of their first questions too, as if I've solved some impossible financial puzzle. 

I understand the concern. 

When you're looking through the lens of conventional stability (the steady paycheck, the 401(k), a so-called predictable career trajectory), choosing a life on the water might seem like moving directly away from security. 

After years of remote work and an interest in alternative ways of living, I've learned something important: when we broaden our view of what constitutes real security, a bigger picture emerges.

Consider what you're really investing in when you transition to life on the water:

• Radical self-reliance: every system you learn to maintain is one less drain on your resources. You become a plumber, electrician, and mechanic all in one. No certificate required, just plenty of YouTube tutorials and occasional creative cursing.

• Adaptability: the skills that let you thrive in changing conditions become increasingly valuable in an unstable economy

• Perspective: the ability to step outside normal patterns often reveals opportunities others miss

• Most importantly, the capacity to live richly with less. It turns out you don't actually need Amazon Prime to thrive. 

Let’s look at nature's patterns.

Nothing out here maintains constant output. Everything pulses between activity and rest. 

Mother Nature does not care about maintaining steady productivity metrics.

And actually neither do the most successful people I know (by which I mean the ones living truly rich lives, not necessarily the ones with the biggest bank accounts). They work in pulses. 

Instead of grinding away at a steady pace year-round, they've discovered the power of intensive work periods followed by real breaks. 

Some might call it inconsistent. I call it strategically unemployed.

This isn't just an escape from the nine-to-five. It might actually be a superior approach to building long-term prosperity. 

Here's why:

Focus and Recovery 

During work periods, you're all in. There's no pretense of work-life balance because you know it's temporary. Plus, it's amazing how focused you can be when your office might need to change anchorage due to weather. 

The productivity is unmatched. You can take on more intensive projects, command higher rates, or fully immerse yourself in seasonal opportunities.

Then comes the break. 

Unlike traditional vacations that barely let you decompress, extended time on the water provides true renewal. Your mind clears. Your creativity rebuilds. Your inbox reaches that mythical zero state, mainly because you're out of cell range.

The Financial Math 

Running the numbers, this pattern makes more sense than you might think:

• Lower living costs while cruising extend your earned income

• Intensive work periods often command premium rates

• Seasonal or project-based work can pay more than steady positions

• The skills you develop create new opportunities.

Beyond the Numbers 

The real wealth this creates goes beyond money. You're building:

• Practical skills that reduce your dependence on paid services

• A global network of fellow sailors and opportunities

• The ability to move with opportunity rather than being tied to one market

• A clearer sense of what you actually need to live well. \

Making It Work

As someone in the documentary space with an eye for what’s different and important, I see this pattern work for all sorts of people:

• Remote professionals who compress work into focused sprints

• Skilled trades workers who take on concentrated projects

• Seasonal workers who follow weather patterns

• Small business owners who've built systems for periodic absence

• Freelancers who alternate between intensive client work and cruising

The key isn't having the perfect remote job or a trust fund. Though if you have a trust fund, don't let me stop you. 

It's understanding that human productivity, like the natural world around us, works best in pulses rather than steady states.

A New Measure of Wealth 

So, clearly we’re living in a world of increasing uncertainty. Perhaps the most valuable assets we can develop are:

The ability to live well with less

The freedom to move with opportunity

The skill to work intensively when needed

The wisdom to rest deeply when possible

The knowledge to maintain your own systems

The confidence to tell your worried relatives that yes, you have actually thought this through and that you won’t be surviving solely on line caught fish and coconuts floating by.

For those considering the transition to life aboard, the question shouldn't just be "How will I make money?" but rather "What wealth am I building?"

Because while the path may look different from conventional career wisdom, it might just lead to a richer life than we imagined possible. 

📔 Things Worth Knowing

• 🔗 How my grandfather’s sailing legacy finally found me. Life has a way of hiding our soul’s inheritances in plain sight, waiting for the right moment to reveal them. Read more @ The Helm.

• 🔗 Important training for intense times to come. What role can sailors play in creating ripples of unity and resilience in an uncertain world? Read more @ The Helm. 

⛵️ Boat Tour of the Week

• Alluring Arctic is one of the most unique YouTube channels out there. Here’s their snow covered boat tour of their winter liveaboard boat Watch here.

🍻 A Sailor’s Toast

Toasts are a seafaring tradition, passed down through salty winds and rolling tides. Here’s one for the week:

“Here's to those who flow with nature's tide, who know that wealth's not what we chase but what we find inside. To cycles of rest and mighty deeds, to knowing just exactly what the spirit needs. May we work with vigor, rest with ease, and find abundance in life's natural seas.”

Until next time, friends.

Cheers,

Jessica Depatie